Having double vision

[Foxx]

About 4-5 days ago I felt a little strange and my vision became a little harder to focus. The double vision seems to be from a misalignment with my eyes (rather than one or each eye seeing double) and is generally worse at farther distances and if I've had my eyes open for longer. I've had astigmatism for a very long time, but not worn glasses. I also have visual spins sometimes when trying to look far to the side--it feels like my eyes can't find the focus spot but keep searching, but I don't really feel like I have motion sickness.

I'm currently not sure if the strangeness (feels like some additional fatigue and a bit of difficulty balancing, but not excessive--I feel a little like I'm drunk, with way-off vision, but without drinking any alcohol in the last two years or so) is from the double vision or accompanying it. I was hoping that the problem would correct itself, but it hasn't. There's a correlation between eating some lobster (allegedly sourced from Maine) and the onset of the vision problems (so I'm wondering if it wasn't sourced from Maine--or even was--and I've been poisoned by something in the ocean), but I'm not sure if there's a causation effect (the lobster also didn't seem to agree with my digestion and I almost threw up a couple of nights ago after eating some). I was thinking that it could also be eye strain from the computer, but I've been using a computer for ever and have never had this happen at all and haven't really been using it more than average recently. My digestion seems to be also even more sensitive in the past few days and I skipped eating last night (had reflux at night despite not having eaten since breakfast--which interestingly stopped after sneezing a couple of times--then felt nauseous in bed which eventually passed) and this morning and wasn't really hungry. I ate today around 3:45PM (canned herring and butter) and feel mostly ok--I had a bit of reflux and took an HCL and magnesium citrate--but with my vision possibly the worst it's been yet.

Lobster does have a high copper content, but I don't think the effects of copper toxicity match up with my symptoms very well. Right now, it's persisted for long enough that I don't think it will go away on its own, which currently is leaving me with the question of whether to go see a doctor or go to an acupuncturist. Does anyone have any ideas based on this description what might be going on? I basically avoid doctors like the plague, but recognize that they're helpful at times (and some more than others, of course), but since I'm really not sure what could be causing this I'm not sure if it's worth going to one because I would rather not have a prescription--I want the problem fixed rather than having the symptoms masked. And, while I have insurance and can go to a place that will take my insurance (a family practice is the one I'm looking at now to save money and rule out basic things without the cost of a specialist), I obviously don't want to spend a bunch of money on a doctor or tests that end up not solving the problem. These are my concerns and why I haven't gone to a doctor already. A friend of mine mentioned her father once pulling a muscle in his eye and having symptoms similar to mine, which required wearing an eye patch for 6 months (maybe I'll be a pirate for half a year?), but I don't recall doing anything that I think would have caused that. I also haven't had any headaches (maybe a bit of pain from trying to live with double vision) or pain around my eyes.

I'm also on KD, have been weight lifting, and have been eating mostly bone broth lately, except the recent lobster excursion.

Thanks for any help! I'm planning on calling someone tomorrow morning--either an acupuncturist I was seeing about a month ago or a local doctor (or both, also depending on where I can get an appointment sooner), unless anyone has any better suggestions.

 

[Foxx]

I forgot to mention that my left pupil is at least sometimes, but perhaps not all the time, larger than my right, currently. Both shrink when exposed to bright light and then appear to be identical.

 

[Josi]

Hi Foxx,

Sorry you are having this problem. Do you have someone in your area like a chiropractor who does applied kinesiology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_kinesiology

Just a thought. It has been very helpful to me in years past.

Hope it gets cleared up for you soon.

 

[Oxajil]

I'm sorry to hear that Foxx, I agree that checking with a professional is a good idea. Hope it'll get better soon.

 

[dugdeep]

Hi Foxx,

Hard to tell from the information you've gathered what exactly could be going on here. If it is indeed from the lobster you ate, then maybe a detox protocol is in order. Do you have access to FIR sauna? Maybe try taking some chelating agents, too (DMSA, chlorella, etc.).

But I think that your first thought, to see a professional who can properly assess the problem, is the best first step. It would be good if you could get a good idea what you're dealing with. Remember that just because you're given a perscription, doesn't mean you have to fill it :D

Good luck with it, and I hope you find resolution soon :)

 

[Gaby]

Hi Foxx,

I would check with a doctor so he or she can help you reach the cause of this problem. Once you have a diagnosis, you will be in a better position to decide your own course of action.

 

[Foxx]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and support!

Sorry you are having this problem. Do you have someone in your area like a chiropractor who does applied kinesiology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_kinesiology

There is someone in my area who does that and I'll definitely consider checking him out. I think I'm a little too sick for that route at the moment though, but thanks for suggesting it!

Hard to tell from the information you've gathered what exactly could be going on here. If it is indeed from the lobster you ate, then maybe a detox protocol is in order. Do you have access to FIR sauna? Maybe try taking some chelating agents, too (DMSA, chlorella, etc.).

I don't currently have access to a FIR sauna and I'm still unsure if it's the lobster or what. Some of the symptoms potentially match up with heavy metal poisoning, but I'm not sure how it would have gotten so bad so quickly.

As an update, I just got back from a doctors appointment and he didn't seem to know what the cause was. One thing I forgot to mention here but did mention in the doctor's office was that on September 15th or 16th I got hit really hard on the right side of my head with a log (went camping and while breaking firewood smacked myself upside the head), a little above my ear. It still hurts a little bit if I open my jaw a lot, but the swelling went down sometime ago. My symptoms probably started on the 5th or 6th of this month--is there much of a possibility that I incurred some type of damage that didn't show up until then? The doctor thought that it's possible that there was some internal bleeding from the injury and I have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow (he also asked if I had ever had surgery before...). Beyond that he didn't seem to have any idea what the cause could be.

 

[anart]

There is someone in my area who does that and I'll definitely consider checking him out. I think I'm a little too sick for that route at the moment though, but thanks for suggesting it!

If they're good, it really can be very helpful - that's how I got off dairy about a year before we all started on the ultra-simple diet experiment.

[quote author=f]

I don't currently have access to a FIR sauna and I'm still unsure if it's the lobster or what. Some of the symptoms potentially match up with heavy metal poisoning, but I'm not sure how it would have gotten so bad so quickly.[/quote]

Well, I'm a little confused about your diet because a few times you've said that you eat mostly bone broth, but then you obviously had lobster and have mentioned this 'canned herring' several times. Maybe the canned herring isn't such a good idea?

As an update, I just got back from a doctors appointment and he didn't seem to know what the cause was. One thing I forgot to mention here but did mention in the doctor's office was that on September 15th or 16th I got hit really hard on the right side of my head with a log (went camping and while breaking firewood smacked myself upside the head), a little above my ear. It still hurts a little bit if I open my jaw a lot, but the swelling went down sometime ago. My symptoms probably started on the 5th or 6th of this month--is there much of a possibility that I incurred some type of damage that didn't show up until then? The doctor thought that it's possible that there was some internal bleeding from the injury and I have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow (he also asked if I had ever had surgery before...). Beyond that he didn't seem to have any idea what the cause could be.

I'm glad you're having it checked out. Maybe some complete blood work wouldn't be a bad idea as well? You've been feeling 'off' in different ways for a quite a while now (hopefully it's not the herring).

 

[Lilou]

Sorry to hear all of this Foxx. It is possible that your astigmatism has increased a bit since your last exam? That can cause a bit of "doubling" of images, but it is usually the written word and fine detail at all distances (far and near). Since the double vision is not monocular, meaning it disappears when you cover one eye, the cause is not neurological. So it is likely just muscle imbalance between the two eyes. At least that is what conventional wisdom tells us.

It's possible just wearing your best correction will eliminate it. Also, doing "pencil push-ups" to strengthen the ciliary muscle may do it too. (pencil push-up = bring a pencil tip in towards your nose, trying to keep the image single until it almost touches your nose) The older we are, the sooner the pencil tip will double. Youngins can take it all the way to their noses, without seeing double.

The unequal pupil size is a bit alarming. Did your doctor do a swinging flashlite test of your pupils? This should be done in both bright and dim illumination. If the difference in pupil size is the same in all levels of illumination, then it means it is physiological and it has always been that way. You may have a look at old photos, to see if the difference has always been there.

It's possible that log upside your head is somehow related. Although I would have expected an acute reaction, not one several days later?

If your MRI comes back normal (which I suspect it will), I'd recommend a trip to a good optometrist to check your prescription, even if you don't fill the Rx, you'll have more data. You may want to consider 15-20% DMSO (diluted with normal saline) as an eye drop for a few days. I use it regularly myself, to detox the visual system. I've also used it recently in my ear for an oncoming ear ache and it solved the pain over night. I'm forever amazed at DMSO's healing properties.

Good luck and keep us posted, Foxx.

 

[Foxx]

If they're good, it really can be very helpful - that's how I got off dairy about a year before we all started on the ultra-simple diet experiment.

Thanks for the second recommendation--I'll check him out once I'm back on my feet.

Well, I'm a little confused about your diet because a few times you've said that you eat mostly bone broth, but then you obviously had lobster and have mentioned this 'canned herring' several times. Maybe the canned herring isn't such a good idea?

The wide majority of my food has been bone broth/butter for the past month or so, recently with added ground beef from the same farm I've been getting my bones to get the protein levels right--the lobster I got for myself for my birthday as something fun and out of the ordinary, and the canned herring (Bar Harbor smoked Kippers--also from Maine) I had yesterday as an attempt to get more Omega 3s in case the eye issue had an inflammatory component. I've had it before without issue (did a stint a few months back living on it with butter) and I've got a sizable supply of it, so I hope it isn't causing me any problems. Here's the exact product:

_http://www.amazon.com/Bar-Harbor-Natural-Kippers-6-7-Ounce/dp/B000J2DQJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349980812&sr=8-1&keywords=bar+harbor+kippers

I think those two things are the only time I've eaten something other than bone broth and butter in almost two weeks, though I may have had another time eating just beef and butter.

There is little in life that I take more seriously than what I put into my body at the moment, so I'm not sneaking anything or slipping off the diet.

I'm glad you're having it checked out. Maybe some complete blood work wouldn't be a bad idea as well? You've been feeling 'off' in different ways for a quite a while now (hopefully it's not the herring).

Yeah I think this is a good plan--they didn't do any bloodwork today (I asked if my symptoms could be caused by a nutrient deficiency or heavy metal load, but he didn't know), but they want me to go back after the MRI, so I'll see if I can get them to do it then. You're right as well--I have been feeling physically off in various ways for a while and I would like to get to the bottom of it--perhaps this is the shock for me to stop putting off bloodwork and actually get to the bottom of what's going on with my body. Can't really avoid it now!

Sorry to hear all of this Foxx. It is possible that your astigmatism has increased a bit since your last exam? That can cause a bit of "doubling" of images, but it is usually the written word and fine detail at all distances (far and near). Since the double vision is not monocular, meaning it disappears when you cover one eye, the cause is not neurological. So it is likely just muscle imbalance between the two eyes. At least that is what conventional wisdom tells us.

It's very possible that it's increased since my last exam--it's been quite a few years since I've had my vision checked.

It's possible just wearing your best correction will eliminate it. Also, doing "pencil push-ups" to strengthen the ciliary muscle may do it too. (pencil push-up = bring a pencil tip in towards your nose, trying to keep the image single until it almost touches your nose) The older we are, the sooner the pencil tip will double. Youngins can take it all the way to their noses, without seeing double.

Thanks for the suggestion--I'll try that work out when I'm feeling up to it! I am 29, so I'm not sure if that will qualify me as being a youngin in this case :)

The unequal pupil size is a bit alarming. Did your doctor do a swinging flashlite test of your pupils? This should be done in both bright and dim illumination. If the difference in pupil size is the same in all levels of illumination, then it means it is physiological and it has always been that way. You may have a look at old photos, to see if the difference has always been there.

He did a swinging flashlight test, but it wasn't done in dim illumination. When I've noticed it in dim illumination and shined a light on my eyes, they appear to shrink to the same size. I think they've historically been the same size.

It's possible that log upside your head is somehow related. Although I would have expected an acute reaction, not one several days later?

That's what I think too--and this was about 3 weeks after it happened.

If your MRI comes back normal (which I suspect it will), I'd recommend a trip to a good optometrist to check your prescription, even if you don't fill the Rx, you'll have more data. You may want to consider 15-20% DMSO (diluted with normal saline) as an eye drop for a few days. I use it regularly myself, to detox the visual system. I've also used it recently in my ear for an oncoming ear ache and it solved the pain over night. I'm forever amazed at DMSO's healing properties.

Good luck and keep us posted, Foxx.

Thanks for the great suggestions! I've actually not worn glasses for a long time (since 1st grade maybe?) and have been just dealing with the astigmatism, so maybe it got worse and needs corrective lenses now? The rest of me still feels strange, so I'm not sure it can be an eye issue alone. I'll look into the DMSO drops as well--I've got DMSO, but no distilled water at the moment. Is store-bought distilled water sufficient? I drank some not within the last year and it tasted like plastic.


Thank you both for the additional suggestions!

 

[Lilou]

[quote author=Foxx]
Thanks for the great suggestions! I've actually not worn glasses for a long time (since 1st grade maybe?) and have been just dealing with the astigmatism, so maybe it got worse and needs corrective lenses now? The rest of me still feels strange, so I'm not sure it can be an eye issue alone. I'll look into the DMSO drops as well--I've got DMSO, but no distilled water at the moment. Is store-bought distilled water sufficient? I drank some not within the last year and it tasted like plastic.
[/quote]

Astigmatism uncorrected can make you feel strange. I wear contacts that correct for my astigmatism and if it rotates slightly off axis, I'll experience vertigo like sensations and dizziness. Motion will make it worse ie) turning my head suddenly or while driving.

If you use DMSO in your eye, you will need to purchase sterile saline to dilute with (NOT distilled water). Saline can be purchased at Wal-Mart, Wal-Greens, etc., near the contact lens solution. An 8oz bottle is around $5. You'll also need a glass dropper bottle to put it in. I ordered mine off the net, but if you can't find one locally, store it in glass jar and just buy a dropper at the drug store.

I buy store bought distilled water for diluting DMSO for topical use, but for eyes and ears, use sterile saline. It could just be some inflammation in your ocular muscles, slightly decreasing their function, hence the double vision and more noticeable astigmatism.

Most doctors just tick me off, because they start testing for the worst case scenario before looking for simple solutions. I think it all stems from the CYA attitude (cover your a$$). Everyone is afraid of being sued.

 

[Lilou]

[quote author=Foxx]
He did a swinging flashlight test, but it wasn't done in dim illumination. When I've noticed it in dim illumination and shined a light on my eyes, they appear to shrink to the same size. I think they've historically been the same size.
[/quote]

I just happened to think of this...if he only did it in one level of illumination, that should mean that he didn't see anything out of the ordinary ie) no unequal pupil size, no unequal reaction to light and no afferent pupillary defect. If they were unequal, he should then do it in dim light. So must be he thought all looked normal with your pupils. That's a definite plus.

 

[HiThere]

I could be vestibular neuritis:

_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestibular_neuronitis

 

[Foxx]

Astigmatism uncorrected can make you feel strange. I wear contacts that correct for my astigmatism and if it rotates slightly off axis, I'll experience vertigo like sensations and dizziness. Motion will make it worse ie) turning my head suddenly or while driving.

If you use DMSO in your eye, you will need to purchase sterile saline to dilute with (NOT distilled water). Saline can be purchased at Wal-Mart, Wal-Greens, etc., near the contact lens solution. An 8oz bottle is around $5. You'll also need a glass dropper bottle to put it in. I ordered mine off the net, but if you can't find one locally, store it in glass jar and just buy a dropper at the drug store.

I buy store bought distilled water for diluting DMSO for topical use, but for eyes and ears, use sterile saline. It could just be some inflammation in your ocular muscles, slightly decreasing their function, hence the double vision and more noticeable astigmatism.

Most doctors just tick me off, because they start testing for the worst case scenario before looking for simple solutions. I think it all stems from the CYA attitude (cover your a$$). Everyone is afraid of being sued.

This is really helpful--thanks so much Lilou! I've got 99% DMSO and should be able to get some saline solution tomorrow.

I definitely know what you mean about doctors!

 

[Foxx]

I could be vestibular neuritis:

_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestibular_neuronitis

Thanks Hithere! That's a pretty good fit from looking over it quickly, so I'll have to give it a more thorough review when I have the energy.