Monocular double vision... for reals!

[jensequitur]

Man, this is driving me crazy.  So I've been wearing glasses for six months because I couldn't afford contacts, and every time I wore contacts, my right eye would see double.  I thought it was just the contacts.  

I went and got more contacts, and talked to the optometrist, and he said that if I'm seeing a clear doubling of the image, then it's not the contacts, it's my eye.  And it's definitely double - two clearly defined images of the same thing.

This morning I was having the same problem without the contacts - the right eye was seeing double.  Granted, it's hard to tell, because my eyesight's so terrible!  But it was definitely double - albeit fuzzy - in the right eye.

According to Wikipedia, monocular double vision is rare, but possible.  It takes a lesion in the visual cortex to cause this problem.  I'm just looking for solutions... are there any?

[Audrey_M]

You made me laugh, because sometime things are easier said than done!

"All you have to do is close one eye..." My vision is so bad in my right eye so that it is the only eye I can close at one time. My body favors that eye and I cannot close only the left eye. I'm nowhere near legally blind, yet my brain has always worked this way so that can only wink with the right (weaker) eye and can't close the left eye on its own.

Wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that I can only snap my fingers on the right hand and not the left??? Even with that, it took me years to be able to snap my fingers!

Thanks for your clarification.

Audrey

[Sailorsong]

Audrey,

   I have both monocular and binocular double vision. Luckily I don't get both at the same time for the most part. I also wear glass but all you have to do is close one eye and then the other to tell if it is monocular double vision.  if you still see a double image while one eye is closed then it is monocular. Right this moment I have monocular double vision on my right eye, but not my left. Most of the time I have the double vision in both eyes at the same time. Again luckily the double images are in the same direction so I'm not seeing quad.

There is some abnormality with the optic nerve in my left eye,  but my VA doctor blames this on elevated eye pressure. But again I think she is wrong as the pressure is elevated in both eye and equal amount but the right eye nerve is OK.

Dennis


Yes the field vision test and VEP are different tests.

[jensequitur]

I've definitely had optic neuritis in my right eye - for a while, colors were really weird in my right eye - much brighter than my left.  My right eye is also my 'bad' eye - eyesight is much worse in that eye.  I also had a real problem with flickering light, I think because one eye was transmitting slower than the other.

I have one of those neuros who says "If it's not on the MRI, it doesn't exist."  Craziness.  I'd like to do something about it - this is really a problem today!  But I'm not sure what can be done.  Switch back to glasses, I guess.  

[Audrey_M]

I had a field vision test done. From what I read, this is not the same as the VEP. Hope you or someone on this forum can confirm.

In the field vision test, no electrodes were hooked up to my beautiful brain. I was seated in a chair with my forehead against a brace and a support under my chin. Interestingly enough, I was having tremors that day, and the technician had to place his hand on the back of my head to keep it still.

The screen was white and divided into quadrants. I was given a clicker and each time I saw a spot of light (varying sizes and intensities), I was supposed to depress the button on the clicker.

So base on what I've read, am I correct in saying this test was not the VEP test?

Its important for me to know, as a 6 month follow up brain MRI is showing changes slightly increased to the previous one (now up to 14+ lesions; can't be sure how many fit into Alpine Lace vs. real Swiss cheese with the vagueness of reports...LOL). I am planning on meeting with my PCP before the next neuro appt. and want to get my ducks in order in terms of next steps.

Have had the recommended imaging tests done as well as lab tests (blood, CSF) to rule out mimics. Only other test was this field vision test. The one complicating factor is that the neuro says I do have degenerative disc disease which could contribute to some of the motor sensory problems.

Ain't life grand?

Audrey

[COBOB]

The optic nerves are pretty hard to image.  This is one of those cases of where Dr.s try to match lesions to symptoms that doesn't work too well.  VEP might be the best test.
If the optic never has demyelination, VEP should pick it up.  The classic presentation is a decrease in amplitude and a decrease in the conduction velocity.  My eye/optic nerve  with the double vision shows both decreased amp and decreased CV.

Bob

[Audrey_M]

I have double vision, but for the life of me, I can't tell you if it is monocular or binocular. That's probably because it seems to affect only long term vision and loves to strike while I'm driving. Because I wear glasses, I can't really cover one eye and then the other, ending up with smears on the lenses when I can't already see well.

Prisms in my glasses have not helped.

If I was put under torture to give an answer, I would probably say monocular, in the left eye, which is my "good" eye.

The brain MRI shows no lesion on the optic nerve and a recent visit to the ophthalmologist showed now abnormality.

Dennis, I'm a bit confused by your saying that you have monocular double vision in both eyes. Does this mean that sometimes you have double vision in one eye, and sometimes double vision in the other, but never double vision in both eyes at the same time? If so, maybe that is what I experience.

Any abnormalities noted with your optic nerve or is this another place where lesions can exist but not be visible?

Audrey