Double vision for more than a year

[SNOOPY]

I rarely start Threads

In January 2014 I started having problems with my left eye.

I would have pain at the left temple with a direct line of pain to the left eye and had a problem with blurred and double vision. It was also uncomfortable and difficult when moving my eye or trying to look in certain directions. Within approximately 1 or 2 weeks I had a growth on the eyeball. April 30th, 2014 I had the growth removed and biopsied, it was a benign Cyst.

The Eye Surgeon said the Cyst was not attached to any nerves or muscle, it was on the surface. The Cyst was a decent size as I would squish it when closing my eye

Here I am almost one year later and I still have temple pain and double vision. The double vision is only when I look to the right.

Before the Cyst was removed I had a CT scan of the orbits and all was normal. I have seen 2 different Ophthalmologists, an Eye surgeon and my Neurologist.

The Eye surgeon said the Cyst would not cause my vision difficulties as it was not attached to nerves or muscle.

My Neurologist did not find the MRI supported MS as the cause but MS is the most likely cause. I did have blood work for MG which was negative but I was told the blood test for MG can be negative with Ocular MG. So, MG has not been ruled out at this time.

Both Ophthalmologists do not recommend prisms. There is only one muscle affected (Medial Rectus). Both are stumped as to "why" and the most current Ophthalmologist finds it "weird" and interesting and has never seen this type of presentation before

So, I continue to do the best I can, vision wise, and am thankful that it's not as bad as it was in the beginning. The temple pain is due to the eye (which was what I was thinking).

Anyway, that's my "interesting" story. Yes, I am frustrated but, it is what it is

[malaholic]

I have no experience with the ocular cysts, but I also have double vision, and also only when looking to the right. That was actually the symptom that finally led to my referral to a neuro and eventual diagnosis. It's improved somewhat but never went away, so I definitely understand how frustrating it is. :S

Do you find that if you close/cover one eye it helps alleviate the visual disturbances? While not ideal, when this symptom is at its worst for me if I wear an eye patch it at least helps relieve some of the strain/pain on my eyes. I don't like to look like a pirate in public but at least at home it helps a bit.

I'm curious as to what the findings were on your MRI that led your neuro to say that it doesn't support MS as the cause? Do you have any brainstem-area lesions? That's what my neuro pegged as the culprit in my case, as I did not present with optic neuritis.

[SNOOPY]

Do you find that if you close/cover one eye it helps alleviate the visual disturbances?

Yes. However, I prefer not to use a patch as the recommendation has been to use the muscle.

I'm curious as to what the findings were on your MRI that led your neuro to say that it doesn't support MS as the cause? Do you have any brainstem-area lesions?

In my 30 years of diagnosis I have never presented with brainstem lesions. The last MRI I had (July 2014) did not show any brainstem involvement. IF my double vision is ultimately determined to be due to MS this will be the first time my vision has been affected by this disease.

malaholic, I am sorry you have double vision

[SNOOPY]

Update 5-14-2015

I saw my Neurologist this morning and he has referred me to a neuro-ophthalmologist. I should hear from the neuro-ophthalmologist's office in 2 or 3 weeks.

My Neurologist do notice my left eye is not inline with the right.

I'm not sure anything can be done to improve my vision but I would at least like some sort of explanation/diagnosis beyond "weird," interesting" and "I have never seen this type of presentation before" (comments from my last Ophthalmologist)

[heliotrope]

I wish you luck! The eye care field seems to have major issues handling anything that doesn't present normally. I've been diagnosed with an eye condition that is normally associated with stress and/or TBI and supposedly will either resolve itself or can be treated with prisms. Guess what? 5 years out it hasn't resolved and prisms haven't worked... Ophthalmologist (specializes in this) thinks it's MS related but lesion is too small to be seen on MRI. Eye stuff is definitely a challenge.

[rdmc]

Hey Snoopy,

I have double vision, and complained about it for years to my Opthalmologist and she never did anything about it. I just learned to live with it, she never suggested prisms. I have brainstem involvement, so there wasn't any mystery as to what caused it.

So after a few years of complaining about it, and just dealing with it, I decided to visit my neighborhood Optometrist for an exam. He had been making my glasses for years, but I hadn't been to have an exam there. Turned out he was very knowledgeable about MS and the vision problems it causes.

I told him about my double vision, and he said he could correct it, and he has. So now I go to him once a year, have an exam and get new glasses. This past time he had to change the prisms a bit as I was having some horizontal, as well as vertical, double vision. But he recognized the issue in the exam and adjusted the glasses. The only down side to prisms, is a vain one. Sometimes I'll pick out a frame that I like, but he'll tell me they won't work for prisms, so I have to choose another pair.

Hopefully you'll have a good visit with the Neuro Opthalmologist and he'll give you answers.

If you're looking for a good laugh, go to youtube and watch Brian Regan, the Eye Doctor, video.
It's very funny.

[jreagan70]

Ophthalmologist (specializes in this) thinks it's MS related but lesion is too small to be seen on MRI.

My neuro-ophthalmologist has said the same thing about "mystery" lesions. He 's had a lot of patients who have had strokes or other problems (like MS lesions) that just didn't show up on the MRI. He said that just because they don't show up it doesn't mean they aren't there. Because of what's happened to the eye muscle, a lesion of some kind has to be there no matter how unusual it is.

He also said that if an eye doesn't move in one or more directions, there isn't anything that can be done to get it back in sync with the other eye as it moves. I guess that explains why prisms don't work for you both, Snoopy and heliotrope.

So sorry for you both. The double vision must be awful.

[22cyclist]

I have double vision that is chronic from a brainstem lesion. I have also had BINO so my eyes no longer work together. They gave me prisms, I tried them for about a week but found myself crashing into things because they were so blurry, and my eyes are already blurry from ON. Mine were the stick on prisms. My eye doctor said sooner or later a dominant eye will emerge and the other will just be a follower. That is what happened to me. So sometimes my eyes "fight" for a position of who is going to see that day...and that is a bad dizzy day for me; but most of the time I see out of the left eye and all is good.

I am so sorry you have this. It ain't no fun that is for sure. Try to rest your eyes a lot. Don't read too much at a time, or watch TV too much.

Lets hope this passes for you and does not become permanent, but if it does, the brain has ways of dealing with it.

Take care
Lisa

[SNOOPY]

Thank you heliotrope, rdmc, jreagan70, and 22cyclist for your thoughts and stories

rdmc, thanks for the video suggestion. I couldn't help but laugh when watching it

jreagan70:
Because of what's happened to the eye muscle, a lesion of some kind has to be there no matter how unusual it is.

My neuro has suspected MS as the cause even though the MRI does not indicate it. I was diagnosed without lesion evident on MRI so I do know MRIs do not always show damage initially. The last ophthalmologist I saw said the double vision is not due to a stroke or tumor.

The MRI I had last year was a different protocol and quite extensive. One of the possibilities mentioned by my neuro was a tumor (memories of my diagnostic process in which a tumor was suspected).

What seems to complicate this issue is the cyst that presented it's self a couple weeks after my temple and eye pain began. This pain is still present, some days better or not noticeable and some days worse.

I have never had Optic Neuritis.

I am struggling with the concept of this being permanent as my vision before this happened sucked. I have congenital cataracts in both eyes and astigmatism And, I don't know if I just need to learn to deal with the pain or if it will go away in time.

Do any of you deal with eye/temple pain due to your double vision?

jreagan70
I guess that explains why prisms don't work for you both, Snoopy and heliotrope.

In my case I was told that prisms would cause more problems since only one muscle was involved. I don't know.

[heliotrope]

Do any of you deal with eye/temple pain due to your double vision?

Oh, yes. Chronic eye socket pain, which in the worse case, turns into full blown migraines. For some strange reason, an ice pack to back of the neck helps.

[SNOOPY]

Oh, yes. Chronic eye socket pain, which in the worse case, turns into full blown migraines. For some strange reason, an ice pack to back of the neck helps.

Thank you for your response, heliotrope.

I would not have thought about an ice pack and definitely not to the back of the neck. Interesting, thanks!