Possible MS?

[JP74]

Hello,
I am 37 years old. I went to the eye dr yesterday for what I thought would be an exam for some new glasses. I had noticed that my vision was rapidly getting blurry and I was having weird problems with colors. They seemed brighter in one eye then the other. Last week, the right side of my face went numb. She did the exam, kept asking me a ton of questions... turns out my vertigo in the past, headaches, ripping tearing feeling in my right shoulder, combined with whatever she seen during this eye exam, led her to say, " I think you have an undiagnosed case of MS, and you need to see a neuro opth and get an mri" .

Needless to say, I am more in shock then scared. I have had some form of constant burning in my shoulder for years now which dr's kept saying.. It could be a pinched nerve, it could be this, it could be that. Also, my primary did blood work two months ago and my vit D was at 5. She didnt try to see why, just said,, take some extra. I guess my question is.... Is it really possible this optometrist could be right about it maybe being MS?? Just from looking at my eyes and all those questions?


I have also had a few cases of vertigo, along with all this over the last two years. I have trouble with the color red, it appears pink from one eye and is fine in other. I am just blown away that a simple eye exam led to such a drastic answer. Has anyone else found out this way?

Please feel free to contact me privately, I have allowed that option and would appreciate any type of support. My neuro appt is not until dec 22nd, they said they want me in sooner if they can open it up, but if my symptoms get worse to go to my primary right away. I have a hard time trusting that after her blowing off the vit d levels like she did. Sorry I am rambling, my nerves are a bit shot

[golfwidow]

Sorry to hear your story, but you really have come to a good place to ask questions and to be heard !

"Is it really possible this optometrist could be right about it maybe being MS?? Just from looking at my eyes and all those questions? "

I don't know for certain the answer to your question, however a good optometrist who has had experience with MS patients might very well be able to figure something is going on. ------Is it MS ? ---------maybe, maybe not----which is why they want you to get an MRI. It sounds like something is going on with your Optic Nerve.
Take one day at a time at this point. Did your optometrist suggest a neurologist or just the opth neurologists ? I would call about every two weeks and see if they have any cancelations if you are feeling very anxious. ( But my husband would tell me I was being crazy )
Please know you are being covered in prayer and let us know how things go. I personally will not be on this site for the next week........but keep coming back as there are lots of wonderful people here who will support you and have good advice and /or answers.

[Justsayyes]

I can sure understand how surprised you must be to have the possibility of MS thrown at you, and you do have some symptoms that are found in MSers. Your visual problems sound like a big clue, however, you need more confirmation of what is going on there, the neuro opthamologist is a good idea.

People who have optic neuritis (which is common in MS) don't necessarily have MS, but have a greater percentage change of developing MS in the future.

Low vitamin D is not a symptom of MS, but there is a relationship to neurological problems (they believe). My primary gave me a script to bring my levels up when I was tested. You can go over to our nutrition board for alot of info on vitamin D.

Hope you can get in to a neuro sooner, if for nothing else but to start on testing that will confirm or rule out many things that could be going on.

Do stay with us thru your journey, you are most welcome here no matter how this turns out!

[JP74]

She referred me to a neuro opth only for now. She made the phone call herself before I left the office. I guess she wanted to make sure the appointment was made and I didnt blow it off. She spent 3 hours with me, which was impressive to me. She didnt rush at all, and did a lot of the tests several times. I did fail my visual field test also, I havent a clue as to what that would mean either.

[Redwings]

Is it really possible this optometrist could be right about it maybe being MS?? Just from looking at my eyes and all those questions?

I am just blown away that a simple eye exam led to such a drastic answer. Has anyone else found out this way?

Yes. Your optometrist was doing her job and doing it very well. ODs don't get enough credit for what they know and what they do. My own optometrist is excellent -- on par with MDs for general information, and far beyond a lot of ophthalmologists who blow things off because they can't do a "procedure" for it. The fact that your OD spent 3 hours with you and made your neuro-ophth appointment personally says a lot about who she is. No MD would have done that or been able to do that. Whether or not it turns out to be MS, it sounds like she made the right assessment and the right referral. Sounds like she's a keeper! The neuro-ophth will take care of referring you to a neurologist if need be.

My own situation started with some funky neuro symptoms and a case of mild optic neuritis. After that, I had more cases of optic neuritis, and a brilliant neuro-ophthalmologist got me on track to the proper treatment.

[dpmich]

Yes, you have an excellent eye Doctor! Keep her for sure. It's funny (not ha-ha, the other kind) that you posted this, as I just now posted in another thread about how I was dx. It mirrors yours exactly, even the weird colors.

Now did the eye Doctor call a Neuro opthamologist or a reg neuro? Call and find out. You need to get into the neuro op as they can schedule the tests that the Neuro (hopefully an MS specialist) will need for your first neuro exam.

Good luck and come here whenever you feel the need. There are alot of very caring and knowledgeable people here to help you

Debbie

[jlenox98]

We're kind of in the same boat as you, JP74, except it's my daughter who is 12. Woke up with vision loss, color loss, etc in her right eye along w/eye pain. Took her to our opthalmologist who immediately suspected optic neuritis and had us scheduled for an mri that afternoon. So, I can definitely identify w/that shocking feeling - I was thinking migraine related visual changes. Wowza. Several days and drs later we found ourselves in Dallas, TX (we live in Kansas City) seeing a Neurologist who specializes in pediatric ms. We also have an appt in Dallas to further test. I also would try and get in to the Neuro Opth sooner, if possible, that's a long time to wait. Call weekly if you need to. Also, how was your visual field test? I know with my daugther her right eye had almost no field of vision which means it's like looking through a straw in that eye - all part of the damage to the optic nerve. The good news is that in many cases the damage is temporary and your vision will improve. You are in the right place to ask all the questions you have!

[JP74]

@ Debbie - Yes she called a neuro ophth, She wanted me to see them first to make sure every thing is handled before I get to a neuro. She said the more tests I have on hand when I go the better.

I am really impressed with her for taking as much time as she did. I will be surely using her for all my further eye appointments.

[JP74]

Thank you all for the replies. I just didn't have any idea who to talk to or where to turn when I heard all this. It really seemed like I was in my own private hell for the last few years with all the weird pains and aches and vision issues.

I am going to leave my email address here in case anyone would like to contact me off the board. I have work the next two days so chances are I will be too worn out to be on here much.

I know one thing for sure, I am making sure if and when I see the neuro , I want one familiar with dealing with MS, because I think if I hear,, there is no pain associated with it, they would be in pain themselves shortly there after. lol Only so much more I can take. I am short tempered I think from the constant aches .

One way or the other, It will be nice to know the answer, and get on some type of treatment program so I can make sure I don't get worse.

[JP74]

laughs, Okay , so it only took me 11 hours to realize, hey you didn't leave your email address. If my head was not attached to me lately, i swear i would leave it behind somewhere.

**email address removed in compliance with MSWorld guideline #2:
"2. PERSONAL INFORMATION: Do not post your personal e-mail address, phone number, or home address on the message boards. Your email address may be placed in your profile at your own risk. If you decide to share this information with another person in chat, use the Private Chat option; again, at your own risk."**

[kittysmith]

optic neuritis

I found out I had MS during a bout with optic neuritis. Nothing about MS was ever mentioned. Then, one day, I got a call at work from a resident who said I had ON and then mentioned MS. Good news to get at work, over the phone. Needless to say, I was floored. An eye issue turns into an auto-immune disease? Of course, now I know the facts. I was diagnosed in 2008. Good luck and be ready for a whole lot more tests.