This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

A good friend and neighbour is presently suffering from some visual disturbances in one eye, including "floaters" and light flashes. He also suffered a brief period of blurred vision about a year ago, and at that time he mentioned to me that he had once been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease for a balance problem.

To me, these symptoms add up to a possible case of MS, though I'd love to be proven wrong. He unfortunately took his latest symptoms to an optometrist, and is waiting for an opthalmologist's appointment, but I have urged him to see his GP and to mention both visual attacks and the Meniere's thing. Obviously, I haven't told him what I suspect, becuase it would be cruel to alarm him, and I'm not a health professional, nor am I an MS sufferer, though I have known a few.

Does anybody here have anything they could suggest? Am I right in suspecting that these symptoms might stem from MS (probably relapsing-remitting)? Is there anything to be gained from early diagnosis, or would he be better left in blissful ignorance of his (possible) condition?

i wouldve wanted to find out sooner vs later.

if a good friend wouldve suggested it to me, i personally wouldve took it to heart and researched MS. not getting mad or anything

but every persons different, its hard to tell you how he'd react

It hasn't been my husband's experience, but I think I have read here, that many ophthalmologists have been at the beginning of the journey and referred their patients on. I think it is a good place to start, as floaters could also be caused by other problems (ie tears in the retina for one). Generalists do not know that much about the eye, and would probably send your friend to the eye doctor. I don't think you should unnecessarily worry them ahead of diagnosis. Maybe later, if they show other problems, but the doctors are getting no where, but to be honest, there isn't a lot to be done for ms, medically, except poison your body for the neurologist's amusement...it seems to me.
By all means, prepare yourself with diet information and read up on ccsvi on here, to get some other ideas.

If the opthamologist doesn't do it simply suggest it might be wise to see a neurologist just to be thorough.

I just took my wife to an on-call ophthalmologist today because she's had floaters & light flashes in one eye for over 24 hrs. The dx was basically aging (the vitreous gel hardening). The rx is to come back regularly (for monitoring). They can apparently laser repair the retina if they catch it starting to separate early enough.

I'm an engineer, but the approach is the same as for doctors: you check for the highest-probability causes of failure first. He should definitely see an ophthalmologist first. If he has MS, the ophth will find either nothing or ON, and then it will be time to see a neurologist and relate every possible symptom he's ever had (and there are still plenty of possible causes of all of them that are more likely than MS).

IMHO his GP will probably have the least to offer...Sure, theoretically every day you delay going on a DMD is a day you could sprout new lesions, but a few weeks is a lot less than the typical time between exacerbations. But I can't imagine any circumstances where I would feel entitled to offer such a "diagnosis" (because I can't imagine going to medical school!).

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RRMS dx 3/3/11; Copaxone since 12/1/11

there have been studies showing DMD's arent anymore effective than nothing at all

i would recommend him search Terry Wahls and start the diet she recommends

REPORT THEM! you can't let these degenerates roam free.

Kiss my shiny metal ass. ;^)

I want to second the ophthalmologist as a start to many people on the road to a MS dx. My misjudging the chair for a vision exam, chief complaint of some vision issues on more than one occasion separated by over a year, bad fatigue, landed my MRI... demeylination event of unknown origin. Visit to neuro and there you have it MS. The primary care physician who I visited with same complaint spent all of five minutes listening to me and touching me with cotton swabs all over. Unless I was numb on half my body and blind he wasn't going to do anything. In good hands with an ophthalmologist.