Eye twitching and rolling ...does this have to do with MS???

[MaryAnda]

I am 33 years old and have had two heart surgeries for MVP.  I currently have an artificial heart valve and take Jantoven.  I have recently been concerned about a couple of things that have been happening to me over the last ten years or so, which are now happening more frequently.  Especially the attacks I have of Eye twitching and rolling back I will have now twice or three times a year.  All of the sudden my right eye will roll back so that I cannot see anything but to the side or above depending on the attack, and my eye will twitch.  It  is slightly painful and very scary but usually only lasts five to ten minutes.  I feel nauseous and dizzy and the same time and then for at least an hour after.  These started out as once every couple of years and and then one a year.  I have not noticed if any seasonal factors play.  The last time I was crossing the street with my seven year old and had an attack and it was not safe.  I have also had more painful attacks of pins and needles and muscle spasms/cramps in my legs and feet.  I have MS in my family and after reading some on it I am worried.  I never would have put together my memory blanks which are getting worse as I get older (which I had attributed to the drugs I did as a teen) and the bladder problems I have had since I can remember, which I attributed to having kids..but now that I think about it have always been there even when i was very young.  I have gone to my Ophthalmologist and she says beyond a slight Astigmatism i am fine, and i have gone to my Cardiologist who says I have not had a stroke or cardiac episode of any kind. I have had numbness and tingling in my arms and jolts of pain up to my knees about one a month with no real reason that I know.  Again my Cardiologist knows all about these as well.  Should I be concerned?

[MaryAnda]

i had a stroke on 6/8/12 and that was what the eye twitching was...mini strokes

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
Thank you for the updates. Documenting the symptoms would be very helpful indeed. Acephalgic migraine is possible. This is a neurological syndrome which presents with nausea, eye symptoms, and other migraine symptoms but with no headache. This is an uncommon variant of migraine headaches and treatment is usually the same as for classical migraine. Take care and best regards.

[maatson]

"Migraine aura without headache"
Benign, but a diagnosis of exclusion. Cleveland clinic journal
ROBERT S. KUNKEL, MD
Consultant, Headache Center,
Department of Neurology,
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Dec9-11 2011

[maatson]

Yes indeed!

[MaryAnda]

Thank you for your comments, I really appreciate it.  Unfortunately with everything else that is going on in my life I have no time to take to go the PCP and get the referral i need for this.  Not until after the 1st of the new year anyway. So It will be awhile.  As long as I don't think it is life threatening at this moment I will wait.  Also I figure this will give me a chance to document everything I am going thru over the next couple of months before I go to the Neuro.  Can it be localized migraine without any headache?  I have migraines but they don't coincide with the eye issue.  Thank you again for all the help!

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? Diagnosis of MS may be difficult due to the broad range and subtleties of symptoms. Detailed histories and complete physical and neurological examinations together with MRI,  electro-physiological test, evoked potentials,  and cerebro-spinal fluid examiantion may need to be done. It is good that you were able to see your eye doctor and cardiologist. You may indeed benefit from further evaluation by a neurologist at this time. Take care and do keep us posted.

[maatson]

Looks to me nothing more than a localized migraine. Best wishes!

[Red_Star]

Not sure about the frequency of nystagmus with nutrient deficiencies to be honest. Yes, it's worth seeing a neurologist to test for MS and other neurological conditions that may be causing your symptoms.

[MaryAnda]

Ok that was a lot of information that brought out of context confused me about half way down.  So my eye problems may be linked with my MVP but if it was a deficiency wouldn't they be more frequent?  But they could also be linked to MS, so go and have the Neurologist check me out?  Is that what you are ssaying?

[Red_Star]

"Russian researchers found that patients with mitral valve prolapse appeared to suffer from magnesium deficiency. Magnesium therapy completely or partially reduced the symptoms in more than half the patients." Magnesium deficiency is a listed cause of nystagmus (involuntary eye movements). Magnesium deficiency is the cause of MVP in some patients.

Studies have found lack of sunlight (a cause of vitamin D deficiency) combined with the mononucleosis virus seemed to explain 72% of MS cases across the UK. Lack of sunlight exposure accounted for 61% of the variance.  Magnesium deficiency is also a listed cause of vitamin D deficiency as this mineral is the most important co factor for vitamin D absorption.  Just to add, vitamin B12 deficiency mimics MS.

Causes of nystagmus...

Seesaw nystagmus:

Rostral midbrain lesions
Parasellar lesions (eg, pituitary tumors)
Visual loss secondary to retinitis pigmentosa

Downbeat nystagmus:

Lesions of the vestibulocerebellum and underlying medulla, including the following:

Arnold Chiari malformation
Demyelination (eg: multiple sclerosis, vitamin B12 deficiency)
Microvascular disease with vertebrobasilar insufficiency
Brain stem encephalitis
Tumours at the foramen magnum (eg: meningioma, cerebellar hemangioma)
Trauma
Drugs (eg: alcohol, lithium, antiseizure medications)
Nutritional (eg: Wernicke encephalopathy, parenteral feeding, magnesium deficiency, thiamine deficiency)
Heat stroke
Approximately 50% have no identifiable cause

Upbeat nystagmus:

Medullary lesions, including perihypoglossal nuclei, the adjacent medial vestibular nucleus, and the nucleus intercalatus (structures important in gaze holding)
Lesions of the anterior vermis of the cerebellum
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Periodic alternating nystagmus
Arnold Chiari malformation
Demyelinating disease
Spinocerebellar degeneration
Lesions of the vestibular nuclei
Head trauma
Encephalitis
Syphilis
Posterior fossa tumors
Binocular visual deprivation (eg, ocular media opacities)

Pendular nystagmus:

Demyelinating disease
Monocular or binocular visual deprivation
Oculopalatal myoclonus
Internuclear ophthalmoplegia
Brain stem or cerebellar dysfunction

Spasmus nutans:

Usually occurs in otherwise healthy children
Chiasmal, suprachiasmal, or third ventricle gliomas may cause a condition that mimics spasmus nutans.

Torsional - Lateral medullary syndrome (Wallenberg syndrome)

Abducting nystagmus of internuclear ophthalmoplegia:

Demyelinating disease
Brain stem stroke

Gaze evoked:

Drugs - Anticonvulsants (eg, phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine) at therapeutic dosages
Alcohol