Hi. Been to see the Neurologist today, she was concerned about my reflexes and said that I have a pale optic disk, She’s sending me for an MRI, a lumber puncher and an eye specialist at King’s collage hospital. Just wondered if anyone else got told that they had a pale optic disk and what was the cause. Thanks so much for reading xx
I used to live in South East London and I was essentially between the two catchment areas for St George’s/Mayday and Kings. Before my MS diagnosis I used to go the Opthalmologists at King’s (not MS/neurological). They were brilliant and very well respected and do seem to have a very joined-up way of working with the other disciplines at Kings. The only problem is that the clinic was in the Normanby Wing which is a bit of a dump TBH.
Part of my eventual diagnosis with MS at St Georges mentions pale optic disc and problems with my colour vision. I wasn’t sent to an Opthalmologists by the Professor - but TBH I was sent for so many different tests by him I would have had to move into the hospital to fit any more in!
The colour blindness was a real shock to me when it came to light during the standard battery of tests he carried out pre diagnosis. I really hadn’t noticed that I had a problem at the time - I simply thought that my sight was a bit cloudy or dull on occassion. When it was shown that I couldn’t differentiate colours beyond the 2nd page of the flip charts for colour blindness I nearly fell over! (My husband thought it was hysterical!) I still have the problem but it varies from day to day. I do need strong background lighting though (but that might not be completely to do with the MS)
A pale optic disc can be a symptom of Optic Neuritis which can be a common effect of MS. ON can also be caused by lots of other things and, indeed, a pale optic disc doesn’t always mean ON. Lots of tests and investigations to be done before definitive diagnosis. Neurology is like putting a jigsaw together - you don’t always see the picture before the bits are in place! Good luck.
Thank you so much for your message. Good to know I’ll be in good hands at Kings collage. How long was you initial appointment? I have read about colour blindness and like you I don’t think I have that but my world always seems cloudy like you said, it’s like a haze and always slightly blurry, I’m no longer driving at night, I can’t see at all especially when the headlights of other cars are in my line of vision. Just got to wait now for my appointment letters for all the procedures. Have woken up this morning with a numb head, it’s all very scary but trying to stay positive. Thank you again. Hope you have a lovely Sunday. Kelly
Like I said, my opthalmic appointments at Kings were not for a neurological condition (diabetic eye damage) but the appointments I had were very thorough - much more thorough than the ones I have now I have moved to a different part of the country. Obviously I can’t say how long you will have to wait for your first appointment because everybody is different but I do know that the unit can move very quickly if need be. My husband had to have a detailed eye test for a job that showed damage to the rear of his eye. Within 24 hours of his optician noticing it he was being seen in clinic. (It turned out to be damage that had been caused at birth)
I hadn’t had a clue that I was functionally colour blind before I saw the MS big cheese. I knew that the world was a “bit pale” or cloudy on ocassions but not that I couldn’t differentiate between different shades of red or green! It’s not that I cannot see red or green as separate and different colours (it is not like everything is grey) it is that similar “strengths” of red and green are hard to pick out from each other. It isn’t all the time.