Double vision anyone?

Posted , 19 users are following.

Hey guys, I'm 25 in the UK, I started having double vision around two weeks ago. If I cover either of my eyes one at a time, then I can see straight.

I went to the opticians because I thought that I might need glasses, but I have 20/20 vision, but she saw blurred optic disks so referred me to the hospital.

There I had scans on my eyes, had them dilated, field tests, and the doctor came said he can't see anything wrong, although he said there was a tiny swelling on my left optic nerve but he stressed that it was nothing to worry about - no brain tumour or palsy etc.

So I was referred back to my doctors where I had blood tests - they were the general blood work, and I also pushed for a lymes disease test which hasn't come back yet. I read stories online here in the UK regarding lymes, and the tests coming back false negative, which I'm worried about.

Ive been referred for a Head and orbit mri in a couple of weeks, but I'm moving next Wednesday so will have to ring and see if my new area can book me in.

Here are some other symptoms I've been having -

Double vision

Awful headaches for a month, and 4 days of amped up pain prompted me to go for the eye test at the opticians.

Whoosh Whoosh in my ears, tinnitus?

Neck pain and stiffness, where the headache usually originates from.

Pain under my earlobe near my jaw, sometimes pain all down my right side of my face over the temple/ear area (not cheek or nose etc)

And that's about it so far.

Ive always had problems with my beck hurting, tense neck muscles, or when im standing for too long it hurts. Could I have spinal fluid leaking? Or a herniated disk pressing on my optical nerve? Would the eye doctor have been able to see any pinching when he scanned/looked at my eyes?

And should I mention when I call to change my mri appointment about my neck, and possibly get them to scan the top part of my neck? I don't know why they didn't think it was an issue when I told them that the headaches were originating from my neck, surely they would have thought okay let's do the head mri and the neck too, or even the whole spine incase there's something lurking around there.

This whole double vision thing has really thrown my life off track, it's very hard to cope with it - I can't go out because it just gets too much to see, and I can't watch TV or read properly - very stressful, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Really have taken my vision for granted. I'm young and haven't had any serious medical issues before, I've got so many plans for my future but now it seems to be ruined by my vision, what if I never see straight again? The thought scares me, and although I'm grateful for nothing major coming up on my tests yet, having no diagnosis and treatment plan is pretty stressful also.

Would love to hear some experiences of you guys with similar symptoms, if you got better, or what you were diagnosed with!

Thanks for reading and your replies!

0 likes, 26 replies

26 Replies

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  • Posted

    I'm so sorry to hear of you eye problems. I also had double vision caused by Tamoxifen. It was becoming debilitating and like you I was desperate for a cure. Only be accident I found out that it was caused by the Tamoxifen. It took only 12 days after going off it for my vision to go back to normal ( I was on it for exactly 2 years). I live in Boston and went to the Dana Farber - but no one there even suggested that the Tamoxifen could be the problem - they even went as far as saying that it most likely wasn't the Tamoxifen when I told them I was going to stop taking it. Tamoxifen is a terrible drug that also caused cognitive problems for me and should not be dispensed like jelly beans. I really hope your eye problems have cleared up for you.

  • Posted

    Did you ever find out what is going on? I have been living with this about 2 years now. I drive with one eye closed constantly! No headaches but just the double vision far away. Please tell me what they found. 
  • Posted

    I haven't resolved this yet, but discovered in my case I'm heavy metal poisoned. I plan on detoxing a bit first before trying the Andrew Cutler chelation protocol (IV chelation is not safe). I think heavy metals are a big contributor in a lot of neurological conditions. You may want to check out the book Amalgam Illness and learn more about it in case it helps.

  • Posted

    I also had double vision . My optician added a prism correction to my glasses . I was also referred to the hospital & the consultant advised I had a muscle convergence in my eyes . I was gonna vdnnexcercise to do to try to strengthen the muscles . I have since had refractive corrective lens replacement done & the double vision has now disappeared. I opted to have surgery as I had early signs of cataract in both eyes & wanted to be glasses free . Due to a complications with the retina on my right eye I had minofocal lenses implanted so need to use glasses for close reading . 

    • Posted

      I have an appointment this afternoon with a dry eye specialist. We are going to look into clogged oil gland's and maybe look into doing the lipoflo. I will let you know how that goes.

  • Posted

    I am experiencing your EXACT symptoms.  I have had complete vertical/double vision for the last six months, diagnosed as diplopia. My 4th muscle is supposedly palsied. I have had every test under the sun done and while I am thankful nothing serious has shown, I am equally frustrated that we can't figure out what's causing it. I have been wearing glasses with prisms so I can function at work, but like you, feel like it's not as bad the first hour of the morning after wakening. I do eye exercises twice a day, and have not seen any improvement. I'm considering accupuncture before surgery but am feeling more and more like surgery might be my last resort.  

  • Posted

    I've had double vision before and as I write I'm on my 4th attack!

    The first 3 attacks were swelling of the optic nerve and I gained my normal vision within a week. The doctor gave me oral prednisone. However, the forth attack is pretty serious. It's my third month and I still have double vision (with no pain). I was hospitalised in early January with severe headache, eye pain and double vision. I underwent MRI scan, various blood tests and lumbar puncture. Results were all normal. To supress the inflamation of the optic nerve, my neurologist and eye specialist treated me with IV steroids and then oral predinisone and eye drops.

    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321725294_Management_of_diplopia

  • Posted

    I've had the same experience with double vision. If I cover one eye I can see normally. Saw two eye doctors and had the MRI, no tumor....no diagnosis either. Eye doctor #2 said it was optic migraines as he could find nothing wrong.

    It got to the point the double vision went from a once in awhile occurrence to three times a week.

    Throughout it all I kept saying "it's in my neck" .

    When it got to the point it was happening three times a week, I decided to try a chiropractor.

    After the first visit, the double vision events started reducing in number to about one per week.

    After about 5 visits, I went a full year without it happening again.

    I know this is an old post, but thought someone searching this problem might come across it and hopefully be of some help.

  • Posted

    Hello

    Can anyone help? I am so worried I am going out of my mind thinking I have a brain tumor. I have had episodes of double vision that just comes out of nowhere. I am waiting for an appointment with an eye clinic (I am in UK) but still not received one yet.

    Can the eye clinic arrange MRI or does that need to be neurologist?

    Thanks

  • Posted

    I see your problem was 5 years ago. Did it ever resolve itself and how long did it take? I've had diplopia for 4 weeks and no changes yet. How did you cope with wearing eye patches and did you find any that are comfortable?

  • Posted

    Hello, Hope you are doing better. Wanted to share my experience with the same issue. Had an awful migraine, took Sumatriptian to relieve pain and woke up day later with double vision in one eye. Went to ER had CT and blood work and all came back normal. Went to eye Dr, had 2 MRI's with and without contrast and blood work to check Thyroid, all normal. It has been a month and I woke up and double vision was almost completely gone. Eyes still adjust sometimes but for the most part I am back to normal. I have been down a rabbit hole of research and found a couple things. Hasimoto's disease can cause double vision and is tested in tissue not blood. Earlier you catch it the better. I have a history of migraines and optical migraines, not sure if this is a new symptom or what. Also did research on the migraine med and there is an extremely small population who can have temporary double vision. IDK what caused it but there is hope it will just go away. Have some advice to cope... don't cover eye completely. I have glasses and used "foggy" tape over one lens but you want light to get to your eye it helps. When eye is covered it is easier to do things like watch tv or game, ect. Stay positive, it's super depressing and incapacitating but there is hope. Finally, go to a nuero-ortho, they can give you more options.

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