Not sure if this should be posted in here but I need some advice. My local GP suspects I have MS and on my latest visit to the hospital a doctor suggested I may have MS and have been referred to a neurologist(yet to be seen). I have had constant double vision whilst looking to the left(goes with one eye covered) for over 5 years which I ignored rather foolishly as I was scared as to what it could be. More recently I have noticed extreme fatigue in the evenings, speech problems, trouble concentrating, one pupil larger than the other, tinnitus, vertigo, itching, clumsiness and stomach pains. These conditions come and go but the double vision is contant, when it’s at it’s worse my eye feels like it’s bulging and the pupil is twice the size as the other. I can’t be certain it’s MS and I don’t know my dad well enough to find out if it’s on his side. I’ve had a CT scan and no masses were found(tumor was suspected).
I just want to know if these were symptoms of MS? I’m worried as not knowing is the worst part, there is obviously something wrong and it’s a painful wait as I’m in a queue to see a neurologist.
No way can anyone diagnose you only a Neurologist can. Although your symptoms do point the way; it still can be many different Neurological complaints.
The larger pupil is called Afferent Pupillary Defect (APD) or Marcus-Gunn pupil. A condition of the eye where the pupil doesn’t dilate appropriately to the level of light reaching it. This will often result in one pupil appearing larger than the other (relative afferent pupillary defect - RAPD). This person with APD is often unaware of it except by looking in a mirror.
There are many causes of APD including Optic Neuritis (ON), glaucoma and optic nerve tumor. In multiple sclerosis, APD, is usually associated with damage to the optic nerve resulting from ON.
The reasons why afferent pupillary defect occurs with optic neuritis are complicated and involve the neuroanatomy of the visual pathways. Put simplistically, the eye in which the ON has occurred acts as if it is in a lower light situation than it really is and dilates more so that it can let more light hit the retina.
While your symptoms can and do happen in MS, they also happen in a load of other conditions, some of which are treatable, e.g. vitamin deficiency. I know it’s almost impossible, but this means that the very best thing you can do is keep an open mind, not worry about what might be wrong and wait and see what the neuro says. (Definitely avoid googling stuff - that just leads to unnecessary nightmares about having unbelievably rare diseases!) I would guess that you’ll be sent off for various tests including an MRI and hopefully it won’t be too long till you get some answers. It’s best to expect it to take a while though; things don’t tend to move very quickly in the NHS
In the meantime, I recommend you ask your GP to run the normal blood tests if they haven’t already been done, but to make sure and add in vitamin B12 and vitamin D. I’d also recommend seeing an ophthalmologist - they should be able to say exactly what’s going on with your eyes and the info may be helpful to the neuro. Your GP can refer you to a local walk in ophthalmology clinic.
I know it’s scary (we all know how it feels), but you’re on the right path to getting help. Hang in there!
I googled double vision when I first started getting it and brain tumor kept rearing it’s ugly head in the search results so I buried my head in the sand and just thought oh well, that’s my life over and never did anything about it. Having it confirmed that there was no masses was a huge relief but also raises the question what the hell is wrong with me?!! haha.
I have so much wrong with me, I’m surprised I’m still alive! Without a diagnosis though people think I’m either really lazy or exaggerate minor complaints.
Just got to be optomistic I suppose though, thanks again
