What can i do to improve my vision - Nystagmus

[dc10]

I went for a eye test as i noticed it was more difficult focusing on text on the laptop screen,

As i haven't had my eyes tested for 10 years and never had vision problems or optic neuritis.
This was an MS symptom i never had,
but over the ast 2 years i have noticed my vision reading the laptop, which i spend on most of the day, gets hard to focus on the text but this is corrected if i close one eye (either one), the focus then corrects and i can read fine,

well i saw an optician last week as its been so long, and he said he saw Nystagmus - involuntary shaking/movement of the eye/s, and i was slightly short sighted, they did not see evidence of optic neuritis.

The optician said i was borderline/ just below the legal vision to drive.
This is a problem as i have to drive to get about, as i use a wheelchair when outside for speed & convenience.

So i was wondering if any MS patients have any tips to improve their vision, even if its just for a short period of time, as i need to pass the eye exam next week or i cant drive anymore

I am due to see the optician next week to try some glasses to see if this helps but he's not confident it will as my vision is okay, its just the neurology/MS worsening my eyes, to which he said there is no treatment

when driving i have no vision difficulties seeing anything, but i guess they have these strict vision rules for a reason

- is there any recommended supplements that improve your vision?
i follow the Swank diet with big amounts of organic veg = 12 cups per day of veg, low fats, NO diary/gluten/sugar/soy/legumes

-- also, i it best to turn the backlight on the laptop screen down very low?
i already have an anti-glare screen protector on but dont notice much difference

[Daisy3]

Hello DC,

My OH has nystagmus so I really sympathise. I also had to respond and share what meagre information I think you might find useful..
Contact lenses help him to control the nystagmus when he needs to concentrate and the other thing he uses is eye gel for sore eyes. These are both anectodal,as in no professional knows why these two methods help him cope,but they help him cope to get through the day. He also takes Gabapentin which helps relax the eye a little.
I would try all three and see how you find it. Buying an eye gel like Lacri-lube is an over the counter pharmacy job so you won't need a prescription,and getting some trial contacts to see if they work for you could be something you could try first.
OH did not use Gabapentin until he really found things getting worse.
I hope this helps.

I wish you all the best for your eye test.

[jimmylegs]

the only nutrients i can think of off the top of my head would be thiamin and magnesium... *maybe* b12..

[mmpetunia]

dc10,

i hope you are able to find something that improves your vision enough to drive safely...not just temporarily to pass the test. i can empathize with the pressure you must feel about not being able to drive. however, if your eyesight makes it unsafe its unfortunate and devastating and frustrating and a million other things that are so unfair. but if its unsafe, then the responsible thing for others on the road and for yourself is to use alternate means of transportation. i once took care of someone with a traumatic brain injury they acquired from a car accident which occurred when the person had a seizure behind the wheel. this individual had previously had their license taken away because they continued to have seizures, yet the person drove every day anyways for many of the same reasons you stated.

i know this is a dramatic example, however good vision is absolutely essential to driving. when i was 21, i got my first pair of glasses but i had been driving since i was 15.5 without them (i was unaware i had problems with my vision). i had been in a few small fender benders but my family just thought it was because i was learning to drive. i never thought there could be a problem with my eyes until i realized that i could not read even the large signs for the main boulevards anymore. the optometrist commented at my appointment "you've been driving for how long without glasses?!"

i guess my point is that we tend to compensate quite well and often without even being aware of it. i was not aware i couldn't actually read street signs anymore (that i figured out where to turn based off of the length of the blurry word on the sign instead of the actual word!) until one night i had to make 3 u-turns to get somewhere i was familiar with. it's possible you may be compensating in a similar way while driving.

i truly hope you are able to get a safe resolution to your vision problems. another thought i had while writing this was of vision therapy. i think its also called vestibular therapy. i have double vision and was told if i ever wanted to wear contacts or have lasik that i would have to do vision therapy first to correct it. i'm unsure if they work with people who have nystagmus but it would be worth a call if they could help restore some of your vision.

[dc10]

thanks fr the replies,

as i use the laptop the majority of the day, would it be better for my vision/eye health if i turned the screen back light off?
as i would of thought the back light strains my eyes , if looked at for long periods? or is it better to leave the screen backlight on full?

i can read the screen okay with the backlight off, its just more dim

[EJC]

My partner (Emma) is currently suffering double vision issues (attributed to a Nystagmus issue) and finding it difficult to focus. It's reached a point now where she uses a blinker on one side of her glasses and I often tape up one lens or she uses an eye patch.

Completely unconnected, My father has Myasthenia Gravis, a rare nuerological condition which creates symptoms not dissimilar to ON or some MS symptoms. He suffers debillitating double vision which is corrected using pyridostigmine.

At Christmas last year, we met my family for lunch and my father gave Emma one of his tablets, 20 minutes later her vision was noticeably more stable.

We went and had a chat with Emma's Doc about this and after a flick through a few medical books he figured there was no harm in giving it shot, despite there being absolutely no history of it's use connected with MS, on the grounds the MS and MG were both "neurological related" and it's not beyond the realms of possibility their maybe some crossover.

Emma takes three tablets a day and it greatly helps her vision, it doesn't fix it, but it makes it far more manageable.

Each tablet takes 20-30 minutes to take effect and the effects last for around 3-4 hours.

[jimmylegs]

interestingly, the klenner protocol for ms is also a protocol for myasthenia gravis.
this nutritional protocol includes therapeutic doses of many vitamins and minerals, including thiamin, b12 and magnesium, all of which have links in research to nystagmus.

[EJC]

It is interesting isn't it.

We're lucky we have an open minded Doc that will consider our sometimes odd requests.

You always need a bit of help with these things, even if the help only extends as far as "It can't do any harm lets give it a shot".

[jimmylegs]

yes - i am also lucky to have an open minded doc
ha 'can't do any harm'.. that sounds borderline hippocratic doesn't it

[Billmeik]

I have some hopeful news.The last time I went to the optometrist I could read a whole line further down the eye chart than my previous visit. My vision had improved enough that I needed a complete new set of glasses.
New pathways not fixing old ones. Reorganization. Teach yourself to see again. I find on the colour tests that I was 1/20, I could get better at it by practicing.

[bananana]

Hi Billmeik,

I know from experience that its possible to relearn to do something and get back what you've lost. I've been having a lot of success with coordination exercises lately. What kind of eye exercises are you doing to reorganize your pathways and re-teach yourself to see?

Thanks,
-b

[DenverCO]

Get a prescription for Namenda. It is a drug for memory but it has proven to completely resolve pendular nystagmus caused by MS. Do your own research because your doctor may not know about it.