Bilateral Monocular Diplopia Help!

[larshy]

I have been experiencing a number of symptoms associated with my eyes as well as other areas of my body but more recently have been experiencing bilateral monocular diplopia. My first vision problem was an awareness of floater which started out as one black dot in my right eye then later a dot in my left eye and now many dots and lines as well as transparent dots that I can only describe as water bubbles (clear transparent circles) in both eyes. These visual floaters are most noticeable against a bright background. I am also experiencing blurred vision that comes and goes in either eye as well as a glare from light sources in either eye if I am in a dark area. I have been to see an optometrist and in his opinion my eyes were in great shape.

Since the visit with the optometrist the monocular diplopia has become more of a problem and is most noticeable when looking at light sources but I can also see ghosts images of objects if they are dark against a light background or vice versa. The diplopia is vertical; the ghost image is overtop of the real image. The only way it seems to disappear is if I tilt my head down and look upwards at the object or sometimes if I squint the ghost image will disappear. I have also tried a homemade pinhole test. When the pinhole in directly in the center of my vision the double image goes away, however when the pinhole is slightly above my center of vision the double image comes back.

Other symptoms that I have been having include tinnitus, frequent headaches, muscle spasms, pins and needles, and numbness.

I have had a CT scan done which came back normal and am now waiting to see a neurologist in 6-8 weeks.

Do these symptoms sound like it is something wrong with my eyes or is it something wrong with my brain? I am afraid that it could still be a brain tumor that didn’t show up on the CT scan, or is that even possible? I am also afraid that this could be some malignant form of MS. Please any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Nancy T]

Doesn't sound psychogenic to me (a layperson), certainly not the vision problem.

Keep your neurologist appointment and let us know what he/she says.

Glad the eye doctor found nothing wrong with your eyes. But did he recommend any type of glasses prescription to try?

Nancy T.

[Marilyn132]

I know my 'ghosting' is different in each eye because my left has 3 images when looking at a light/moon and the right only has 2 images. This is a progression from 2 in left and none in the right eye. MMMMM. Irritating is the nicest word to describe the problem. If it were cataracts I'd have it fixed....darn, corneas are fine.

[Nancy T]

Marilyn, do you know the cause of your multiple images? Have you seen an ophthalmologist, and what have they told you? Is there anything you can do that makes it go away temporarily?

Nancy T.

[BillIsherwood]

I, too, suffer from bilateral monocular dipolia, beginning maybe 20 years ago.  It comes on when I read or work on the computer too long, and gradually goes away if I distance focus for 1/2 - 1 hr.  It starts with ghosting, but can progress to two full, essentially equal, images if I keep working/reading.  At the time I was first 'diagnosed', I was told that little was known about such conditions and no 'cure' was known -- so I've lived with it - taking 'eye breaks' as necessary.  As time goes on, the period of reading or other close work seems to decrease before the symptoms reappear.  I wear bifocal reading glasses and have needed bifocals for many years.  About 8 years ago I had Lasik surgery for my severe near-sightedness (to allow me to function in snow storms without glasses).  It seemed that the diplopia diminished somewhat after the Lasik, but has come back, now worse than ever.  (I am now 66.)

I had not heard of the pinhole test and just tried it.  My double vision does seem to go away when looking thru a pinhole -- but I can't read or work like that.  Tilting my head doesn't seem to change anything.  My eye doctors have never found any observable 'health ' problem with my eyes.

I'll now follow this thread in case anyone has found a real cure for this condition.

Bill I.

[Nancy T]

Maybe I should ask my ophthalmologist at my next appointment exactly what he "put" in my special reading glasses to prevent the ghosting from occurring with reading. I do remember he said that the optician would think the prescription was for bifocals when it wasn't.

However, in my case the ghosting only occurs when I read looking down (e.g., with a book or papers in my lap or on a table). It doesn't occur when I'm reading straight ahead, as on a computer screen.

But it does occur without any previous reading if I'm very tired (sleep-deprived).

Surprised to hear so many others have this problem--the two ophthalmologists I saw, one of them a neuro-ophthalmologist, had never heard of it.

Did anyone read the article for which I posted the link? What do you think about it?

Nancy T.

[larshy]

It seems to me that everyone else that has this problem only acquires it after reading or doing some sort of concentration with their eyes for an extended period of time. My diplopia lasts from 80-100% of the day after doing nothing to provoke it. I simply wake up with it and fall a sleep with it. It is very annoying for the most part but it seems that I am now getting use to it and just ignore it. It is very similar to the constant tinnitus, or ringing in my ears, it is there but my senses are just use to it and ignore it. I am very interested in the prescription that you received Nancy as my ophthalmologist had mentioned nothing about glasses at all but if it could help me I would be forever in your debt. As I have mentioned before I have tried the pinhole test and it seems to clear up the double vision so as Nancy has already stated and from what I have read it is most likely a refractive error and not neurological (fingers crossed). I am going for a CT scan of my ocular area (I forget exactly what the area is called) tomorrow and should be in contact with my ophthalmologist soon so i will post again any findings they see or not see. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories. It is a good feeling knowing im not going through this alone and others have experienced to some degree what i am going through.

Brock