Multiple episodes of diplopia

[snerha]

Has anyone had more than 3 episodes of dipoplia?  I'm encoutnering my 4th incident, started March 20th.  This is the 3rd time in my right eye, which always turns in.  It is the 6th nerve this time. My left eye had turned outward and that took 4 months for recovery.  The right eye usually heals in 7 weeks.

I'm told this happens due to an inflammation of the eye muscle, but no one knows what causes the eye muscle to become inflammed.  My hearing gets worse each year - wearing 2 hearing aids now. These episodes always happen in the last few days of November or first few days in April (only every other year).  This time it happended a couple of weeks before April.

I'm a very healthy and active female - age 66.  There's no certainty about the recovery.  I'm worried that this may keep occuring for the rest of my life.  It does not respond to steroids.  I don't wear glasses for distance but I have a pair of clear glasses with the right lense frosted (from Lens Crafters).  This helps me to see only one of everything; however, it's too scary to drive this way.  I put frosted scotch tape on the lense of my over-the-counter reading glasses so I can read more easily.

Any comments or suggestions on this?  Thank you!

[Timothy D McGarity, M.D.]

Hello,
I'm very sorry for your condition. I can't answer all of your questions, but I want to make sure that you are connected with the right physicians. You should be seeing a ophthalmologist and possibly even a neuro-ophthalmologist or occuloplastic specialist. If this condition stabilizes over time, then you can have a corrective procedure or special eye glasses to help alleviate the double vision.
Sincerely,
Tim

[snerha]

Thank you for your reply Dr. McGarity!

I've been seeing some of the top neuro ophalmologists in the country and they are baffled.  I'll look into an occuloplastic specialist.  I'm aware of the the prism glasses, but my doctor said he'll wait a few more weeks to see if the eye moves before prescribing the glasses.  I'm aware of the corrective procedure but we haven't tallke about that yet.

Have a great day!

Joan