Can Uhthoff's Symptom go away?
 

When I heat up, from showering, warm weather, house-cleaning, etc., I have considerable loss of vision in my left eye. Within minutes to an hour of removing the trigger (reduction of body temp), it clears up again.

Does anyone happen to know if this is something I am stuck with for the duration, or has their Uhthoff's ever gone away?

Cherie

My uhthoff's seems to bother me when I have some sort of inflammation going on.

Last spring I had a completely numb left leg, and what my eye doctor called a "mild" case of ON (why does it never feel "mild" to me?)

Everytime I went out in the heat, things got worse. It was like that for maybe 2 months...a little longer. And it was during the early spring, so I'm glad that it went away before the heat of the hot Nebraska summers hit.

By July, I was able to sit outside in the sun and not feel as badly affected as I did earlier that spring. And my eye was better by that time (eye improved quick..that took about a month) and my leg numbness was gone a few weeks or a month after the eye improved.

I think uhthoff's can go away for a bit. Or at least seems to be not as bad. I went on a vacation in September and it was really hot up in S. Dakota that weekend. I barely didnt make it thru a state park we visited in Minnesota just over the S Dakota border one day. We walked about a mile and a half (with lots of breaks) thru a forest and quarry. I was dragging the last half mile, and had to sit down back at the main building for about 45 minutes before I could get up and go spend money on souvenirs. (boyfriend was walking thru another quarry during that time. He has more stamina than I do)

I'm pretty sure the intense heat that weekend woke up the uhthoff's reaction for me. I was moving pretty slowly that entire weekend. (good thing the boyfriend likes to do things slow on vacations. I could keep up)

Cherie

I have only been dx'd since 2001 so I've not had Uhthoff's as long as you, but mine is still with me. I've not found research that indicates that it goes away. The only thing that I can do to lessen the severity of it is to make sure I am well hydrated when I encounter the triggering event.

For me, it's anything that raises my body core temperature no matter what the outside air temperature is. I've had pretty good luck making sure that I am well-hydrated. It doesn't stop the symptoms, but I can lessen the severity - sometimes.

If you find that magic bullet, let me know! :D

uhthoff's...i don't know if i have it but...
when i'm very tired/weak, or hot my vision gets bad. i just can't focus.
sometimes in the summer i've had to stop and get a bite to eat, cool off and drink water. then i can "move" on.

this can also happen if my blood sugar gets too low and i'm too hungry.
what exactly is uhthoff's cherie?

It's not just connected with ON or visual problems anymore.

I have only had Uhthoff's since about 2003, but it didn't affect my eyesight until about a year ago.

I've always preferred heat to cold, just because of the painful spasticity I get with cold weather. An increase in body temp has caused numbness, weakness, and fatigue for several years too, but I haven't minded that as much as the pain from cold.

After that untreated tooth infection put me in the attack for a several months, until Apr/08, I noticed a big blob in my eyesight at times. My doc figured it was a floater, but I finally realized it only happens when I heat up. My eye doc confirmed Uhthoff's just before Xmas.

Seems I must have had ON at some point, but didn't notice that part. :cool:

So I guess Uhthoff's isn't new, but the fact that it bothers my eyesight now too is. :( The other Uhthoff's symptoms have never let up, so it occurred to me that the eyesight one might not either.

Interesting that staying hydrated helps you, Cheryl. I wonder if it's because the cold liquid lowers your body temp? :confused: I'm going to try that, thanks!

Cherie

Oh, and my eyesight in my left eye went from -5.75 to -7.50 too, even when I am not over-heated. They can only correct it to 20/30 in that eye now. :(

Cherie

Quote:
Definition: A symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) in which a person’s vision becomes blurred when the body gets overheated from hot weather, exercise, fever or saunas and hot tubs. It is thought to be a residual symptom of optic neuritis, even if the person was unaware that they ever had optic neuritis.
This is an example of a pseudoexacerbation, rather than a relapse because vision returns to normal after body temperature returns to normal. No permanent damage is done.
The term also is occasionally used to refer to temporary worsening of other MS symptoms due to heat, such as numbness, tingling or weakness.


Thank you, all of you. I have for some time been trying to figure this out. I get ON but usually with pain, but this blurry thing in my left eye I have noticed it comes and goes too quickly, and the time doesn't coincide with it being from the ON's, especially when I am not having an ON attack, I also noticed it relates to the amount of exertion I put out, which in turn usually raises my body temps too, and when I am sick I cant see real well either. thanks it being two separate demons makes more sense to me, its what I felt inside

Cherie My vision declined big time in one year, not even funny I use to have excellent vision the optho said the decline was too quick also

It is what it is!

Lowering my body core temp helps immensely. I noticed that right away. That's one reason why I stopped swimming at the Y. They keep the water temp too high. I would leave there feeling miserable and my legs would not work and I had trouble seeing.

My vision had gotten worse, too. Not sure of that's due to an increase in the nystagmus symptoms, age, or MS. Could be a combination of everything. I keep complaining to the eye doc that no matter what he does with my prescription, my vision is still blurry. My optic nerve is fine he says and my neurologist agrees. So, I live with it and do the best I can. Just one little irritation I have to live with. I know I cannot do close work any more with a good light and I cannot be tired.

Yes, Cherie, I cool myself down and it usually calms down the symptoms. Cooling down can include hydration and getting into a cooler place. Putting my feet and hands into cool water is also something I do, too.
Bottomline, is to lower my core temp.

The vision is what happens to me in warmer weather. Not fun!

Mine has changed since diagnosis. At first, it affected my eyes, but I had an attack of ON in the right, then left eye. Vision would get blurry until I cooled off.

Later, it didn't bother by eyes, but my legs, instead. My legs would become shaky and weak.

Tracking the pattern over the past few years, I've found that the parts of my body affected most recently by MS are the places where the heat bothers it the most. It is most often weakness which happens until I'm cool.

Cherie, I haven`t taken a shower that most people would call warm in almost 5 years, my wife wonders how I can stand the cool temperature of the water. Any kind of heat messes me up. Hot dish water, sitting near the wood burner, opening the stove to get stuff out.

I even sleep with out covers most of the time. Never needed or had air conditioning in the house until this. No real vision problems but my legs and strength just disappear with heat.

A friend and I went to a lecture (and I'm using lecture because I cannot remember the real word I want here...) on ms a few years back.

One of the speakers advised to use an OTC fever reducer, your choice, whenever you might have an increase in body temp. The theory was, if the med would keep the temp down due to illness, it should do the same if you're doing a little exercise or whatever.

I'm sure drinking plenty of fluids - good and cold - would help more if it's hot outside. But the whole Advil before shopping thing does seem to help me. I have less fatigue and can finish what has to be done.

I feel the same, btw about the heat. It flares up some of my sx, like my balance is off, my vision is blurry, but at least it's not painful. I'd rather look drunk than grumpy from pain. This time of year, even if I'm warm, my body knows it's cold somewhere.

Interesting. For me it was the weakness/numbness for the first several years that this was a problem, and now it is my eyes (too). Glad to hear that it can change though. Thanks! :)

I know my heat problem has fluctuated over the years, and even during a season. I might have no other symptoms (not in an attack), but I can do poorly with heat for weeks, then have very little problem for a long while. :cool:

Like I said though, I don't mind turning to jello (or even losing my eyesight) so long as there is no pain. For that reason I will stay in a hot shower or sit in front of a fire to warm up, rather than ache with spasticity from the cold. So far the heat doesn't completely incapacitate me, but if it did, I wouldn't like that! :mad:

Now that is a very interesting approach!! :) I am going to try an Advil before I do physical exercise next time, to see if that works for my eyesight.

What a great idea, bgb. I'll let y'all know if it helps with that particular symtom.

Cherie

Hi, Cherie! Mine did but I don't know that I'm a great example since mine was a residual from ON only. It would actually be more accurate to say it subsided rather than disappeared but more often than not it's unnoticeable.

I know for me once my body cools down things go back to what they were. Drinking alot and keeping cool keeps it awa. Neuro always tells me stay cool.

Good luck

laurie f