melissa
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,912 
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Post by melissa on Oct 29, 2014 22:50:06 GMT
Optic neuritis is the term I am more familiar with.
My mom had it. She also had multiple sclerosis. It is considered a flag for MS, though not all cases are caused by MS. I am glad you are going to see a neurologist. The neurologist is the one best equipped to answer your questions and follow this.
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Post by LAM88 on Oct 29, 2014 22:59:05 GMT
Not to add to your worries, but optic neuritis was my first symptom of MS as well. It started off with just a sensation that something was "off" in my visual field without being able to pinpoint what it was. Over the course of several days I lost most of my vision in one eye. A visual fields test showed I had a central schitoma (large blind spot in the center of one eye) and a subsequent MRI showed I had 3 lesions on the brain (plaques), which are typical of MS.
Can I ask how old you are? Between 20-40 are common ages for the onset of MS. Some people go for years without a clear diagnosis, but my onset at age 30 was so textbook that my diagnosis was easy. The good news for me is that I have been living with MS for nearly 20 years now with no disability whatsoever. I've had a few flares here and there, but my last one was before I started taking medication for MS around 7 years ago. I've been stable ever since.
Please feel free to ask any questions. Good luck!
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Post by LAM88 on Oct 30, 2014 3:19:11 GMT
Optic neuritis is the term I am more familiar with. My mom had it. She also had multiple sclerosis. It is considered a flag for MS, though not all cases are caused by MS. I am glad you are going to see a neurologist. The neurologist is the one best equipped to answer your questions and follow this. That's the correct term, Melissa. Do most people with it have MS? LAM88, I'm right in that age bracket, late 20s. My visual field test today showed only a small blind spot in my left eye. I've had bouts of dizziness here and there for a few months, but now it's almost daily with a touch of vertigo mixed in. There's a feeling of pressure on the right side of my head a lot, too. Do you get that with a "flare?" I'm glad you had such a good prognosis, too. A flare can be as varied as the people who have them. When I had optic neuritis I remember having pain every time I moved my eyes, as well as sensitivity to light. They started me on steroids and by 6 weeks I think I had recovered almost 100%. I've had some vertigo episodes as well and went through a period where I found it visually uncomfortable and almost disorienting to be in places with high ceilings, like Costco or church. I stopped driving for a week or 2 during this time but eventually was back to normal again. I also remember feeling physically drained when I was in the midst of a flare. |
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Post by **Angie** on Oct 30, 2014 4:21:27 GMT
ON and MS here also. My eye doctor swore I had glaucoma and was planning out a medicine course, when I finally got in to see a neurologist, I couldn't focus to walk, let alone drive. Four MRIs, an MS diagnosis, and a round of cortosteriods later, I had my regular eyesight back.
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Post by LAM88 on Oct 30, 2014 14:26:56 GMT
Thanks for the feedback everyone. Even though a lot of my symptoms point to MS, I'm hopeful it's just Lyme or something. But if it is MS, believe it or not I'm not scared. I think your stories of improvement and normal lives is keeping me optimistic.  Thank you. MS research has come along way in the almost 20 years since my diagnosis. There were several drugs available back then, but there are even more options now with even greater efficacy and fewer side effects. Good luck to you and please update. |
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MaryMary
Pearl Clutcher
Lazy
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Post by MaryMary on Oct 30, 2014 15:50:56 GMT
Thanks for the feedback everyone. Even though a lot of my symptoms point to MS, I'm hopeful it's just Lyme or something. But if it is MS, believe it or not I'm not scared. I think your stories of improvement and normal lives is keeping me optimistic. Thank you. I have heard of this symptom in Lyme patients. Lyme can affect vision just like MS. I haven't had vision problems, but your description of pressure on the side of your head and vertigo definitely match some of my early symptoms. I would go see the neurologist, but definitely start looking into Lyme doctors in your area as well. |
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scrappyesq
Pearl Clutcher
You have always been a part of the heist. You're only mad now because you don't like your cut.
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Post by scrappyesq on Oct 30, 2014 17:08:03 GMT
ON was my first sign of MS. It was part of the one and only flare I had in 2005.
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Thank you. 
