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Bizarre Vision Problem
For 4 days my visual perception has been off, almost continuously.
It is almost like I am watching a movie in slow motion - my vision is 'stuttering.' This is accompanied by occassional vertigo, which is itself accompanied by occasional nausea and vommiting.
The problem is most acute when moving, proportional to the speed of movement. It's like I can't make sense of the movement quick enough to make a full motion 'movie' of it. When bad, it is like watching a series of disjointed pictures, rather than continuous, fluid motion. There is a sense of time-distortion, some images seem to come in the wrong sequence, especially if driving in a car.
If I am still and focused on one point the symptoms are somewhat mitigated. If I cover one eye - either one - the stuttering almost completely stops, and in its place there is a slow paced jumping of my vision, accompanied by a slight sensation of movement.
In the past few weeks, I have had occasional visual distrubances. The object I am looking at will suddenly seem to acquire an exaggerated salience, while peripheral objects become a blur. I call it 'going 3D,' because it reminds me of a 3D Imax movie.
History - past year I've been diagnosed with idiopathic secondary hypogonadism. Was having similar visual problems in August, accompanied by rapid mood changes and occasional absences from consciousness. Had an MRI and EEG done, to rule out a large tumour or epilepsy. Liver enzymes (AST/ALT) were elevated to around 5-10x normal from sep-Nov, returning to normal by Dec.
Appt with GP coming up - Q's to ask?
It is almost like I am watching a movie in slow motion - my vision is 'stuttering.' This is accompanied by occassional vertigo, which is itself accompanied by occasional nausea and vommiting.
The problem is most acute when moving, proportional to the speed of movement. It's like I can't make sense of the movement quick enough to make a full motion 'movie' of it. When bad, it is like watching a series of disjointed pictures, rather than continuous, fluid motion. There is a sense of time-distortion, some images seem to come in the wrong sequence, especially if driving in a car.
If I am still and focused on one point the symptoms are somewhat mitigated. If I cover one eye - either one - the stuttering almost completely stops, and in its place there is a slow paced jumping of my vision, accompanied by a slight sensation of movement.
In the past few weeks, I have had occasional visual distrubances. The object I am looking at will suddenly seem to acquire an exaggerated salience, while peripheral objects become a blur. I call it 'going 3D,' because it reminds me of a 3D Imax movie.
History - past year I've been diagnosed with idiopathic secondary hypogonadism. Was having similar visual problems in August, accompanied by rapid mood changes and occasional absences from consciousness. Had an MRI and EEG done, to rule out a large tumour or epilepsy. Liver enzymes (AST/ALT) were elevated to around 5-10x normal from sep-Nov, returning to normal by Dec.
Appt with GP coming up - Q's to ask?
Jenny Wren:
You asked, "How long do you have to have lymes before it turns into Ms?"
I'm not qualified to answer that question.
I am able to recognize the group of disparate symptoms that belong to Lyme, but I'm not that familiar with MS.
Lyme may never turn into MS for most people; it may have something to do with your immune system or your genes.
Symptoms can come and go, and change in nature or in which part of the body you feel them.
Lyme can cause cardiac irregularities.
Symptoms are sometimes so vague that physicians begin to think that they are due to phychological causes. Actually, Lyme can cause all kinds of mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, obsessive compulsive, manic depressive, attention deficit, poor impulse control, irritablility, flash anger.
Some researchers have stated that a good percentage of people who are in mental institutions likely have problems caused by Lyme Disease.
Now that's scarey.
Doctors don't have the experience to diagnose the disease by the symptoms alone.
Some of the sickest patients do not make antibodies against Lyme, and that's what the lab tests for.
The ELISA lab test, which is the one docs are supposed to run first, is so inaccurate, that you may as well flip a coin.
The labs don't test for all the strains of Borrelia. Then the doc looks at the "negative" test and tells you it's not Lyme.
The Infectious Disease doctors believe that four weeks of antibiotics will cure the disease.
When you are still sick after four weeks, with all the same symptoms, they tell you they don't know WHAT is wrong, but you couldn't possibley have Lyme.
Many Lyme patients have had very bad experiences with prominent medical institutions, such as Mayo Clinic, Yale, and Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
The CDC (Center for Disease Control) disseminates conflicting information about Lyme.
Some insurance companies give doctors bonuses if they DON'T diagnose or treat Lyme.
Okay, I'm ranting. Sorry.
Jenny, the symptoms you describe look like Lyme.
You can't just go to your doctor and ask for a test.
You need to read and educate yourself about this, because so many doctors are misinformed.
There is alot you can do for yourself, to try to bring your body back into balance. Whole books have been written about this.
There are many alternative treatments available, because, frankly, so many people relapse after they've been on antibiotics.
I hope you will go to LymeNet.org and read some of the info available.
Best,
Carol
You asked, "How long do you have to have lymes before it turns into Ms?"
I'm not qualified to answer that question.
I am able to recognize the group of disparate symptoms that belong to Lyme, but I'm not that familiar with MS.
Lyme may never turn into MS for most people; it may have something to do with your immune system or your genes.
Symptoms can come and go, and change in nature or in which part of the body you feel them.
Lyme can cause cardiac irregularities.
Symptoms are sometimes so vague that physicians begin to think that they are due to phychological causes. Actually, Lyme can cause all kinds of mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, obsessive compulsive, manic depressive, attention deficit, poor impulse control, irritablility, flash anger.
Some researchers have stated that a good percentage of people who are in mental institutions likely have problems caused by Lyme Disease.
Now that's scarey.
Doctors don't have the experience to diagnose the disease by the symptoms alone.
Some of the sickest patients do not make antibodies against Lyme, and that's what the lab tests for.
The ELISA lab test, which is the one docs are supposed to run first, is so inaccurate, that you may as well flip a coin.
The labs don't test for all the strains of Borrelia. Then the doc looks at the "negative" test and tells you it's not Lyme.
The Infectious Disease doctors believe that four weeks of antibiotics will cure the disease.
When you are still sick after four weeks, with all the same symptoms, they tell you they don't know WHAT is wrong, but you couldn't possibley have Lyme.
Many Lyme patients have had very bad experiences with prominent medical institutions, such as Mayo Clinic, Yale, and Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
The CDC (Center for Disease Control) disseminates conflicting information about Lyme.
Some insurance companies give doctors bonuses if they DON'T diagnose or treat Lyme.
Okay, I'm ranting. Sorry.
Jenny, the symptoms you describe look like Lyme.
You can't just go to your doctor and ask for a test.
You need to read and educate yourself about this, because so many doctors are misinformed.
There is alot you can do for yourself, to try to bring your body back into balance. Whole books have been written about this.
There are many alternative treatments available, because, frankly, so many people relapse after they've been on antibiotics.
I hope you will go to LymeNet.org and read some of the info available.
Best,
Carol
How long do you have to have lymes before it turns into Ms? I've been problem for at least 5 years, don't know if it's Ms or Lymes, perhaps something else. My symptoms are, headaches (burning type in back of head), sometimes with aura, nausea, pain in ear, facial tingling (worse when there is muscle tension in shoulder), low libido, crawling sensations when wearing pants, no numbness, just strange feelings, like little buzzes under skin, usually in legs, but happens everywhere else sometimes, these things all seem to be worse the week before my period, the headaches used to come every once in a while, now there there a good bit. Anxiety, heart palpitations, I do have a MVP, but was never bothered with it until this all started. Do people go with symptoms for a while, then fade away, then come back worse than before with Lymes? I'm really scared to what is happening in my body. Forgot to add, the crawlies in my legs are really bad when sitting. What do you think? Thank you!
Kevin_J:
This description of your visual problems has been described by other people who were later diagnosed with Lyme Disease.
Here is a previous post that may interest you:
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/neuro/messages/33990.html
See this thread from LymeNet.org
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=040348
Take care,
Carol
This description of your visual problems has been described by other people who were later diagnosed with Lyme Disease.
Here is a previous post that may interest you:
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/neuro/messages/33990.html
See this thread from LymeNet.org
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=040348
Take care,
Carol
I read the thread you posted - my perception problems aren't like those described there, but thanks for the suggestion.
I looked at some of the symptoms of Lyme disease - doesn't sound like me. No numbness, no tingling, etc. I live in Nova Scotia, which I don't believe is an area where Lyme disease is present.
I have no floaters, no blurriness, no loss of visual field, 20/15 vision - it seems to me to be a problem with the temporal integration of visual information, rather than anything wrong with the eyes or optic nerve. I
Does anyone know of any connections between endocrine problems and visual problems? It's not primary hypognadism, the problem rests apparantly with either the hypophysis or hypothalamus, with respect to the endocrine problems.
I know the hypophysis is close to the optic chiasma - merely coincidence, or something worth considering in this case? Googling it, I found nothing to suggest my type of perceptual problem from insult to the optic chiasma, so I doubt there's any connection. I came across some information about pituitary adenomas causing blindness or loss of part of the visual field, but nothing to cause a temporal stuttering, which I suppose is a relief.
I appreciate any comments or advice people have to offer, I'm looking for plausible explanations, that's all.
I suppose should mention I have a family history of MS (father and two of his sisters), my mother has hypothyroidism (endocrine problem) and Sarcoidosis. That's about it for immediatefamily history of weird diseases.
I looked at some of the symptoms of Lyme disease - doesn't sound like me. No numbness, no tingling, etc. I live in Nova Scotia, which I don't believe is an area where Lyme disease is present.
I have no floaters, no blurriness, no loss of visual field, 20/15 vision - it seems to me to be a problem with the temporal integration of visual information, rather than anything wrong with the eyes or optic nerve. I
Does anyone know of any connections between endocrine problems and visual problems? It's not primary hypognadism, the problem rests apparantly with either the hypophysis or hypothalamus, with respect to the endocrine problems.
I know the hypophysis is close to the optic chiasma - merely coincidence, or something worth considering in this case? Googling it, I found nothing to suggest my type of perceptual problem from insult to the optic chiasma, so I doubt there's any connection. I came across some information about pituitary adenomas causing blindness or loss of part of the visual field, but nothing to cause a temporal stuttering, which I suppose is a relief.
I appreciate any comments or advice people have to offer, I'm looking for plausible explanations, that's all.
I suppose should mention I have a family history of MS (father and two of his sisters), my mother has hypothyroidism (endocrine problem) and Sarcoidosis. That's about it for immediatefamily history of weird diseases.
Since your eyesight seems to be worsening, is it possible to go to the emergnecy room. They can do blood work and mri's probably right away. Also Diabetes can lead to eye problems. Just suggestions.
good luck
good luck
If you had a MRI already what would seeing a neurologist do? Wouldn't any abnormalities in the brain have shown up on the MRI results?? just curious.
thanks
thanks
Kevin,
I came back to add that I found an article written by a woman with a pituitary mass.
The mass apparently caused her body to shut down all the reproductive hormones.
http://pituitary.mgh.harvard.edu/mljpit.htm
When I saw this, I thought of you.
Is it possible something like this is causing the hypogonadism?
She also has Lyme Disease, and I wonder if that perhaps caused the mass on the pituitary gland. The description of the mass sounds right to me.
Best,
Carol
I came back to add that I found an article written by a woman with a pituitary mass.
The mass apparently caused her body to shut down all the reproductive hormones.
http://pituitary.mgh.harvard.edu/mljpit.htm
When I saw this, I thought of you.
Is it possible something like this is causing the hypogonadism?
She also has Lyme Disease, and I wonder if that perhaps caused the mass on the pituitary gland. The description of the mass sounds right to me.
Best,
Carol
Kevin,
Okay, but please keep it in mind if nothing else pans out.
You don't "need" to have a whole lot of symptoms to have Lyme.
Some people have had only visual problems, or only interstitial cystitis, or only headaches, etc.
The Lyme bacteria has been shown to cause Multiple Sclerosis and thyroid problems. So a family history of those raises my suspicions.
They aren't sure what causes Sarcoid, some think it may be bacterial in origin. Some researchers suspect the Lyme bacteria.
There is an experimental treatment for Sarcoid, called the Marshall Protocol, which has also been beneficial for some Lyme patients.
This protocol reduces inflammation, which is a problem for both diagnoses.
Lyme can cause vertigo.
I suggest you keep a diary of symptoms, in case you have further progression.
There is a medical specialty called neuro-opthalmology (spelling?) that would be helpful for you. I don't know if they are common in Canada. A large medical institution may be able to advise you about this.
You could do a search to see if Lyme is connected with endocrine problems like yours.
I do know that Lyme disrupts the HPA axis (hypothalmus - pituitary - adrenal).
I realize that you have already discarded Lyme as a possible cause, but I really think there may be a connection.
LymeInfo.net is a site that has compiled tons of well organized information.
http://www.lymeinfo.net/index.html
Look at the links listed under medical literature.
Good luck in figuring out the problem.
Carol
Okay, but please keep it in mind if nothing else pans out.
You don't "need" to have a whole lot of symptoms to have Lyme.
Some people have had only visual problems, or only interstitial cystitis, or only headaches, etc.
The Lyme bacteria has been shown to cause Multiple Sclerosis and thyroid problems. So a family history of those raises my suspicions.
They aren't sure what causes Sarcoid, some think it may be bacterial in origin. Some researchers suspect the Lyme bacteria.
There is an experimental treatment for Sarcoid, called the Marshall Protocol, which has also been beneficial for some Lyme patients.
This protocol reduces inflammation, which is a problem for both diagnoses.
Lyme can cause vertigo.
I suggest you keep a diary of symptoms, in case you have further progression.
There is a medical specialty called neuro-opthalmology (spelling?) that would be helpful for you. I don't know if they are common in Canada. A large medical institution may be able to advise you about this.
You could do a search to see if Lyme is connected with endocrine problems like yours.
I do know that Lyme disrupts the HPA axis (hypothalmus - pituitary - adrenal).
I realize that you have already discarded Lyme as a possible cause, but I really think there may be a connection.
LymeInfo.net is a site that has compiled tons of well organized information.
http://www.lymeinfo.net/index.html
Look at the links listed under medical literature.
Good luck in figuring out the problem.
Carol
Your symptoms could be from a combinatory effect and are non-specific thus differential.
I would see your general practicioner and possibly a neurologist. If you have not had an MRI of the brain for more than 6 months; I would have one.
Good Luck!
Jmcc.
I would see your general practicioner and possibly a neurologist. If you have not had an MRI of the brain for more than 6 months; I would have one.
Good Luck!
Jmcc.
Additional Info-
had phone consultation with ENT this evening (a relative), who said it doesn't sound like an inner ear problem - he reccomended seeing a neurologist, which is in the works. Family doc put me on Serc (betahistine) 2 days ago thinking it may be a vestibular problem, has had no effect.
I moved in August, so had little continuity in care with regard to those symptoms in august.
Follow up on the endocrine problem:
Saw an internal medicine spec. in oct who tested pituitary function by stimulation - responded normally. LH/FSH still at zero though, and testosterone likewise almost zero. No affect on secondary sex characteristics however - i.e no loss of body hair, etc. SHBG extremely low.
I am awaiting referrals to both a neurologist and an endocrinologist, which may take months here in Canada. I want to be sure I am well equipped to ask the right questions of both.
In the past 4 days, my vision has been getting worse, I am scared that I have no answers nor explanation for any symptoms, and I'm looking for the right questions so I can begin looking for answers.
had phone consultation with ENT this evening (a relative), who said it doesn't sound like an inner ear problem - he reccomended seeing a neurologist, which is in the works. Family doc put me on Serc (betahistine) 2 days ago thinking it may be a vestibular problem, has had no effect.
I moved in August, so had little continuity in care with regard to those symptoms in august.
Follow up on the endocrine problem:
Saw an internal medicine spec. in oct who tested pituitary function by stimulation - responded normally. LH/FSH still at zero though, and testosterone likewise almost zero. No affect on secondary sex characteristics however - i.e no loss of body hair, etc. SHBG extremely low.
I am awaiting referrals to both a neurologist and an endocrinologist, which may take months here in Canada. I want to be sure I am well equipped to ask the right questions of both.
In the past 4 days, my vision has been getting worse, I am scared that I have no answers nor explanation for any symptoms, and I'm looking for the right questions so I can begin looking for answers.
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