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Saturday, November 9, 2019

Optic neuritis, Eyes, Healthy vision

I have touched base  quite frequently with Eyes, Vision, the problems associated with Multiple Sclerosis.
many Dr's are part of My eye team. A Optometrist, who prescribed Glasses, but can also look at nerves, and how the eye looks.  A second Dr, a Ophthalmologist, does more detailed, including surgery to remove cataracts. He also looks at the eyes and into the nerves, muscles, and what is happening. The third is my Neurologist.

When Multiple Sclerosis hit me, one of my symptoms was Double Vision. Kinda blurry, but yet I would watch TV, and two of the same characters were there. One about three o'clock position, the other more near a five o'clock position.   My distance vision became off kilter. My Near vision, I kept reading the same line over and over, not able to get to the next sentence.  I did not know at that time Multiple Sclerosis would be part of me. One eye would flutter.

Money was tight, so I went to Dr Costco optometrist. A real knowledgeable optometrist gave me two new prescriptions. One for reading, and one for distance. But he also took the time to scribble some words down, that were concerning, to show my GP.  Alternating exotropia,  Right  lateral Gaze., And a few others I did not understand. He put in some prisms to help correct, but not over correct.

My Eyes would take a path of their own ever since. Lights would effect my eyes, one pupil not responding as fast as the other. Each person has their own story, but a common denominator is the eyes.

My ophthalmologist told me,  I could order a pair of glasses every day, as that was how my vision was changing, due to nerves that control the muscles of the eye.  Optic neuritis.

Costco, goes thru optometrist, and visits with new optometrist were five minutes.  That's when I switched  to the one I have been seeing.

Ones that advertised on TV, or major adds in newspapers, have the worst reputation with the BBB of complaints.

On One of the visits One year, My New optometrist took two hours with me. My eyes,  had what he described as cotton balls at the end of their nerves.  I was missing, or had blind spots. I knew that from walking out dogs, I would be missing, or not seeing items.

Optic Neuritis,  a quite common word with Multiple Sclerosis. Affecting people differently. Some loose entire vision, as my neurologist had told me years before. If I went blind, to get to UC Davis.
This was not that bad I told myself, but I found myself at the local bandage hospital near the small town where we live. The cotton balls were a huge concern for my Neurologist at UC Davis.
She prescribed five days of iv soul medrol. I

 My Eye appointment was Monday, and I started the procedure, as it was the holidays, On Wednesday.  Not wanting my partner to drive five days down and back, the local hospital was given The script from my neurologists.

The local hospital, was like they had never given a iv treatment before. Five days turned into seven, as they took off for weekends. A hour procedure, of a bag of saline, and bottle of Solumedrol with a drip  line going into a computer, and into a vein. Simple, but day one took them four hours.

Behind the curtain, was the colonoscopy room. They wheeled patients from behind me into adjoining curtains that split of some dozen spots. You could hear the Dr dictate his notes.
A gal ran around like her head was chopped off, creating more commotion, then help.

The procedure did get better the following visits, but did it help the eyes, or was it time that helped make them better?

Solumedrol, the steroid most commonly used to treat MS, is a brand name for methylprednisolone. It's quite potent and often used for severe relapses. Typical dosing ranges from 500 to 1000 milligrams a day. ... Solumedrol is administered intravenously in an infusion center or hospital.


I have been on Achtar, a $30,000 drug for MS, injected into the muscle,  A few five day courses of prednisone tablets, to help with MS Symptoms, including the eyes. Avatar for MS

Over the years, I have adjusted to Double vision, but not really. My eyes tire easily. There are blind spots, the retina thickness is always asked about by my neurologist.

A article written by my optometrist I found fascinating.I
https://newgradoptometry.com/prescribing-fish-oil/
https://newgradoptometry.com/prescribing-fish-oil/

Nutrition for the eyes. A few pills that might help.
Lutein is a carotenoid with reported anti-inflammatory properties. A large body of evidence shows that lutein has several beneficial effects, especially on eye health. In particular, lutein is known to improve or even prevent age-related macular disease which is the leading cause of blindness and vision impairment.

My mom told me she remembered years before my MS, that my eyes would bounce and not focus when we visited, but that was way before MS hit me.

Prednisone has its own drawbacks, as a medicine used to treat inflammation, or problems with MS. Side effects, the quality of life needs to outweigh the medicines and effects.

I still have the problems years later. It is part of MS, and how my brain is interpreting the images, aligning them up, and compensating for blind spots, or blurry waves.  I have found naps help.

There may be some genes involved also, so eye health is important.

 does omega 3 help, or luitin? Would love feedback of what works or did not help.I

Thanks for reading
JoeY