Optic neuritis and eye spasms

Hi all…just wanted to ask those of you who have had ON…aside from the general discomfort blurred vision etc…does anyone get spasms in the eye?..I am getting some in my left eye…sometimes when I look left…its very painful…can only describe it as the musvle behind the eye feels like its being pulled tight then I cant move my eye for a few seconds, then it stops…yuk! I have ON in right eye also but not had that happen in that eye…most odd…

Hi Scoobie

After my first bout of ON I was left with some residual problems - twitching of the eye being one of them. It’s soooo annoying. It comes and it goes at it’s own leisure, sometimes I know it’s happening but not always.

I recently had another bout of ON in the same eye but the symptoms this time were different and not as severe - thankfully. But I’ve recently had a few of the same symptoms happening in my other eye - the better of the two :frowning:

If you’re still getting pain then I’d contact your nurse/neuro just to err on the side of caution, but you’re not alone with the twitching thing no.

Debbie xx

Hi Debbie.thanks for that…gosh On is a pian for sure.am tring to use my bad eye at present as left has gone lazy…but blurred vision is worse in my right…lol Went to gp last week and she wasnt confident or able to advise re ON and pain meds etc…am already on pregabalin and solpodol so am combining theses but they are not stopping the spasm thingy…lol Am not under a neuro but am seeing opthalmic eye neuros but not due to see them til end march……they know I have been back to eye a&E but have not brought my appt forward despite now having ON in both eyes now…right eye started 4 wks after left started…have called eye neuro secretary re advice on pain relief etc…so will chase today as no call back yet…lol…they are saying I have a neuro prob but not being specific at this point…perhpas too early for them to say…so I remain open minded on this…lol

I have had ON in both eyes on various occasions since I was a child. I am lucky never to have actually lost my sight but do have a significant amount of blurr/ fog / double vision which I never expect to get any better now. I also have pain in both eyes when looking to either sides.

(I hadn’t realised that this was a symptom until I actually wrote down every single ache and pain I had and asked my neurologist (turned out everything was MS related and I am much worse than anyone thought as I have never really complained)).

I get some spasms in my eyes too especially when I’m tired, but baclofen does seem to be helping as long as I don’t take too much as then the muscles are too weak.
I was given some eye exercises as a child to help with a stigmatism (which is actually part of the ON I now know!) which do help to tone the muscles a bit and prevent some of the muscle spasms.

An optitian may be able to advise you on things that may help if your MS nurse / GP or neurologist can’t help.

Isobel x

Hi Isobel…many thanks for your message…gosh…youve had On allot then…sorry to hear you had it as a child also…thanks re baclophen…will ask gp…I too have has astigmatisim all my life and high myopia since the age of 2yrs…ok re eye excercises…will ask about that…I have had a lazy right eye all my life but had squint surgery when was young …but last few yrs it has got worse…and is lazy all the time…well except since On started in left eye…and now its not lazy…very strange!! Am supposed to be having squint surgery on right eye but need On to settle down before they will see me for that…lol.

.Glad the baclphen helps you…and you have found the right dose…I was on it a couple of years ago for my neck probs…spasms etc and it did help for that… just wanted to say I dont have a dx of Ms so hence no nurse etc…but will see what gp can do…

thanks…

Hiya Scoobie…no sorry bout the spasms I cant ever recall that only twitching which is bad enough.I imagine spasms are far worse.

I do take baclofen though and it works for me…and the GP gave me that for my legs before dx.

Hope you can get things sorted soon.

Hi Scoobie

I’d definitely chase them up too if I were you. Can your GP not refer you to a neuro? I’m on pregabalin too and I also take Clonazepam which Mr. Neuro prescribed for me as I was having nightime spasms/jerks - myoclonic jerks I think it’s called. Anyway, they’ve also helped a bit with the eye twitching thing too. Clonazepam is used to treat fits & seizures -epilepsy - but it definitely helps with my nightime body popping…lol…

Of course, I’m not suggesting this for your good self, but clearly your opthalmic eye neuro needs to up the anti somewhat especially as you now have ON in both eyes. ‘Kick up’ a bit more of a fuss, is my opinion - your eyesight is too precious.

Let me know how you get on when you get a mo’ & good luck

(((hugs)))

Debbie xx

Hi debbie…many thanks and Pip too…yes have been shouting at the drs today…seems my msg to neuro eye secretary was a waste of time as she is off this week also but managed to speak to someone else…re a responce asap…my notes are being brought up for eye dr to see today…so lets hope they cal me back with advice and an earlier appt would be even better.(.I had a brain mri 2nd feb…nothing sinister on there or anything that needs immediste tx or intervention…but dr couldnt tell me any more over the phone…mri results aside am not havinga good tiem of it…fatigue, muscle aches/weakness, pain…in arms and neck…headaches since ON in right eye…and if I close my left eye my face is now twitching right up to my upper lip on left side…my left leg, the bad one is really bad for those jerky things…has been for some time…esp at night and sometimes during day…and after a drink…so I dont bother now…lol

ok great re clonasapam will ask about that when I speak to gp over phone tomorrow as have asked for a meds review…mmm and yes I think a nero would be good esp as my history and current problems…which have been going on re eyes since mid Jan!

yep will let you know how I get on…thanks again…youre all great by the way…much appreciated.x

Heya…still chasing the eye neuros…*sigh…lol no cal back as yet…not helped am sure that my drs are in an eye centre that serves the whole of the west midlands…grrrr!!! at least the upper left lip twitching has calmed down since the other day…phew…

I experience nastigmus, a sort of eye jumping where the muscles pull my eye to one side as and when it wants to. I do have prisms fitted to my glasses which help try keep the eyes aligned. I could no longer go without glasses because when I take them off I see double and the world becomes moveable when in real life its my eyes bouncing/shifting.

Is this similar to what your experiencing?

bren

x

Hi Bren many thaks for your message. Gosh sounds difficult…glad you have some glasses to help though. It may be but the spasm isnt pulling my eye in any one direction i just cant move my eye when it happens…its def not a twitch.lol…that aside I am finding that my left eye is moving quickly but subltly up and down and my right is doing the same left to right …and often this is worse when I am trying to focus on something…so the image is moving…most odd…no doble vision but then my eyes are not working together properly…which can happen so to avoid double vision?

thnaks.Em