[Erin524]

I'm going to my ophthalmologist in a couple of hours. I'm going to ask for steroids. This is just way too irritating for me. Plus, today it started to set off some really horrible vertigo.

Anyone ever have double vision and had it treated with steroids? How soon did it work? Did it even work?

I called my neuro yesterday afternoon (he wasnt there) so he called me back this morning. He said that it sounds like I'm having an exacerbation (no kidding!) He said steroids might help, and to see what the ophtho says and to have the ophtho call him or fax the report to him later.

I should have asked him for a refill on my meclizine prescription. I think I'll go call him back for that. (I cant find my Rx bottle of Meclizine, so I'm using the OTC bottle of meclizine that expired in 2003)

edited to add:

I'm feeling really really sick right now from the vertigo that the double vision is causing (not quite THAT sick, but it's getting closer to the point where I'll be making a mess soon) The double vision is more pronounced today than it was over the weekend while I was out of town. Before it was just like a ghosting of an image next to whatever I was looking at. Now I'm seeing two totally distinct images next to each other if I look at anything closer than about 5 feet to me.

I'm about to start crying about this because even tho I can see things really clearly (just doubled if I try to use both eyes) this is a lot more disturbing than the first episode of optic neuritis was three years ago.

I did some more reading about ON and double vision, and I guess they can put a prism in my glasses to help with the double vision, so I might ask for that option before I leap for the steroids. (hate steroids, but I will beg on my knees for them to make this go away)

I'm really really really hating the MS more than ever this week.

[MdotDdot]

double vision usually implies the nerves to the muscles of your eye are being irritated from the MS. Optic neuritis has blurry vision in usually one eye that sometimes can be interpreted as double vision. optic neuritis usually get steroids, starting to work in 1-3 days with maximal effect on days 3-5. double vision may get steroids, but recent evidence suggests limiting steroid exposure is better for optic nerve health long-term.

[Dejibo]

it took 3 days for me. My best advice is to go to bed. Cover your eyes, and rest. Keep hydrated, and be patient. Take this time to listen to music, or a book on tape, or prayers, or nap time. I found keeping my eyes open was more than I could take.

You will find if you keep ONE eye open and one closed, it should be much much better. If you must be up, then patch one eye, and later in the day, cover the other.

I hope you feel better.

[Kitty]

Double vision was what earned me my dx of MS. It started in October and ended in April. It was severe, too. Couldn't drive, walked like a drunken sailor. I took a couple of med packs of Prednisone but can't say that they really helped me. Just as I was about to get used to it, it started to slowly clear up.

Hope your episode doesn't last as long as mine did. Maybe the doc can do something to help speed up the healing.

[Dejibo]

Did you see Kitty's avatar? The kitty on the left is putting a patch over one eye to not be drunk and dizzy anymore. too funny.

[Friend2U]

I had double vision in high school. They thought it was due to hystoplasmosis. But I've had doctors question that now. It could have been ms related they think. But in the process I got glasses that had a prism in one of the lens. It took a while to have them made. but everything happens so much faster now. i hope you get some relief soon.

Edited to add:
I forgot to say, it's nice that your doctors communicate so closely. My doctors are really good about this and I just appreciate it so much. They are really thorough. Glad you've got a good neuro.

[Erin524]

Just got back. I was going to go with my parents to get something to eat, but I have the queasies now. (yuck!) So they're bringing me something home later.

Stopped at Walgreens to pick up the meclizine I had my neuro call in for me. (yay!!)

Eye doctor said that a prism might help, but he said they're expensive and take awhile to make. Said I could have steroids if I wanted to, but reminded me of the side effects.

He said that diplopia (double vision) usually goes away a lot faster than optic neuritis. He thought 3 - 6 weeks and it should be better by then. (3 - 6 weeks of this?!?!!eleventy!!! that's torture!)

What I decided to do, was sit around with this for a few days and see if it starts to get better after a week or so. (it's at it's worst today, so maybe it'll peak after a few days and slowly get better?) and if it's not any better by this time next week, then maybe I'll call the neuro and beg for steroids.

Said I could drive if the eye is patched, but since I've got the queasies today, I'm holding off on driving right now. When I do start to drive, I'm going to stick with just my neighborhood and the shopping center that's at one end of the neighborhood (dont have to get on the busier streets that way)

It's just weird when I have vertigo like I do now. I want salty food! Ignoring the diplopia, everytime I have vertigo I get hungry for foods that have a lot of salt in them. My dad is bringing me home a cheeseburger, and I ordered french fries because I know the place he's going oversalts everything.

I'm also hungry for Chef Boyardee spaghetti (with meatballs) That has to be one of the saltier canned foods around. I always have to be in a certain kind of mood for it.

What is it about the vertigo and the queasies that makes me hungry for salty foods...and chocolate. Weird!

I just put Scotch tape over the left lens of my glasses (eye doctor suggested it) to see if that helps me any. I just dont like the eye patch because it's rubbing on my ear and my cheek and irritating me just as much as the double vision. It seems to be helping.

It might also not be so obvious that I have a problem, since the eye patch is extremely noticable and I had people looking at me funny in the eye doctor's office when I had the patch on. (umm...why they were looking at me funny, I dont know. I was at the eye doctors, you'd think they wouldnt find it strange to see someone wearing a patch in the waiting room of an eye doctor's office!)

[PolarExpress]

Small world! I just went to an ophthalmologist today as well. I started with an ENT who sent me to get my eyes double checked (no pun intended) as I have trouble focusing both together (which adds to the dizziness)..Long story longer, I'm bringing in my rx glasses next week to have a type of prism added to see what will help. Once that's done, he'll give me an rx for glasses with the type of prism that works best..Hopefully it will get rid of at least some of the dizziness. Good luck!

[Erin524]

Originally Posted by PolarExpress

Small world! I just went to an ophthalmologist today as well. I started with an ENT who sent me to get my eyes double checked (no pun intended) as I have trouble focusing both together (which adds to the dizziness)..Long story longer, I'm bringing in my rx glasses next week to have a type of prism added to see what will help. Once that's done, he'll give me an rx for glasses with the type of prism that works best..Hopefully it will get rid of at least some of the dizziness. Good luck!

I asked about the prisms. The ophtho told me that from my description of the symptoms that my vision is changing daily and that the prism probably would not work for me. He said if it stabilizes and doesnt get any worse or any better after awhile, he'd check into making me a pair of prism glasses. Until then tho, I'm wearing Scotch tape on my left lens of my glasses and a dark patch (the dark patch for when I'm outside in the sun)

[jprinz99]

Sending hugs of symapthy your way. Fuzzy visin, double vision, etc all all for the birds. The nausea - we won't even mention how much fun that is!

Hope this all clears up and FAST

(my hubby says I look sexy-scary in my eye patched days. Yeah, like I felt I was sexy - not...)