Hi all - this is my first post, and to be honest I had hoped since my diagnosis in June 2015 I could keep my head in the sand and it would all just go away. Fortunately my symptoms have so far been really mild - all sensory numbness, tingling that has been intermittent.
Unfortunately, this morning I woke up and my vision was very blurred. No pain at all but visually it looked a bit like there was pressure on my eye (like if you put your finger on your eyeball and it blurs the image). I couldn’t focus properly and it was all quite frightening.
I haven’t been given much support (medically speaking) since my diagnosis and I had noone to ask about this and so gratefully called the MS helpline who were great and said this could be an MS symptom and generally lasts for a couple of weeks.
By 11am my vision appeared to return roughly to normal. I am now second guessing myself as to whether this was an MS thing, or something else entirely.
I thought I would post and see whether anyone has had anything similar happen before and whether if it is MS related, is it possible that it really has recovered so quickly?
Hi CJ, yes I get blurred vision on occasion. Firstly I put it down to getting older (mid 40s) but had eye examination and my vision had not changed. My MS nurse said it is something quite possibly MS related and tends to only be there for a short time. Mine lasts for a couple of hours and I get it once a week if that.
I think many of us will have had the occasional MS grumble that has surfaced briefly before subsiding - I have had one or two. I have tended to assume (on the basis of nothing but guesswork) that my MS is being a bit active but not quite active enough for a full-dress relapse to take hold.
However - and I feel surer of my ground here - not everything strange and new that happens to a person is MS. This goes with bells on in the case of eyes. If there is a hint of further blurring (and maybe even if there isn’t) I would think about consulting your GP, just to be on the safe side. The general hospital here has an emergency opthalmology outpatients clinic - when I have had alarming new eye trouble, that is where I have been referred and seen within a day or two. (It was MS in my case, by the way, but it might not have been.)
Hi both, really appreciate your honest replies. It’s so helpful to hear your experience and I will mention it to the GP as well to be on the safe side. Many thanks, CJ x
I get blurred vision (left eye only) every so often and have no pain, its like looking through a dirty window. It can last for anything from minutes to weeks. I have had my eyes checked and have only just started wearing glasses for reading (I`m 47). Ive given up worrying about it now but I know that is easier said than done sometimes.
The only time I do worry is when I get blurred vision, a sort of pressure pain behind my eye and a constant headache that paracetamol wont shift over a 24 - 36 hr period, then I ring my MS nurse for advice. Mine is related to MS and like you, my symptoms are very mild.
I used to blame everything on MS but I am slowly working out what is related to MS and what is not, still got a very long way to go though!!!
Thanks Ang. Since my first post I have woken up everyday with the same thing for about 20-30 minutes then it subsides and I am left a bit dazed and off balance. Called the local MS specialists today and they want to get me checked out. So a little Christmas present from my MS. Thanks again for your posts.
The big problem you have is that there is nothing harder to diagnose than a transient problem.
When you talk about pressing on the eyeball, do you mean that when you do this you see two images that the brain has trouble merging into a single image?
If this is the case, then that is diplopia and that is fairly common with MS victims.
If so, you need to sort out how it does not work, so that you can tell your neuro (or whoever).
Diplopia can be the muscles that move the eyeball, or the muscles that focus the eyeball, or the nerves that control the muscles, or a combination of these.
A quick test can be done with a roadsign at about 30-50 yards, to see if there is a second image (either vertically or horizontally), when you look at a corner. If there is no handy roadsign, solar panels on a neighbour’s roof can work just as well.
If this goes away after a time (minutes or hours), this could be that the brain is starting off with a problem with merging the two images (what a vision scientist calls “fusion”), and is managing to do this after a time.
This can be dealt with with glasses with prism lenses. There is no cure, but some people have found that exercises can help, but some opthalmologists believe that these exercises can make matters worse.
Most optometrists in a highstreet opticians can diagnose diplopia if it last for long enough to get into them, but few of them actually test for the condition unless you tell them you have it…
Update: Hello again all and thanks for the new posts. I wanted to reply to say that since my first post unfortunately this has continued every morning and every time I wake up from a nap. I did consult the MS nurses about it after a few days and they wanted to have it assessed.
The consultant and ophthalmologists believe it was indeed a weakening of one of the muscles in my left eye, caused by the ms. The muscle affected is unable to pull the eyeball far enough which caused a difficulty merging the images. They think perhaps it happens after waking as the brain needs time to adapt and compensate. They are optimistic that it will improve in time for a review in one month.
So ultimately Geoff you were on the money! Thank you.
It is improving slowly (or I am adjusting; or both!) and will call it a little Christmas present from the MS. It’s all so new to me but it helps to hear your thoughts and grateful to have embraced the forum. If anyone experiences this and for info I also notice fatigue like I haven’t had before, quite noticeable, and dizziness/loss of balance.