SEVERE ITCHING AND BLURRED VISION

[RAY911]

Hi,,
I'm having some "different" sensations,, ITCHING UGGGGGGGG

anyone else?  Is this related to MS?? its horrible cant stop itching,  No new meds, no new creams, no new nothing just extreme itching!!!!!!!

Also i've noticed my eyes are getting even more blurry... I'm scared to go to the eye doc.  can someone tell me how a eye doc can see by looking at your eyes or whatever if the blurriness is coming from MS??

I notice it more when i'm outside then come inside,,, its horrible I've also noticed that street signs are blurry,  its unnerving.

any comments/suggestions??

Hugs
Ray

[mommajuju3]

Hey chicky!

So sorry you are having the itchies!I I go thru spells of those in my legs and arms. Some times it is intense itching and some time it makes me shake my leg, almost like a shocking feeling that some have talked about. It doesn't make me jump out of my chair or scream, but boy...definetly enough to make one nuts!!  I haven't experienced any eye problems and I'm not sure how they determine where the problem stems from. (I guess that is where the really GOOD and priceless docs that seem to be hard to find come in).

I guess I'm not much help here :-) Just just wanted you to know I feel your itchies as well, so you aren't alone! And I'm thinking of you!  Hoping your itchies don't stick around too long or your doc is able to prescribe something for it too make you comfortable!

Julie

[MrsMunier]

Aloha!

OMG! I have the itch on my right arm, its driving me nutz!!! A Dr who is replacing my pcp is on vacation told me to use zertec, ice pack, and cortaid. I live in Hawaii so the ice melted in minutes, the cortaid helps but even makes it worse when I rub it on my arm.

Its a feeling like I can't explain, like something is crawling through my skin? I did start taking my gabapanten and it helps.
I emailed my MS specialist and told her to make sure the sx is in my record.

Do you still have the sensations?

MM

[RAY911]

Thank you so much

All these different weired symptoms make me feel completly crazy sometimes!!!!!

Thank you for all the advise and kindness,  really means allot!!!!

Love and HUGS TO YOU ALL
Ray:)

[LLWB]

Hi Sweetie. Yes, ms can cause itching. Itching is the reaction of nerve endings to some stressor. Or can just be allergies. Whatever it is, it's miserable. OTC allergy meds contain a type of cortisone, which helps with itching. An oatmeal bath in warm water also helps for my itching and extremely dry skin. Good luck, and hope you're better soon.

Maggie

[aiMelissa]

I have itching nearly everyday of my life thank to my liver disease.  Nothing makes it completely go away but there is a med called cholestrymine that is a powder you drink.  Haven't used it yet.  Most of the time my itching is abel to be ignored.  I do have atarax I take when I need it.

As for the non drug itching help....I leave my lotion (Aveeno products) in the refrigerator and it helps a lot.  I take showers and have the water about 70degrees.  Hot or warm water makes it worse.  I sleep with a fan blowing on me.  Try not to sweat, lol.

Hope you are feeling better!!!

Melissa

[santana8]

I had a sudden onset of vision loss/ dysfunction two years ago and it was the most severe symptoms of the attack I had.  I went to one optomitrist, and four opthomologist before they finally figured out that my vision dysfunction was brain related and not eye related!

My eye exams were completely normal, including optic nerves and retinas, I didn't need glasses( though two of them tried to give me some saying I was far sighted), I am farsighted and have hyperopia,  but had the test later that confirmed that I don't have enough hyperopia(farsightedness) to require glasses for it.  Infact I had 20/20 visual aquity

All they could find was the surfacal changes to my eyes and this included Meibomian Gland Dysfunction( tear film insuficency), dry eye, and Blepharitis(inflamation of the eyelids!

Finally one of them done a visual field test, upon my insistance, because I knew I couldn't see good, and was almost completely blinded by the Photophobia(light sensitivity). But they kept asking why couldn't I see to drive, I had 20/20 VA!  Well, I didn't know why, but I knew that I was almost blinded by something!

I had read about the visual field testing, so I asked for it!   One of them finally done the test, five months later!   It showed an inferior(bottom) harmonious(both sides of the vision field) quadrantopsia(1/4 or one quadrant of the vision field).  Which means that in both eyes tested separately,the lower right quadrant of the vision field is blind!

This test finally got me to the neurologist, who done the MRI that showed the 10 white matter lesions. I also had a VEP that was possitive, showing slowing of the nerve impulses from the eyes to the brain!

Since I had all of the symptoms of ON,but normal appearing optic nerves on fundiscopic exam, my neuro and neuro-optho both think I had Retroubulbar Neuritis, which is inflamation of the optic nerve farther back toward the brain.

The Optho's can find a lot of eye diseases, and proof of dysfunction, but not always, as in my case.  I appeared through eye exam to have normal vision, but I definately could not see!  Figuring out that it was in my brain and not my eyes was a long journey and one I wouldn't wish on anyone!

I don't have an MS dx , but rather my neuro thinks I had ADEM, which like MS can cause ON.  My advise is to check out any vision dysfunction, no matter how small it seems.  These are warning symptoms that something is wrong, and your vision could depend on being persistant, as it did in my case.  My vision has slowly improved over these two years but still not enough to drive, but as long as I am still having improvement, the doctors says that there is hope that I may get all or most of it back!

The reason it has taken so long for my vision to recover is because that the doctors didn't believe me until the visual field test was possitive, and this was five months after onset!  It was too late to get steriods because the acute stage had passed by!  So I have healed this far with no medication at all!

Hope this helps!!!!

~Santana~

[Fluffysmom]

Have you tried putting an ice pack on your face?  Sometimes that helps for me.  An OTC medication I take that works for itching for me is chlophenerimine maleate.  It's an allergy medication, but for some reason it relieves some of my itching.

I'm having trouble with blurry vision, too, and my ophthamologist pretty much told me to see my MS specialist after checking my optic nerves and saying they look great.  His tech checked my vision, pressure, color vision, and all that, which was pretty normal though my vision had changed a little in two months.  The ophthamologist scheduled me for another visual field test, but I had one two months ago and it was great, so I cancelled the new test.  I think he didn't know what else to do.  I don't feel like part of my vision is bad; I feel like my eyes lose their focus.  

In other words, I don't know what to do, either, but I can let you know that I care and empathize.  I hope you find some answers.  If you do, please share them!  :o)

Kathy

[wishforchange]

I am surprised you have not been offered any help with the itching.  Have a look at the medication generically called Hydroxyzine - it generally calms down the nervous system and can help with chronic itching.  It may be something to discuss with your doctor, if you can think of a tactful way or broaching the subject - it needs to be prescribed to the best of my knowledge.  Of course there may be very good reasons why you are not being prescribed this, and you need to discuss all options.  There are many over the counter creams which temporarily calm itching, but you definitely should let your doctor know how much this is affecting you.  Could be an allergy, anything.... as already mentioned, but not knowing the cause is not really a reason for your doctor to leave you suffering!  
Blurred vision also has a numerous number of causes, it may be from dryness of the eyes even.  Had a major scare myslelf with my vision a short while back and am getting it investigated over the next few weeks, but again this is something you shouldn't just be left to get on with.  Maybe there is little that can be done, or maybe easily solvable, but it just seems a shame to not be getting advice from those who treat your eyes and general health, that's what they're there for surely.

Hope I don't get told off for mentioning medications.  Sometimes I get it wrong on this forum, but I mean well.  I know we are all different and what works for one person may even be dangeous to another.  Just gave the name for your information, it is your doctor's decision whether it is right for you.

[RAY911]

Thankyou Guys.

the itching feels a little better this am.. i'm just TRYING TO IGNORE it,,,, ha!

Its true that if you scratch then you itch more then it just gets worse...

remember this if it ever happens to you!!!
good info!!!!!

Love ya
RAy

[wingnut19]

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/symptoms/itching_skin/causes.htm


Hi RAY!

Unfortunately there are about 807 reasons for itching.....GOD, that's a long list.....

Hope you get non itchy soon!  :)

HUGS!
Tammy

[doni54]

Hi!

I just bumped up a previous post about itching, it is very informative.  Hope it helps.

doni

[angie99]

I have had the itching problem too, mainley on my face, I have dx of TN, after the pain stopped it started itching maybe days or week later i dont remember, everywhere i had shocking pain I then developed this itching. My pcp says it is a common sensory issue, nerve stuff....just like the shocking and burning electrical pains.

I just waited it out, was not given anything for it, it was maybe a wk or so of the itching.

good luck
angie

[wonko]

I think the eye doctor (hopefully an opthamologist, not just optician) can tell if your eye disturbances are due to things like retinal problems, glasses Rx, lazy eye, and probably more.  However, they can only see the optic nerve from the outside looking in.  So they may be able to exclude certain eye conditions, and they MAY be able to see optic neuritis.  However, there is also Retrobulbar Optic Neuritis, when the inflamation of the nerve is too far back for them to see from an exam.  Also, another post here, I think by user "doublevision", mentioned that for some cases of double vision, it is not ON, but instead due to a lesion (i think) on the brainstem.  

Phew.  Long story short:  the eye doc can rule out many conditions, but can not always give you a clear answer for WHY you have vision changes.  I'm in that boat.  I've had flashing lights and mild eye pain for over a month, and mild double vision for about 3.5 weeks.  The cause of these symtpoms can not be determined from looking into my eyes!

Good luck, and hope this helps a bit.  basically, don't get your hopes up too high for a quick answer!

[RAY911]

Thankyou Michael. Your always so nice and always there for me.  I cant tell ya how much it means..

HEY GUYS,,,, COME ON WILL YA HELP ME????

ECHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

LOL
RAY:)

[michael1028]

Hello, I have not experienced the itching, I have noticed being outside and coming inside my eyes hurt more and are harder to control. It lasts about 10 - 15 minutes. Seems I cannot wear dark enough sun glasses. You have a great question regarding how an eye doc can tell your eye problems are related to MS. My neuro-optho seems convinced that I do not have MS. I have something, just nobody can say or identify what it is, hence limbo-lander.
  Hope you get some answers,
Mike