Eye Problem
 

I've had what I believe to be a sinus infection for the past several days. My left eye has felt swollen and it hurts to move it up and down and from side to side. My head is congested and my left eye is a little "weepy". I've been taking Advil Cold & Sinus and it helps as long as I take it repeatedly.

This morning I'm having trouble seeing out of my left eye. When I cover my right eye up, and only look through the left, it looks sort of like I'm looking through wax paper. It's not as noticeable when I'm using both eyes as I guess the right one is compensating for the left. :confused:

I have a Neuro appointment on Monday afternoon so I'll take this up with him then but I'm wondering if I should take Prednisone (I have 20mg. tablets) now. I hate taking that stuff, but when it comes to my vision I don't want any permanent damage if I can help it.

Has anyone had this problem before? I don't think I should take the Pred and the Advil Cold meds together. Merry Christmas! :rolleyes: ;)

Kell, my considered opinion is that this is not a time to self-medicate. My guess is that you're heading into or in a bout of ON and your neuro will probably want you on IVSM first. They don't like us to take too much in the way of roids and it's risky to make these assumptions.

If you feel it's too long a wait for your appointment, put a call in to your neuro's answering service and ask for the proper advice.

In the meantime, concentrate on taking it easy, your boys are grown men and need to help you now, not expect their mommy to make everything perfect for their Christmas. :)

Awww.. how awful.

I can't address the MS... but I do have an idea.

If you have congestion, you really need to be taking Mucinex every 12 hours or
3 teaspoonfuls of plain Robitussin every 4 hours to help liquify the congestion and get it out. The decongestants tend to be drying and counterproductive. You need to drink alot of water too.

If this does not relieve you in say, 2 days, then you really need a doctor. Infections from the sinus may move to the cavernous sinus which is where the cranial nerves pass thru.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavernous_sinus
This is sort of a worst case scenario, but may happen with infections.

Most congestion can be relieved by using guaifenesin when you have colds, etc. I think this is the most useful intervention.
I use it myself..sometimes every day if my ears feel plugged.
Keeping stuff moving out, prevents sinus infections and further nasty issues.

Yes, the Neuro does think it's ON (I called and left a message). He said I could do IVSM (after he confirms the dx) or wait it out and let it clear up on it's own. I'm still going to my appointment on Monday.

I did a little research and the majority of the information says that ON will clear up on it's own (most of the time) with no permanent sx.

It's tolerable right now.....uncomfortable but tolerable......and I HATE to take IVSM. It's just so hard on my body. I'll wait till Monday and if it's noticeably worse I'll consider the IVSM. If it's the same or better I'll wait it out. I'm a tough cookie.......I've handled worse than this. Plus, I have no insurance so the decision is really sort of made for me. :rolleyes:

Merry Christmas! :)

definately dont take oral prednisone for a vision problem. The Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial (ONTT) says that oral pred can actually make you get optic neuritis more often or something like that, if I understood what I read in the ONTT.

I did IVSM last summer for a really bad case of double vision. Only reason I insisted on meds for that was because having double vision was even worse than having a blind spot in my eye like I did the first time I had ON.

First time I had ON tho, I waited it out. No meds.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll probably just wait it out. I've been taking Ibuprofen in the hopes it will alleviate some of the inflammation. The pain is down to a dull ache now so it's tolerable.

I can still see, walk, hear and talk so I'm good! And it's Christmas Eve! :)

Rest up, dear one...I'm glad you called the dr. Take it easy! Act like a queen (minus the big purses and ugly hats).

If it's optic neuritis, my eye doctor has told me that the pain only usually lasts about a week, and the pain is variable. I had good luck taking prescription migraine medication when it hurt really bad.

Sometimes going into places with certain types of light (grocery stores with fluorescent light) made things worse for me...it would trigger optic nerve pain.

Staying in dim light, or if you have lights on a dimmer switch, turning the light down to where it's comfortable but you can still see to get around might help the pain. TV made my eyes hurt too.

Well, I was hoping it would be better this morning but it's not. The loss of vision in my left eye is playing tricks with my balance. I nearly fell onto DS26's girlfriend when I went to hug her today when they stopped by! :o I'll get used to it. Just like I got used to double vision. I'm so thankful this isn't double vision. That was the pits!

Our Christmas dinner tomorrow has grown into 7 people! :) DS22's new love interest told him today that she can come and there is someone DS26 works with that doesn't have any family here so he's coming, too. I'm excited! I love having a full table.

DS26 and his GF are having dinner with her family today but they stopped by here first to see us and to exchange gifts. Everyone only had one gift each but we all loved what we got and were just so thankful to be together. I would have been happy with nothing. It's just not important to me anymore.

I'm going to go try to take a nap and rest my eyes. Merry Christmas!

DON'T do oral steroids, definitely.

ON will clear up on it's own, but it takes time. I have had symptoms of ON for several months at a time.

My Neuro-Opthalogist only recommeneds IV steroids if "all else fails", including letting nature take it's course.

The most important factor right now is treating the infection, Kelly. It might be too late though, as you need antibiotics for that ... cold and sinuse OTC meds don't cut it.

Cherie

I am sorry you dont feel well. Please see the MD and get it fixed. its a hard time of year to be sick, but sometimes it happens. pick up the phone, and make the call. we love you, and want you whole, and happy. :hug:

I have a Neuro appointment Monday afternoon. I've had it for a while - long before I got the ON - but I'll let him update my records with it. I'm sure he'll recommend the IVSM but even if I had the insurance to do it I wouldn't. It's just too hard on the bones. I'll save it for an emergency situation that hopefully will never happen.

I did call him Thursday and he called back and said that it surely did sound like ON and the only thing to speed up the healing is IVSM.

I hope you feel better soon, Kelly..:hug:

Just seeing this Kelly. You are in my prayers! :hug:

That is the one time I will agree to IVSM, when my eyes are in the mix. I am not messing with my vision. For a dragging leg, or a wobbly body, I will suck it up. I wish you had insurance. I really do. :hug:

Oh Kelly, I'm so sorry about all of it! :hug: I just now saw this thread :(. I hope it clears up quickly for you. I hope your neuro will prescribe antibiotics for you if he thinks you have ON and a sinus infection. You definitely don't need to pay for two doctor visits.

Let us know what he says after your appointment :hug:.

Just got home from my Neuro appointment. I definitely do not need to be driving. My depth perception is terrible. I could not get a good feel for how close or how far I was from things. :eek:

He said I have a severe case of ON and, of course, recommended IVSM with a Pred taper. I told him I have no insurance but he wrote the rx anyway and said I needed to find a way to get treatment. :rolleyes: Okay, I'll play the lottery on the way home and cross my fingers. Good grief. Even if the hospital were to let me have a payment plan that really doesn't help.....I don't have it all at once or a little bit at a time. I told him that I didn't like IVSM because of the bad side effects and he said that the ON would clear up faster if I did the treatment.

And Joelle, I asked for an rx for an antibiotic and he wouldn't write it. He said he prefers to keep things on the "neurological side" and let the PCP handle the antibiotics. I told him that would mean another office visit and I just cannot do that. Didn't phase him. He wouldn't budge. I think it's time to look for a new Neuro or just start going to my PCP exclusively.

Anyway, I have a splitting headache now....probably from the bright sunlight and all the straining I did to keep my car in my lane. Believe me, that was the last time I'll drive until this clears up. Too scary!

Just caught up on this after lengthy PM! :p

I'm so sorry he can't help you out with the antibiotics, like it would hurt him to write the scrip!

I still say try a patch if you absolutely have to drive!

Hugs to you my friend, I hope it gets better for you soon! No one deserves this stinking disease, especially at this time of year!!!

Aw Kelly :hug:. I had a feeling he wouldn't rx the antibiotics for you just from what you told me about him. Feel better :hug:.

That's one of the reasons I stopped seeing my Neuro and only see my PCP exclusively, now.

Sorry Kell, feel better. :hug:

Aw Kelly, :hug:

Would it be cheaper to have a local PCP give you IVSM or have a visiting nurse? Is there a free clinic nearby where they'd be willing to do it?

Also, if you go ahead and have it done at the hospital, you can negotiate the final bill down to something more affordable.

We don't want you risking your eyesight! :( :hug:

Kelly,
Can't you go to the ER for free? I hear of so many who are against the health reform bills complain about poor people going to the ER and not having to pay the bill...how does that work, and can you do that?
I don't like you not getting this treated. How about contacting your local MS chapter to see if they know of a place where you could get financial help? Or how about your local social services agency?
Please consider all options...your eyesight is too valuable:hug:

This makes me so mad I could spit....grrrrr. I know the hospitals here
will write off er visits if you are income eligible. Call the hospital and
see what is available....you shouldnt have to do this, I know.j

As for the antibiotics ....what a jerk!!!:mad:

big hugs to my friend:hug::hug::hug::hug::hug:

UGH! I hate docs like that who don't give a care about the financial situation of their patients. I've had a few docs in the past that were great about it, and others who were bad about it.

Hope that your eyesight improves soon! :hug::hug:

Sorry to hear about the ON, Kell. Does anybody remember when you didn't have to go to a dozen different docs to get tx? I thought any Dr could write a scrip for AB's.
A few yrs ago, I was at my Gyno for my yearly and she noticed that I was feeling awful b/c of a sinus infection, so she checked me over and gave me AB's. Saved me a trip to my PCP in another clinic.

Hope you can shake the ON soon Kell. I'm thinking of ya.

I like the fact that my regular doctor can Rx me steroids for MS problems.

I've gotten oral steriods from my former regular doctor for vertigo once several years ago, and my neuro actually had my current regular doctor write the Rx for the IV steroids for the diplopia (double vision) I had last summer. I had oral steroids in september/october that my neuro Rx-ed for me.


I could have gotten my IV steroids from my eye doctor...not sure now why I didnt, I think he wanted me to talk to the neuro first. I'm pretty sure all three of my doctors have been passing emails around about me when I get treatments like that. I made sure when I first started seeing all these doctors that they each communicated with each other. I always make sure to tell them to send records of my visiting one doctor to the others.

Did you know that you can drink the solumedrol in a smoothie? My neuro suggested that once when my insurance was giving him trouble. The actual solumedrol liquid is cheap. Just a suggestion cause I don't want you risking your vision.

Holly, I had heard of others doing that and I asked my Neuro about that and he said no, it had to be IV. Something about the way the medicine is absorbed in the system. :confused: I tried to explain to him that I simply cannot just NOT pay my rent or car payment....or utilities just to have IVSM. His answer was "what's more important?". He's just not very compassionate.

I'm sure this will resolve itself just like the double vision did. Luckily I can just stay home and recooperate. I had to work during most of my double vision! Now that was an adventure!

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions and prayers.

"What's more important".. Grrrrrrrr, what a jerk!!:rolleyes:

I think you need to find a new neuro!!!:rolleyes:

My neuro is on the medical advisory board for the NMSS so I trust him when he suggests things. Honestly your neuro sounds like a bit of an arrogant jerk.

Yep - I have to agree with you, Holly. I don't think I'll be going back to him. I want to call the office Monday and see what I have to do in order to get a complete copy of my records. It's hard enough having this disease. Having to see a Neuro who's got an attitude like his doesn't help. :(

He hasn't done anything for me that my PCP can't do. I think I'll just stick with him. He's nice.

Sorry to hear about your ON, Kelly.:(

I understand how you feel about your neuro; mine also prefers to deal only with the "brain" stuff, but suprisingly he decreased the dosage of clonidine (a blood pressure medication used also for bladder control) I was taking because my blood pressure was SO low.:)

I agree with the others that you should try alternate avenues for prompt attention to the ON. Let us know how you are progressing.:grouphug:

Kelly, when I had a Neuro, my PCP wouldn't do anything to step on Neuro's toes. As soon as I dropped said Neuro, PCP became my angel. He will do anything to make me more comfortable with MS and keeps me healthy otherwise.

I don't think you'll be sorry...if so, you can always ask your PCP to recommend another Neuro.

:hug:

no advice, just hugs :hug:

I know how worried you probably are that you're not getting IVSM for your ON, but please know that I've had ON umpteen times and I've only ever been given IV cortisone once.

It will clear up by itself, and I am proof of that.

Sending hugs and hoping that your vision starts to clear soon. :hug:

Thanks so much for the reassurance. :hug: Everything I've read about it states what you just said....that it will clear up on its own. For that I'm grateful. And, to look at the bright side, I feel like I'm saving my bones from the terrible side effects of the steroids. Luckily, I'm home and don't have to go out to work so I can rest my eyes as much as possible. Plus, I didn't have IVSM when I had that terrible double vision four years ago and it resolved itself completely.

It always seems worse after I've slept for a while and when I'm just waking up and this morning it actually seems a little better. Maybe it's just my wishful thinking....who knows?!