Could I be having another flare?

[lstrl]

I posted last week about my whole right arm and hand going numb (felt like it was asleep for about an hour and hard to use when it happened). That has happened 3 times now, and each time it's been 4 days apart (but only an hour each time still).

Well, I just noticed Wednesday while driving that my vision is now acting funny. I couldn't really figure out what was going on, but it's like I'm getting a slight double vision with movement. I can still see everything around me, but it's slightly hard to read addresses or the models of cars in front of me. I also noticed it while walking through a grocery store yesterday. If I'm not moving, like sitting at my computer, my vision is perfectly normal. I've also never had vision problems before and my last eye exam was probably a year and a half ago. Whatever is going on is making me uncomfortable to drive, even though I can see cars, lines, and stoplights just fine. Would I be best off to contact my neuro again or have an eye exam?

[abeautifullife]

The eye exam you should definitely get - everyone should get one periodically regardless.

I say call your neuro too. Doesn't hurt, and hopefully you'll get some feedback on how you feel. I hope that these issues resolve themselves soon!

[MSer102]

The eye doctor has all the right equipment to thoroughly check your eyes and eye movements. A problem with your eye coordination and movement isn't going to affect how clearly you see. Your neuro doesn't have the same equipment so can't do the same kind of evaluation. So definitely see the eye doctor and be sure to tell them on the phone that you are having a specific problem. Then your eye doctor can fax or email a report to your neuro and your neuro can decide what to do.

[lstrl]

Thanks for the advice. I went ahead and made an appt for an eye exam on Friday. I also sent my neuro a message and of course, when he called me, I couldn't get to the phone in time, so I didn't get the chance to talk to him today. With the numbness lasting only an hour, he isn't totally convinced it's a flare because that's weird, but adding in the vision issues, he is willing to put me on steroids if I choose. If that doesn't do anything, he wants me to have an MRI. I'm hoping it goes away because I absolutely do not want to have another MRI.

[Twenty Miles]

It depends on the location of lesions. What did your last MRI show?

I would doubt that the lesion/s that caused the one symptom is responsible for both. The attacks, flares, whatever to call them happen unpredictably (timing and location).

My first couple months after diagnosis started with hearing loss and went to a variety of numbness. Since it was like yours within months, my neuro said to wait it out (since I had completed my steroids) unless it got worse.

[suziq38]

MS is so unpredictable and difficult to diagnose.
I hope that you do not have it.
My friend suspects that she has the beginnings of MS and complains about the same eye problems. That being said, maybe it is just an eye problem.
Do you have lesions on your spine or brain, indicative of MS?

Talk to your neurologist about it.

Good Luck.