double vision(really worried)

ok i'm 19, literally just got diagnosed today. I had double vision when i went to the doctor, but now instead of it only being when i looked side to side, its also when i look forward. I have no  idea if this is normal or not MS wise and would really like some input. I'm scheduled for steroid treatment starting monday.

[allisonh]

Yes, that is normal.  It's probably due to something called "Optic Neuritis".  The steroid treatment should help. Don't get alarmed but you may also start seeing flashes, develop a blind spot, have blurriness or have pain when moving your eyes.  Is there any way they can see you before Monday to help you?
Don't panic. All will be o.k.

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome to our little corner of the web, If you haven't already, it is always a good idea to check out our health pages, top right of your screen, yellow icon. You will find everything you need to know about MS, it is well worth the time it takes to read them.

Double vision is very common sx of MS, it is different to ON (optic neuritis) and having double vision does not mean you will get ON. Double vision can be a sx you experience during a flare or when something temporarily triggers your sx eg hot weather, it will resolve back to your baseline. Double vision can be a permanent sx though its more often after having MS for a long long time. Dx young your outlook is more favourable than someone who's dx after years and years without current medical interventions.

Please dont be worried, I know easier said than done but worry can actually make sx worse so worrying isn't going to help you one little bit. Take a breath!!! Its all new to you and everything will feel a bit scary until you understand what is normal and what is not. Give your self a little time, your more than likely in a flare at the moment, which is why your dr is about to start you on steroids.

Feel free to ask any question that you need answers for, we will do our best to give you personal experiences as well as the technical info and available research. I'm sorry for your dx but glad you've found your way here, its a safe place to land!

Cheers........JJ  

[Sparkysarah]

Hi and welcome to the forum. If you feel able to it would be interesting to learn a little more about you and what your journey has been to diagnosis in terms of symptoms leading up to dx.  Have you ever had optic neuritis before?  I am hoping that you have had a helpful neurologist and am wondering if he/she has discussed long term treatment options.

You can find plenty of information about MS on the health pages here (top right hand). I am really sorry for you that you have been diagnosed with MS when you are so young and would definitely urge you once you are feeling better and the steroids have done their work, to find out about treatment.  This is a great forum to seek support and find out as much as you can so feel free to dip in as you will find many very helpful people, willing to listen and help.

Best wishes

Sarah

Sarah

[supermum_ms]

I just pulled the common vision issue seen in MS......

•Optic neuritis
•Acute blurring or loss of vision, usually in one eye
•Possible to have optic neuritis without affecting vision
•Not everyone who experiences optic neuritis develops MS
•Uncontrolled eye movements
•Double vision


Double vision
Diplopia, or double vision, occurs when the pair of muscles that control a particular eye movement are not perfectly coordinated due to weakness in one or both pairs of muscles. When the images are not properly fused, the patient perceives a false double image. Diplopia usually resolves on its own. In some cases, a brief course of corticosteroids may be helpful. Patching one eye can also be useful. Special lenses are rarely recommended because the symptom tends to be transitory.

Cheers........JJ

[HVAC]

There are two eye conditions in MS Optic Neuritis which is when the Optic Nerve which connects to the eye is inflamed or damaged and Double Vision which comes from inflammation or damage to nerves in the mid brain and brain stem. In either case when inflammation subsides symptoms can go away. When there is damage it can be permanent.
As far as Double Vision is concerned if it is permanent which most times it is not the brain adjusts. I am rare and I have had Double Vision for 46 years. I do not see two images I switch from eye to eye naturally.

Optic Neuritis is a different condition than Double Vision and is often confused.

Alex  

[Pablo_Morphy]

trve,

Welcome to the forum, where you'll find terrific people willing to support and help you.   I was just diagnosed with clinically isolated syndrome (first episode) in April 2010, but I suffered my first symptoms waaaay back, when I was 22.  One day, I woke up in the morning, moved my eyes side to side, and saw holes (Scotomas) on both eyes.  I remember how scary it was.  However, our friends above are right:  The sooner you start fighting against MS, the better.  Your symptom will likely go away soon and you'll recover your normal vision.  I may ask, did they already perform MRIs and other stuff?  Did you suffer from other symptoms before?

Stay strong!  My best wishes to you....

[COBOB]

As someone with ON and Double Vision, it is not "normal," but it is pretty common in some MS patients.  Lateral (side by side) double vision is usually related to the eye muscles being effected by a lesion on one of the cranial nerves.  My double vision is a vertical ghost image.  The ghost is about 10% "brightness" of what the "real image" is.  The neuro-ophthalmologist is pretty sure it is caused by the increased signal latency in my right optic nerve .

If the vision issues are the result of a lesion, my experience has been that IVSM helps the other symptoms pretty quickly. I start feeling better by the second day.  The bad news is that my vision issues usually take about a month to start improving and the improvement continues slowly over the next 6 to 9 months.  

Bob

[rieni]

i've been through that when i was 19 yrs old. in 2007..
2 years later 2009, been diagnosed as Ms. no worries on that. it will go away by steroids.
i even wore prism eye glasses to cover up my left eye. close one eye is better. :)

[jensequitur]

That's right - double vision is usually caused by the eyes crossing.  If you close one eye, you should see normally.

[COBOB]

That is true for cases related to extra-ocular muscle control and is more common in horizontal double vision.  Dry eye and other benign causes can also present with sysmptoms of double vision.  If it is the extra-ocular muscles, IVSM may clear it up quickly.  If it is ON, it may take a few weeks or more before you notice anything.  Depends on where the lesion is.

For people who have signal delays in the optic chiasm or optic tracts, a fainter delayed second image comes from two signal arriving at the optic cortex at different times.  This has to do with the way the eyes are wired.  All of the left eye data travels down the left optic nerve and then splits at the optic chiasm so the lateral 1/2 of the retina signal go down the left optic tract and the nasal 1/2 of the retinal signals go down the right optic tract.  Lesions in the chiasm or tracts can cause latency that causes an "electrical echo."    My double vision happens from either eye when one is covered. The big hope when this happens is that the brain will learn to ignore the "echo."  

On MRI, my right optic nerve and left optic tract both appear to have a decreased caliber and my right eye has an abnormal VEP showing increased latency.  Muscle control issues are easy for a ophthalmologist to spot.  If your eyes seem to tract correctly and you get into diagnostic testing of neuro-vision issues, that is where the neuro-ophthalmologist comes in.



Bob

[jensequitur]

For a long time, looking through the right eye made me feel uneasy.  This was especially bad with flickering light.  After a little bit of research, I discovered the information you're talking about, although they didn't go into as much detail.  I think it's called the Pulfrich effect?  

I think I'm going to have to worry a little more about my eyes - I'm having more and more problems with them.

[COBOB]

I put in out there a while back that this is my MonSter.  Because of my symptoms and signs on the VEP and MRI, the Neurologist, Neuro-Ophthalmologist and Ophthalmologist feel that 75%  of my vision is "at risk."  Because it looks like one optic nerve and one optic tract are involved, three out of four paths from the eyes to the optic cortex.  There are still visual signals moving, just some are moving a bit slower than others.

This is the main reason that the doctors and I decided not to watch and wait for another 6 months.

Bob

[jensequitur]

I think you made the right choice!  

[trve]

Well I woke up today and the double vision when looking straight forward seems to be gone for now, which is a big relief. To the person that asked, yes i've gotten two MRIs already after going back and forth to doctors for about three months. Everything started about a year and a half ago when I had numbness in my right leg, which over the course of two weeks moved to my left leg, then went away. About a year after that, symmetrical numbness in my toes, going away after three weeks. Finally I had symmetrical numbness in my pinky, ring finger, and maybe about 1/4th of each hand. Also, L'hermittes sign. That finally led me to go to the doctor about all this, and he basically told me that everything was being caused by anxiety and wouldn't send me to do an MRI until I went again and complained about chronic dizziness and vision problems. Needless to say my brain and spine were scattered with white spots.

Thankfully my neurologist seems to be really nice, and i'll be going back in about two weeks to discuss treatment plans.

[COBOB]

You said you have had two MRIs.  Did they include MRIs of the C-Spine or just brain?  Lesions on the C-Spine and T-Spine can be very difficult to detect.  The best bet for the detection of spinal lesions is fat suppression sequences on a 3 Tesla MRI.  

Bob

[trve]

Yeah, it was of my t-spine, c-spine, and brain, once without contrast and once with. Lesions on all 3 apparently.

[shermay]

Hello and welcome.

I have had double vision in my right eye for a very long time now (years) which - when I am tired it affects my LHS too.

I was given a course of Steroids, and that did clear it up for a short time, and then my Neuro sent me to opthal (sorry can't spell that) and she gave me exercises for the eyes,  

She told me to look half left for 3 seconds and then back, and to keep this up for 3 mins per side every day.

I suppose it's like PT for legs etc.

I winder what the others will think of that???

Sorry you've been dx with MS, but you are in good company here.

Debs