On my last neuro visit, I noticed that when he moved his finger in front of my eyes, I saw multiple images. When his finger was still--directly in front of me--I saw only one. Trying to focus on a moving object is much more difficult for me.

An eye patch helps, but I don't like to wear it.

Kerry

It might sound crazy, as some of this diease does, but I thought I was dizzy when I was driving and working. I realized about 2 months ago that what I had been experiencing was a wobling head which made me feel dizzy. Which after discussions with my daughter was weak neck muscles. I now use a neck brace or neck pillow and it helps with that symptom alot. On my weaker days it helps me conserve energy the most. On strong days I don't need it and I try to squeeze in neck exercises on strong days.

For 6+ weeks I had double vision. I would wear an eye patch...switching eyes because I could see out of the left eye fine and the right eye fine, but not the left and right together. Now I am dealing with blurred vision when I am tired and sometimes double, but not like it was. Having the double vision is what actually led to my diagnosis (originally being told it was Bell's Palsy). I try to rest my eyes whenever possible and always have an eye patch ready...no matter where I am. I used to be self-conscious about wearing it, but now...it's just a fact of life :)

I have both. The true double vision, where I see two and the vision where when you try to focus on something "it moves" although it is actually stationary. Someone described this as nystagmus, but it is too slow to be true nystagmus and the eyes do not move exactly together. This ought to be a helpful clue to neurologist regarding the weak eye muscles (but we'll do better with the neuro ophthalmologists because they will believe what they are seeing). I think it occurs when your eyes are close to being equally dominant and they both try to focus on an object but they are not moving together so first one tries, then the other, sort of like tug of war. After they checked my pressure at the ophthalmologists last time, I really had double vision, not too sure which lane was the "real" one. No problem with stop lights since they were both red or green. So if you have eye problems, and maybe even if not, take someone to drive you home after your eye appointment and be sure to ask the assistant to ask the ophthalmologist if you should have any drops since you have MG. The other thing about my double vision, when it occurs, is that it is not stationary. A very impatient neurologist was asking how far apart two lights were and I was waiting for them to stop moving closer and farther apart. So don't be like me and speak up and say you will tell her when they settle down.

Excuse me for rambling on again, to answer the question :-) any thing that helps one eye be dominant like wearing an eye patch or placing a film over one side of your glasses or sunglasses would probably help. I haven't tried using a clear patch of color, then you could drive in the clear lane or the blue (red, yellow or whatever) lane and ignore the other. Any of those things would help distinguish eye problems from neck problems like Ann's. b.

Thank you everyone! I will get through today with covering my eyes (one at a time LOL) and am calling around to find an eye doctor. We don't have optical insurance so I am doing a little "shopping". I have learned to work around most of my other issues, but this one seems to stop me in my tracks. Thank you again for sharing your stories and advice.

Double vision was my first symptom, and it seems to be the easiest for me to control. Absolutely no double vision once I got on a regular dose of prednisone.

But, while I was going from one eye specialist to the next trying to figure out what was wrong with my eyes, I found one doctor that showed me I didn't have to completely patch one eye. (This only works for those of use that wear glasses. ) Place a single strip of scotch tape up and down in the middle of one of your glasses lenses. This will block out the double vision, but will allow you to still have all your peripheral vision.

Hope that this helps someone.

BEC - a visit to the opthalmologist should be covered under your health insurance. No need for separate optical / vision insurance - the opthalmologist can also do your eye exam for glasses or contacts.

also the less I drive the better my eyes are
The more I use my eyes the worse they get sometimes
but resting in my room that has no windows is BORING
ann

Hey Bec,
I am happy to start by saying since PLEX my double vision and blurriness are much better. I don't say that out loud since I don't want to mess anything up, lol. I know exactly what you're talking about with the dizziness. I have the same thing. It really isn't what I would call true dizziness or vertigo but it seems to be my eyes not tracking well which makes me feel very dizzy. If I sit and stare at one thing I don't have it or if I close my eyes it goes away. It's also episodic so it comes along with all the other symptoms when they hit. It's almost like a warning. It's like the world becomes unstable. I wish I had a suggestion on how to get things to settle down. I agree, it is one of the symptoms that bothers me most, right up there with slurred speech.
Cathi

Thank you again! You are all so wonderful!
My speech also slurred just prior to the really scary drive home last night. Thanks for forewarning me that this may be a warning sign.
The mestinon helps with it for the most part (when it at it's peak) and it is not an issue when I close my eyes which makes me feel more comfortable that it is an MG thing and not a medication side effect.
Thanks Jen for the advice on the insurance! I called my advocate and they were able to find a provider and make me an appointment for the 16th... if it is still bad tomorrow I will try to move it up a bit at their other office. You just saved hundreds of dollars at least! :)
The bonus is they got me in to a Neuro Opthamologist ! (yeah Annette)!
Bless you all!!!
Love, Becca

must be bad vision week, I have had a really tough time the last few days... today was really bad... I am so glad you are getting to see an optha neuro... I go see mine on the 19th... yipee
hugs to all,
Annette

I ttoam having worse week with eyes I think it is because I have been using them so much over the holiday week end and prior
tv seems to make them owrse but resting in a void is boring

yes, had a bad day yesterday with vision was so busy at work, lots of computer work, and today I have both eyes twitching from hell!!! should be a fun day!

Becca, I know how frightened you may feel, as it scared the bejeebers out of me. Haven't tried the tape on lenses but it sounds cool! Thanks! (Hey, glasses with clear lens--no Rx--are really cheap, and style beats a black patch.) Until your appt., you might try my "emergency fix." Slurred speech is my warning sign, too; I grab my frozen cubes, slap them into a wide scarf, and tie around my head. (Target's sporting goods dept. $4.00.) I cut them into strips and have some at work and home. GREAT for the beach and garden! Daughter says I look chic in my scarf. = ) Even if it's fatigue vs. over-heating, this seems to help my vision. Good luck, and keep us posted!

Hang in there Becca! In time, things will continue to get better, and you have to believe that they will! Think positive...believe

I have to say that out of all the things I have noticed improvement on since start of cellcept, my vision has been the most improved. After over eight months on cellcept, I at worst, have spotty double vision, and it is quickly correctable. I get an occasional droop upon great usage? for a period of time like when I went to see "Planet of the Apes" recently on the big screen, my one eye took a little while to stop being droopy. Of course I use my mestinon also.

At anytime I wish though, I can demonstrate what I call my "Igor from Frankenstein" look, and even that is at the point to getting to be almost unnoticeable.

Now, if I can just to get that to flow through the rest of my body parts. I have some improvement everywhere, just not as much as I have noticed in my eyes. Maybe because my eyes are so close to my brain it happens the quickest? LOL, I don't know...

GO BECCA and GO CELLCEPT!

Best wishes,

TJ