Visual Problems and MS

[guitarman]

Hi All,

I'm new to posting, but have been reading for a 6 months or so and found a lot of comfort (even if it doesn't normally last!) from these forums, so thank you everyone who contributes :)

My journey is like most peoples - MS fears which eventually go to ALS fears and then flip flops between the two. I'm rational enough (for now) to not be worried by ALS, but MS is the one I always go back to as my symptoms seem so close.

In particular it's the changes to my vision. I find I rally struggle with visual disturbances - floaters, light sensitivity and after images, like most people.... but the one no one ever mentions is when I look at a blank wall or any bright surfaces I see like strange shapes. Like its kind of blurry and just... disturbed. It's really hard to describe. Anyway I have been to the doctors (lots) had an mri - fine, blood tests - fine, opticians did full checks and tests - all fine. I've read lots of places that say vision problems is the first sign of MS - and I have constant thigh pain, creaky joints, twitches here there and everywhere... which I have learnt to just live with... But eyes are very hard to ignore!!! It's a constant reminder...

I accept I have anxiety, which started following a panic attack a few years ago, but it's SO hard to accept that this change in my vision is purely a mental thing... yet I am hyper aware of everything.

Would just love to hear if anyone else has had these visual problems. If yes, how long for and did they worsen?

Thanks for listening, and positive thoughts people - we're our own worst enemies most times! :)

[melfish]

Are the images you see against the white wall like swirling grey, transparent shadows?

[cattia]

I have this too and have had it for as long as I can remember. I've been through various phases of worrying about MS in the past but most of the time I feel like I would take an MS diagnosis over a brain tumour so I worry a lot less about it these days! I have a lot of visual issues, different things over the years, light sensitivity (can't tolerate LED lights in particular), after images, floaters, coloured flashes, flickers, etc etc. I have worried a lot about these but now at the age of 40 I have had them for so long that I guess they would have come to something by now!
I do know a couple of people with MS and the visual symptoms have been VERY obvious, like waking up being unable to see at all out of one eye. I think with anxiety, we become very over sensitised to things and we notice things that would go bellow the radar with most people. Once you have started to notice something or focus on it, it's very difficult indeed to stop.