Could this be Optic Neuritis? Unsure of MS

[antoinetty88]

Hi Everyone,
I'm new here. I guess I will jump right into my question, & thank you in advance for your answers. For the past 2 months or so Ive been waking up with really dry eyes, but my left eye has always been more problematic, no pain though. I didn't think much of it. A few weeks ago I woke up a few mornings with a very very dry mouth. I'm not sure if maybe I was just dehydrated or not because it seems to have gotten a bit better.

Now, for the past couple of days my left eye has not only been really dry, but I'm now having some pain. It feels like a slight throbbing/pulling on & off. Almost like a slight pulse. Some pain at times when moving my eye, not always. Right eye seems to be fine, although I'm noticing yesterday & today I'm starting to feel slight gentle throbbing, not as bad or nearly often as the right eye though. The other day I was in the shower & when I looked around, I thought the bathroom was just steamy, but then I looked around my apartment & everything was whitish, hazy/cloudy/foggy. I asked my fiance if he had over-cooked something in the oven because it looked so smokey.

Then I realized it was actually my vision. It returned to normal about 10 minutes later. I dont know if this could be ON. I have done a lot of reading on Sjogren's syndrome, which is characterized by dry eyes & mouth, they seem to have a lot of the same symptoms so I'm not sure what to think. I'm almost ruling out Sjogren's though because my eye isn't just dry, it actually hurts. I'm going to see my Optometrist tomorrow.

I dont have any insurance, so going to see a specialist or an ophthalmologist or getting MRI's done isn't an option right now. My optometrist I have been with for 8 years, hes our family eye doctor & I pay out of pocket as opposed to going through insurance. He's really terrific so I am very lucky, but unfortunately he is my one & only recourse to go through right now.

As far as other symptoms go, I have not noticed any tingling/burning sensations, if I did I'm sure they would be noticeable? The only other things I can think of would be fatigue in the afternoon, but honestly that could be from my bed, unusual sleep pattern & obviously just a lack of sleep, & yesterday I did have shooting pain in my forearm that lasted less then 30 seconds.

Also, I just thought of this now, I remember last winter even though I would be wearing thick socks & boots, my feet would become painfully numb to the point where I would have to take off my boots/socks & rub my toes to warm them, although I guess that could be due to just poor circulation along with iron deficiency.(I'm a vegetarian). Ive always gotten painfully cold when others wouldn't be!

Anyway, Sorry this is so long! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Oh, & I am a 23 yr old female. Thank you


** Moderator's note - Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **

[Redwings]

Hi antoinetty:
I'm sorry to hear that you're having so much trouble. There are numerous things that could be causing your symptoms, and the only way to find out the cause is to be worked up medically. So the blunt truth is that, if going to see specialists isn't an option right now, then getting a timely diagnosis isn't an option, either.

Your optometrist should be able to help you work through a few things, such as putting you on management program for dry eyes. He should also be able to evaluate you for other causes of your blurry vision. What you're describing doesn't sound like ON -- ON doesn't onset and clear within minutes and doesn't usually present as a sore eye -- but your optometrist will be able to evaluate for it and describe it to you in more detail.

You said that you can't afford to see specialists, but you didn't say whether you have a primary care physician. A PCP can order any tests indicated by your symptoms, but you'll still need to find a way to pay for them, and a specialist might still be necessary to make a final diagnosis and put you on a treatment plan, if indicated. The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America has a fund that will pay for one diagnostic MRI for people who meet their criteria (http://www.msassociation.org/programs/mri/), but you'll still need to have (pay) a doctor to order the MRI and pay for the radiologist report.

Does one of your parents have medical insurance that you could be added to? The new health care laws allow adult children who don't have their own insurance to be covered on parents' plans until age 26.

Some hospitals have sliding-scale and charitable programs to provide low- and no-cost medical care to people without medical insurance. You might consider checking with hospitals in your area to see if they have that kind of a program.

Once you're under a doctor's care, there are programs that will cover some medications at no or low cost.

No one over the Internet can tell you what the cause of your symptoms is. At best, we can tell you what conditions your symptoms do and don't sound like, which you can also research on your own. If you really want answers, you must have a doctor to begin a medical workup. You might need an ophthalmologist because, after your optometrist, there isn't another medical specialty who can evaluate your eyes and vision.

You do need another medical doctor, and a PCP is probably the most appropriate because s/he can begin to investigate many possibilities. In addition, a PCP is likely your most accessible and least expensive option. Then, based on the early test results, the PCP can refer you to the appropriate specialists. Good luck!