Good afternoon all, I was diagnosed with MS a few weeks ago but relapse happened on the 1st April. My eyesight is poor, anyone else experienced this and how long did it last?
Well, Katrina, it all depends what you mean by “poor”.
Long sighted? Short sighted? Double vision? Blurred vision? Colour vision problems? etc etc … …
I guarantee you that there are people here with every one of those problems - and some with more than one.
Some are a typical MS symptom, and some are not.
Give us more of a clue, and we will try to advise you.
Geoff
Hi Geoff
Since my flare and a huge dose of steroid, I have bouble and rapid eye movements. It is affecting my balance. Just wondering ifanyone has any idea how long this would last?
Thanks katrina
Hello
I’m seven weeks into a bout of optic neuritis. I’d say it’s almost better, I’m just struggling with the lighting at work and in supermarkets etc. Back in January I had an issue with the other eye where the muscles just seemed to pack in one day meaning my eye went on it’s own little adventures and my vision was very blurred and I felt quite sick. That took about three or four weeks to correct itself.
Has your colour vision been affected in the poor eye? If it’s ON, reds are particularly affected so I’m told.
Hope it gets better for you soon x
Hi Katrina,
OK, so double vision - properly Diplopia. This is fairly common with MS, but the direct cause is not so easy. The muscles that aim each eyeball, the nerves controlling those muscles, a problem with one of the nerve bundles from one eye to the relevant parts of the brain. lesions on the relevant parts of the brain.
This is usually dealt with by the use of glasses with prism lenses, but sometimes by special eye exercises.
Rapid eye movements (side-to-side, up-and-down, rotating) - properly Nystagmus. this can start in childhood, or be acquired in later life (often as a result of medication). There is no cure, but there are some treatments that can reduce its effect.
Either of these can lead to a feeling of dizzyness. If you drive, each of them MUST be reported to the DVLA (but see below).
My advice is to get an eye-test by a good optometrist (ie not a high street chain), and mention both conditions.
If they can deal with the diplopia with prisms, you can then say to DVLA that this condition is “controlled by prism lenses”.
I doubt if any optometrist will want to do anything about nystagmus, but will ask your GP to refer you to an opthalmologist, and maybe to a hospital orthoptics department as well for the diplopia.
You may find that when the diplopia is under control, the nystagmus is reduced.
Geoff