Health problems, doctors wanted... advice needed...

Cuda1447

Lifer
Jul 26, 2002
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Normally this isn't something I would post online, it makes more sense to go straigh to my doctor. The problem is we've tried. We aren't getting anywhere and I don't really know what to do at this point. I'm hoping some people with insight into medicine could offer some guidance. I'll give a short, bullet point style summary.

- Wife is 28, started having blurry vision in her left eye around Christmas time.
- A few weeks went by and it didn't get any better. Finally we checked with opthamologist. Opto said eye looks perfect, gave her headache medicine.
- Vision still hadn't got better. So she wanted to go to primary care doctor. Primary refused to see her, said to go to ER. Instead we tried to go to emergency clinic. He also refused to see her, so we went to the ER.

They did a catscan and an MRI, thinking possibly that it was MS. Both tests came up completely clear, they sent her home with complex migraine medicines and told her to follow up with a neurologist.


Now it's important to note the symptoms here. In addition to the blurry vision and seeing spots in the vision, my wife has also complained of being confused or clumsy at times. She also seems much more tired than normal, but that could be attributed to stressed vision I suppose. All doctors were made aware of all of these symptoms.


Now a few weeks ago she finally got in with the neurologist. The Neuro recommended she go into hospital immediately, where she spent the next 3 nights. They did a spinal tap, and 3 additional MRI's on her eye, neck and spine. The stay was miserable for her, but we put up with it. She didn't get any actual care, other than those tests done. They did run some steroids through her though, thinking she might have opticneuritis.

The steroids were no help, so we simply waited for the test results from the spinal tap. Spoke with the neuro about a week ago and she said all the tests she ran on it were completely clear and that neurologically my wife is fine. She recommended we go back to an opthamologist.

Well she made an appointment with another one, but it's a month out. In the meantime the systems persist.

Just a little while ago she called me from work. She is very upset, feels tired as usual but she says her face feels weird. She doesn't want to be alone at work, doesn't feel safe.

I've called our neurologist hoping to speak with her, but wasn't able to get ahold of her yet. Waiting for a call back. In the mean time, I don't know what the hell to do. This doesn't seem like something an opthamologist can handle, so waiting a month to get back into one seems like an absolute waste of time. We've had two seperate ER visits and both times they were a waste. So going back to the ER seems silly, they aren't really equipped to handle this is doesn't seem. Our Neuro basically said she's fine and washed her hands of us.


What do I do? These symptoms seem immediately concerning, but all the doctors don't seem to have any concern. I have no idea what to do at this point, but I'm really worried about my wife and figured maybe we had someone here who has some insight/advice they could lend me.
 

dabuddha

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
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Shoot I dunno but maybe back to the ER would be your best bet if her face is feeling weird.
 

GlacierFreeze

Golden Member
May 23, 2005
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Just a little while ago she called me from work. She is very upset, feels tired as usual but she says her face feels weird. She doesn't want to be alone at work, doesn't feel safe.

That part kinda sounds like stress. I wrestled with that the past 2 months. Flared up bad early December. Was having chest pains and anxiety. Thought I was going to die for weeks. After a stress test showed something, nuclear stress test showed nothing, and Cardiac CT showed nothing, they said first one must have been a bad reading. Basically it was all stress and thinking about kept feeding into daily on-off high anxiety. Anti-anxiety has helped quite a bit.

Other things you mentioned, especially the blurred vision in one eye definitely need to be looked into further though. Hopefully it's nothing serious. I know how thinking about that has been. How is her cholesterol/triglycerides and health in general? High cholesterol leads to build up and some of that stuff could break loose and go to the brain for a stroke or reduce the blood flow to certain parts of the brain. Don't tell her that though. Don't want her stressing over something like that.

It's probably nothing serious (like in my case, luckily), but better safe than sorry and get it checked out.
 
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Cuda1447

Lifer
Jul 26, 2002
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Health in general has been good. We considered stress, but prior to any of this happening she hasn't been stressed at all. Obviously this has been stressful, but she's been trying to relax/chill as much as possible.
 

GlacierFreeze

Golden Member
May 23, 2005
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Health in general has been good. We considered stress, but prior to any of this happening she hasn't been stressed at all. Obviously this has been stressful, but she's been trying to relax/chill as much as possible.

Good to hear it's bee good in general. I've never really been stressed myself over the years but one doctor told me it flares up this time of year (Nov-Dec holidays) for a lot of people. He said it can be caused by something or flare up for no reason at all, which surprised me. I always thought stress was caused by specific reasons, like money/family problems or stressful work, etc. That was after he asked me about my job and I told him it wasn't really stressful at all and I didn't think I had any real reason to be stressed out. Something to think about.
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
14,559
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I think a neurologist is the way to go, based on your description. I know personally, it took a couple tries for me to find the right one, that could actually help me.
 

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
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Did the MRI or CT include the head, esp. with contrast?

Almost sounds like an impending CVA, or stroke, or maybe slow, leaking aneurysm.

I'd think not POTS, simply because tachycardia usually can be discerned by the person having that with symptoms described as fluttering in the chest, fullness in neck, etc.

You mentioned several docs giving meds for migraines, but didn't mention she was complaining of headaches....is she?

Weakness in any extremity? Slurred speech? Difficulty with understanding you speaking to her or her expressing herself?

And I'd almost suggest looking into going to another ER. You're not restricted to having to use the one closest to you. But without knowing where you're located makes that suggestion sort of difficult.
 

smackababy

Lifer
Oct 30, 2008
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Blurred vision, confusion, and strangeness in the face sound like symptoms of a mini stroke.

With how she feels today, I'd definitely go to the ER, just in case. Have them do a full MRI / CT.
 

Cuda1447

Lifer
Jul 26, 2002
11,757
0
71
Did the MRI or CT include the head, esp. with contrast?

Almost sounds like an impending CVA, or stroke, or maybe slow, leaking aneurysm.

I'd think not POTS, simply because tachycardia usually can be discerned by the person having that with symptoms described as fluttering in the chest, fullness in neck, etc.

You mentioned several docs giving meds for migraines, but didn't mention she was complaining of headaches....is she?

Weakness in any extremity? Slurred speech? Difficulty with understanding you speaking to her or her expressing herself?

And I'd almost suggest looking into going to another ER. You're not restricted to having to use the one closest to you. But without knowing where you're located makes that suggestion sort of difficult.


She doesn't have much in the way of headaches. Some small ones here and there, barely enough to warrant taking an advil for. I'd assume these are related to stress/aggravation more so than anything else. She does seem to do better with the lights off though. Aggravates her eye.


Speech seems fine, understanding seems fine. At the first ER we went to I think they thought it could be a stroke, so I'm sure they did tests for that.

We've actually been to two different ER's now. One close to us and one that the Neuro worked at. We are located in Tampa, Fl.

I'm not against going to an ER again, but it seems like they are only there to deal with emergencies and they won't be able to figure out whats wrong with my wife or treat it. They'll do similar tests as before then send her away again.
 

Cuda1447

Lifer
Jul 26, 2002
11,757
0
71
Blurred vision, confusion, and strangeness in the face sound like symptoms of a mini stroke.

With how she feels today, I'd definitely go to the ER, just in case. Have them do a full MRI / CT.

They did the MRI/CT before. Multiple MRI's in fact. The thing is these symptoms are continious for the most part, for almost 2 months now. The strangeness in the face is something new.... but I've been texting back and forth, she seems to be doing fine.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,729
31,094
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They did the MRI/CT before. Multiple MRI's in fact. The thing is these symptoms are continious for the most part, for almost 2 months now. The strangeness in the face is something new.... but I've been texting back and forth, she seems to be doing fine.

did she travel in the month+ prior to the symptoms? If so, where?
 

Majcric

Golden Member
May 3, 2011
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I don't want to scare you but this sounds like a brain tumor. Unfortunately, the only thing you can do is just get more tests done and go from there.
 
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Platypus

Lifer
Apr 26, 2001
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Sorry to hear, I have really intense migraines and some of my symptoms match hers, but never for as long as she's had these symptoms.

I went through the whole gamut of doctors myself, neurologists, PCP, ER (went many times to ER for severe migraines), opthamologists, etc. I get into the ER immediately every time I go because my migraine symptoms so closely resemble a stroke that I'm admitted immediately even when I tell them that's 'normal' for my migraines

Given the battery of tests performed already maybe you should look at any products she's using or food she's consuming that might be causing a reaction? You said the symptoms are continuous but is it worse some days than others for example?

I'm certainly not a doctor so take with grain of salt, but just trying to offer any kind of insight since it sounds like you're kind of hitting a brick wall here.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,739
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Blurred vision, confusion, and strangeness in the face sound like symptoms of a mini stroke.

With how she feels today, I'd definitely go to the ER, just in case. Have them do a full MRI / CT.

When I read her face felt funny, I thought stroke as well.
 

nickbits

Diamond Member
Mar 10, 2008
4,122
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I have a number of the symptoms you mentioned.

Did they do an overnight EEG while she was at the hospital. At lot of those things could be caused by seizures. Especially the seeing spots and odd feelings. I stopped having those problems when I started taking anti convulsants.

Also I have ms (probably) but my MRIs are "not good".
 
Mar 11, 2004
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At her age the chances of stroke are tiny unless she has a cardiac defect or afib. Still I'd take her to a different ER for evaluation.

Maybe, but aren't some birth control, especially combined with other factors like smoking, known to cause blood clotting problems even in fairly young women?
 

preCRT

Platinum Member
Apr 12, 2000
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Are the ERs at community or teaching hospitals? I'd try going to the latter.
 

thelanx

Diamond Member
Jul 3, 2000
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Was her vision 20/20 in the left eye when they tested it? Does she have pain in the eye? Is the blurry vision constant or comes and goes?