Other causes of ptosis?
 

Hi! Hope everyone is surviving the heat snaps and various natural didasters :( :(

I was wondering if it is possible to have some other nerve condition causing ptosis in one eye?

I'm only on prednisone currently and it helped with the droop for about a month, but then it started to come back - even before starting any sort of taper from my highest dose.

My dad and brother both have "bedroom eyes", but I would think a predisposition for drooping upper lids would appear in both eyes, and this is definitely just my right eye.

Can steroids stop working on MG even if they previously seemed to help?

Hi MG_Kat33,

I have recently developed permanent ptosis in one eye but don't have an overarching diagnosis yet.

Since I've looked into this after wondering the same thing, I thought I'd mention that anything that compresses the related nerve(s) can cause it--tumor (eg, pancoast tumor), edema, etc. It can also be caused by respiratory problems, infection, nerve damage caused by diabetes. It also can be caused by muscle weakness rather than nerves.

Mine came on suddenly in occurrence with neurological and other symptoms, and now I look 10 years older than I did before. :( Sorry you have this too.

Heavy metal toxicity will also cause this. There is a website on the net where a woman posted her experience with one eyed ptosis from lead poisoning. I am still looking for the link to that.
I read that site several years ago (and it had photos)... If I find it again I'll post it.

Thanks Magnolia and MrsD.

I'm not really worried about tumors or edema - I had clear MRI and CT in March and my age and mobility makes those unlikely. *crosses fingers*

Diabetes is a definite worry on the other hand... especially being on prednisone long term. Hmm.

I guess I was wondering if it was possible/likely to have Palsy on top of MG.

I'm not sure how I'd acquire heavy metal, I know most people claim it is from fillings, but I've never had a cavity.

There is something called Familial Ptosis that tends to be asymmetrical in presentation.

A TIA can also cause unilateral ptosis. There are many causes. A person can also have MG and other causes for ptosis at the same time! What sets MG ptosis apart is that it is fatigable and causes binocular double vision.

I've known people who have had Bell's palsy and MG. Have you seen a neuro-ophthalmologist?

How long have you been on steroids?

The caution here is that someone can have more than one disease state at a time.

Annie

Thanks all, I've gone out and investigated some things thanks to your tips and suggestions. Reading up on Bell's palsy, it seems unlikely since it's just my eye, not the entire right side of my face.

I had been suffering double vision on and off for a few years, and even had one incident of ptosis for a weekend (never went to hospital - ah to be young and fearless again) before I experienced some arm weakness and fatigue. Everything was very transient though. Probably had active MG for about 4 years before being diagnosed in March.

All that to say that I think my eyes are still my major symptomatic area and given my genetic predisposition for heavy lids, I may just be stuck with an almost half closed eye.

"Genetic predisposition for heavy lids?" Hmm, sounds like CMS, which would not respond to steroids.

Annie

CMS is an interesting thought. Pretty unlikely, but if I ever manage to get a new neurologist, it's worth at least asking.

Autoimmune runs in my family and I already have autoimmune thyroid disorder, so it's likely "just" plain old MG.

Then why are you looking for other causes? ;)