Re: Pain behind left eye with movement, headaches, odd feeling in neck/shoulder....

Posted By Kim Patrick on June 24, 1999 at 09:56:02
Back in March I started feeling a weird feeling in my left eye, almost as if it were numb. A few weeks later, the entire left side of my body hand a numb tingling feeling and I went to the emergency room and found out nothing (they did not run any tests!) I went to my own doctor and he sent me to have a CT scan which came out fine. I also went to two Opthamologists and a Neurologist and everything was fine. The Neurologist gave me some pills for my headache (which really don't help). I am still experiencing discomfort in the muscles on the left side of my body. Mostly in my neck (feels like my muscles are knotting) I am no longer experiencing the pins and needles feeling but I do get weird headaches on a daily basis (not a migraine) and the discomfort behind my left eye. I am going back to my Neurologist at the end of this month and he told me if the symptoms were to persist he would sschedule a MRI for me. I just need a little help here...I know that you can not diagnos my symptoms but please tell me your opinion...Could this be MS?

[CCF Neuro MD msf]

Posted By CCF Neuro MD msf on June 24, 1999 at 12:21:46
Dear Kim,
Thank you for your question. You are right, it is very difficult to make a diagnosis based only on the description of symptoms over the internet. However I can give you a few thoughts about the possibility of MS. The headaches and pain behind your eye could be related to optic neuritis, which is inflammation in the optic nerve (which is located behind your eye). However, optic neuritis usually causes also blurred vision, which is not your case apparently. The word "multiple" in MS means to things: multiple symptoms, and multiple episodes over time. The association of pain behind your eye and numbness in the left side of your body could correspond to the multiple symptoms we are looking for in MS. However, this is only one episode, and we usually require at least 2 episodes before making a diagnosis of MS. Most of your symptoms resolved spontaneously, and I understand that your Neurologist did not find anything abnormal when he examined you. These elements are reassuring, although they do not rule out MS. So, the next question is: is it necessary to perform more tests right now ? MRI is the most useful test to diagnose (or rule out) MS. Our current philosophy is that it is very important to diagnose MS early, because we have long-term preventative treatments, which are effective in limiting the activity of the disease, but which work best if used early in the course of the disease. At this point, if an MRI of the brain showed abnormalities consistent with MS, you would be considered at risk to develop other episodes within the next years (i.e. at risk to develop MS). In this case we usually continue to monitor neurological examination and MRI, and offer to initiate long-term treatment if there is evidence that the disease is active. If the MRI is normal, then MS is less likely, and it is up to you and your neurologist to decide either to obtain additional tests, or to simply monitor your symptoms. In summary, I would not say that you necessarily have MS, but an MRI would provide useful additional information. I hope this helps.










Follow Ups:


Pain behind left eye with movement, headaches, odd feeling in neck/shoulder.... Dave 6/25/1999
(3)

Re: Pain behind left eye with movement, headaches, odd feeling in neck/shoulder.... CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS 6/25/1999
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Re: Pain behind left eye with movement, headaches, odd feeling in neck/shoulder.... I hear ya Dave!! 6/25/1999
(1)

Pain behind left eye with movement, headaches, odd feeling in neck/shoulder.... CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS 6/25/1999
(0)

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