Spouse with Optic Neuritis

[Ocicat]

Hi ,

New here today. My late forties spouse sees a neurologist/opthamologist tomorrow and we are concerned her optic neuritis is a prelude to a possible MS diagnosis. She is super frustrated as she has lost a considerable amount of central vision in her left eye, but some has returned. She wants an answer to why she is going through this. She was sent to this specialist by a trusted Neurologist local to us, as well as by her local opthamologist. Her other symptom is some arm numbness. MRI of the cervical spine is pending in a few weeks.

She has had MRI positive for periventricular white matter disease and a VEP positive for retrochiasmal lesion.

Reading here, we should look into vitamin D testing, as well as B12 level. Wondering what else to expect/ask this specialist she sees tomorrow.

Thanks,

Ocicat

[lyndacarol]

My late forties spouse sees a neurologist/opthamologist tomorrow and we are concerned her optic neuritis is a prelude to a possible MS diagnosis. She is super frustrated as she has lost a considerable amount of central vision in her left eye, but some has returned. She wants an answer to why she is going through this. She was sent to this specialist by a trusted Neurologist local to us, as well as by her local opthamologist. Her other symptom is some arm numbness. MRI of the cervical spine is pending in a few weeks.

She has had MRI positive for periventricular white matter disease and a VEP positive for retrochiasmal lesion.

Reading here, we should look into vitamin D testing, as well as B12 level. Wondering what else to expect/ask this specialist she sees tomorrow.

Welcome to ThisIsMS, Ocicat.

Your spouse should definitely request a vitamin D test (the "25-hydroxy D" test)… especially in view of the following article – and ask for her own copy of the test results so that you will have the actual number:

Preventive effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on conversion of optic neuritis to clinically definite multiple sclerosis: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial. (2013)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23250818

10 researchers in Iran

Multiple sclerosis (MS) presents with optic neuritis (ON) in 20 % of cases and 50 % of ON patients develop MS within 15 years. In this study, we evaluated the preventive effects of vitamin D3 administration on the conversion of ON to MS (primary outcome) and on the MRI lesions (secondary outcome) of ON patients with low serum 25 (OH) D levels. Thirty ON patients (15 in each of 2 groups, aged 20-40 years) with serum 25 (OH) D levels of less than 30 ng/ml were enrolled in a double blind, randomized, parallel-group trial. The treatment group (cases) received 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 weekly for 12 months and the control group (controls) received a placebo weekly for 12 months. Finally, the subsequent relapse rate and changes in MRI plaques were compared between the two groups. Risk reduction was 68.4 % for the primary outcome in the treatment group (relative risk = 0.316, p = 0.007). After 12 months, patients in the treatment group had a significantly lower incidence rate of cortical, juxtacortical, corpus callosal, new T2, new gadolinium-enhancing lesions and black holes. The mean number of total plaques showed a marginally significant decrease in the group receiving vitamin D3 supplementation as compared with the placebo group (p = 0.092). Administration of vitamin D3 supplements to ON patients with low serum vitamin 25 (OH) D levels may delay the onset of a second clinical attack and the subsequent conversion to MS.

[NHE]

Reading here, we should look into vitamin D testing, as well as B12 level.

Yes, B12 should always be checked in anyone experiencing neurological symptoms. A full test for B12 status also includes red blood cell (RBC) folate, homocysteine and methylmalonic acid (MMA).