What does a sixth nerve palsy look like, and what causes it?
A sixth nerve abducens palsy makes the eye turn medially, giving the eye a “crossed appearance.” This esotropia is worse when attempting to look toward the side of the lesion.
Abducens palsy can be caused by vasculitic processes like hypertension and diabetes. It can also occur in the setting of high intracranial pressure. A subtle abducens palsy can often be seen in cases of pseudotumor cerebri.
I found out yesterday I have 6th nerve palsy.
I was told it should last 3 months then go away.
I hope this is so.
My husband has the same thing….we think due to a severe sinus infection?? Is there anything they can do?
I was finally diagnosed with this five years ago, after going to speacilists for rwo years. It is occuring as I type, one eye patched. Mine lasts anywhere from 4 weeks to 5 months and can be very painful. No reasons as to why, nothing to do about it either. Always searching as this is my 10th bout in 7 years. Good Luck.
I have just been diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy. I had 5 MRI’s and everything was okay. The opthomologist says it will go away in 7 months. I wonder how true this may be. It’s terribe. I have to depend on others to drive and take me to doctors. I just wonder how everyone feels about this problem. Good luck to you!
I was diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy in August. I first noticed double vision one day and it gradually got worse over the course of about 3 days until my left I wouldn’t move outward (which was how they diagnosed me). I had a ton of blood work done along with a cat scan, MRI, and a spinal tap and every test I had done came back negative. Within a week of first noticing my symptoms my eye went back to normal and I have no had a problem since.
I am so glad that my eye went back to normal but also nervous it could come back. Everything I have looked about about this disease has said it is a long term thing while my problem was only a week.
Very strange
I had the 6th nerve palsy and diplopia for 2 days . It then went away and never came back, I had CT scan done and going for advanced CT scan. I am not sure what the reason is but need to investigate and make sure all options are looked at .I was doing heavy squats in gym after 2-3 days I founc this issue.
I was diagnosed with sixth nerve palsy 17 months ago. I am a 42 year old female. Other than a B vitamin deficiency and a D vitamin deficiency, all tests are negative, i.e. MRI, labs, lumbar puncture, nerve testing. My second MRI at a nearby specialty hospital is tomorrow. In a sad way, I hope this test will reveal ‘something’. And…hopefully, that ‘something’ can be fixed.
Hi…my story is a little strange. My daughter is 8 years old and has been having some strange and intermittant symptoms…the first symptom was the significant inward turn of her right eye, resulting in double vision. This has been occuring for 2 months now…sometimes her eye looks ok, but most times it appears very crossed. She too, is wearing a patch to help with the double vision. She is also having intermittant tingling, numbness, pins and needle feelings (depends on how she describes it) in her hands and a few times her legs…again, this is intermittant. Our pediatric ophthamalogist strongly believes that this is NOT a 6th nerve palsy as a 6th nerve palsy does not fluctuate as frequently as my daughters eye does. The neurologist thinks that it could be a 6th nerve palsy though…anyway, they are working hard to figure this out. Myesthenia Gravis has been mentioned also…but who knows…any suggestions??? Comments??? She has had alot of bloodwork too…Lyme as been ruled out twice, the MRI results were negative for anything, etc. Just looking for an answer now! She is also quite irritable and almost irrational at times…sorry for ranting…just trying to put this puzzle together!
My situation is a bit different from previous posts. My problems started at the same time I was getting used to new contacts, was under a great deal of job stress, a relocation to a new building where the lighting from day 1 was almost unbearable. At the beginning of Nov. 2010 when I was working (9-10 hr days on computuer) my eyes would get so strained that by 1 in the pm I could hardly focus on anything. I’ve also had high blood pressure for 10 years that is often hard to control. I wound up having to quit my job before Thanksgiving and realized a week or so later that the double vision in my left peripherial was not going away. After several doctor visits the diagnosis was VI nerve palsy. I have read everything I could on it. I feel like I’m becoming inept at even simple things around the house because it causes so much diorientation at times. My family doctor feels like the BP is the contributing factor since blood work showed nothing wrong. I have been able to maintain a balance for 2 weeks now and am hoping and praying that this will resolve soon. Other than info on the internet I know of no one that has ever had this or knows anyone else that has had it. Any input would certainly be appreciated. I have had no other symtoms of any kind other that BP issues. I don’t know if any response comes from this site but I thought it was worth a try. Thanks for “listening”!
My situation is a bit different from previous posts. My problems started at the same time I was getting used to new contacts, was under a great deal of job stress, a relocation to a new building where the lighting from day 1 was almost unbearable. At the beginning of Nov. 2010 when I was working (9-10 hr days on computuer) my eyes would get so strained that by 1 in the pm I could hardly focus on anything. I’ve also had high blood pressure for 10 years that is often hard to control. I wound up having to quit my job before Thanksgiving and realized a week or so later that the double vision in my left peripherial was not going away. After several doctor visits the diagnosis was VI nerve palsy. I have read everything I could on it. I feel like I’m becoming inept at even simple things around the house because it causes so much disorientation at times. My family doctor feels like the BP is the contributing factor since blood work showed nothing wrong. I have been able to maintain a balance for 2 weeks now and am hoping and praying that this will resolve soon. Other than info on the internet I know of no one that has ever had this or knows anyone else that has had it. Any input would certainly be appreciated. I have had no other symtoms of any kind other that BP issues. I don’t know if any response comes from this site but I thought it was worth a try. Thanks for “listening”!
I’m 41year old male…had all the tests…MRI…mar…MTV…ct..lumbar puncture six years ago…they said it is sixth nerve palsy…real simple my left eye will not go to the left…it just came back a month ago…i would suggest to relax wear the patch for driving and daily activities…it will go away…the pressure can sometimes be annoying for sure…pain meeds don’t work…I think it has to do with stress…blood pressure…and it will go away…my last episode lasted 2 months…it is strange that it happens when I am working out and doing well…strain on my left eye triggers it…long hours of work make it hurt but I continue to make light of the situation…at least we cab still see…enjoy the patch…I think I’m going to create some different colors…just kiddin hang in there people…thanks Ray ray
By the way Mick jagger threw a drumstick and hit me in that eye Saturday nov 9th 2002 when I was on the 5row at candlestick park…never had any issues until right after that
Hi, one fine morning my left eye developed VIth Nerve Palsy. Now it is more than 2 weeks. I am too much disturbed on the advise of doctor to wait and watch policy. Dr. told me that this problem will go away on its own in due course of time. Can anyone suggest me if he/she has retain back his vision by wait n watch advise?? I have shown this problem to 3 eye-specialists and all said the same. Is it curable? if the palsy doesn’t go away own its own??
felt a slight pulling in my right eye a few months ago, being an optician i confirmed the pupillary distance in my glasses was correct. Started having double vision in my right eye, originally it was diagnosed as 4th nerve palsy later to be 6th nerve. tried a press on prism on lens and getting no relief. mri was negative, now even with prism having difficulty holding primary gaze (almost always double) we are ruling out lyme or another viral brain infection next up lp for ms. all ive read is wait and see if not better in 6 months possible surgery
One morning in March, I experienced cloudy vision that turned into double vision. After testing that included CT scans, MRI’s, etc., I was diagnosed with 3rd nerve palsy (possibly related to high blood pressure). This diagnosis was later changed to 6th nerve palsy. Problems included constant double vision and disorientation. Unable to drive and unsure of walking during that time. After seeing an opthamologist/neurologist – I began an eye exercise routine that helped. After two months, my vision returned to normal. Blood pressure medication was increased during the illness. No problems currently but fear recurring epidsodes.
I am 61 and three and a half years ago I had nasopharyngeal cancer. Managed to shake it off but had chemotherapy and 33 sessions of radiotherapy. I have a dry mouth and a small loss of hearing on the left side. Last November I developed 2 more tumours in my neck and had a selective bi-lateral neck dissection. Got the all clear. About 4 weeks ago my sight went a bit odd and within three days I had quite severe double vision. I had MRI and there was nothing to be concerned about but the eye persists. I am wearing a patch but I have not tried to drive (not sure if I’m allowed. I’ve tried prisms but they don’t work well for me. I’m hoping time will heal but not confident. I retire in one week’s time so this will have a severe effect on my lifestyle as I am otherwise fit and healthy.
Sorry to see that there are more new postings regarding sixth nerve palsy! I haven’t posted since October of 2010 and have had one episode since, lasting 13 weeks. As always, did nothing but throw on the patch and get on with life. I now actually keep an adhesive patch in my purse, as you never know when or where the next episode will strike. I continually try to reseach this issue, as I believe it to be an “umbrella diagnosis” for a condition that there is little known about. Though none of my opthomologists, neuroopthomologists, neurosugeons, neurologists or others I have been to over the last 8 years had mentioned it… the 6th nerve is considered a “cranial nerve” running from the face through the brain and down through the brain stem. It is the only nerve in the brain that travels that path and that far. Therefore, common sense tell me that there could be intermittent swelling, pressure, “who knows what”, anywhere along that nerve pathway that is causing our episodes. Thereby, we cannot predict them, nor can we predict how long they will last or know what to do to eliviate them. I turn 58 this month and refuse to give into them. Should anyone ever find any pain meds that help, that would be fabulous info. That’s the part that gets tough. Prayers to all who deal with this in their lives, but we still have our sight and hopefully those who support us.
Hi, everyone. I developed a sixth nerve palsy over three days following weeks of intense pain like a knitting needle from the back of the eye to the temple. I was told that nothing was unusual on my scans but after having constant headaches and lack of balance and the occasional seizure it turned out it is due to a cyst in the arachnoid layer of my meninges and pressing on my brainstem.
You are quite right Cher, that a sixth nerve palsy simply means paralysis of the sixth cranial nerve which runs from the eye, over the top of the head across the other side and down the back of the head to meet the brain stem and then the spine. It does not point to any cause in particular. It is a symptom rather than a diagnosis – someone who has had a stroke or has multiple sclerosis will often suffer a VIth nerve palsy as part of their symptoms. People with migraine disorders get them temporarily – a few hours to three days.
I am now part of an organisation called Arachnoid Cyst Awareness which tries to get neurologists to take arachnoid cysts seriously. I am sure none of you have this but so many neurologists say they are harmless whilst more and more neurosurgeons are now realising they cause a lot of symptoms including 6th nerve palsy. I strongly encourage anyone who has suffered a VIth nerve palsy and also suffers from headaches, dizziness, deafness, loss of balance or seizures to ask for the results of their scan or for a MRI. If you have a few of these symptoms it is likely that you have a cyst on your posteria fossa (medical term for back of head!) which is pressing on your cranial nerves. The neurologist may well not have thought it worth mentioning. If you don’t have any of these symptoms ignore me – you are certainly fine!
Is it possible to get the eye exercises that Barb mentioned in her July 9, 2011 at 11:44 a.m. letter? Thank you so much!!!!
I suffer from this as well. I noticed that when I stopped drinking beverages with caffeine, I have had less frequent episodes. It still happens with bad colds, but it rarely comes up out of the blue like it did when I used to drink a lot of coffee.
i have six nerve pulsey for 6 weeks now i feel lucky reading some of these stories . i also feel stress is some of the problem have to walk 10km per day to go to work ( good for weight lose .would really like to get the eye excersise the one person commented .
Notice double vision 2 years ago and got better. In March of this year, it came back bad, but sometimes was better. When i look to the left it is worst. Sometimes its good ,, sometimes it bad driving in car. Doctors working on me.
Hello Everyone,
Hi, I am a 28 year old woman and had double vision/6th nerve palsy about a year ago which lasted around 3 months. My experience was very strange. I think it has to do with SUGAR! well at least in my case this is MY theory :), I had a sugar overload on a wednesday and that night I couldn’t sleep from my heart pounding so fast, the next day I woke with what I thought was a sinus infection which slowly moved to the right of my head to my right eye, that sunday I woke with double vision and you all know the rest, MRI’s, blood work, etc etc. The worst part is that I had laser eye surgery 2 months before this happened so obviously I thought it was that! but it wasn’t, all doctors confirmed it had nothing to do with that. At first I only wore the patch on the affected eye so I could function, then after 2 months or so, my dr recommended changing the patch to the good eye to force the affected eye to work, then I didn’t use the patch at all in any of the eyes to force both eyes to work together, and I think this sped up the recovery. I also wish I never encounter this again,
Wish you all the best
Norma
I have been dealing with 6th nerve palsy for the last 30 years. It can occur at any time and can last from 1 week to 7 months. I have had all of the tests with nothing indicated. I believe it is caused by sinus infections, but nothing has been consistently identified. When I feel it “coming on” I try to reduce nasal swelling thru over the counter medications. Seems to help if caught early enough.
I am a 57 yr old healthy woman and was diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy last week, but I was lucky, mine only lasted 4 days. I was at the tail end of a mild cold/sore throat and I noticed a little discomfort in the muscles behind my eyes (similar to the sensation you get when crossing your eyes) and slightly blurred vision. The next morning I woke up with complete double vision, although I didn’t realize it until I started to drive to work, because it wasn’t apparent at close distances, like in the house. But outside, it seemed like every person was being followed by their twin, about 6 ft behind them – very weird. Driving was impossible unless I closed one eye. There was no more pain.
A doctor friend suggested I take Cipro (antibiotic) right away, in case it was sinus related. I also took vitamin B12, stopped caffeine, and did some eye exercises – following my finger from my nose to further away and also as far to the sides as I could without moving my head. Also, I didn’t use a patch except to drive. I have no idea if these things had anything to do with it, but 4 days later my vision returned to normal! I was very thankful because this is a very distressing condition, and my sympathies to those who are dealing with it long term.
I also saw an opthamologist during that time who referred me for an MRI. Even though it got better, he feels I should still have it, on the slight chance that a brain tumor could be causing it. So I will do that in a few days.
Good luck to all who are dealing with this!
I had bilateral cataract surgeries about a year ago, and within a couple of months noticed I had this blurriness. At first I thought it was stress induced because I noticed it on certain shots playing tennis. I had all kinds of tests, and finally got to a specialist, who told me what it was almost immediately. He told me it is permanent and that unless it drives me crazy learn to live with it, which I am trying to do but it seems like it may be getting worse. has anyone else noticed a progression?
Update to my Sept 6 post above – had the MRI and thankfully no brain tumor found. So clearly the most obvious explanation is that my palsy was related to the upper respiratory viral infection I had – which I wouldn’t have expected as it was a mild URI – but I guess in some way it effected the nerve (luckily only for 4 days).
Read through all these post looking for Shingles as the trigger cause. I went down with Shingles 6 to 7 weeks ago and started diplopia within 3 days. High quality NHS attention arrested the worst affects of the shingles but Diplopia was the causal agent for 6th cranial nerve palsy as determined by my Opthalmologist following a MRI scan which showed nothing untoward.
I now have single vision upto about 6 feet, but after that it is still hopeless. Insomnia is an added complication. I’m told that it will ‘get better’ within 6 months and i can’t wait.
I experienced 6th nerve palsy about 10 years ago. It lasted about 4 months and I was unable to drive for most of that time. I wore an eye patch in the beginning, and my dr, a neuro-opth, placed a prism in my glasses that helped correct the vision. He sent me for an MRI and diagnosed me with MS as I also had a lesion in my brain. I was placed on meds and had been on them for 10 years until I recently decided to stop taking them. I never got double vision again, my MRI’s are clear, and I have no other symptoms, so I question the initial diagnosis. To all of you suffering with 6th nerve palsy…my thoughts and prayers go out to you….it is very difficult indeed.
I do have it for the first time, every day I hope it will be gone when I wake up – but can anyone tell me, please, does it go away suddenly or gradually?
I’m going into 10 months with left VI nerve palsy. I, too, have had a clear MRI and blood work. To date, I really haven’t seen any improvement. I just hope every day that I will wake up and it will be resolved. I would also like to know if those that have seen improvement saw it gradually or suddenly. Any input or encouragment would also be much appreciated.
To Charlotte and LN,
Following my post on August 29th. The truth is that until both eyes are 100% completely working together you will still see double… so only the doctor can tell you if there is any improvement in the movement of your “bad” eye. In my case I remember my husband telling me that it looked like my eye was improving/moving more and I didn’t believe him since I still saw double, until the doctor gave me the news that my eye was 50% better. After this the improvement seemed to move fast since the doctor ask me to gradually start changing the eye patch to the good eye, forcing the bad eye to work, and then after a week to take off the patch completely and make both eyes work together. This seemed to work for me, in a couple of weeks I saw 1 image during the day but as the day went by and my eyes were tired the image split again at night when I watched TV and such… and then i don’t remember when but I was finally 100% recovered.
Patience is something I learned through this.
Norma
I woke up with severe double vision 8 years ago, when I was 44. I lead a very healthy lifestyle, but had had several bad colds during the preceding weeks. Medical lit says 6th Nerve Palsy can follow a cold/flu. Had the gamut of tests, ruling out everything bad. Severe double vision lasted 10 weeks, then gradually improved over 8 months. I only wore a patch when driving. Have never had a recurrence.
My advice: make sure you ALWAYS have catastrophic health insurance.
On August 3,2011 I experienced a strange feeling after being bitten by a spider. By the next day, I had Sixth Nerve Palsy. This is my third occurrence. It seems to last about five months at a time. My first occurrence was in 2004, then in 2009 and now. I think this occurs to teach us patience. Had several tests, all negative, so they are attributing it to HBP and diabetes, which I was not diagnosed with the first two times I had the palsy. An interesting thing is I just recently started drinking coffee and I’ve seen some posts here that mention coffee. That’s enough to make me stay away from coffee.
iam 34 yrs old women, had severe headache 1 month back associated with dizziness,blurred vision and double vision progressively.I have gone through all sought of blood tests/MRI/MRA/CT/LP but still my neurologist couldn’t find out what the real reason,my double vision still persisting compromising my work and other activities .very upset at present,any one could help
Hi! I’m 33 y/o & a very healthy woman. I worked the day before this happened & remembered i had a headache almost the whole day. Woke up the next day with double vision & slight numbness of my left hand. Mri, mra, ct scan & labs were normal except for slightly elevated esr. That’s why the doctors were saying that it was viral. It’s been a month already but it’s still the same. Doctors couldn’t give me an answer as to when it will heal or is it still gonna go back to normal. I’m getting anxious waiting for it to get better. Every morning, when i open my eyes, i always wish i will see normal again. I wonder if somebody who had this, will give us advise & share their experience. It’s hard to seek information on the web since there’s not much facts about abducens nerve palsy. Thanks in advance!
I’m a 51-year-old male. I was diagnosed with sixth nerve palsy in 2010. In 2007, I was diagnosed with dry eye, then suffered a bout of ocular rosacea. Around that time I purchased my first set of bifocals. I couldn’t get used to them, so I resorted to an old pair of eyeglasses with an old prescription. I work nights, and around 2008, I started noticing I’d get double vision late at night. It would be OK in the morning, but would reoccur in the afternoon, then go away for a while after dinner. I attributed it to age and the old prescription. Then after those glasses broke, I got a new pair and was shocked to find I had double vision as soon as I put them on. My diagnosis followed a few weeks later. I had an MRI and blood work done – everythng came back negative – thank God. I got glasses with prisms about a year ago. They worked fine at first, but then the double vision returned. I’m encouraged by your stories that your double vision vanished after a while. I’m hopeful this will happen for me and that my diagnosis came in time for this palsy to be somehow reversed. I can’t imagine life with an eyepatch.
I am a 52 yo female, diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy in late June 2011. I was hospitalized and had every neurological test in the book-some tests twice. Thankfully, all came back negative, including my bloodwork. I was given a patch and sent home, with a follow-up appointment one month later. After one month, I thought my vision was improving, and my husband thought my eye was tracking a bit better. However, my eye doctor informed me that the reason I thought my vision was improving was due to my brain accommodating the impaired vision in my left eye. I am still confused about that statement. After 2 months, my far away vision and my close-up vision were both normal, but my middle field was still seeing double. At the 10 week mark, my vision returned to normal. My eye doctor thinks the palsy and the diplopia was caused by a virus. I am now driving without a patch, my headaches are gone, and my vision has returned to normal. I am very thankful.
I am a 51 year old female diagnosed with VI nerve palsy yesterday. I have been suffering with a headache since 10-9 that my doctor attributes to severe allergies. I am very depressed about my severe downward turn in my health. I have experienced relatively good health my whole life – no high blood pressure or cholesterol, not diabetic, heathly weigh, etc. The opthomologist has ordered a prism for my glasses to try to aleveate the double vision. Please tell me this headache subsides. I can’t take the constant headache pain!
I just want to see one moon again. I feel like Luke Skywalker on Tatooine!
hi, my husband is having double vision since 3 weeks with a severe headache, seen ophthalmologist,neurologist, orthopedic and done, CT, MRI, Angiography of neck and brain, but all normal. He is not having cholesterol, BP etc. When everything is normal, why is he having severe headache is a question of great concern for us.I understand that for double vision we have to wait..but can anyone help me by telling about the severe headache and neck pain he is facing.We also did the x-ray for neck, found that spondilitis might be there..can anyone help..thanks
I was driving to work Sept 26 when my vision seemed to go all blurry all of a sudden. After 2 weeks, 2 doctors visits, a trip to the ER and then a referral to an opthalmologist I was diagnosed with 6th cranial nerve palsy. I have had every blood test you can imagine, MRI, CT, etc. The only thing they found that was off was a positive test for TPO AB antibodies. All doctors have said they don’t think this has anything to do with the palsy. Yesterday I noticed I don’t have to turn my head as far to see clearly in front of me so I think it may be improving. It came on suddenly but I can’t get any information on whether it comes back suddenly too or gradually. I have been out of work on medical leave since Sept. 26 since I teach middle school English and being able to see it kind of crucial. Originally the doctor put me out of work until next week but I don’t know what to do if it’s not cleared up. Can anyone describe how the recovery is? Is it gradual or sudden like the onset. I am hoping that it will get better pretty quickly since this is the first sign of improvement I have had.
nice to hear from some kindred spirits…sorry for your anguish. I have 6th nerve palsy but it’s the result of brain tumor extraction from brain stem area. Equilibrium problems, like some others mentioned, but no headaches yet. It’s been 2 months since surgery. can’t drive or do much of anything; ordered a prism but didn’t get it yet. it’s the strongest prism made…tried a test model at the opthamologists office but didn’t really work that good but what the h… good luck
6 years ago I had a bout of 6th nerve palsey. It was pretty scary at first. Did the MRI thing..all ok…was scheduled for numerous Jules Stein Eye Clinic appointments..which I finally stopped because they were doing NOTHING but billing my insurance. I came to the conclusion that 6th nerve palsey is caused by a virus. That’s why it comes and goes (like a cold sore) and they can’t do anything about it. I discussed this theory with my opthamologist and he agreed with me. That time it lasted almost a year. I have a sense it’s coming on again and hope it will be a shorter stay this time. Originally I solved the double vision by buying very clear (light) sunglasses and putting frosted tape over the lens for the eye that was affected. This stopped the double vision but allowed me to have some peripheral vision on that side (better than a patch) and I was able to go about my business just fine.
My experience was very scary as the docs would not say whether i was likely to make a recovery. i am diabetic and the palsy was blamed on that at first, but my partner suffered a very similar viral illness(laberynthitis?}at the same time before it left her with tinitus and me with a sixth nerve palsy (not proved officially}.They seemed very worried at the hospital.Please try not to worry, mine recovered very very slowly (four months}, so slowly that its hard to judge any improvement day by day. I made the mistake of reading the internet and diagnosing myself with the worst possible things. Don t do it you will only get in a panic, sixth nerve palsy usually recovers in time. hold that thought!
hi, as mentioned earlier my husband is having sixth nerve palsy since 5 weeks now, i understand that recovery will take time, but my problem is that he also suffers from severe headache behind the left ear which goes to left portion of shoulder, I would really appreciate if anybody could guide me as to whether sixth nerve palsy is accompanied with this great pain or is it something else..i am really tensed.
hi, I am having sixth nerve palsy(left eye) since 5 weeks now, i understand that recovery will take time, but my problem is that I am also suffering from severe headache behind the left ear which goes to left portion of shoulder, I would really appreciate if anybody could guide me as to whether sixth nerve palsy is accompanied with this great pain or is it something else..i am really tensed.
Update-I am on my way to full recovery after 8 weeks! The recovery seems to be slow at first, like I had slight improvement that stayed at the same spot for about a week then every couple of days it seems to get better and better. Headaches are the worst at this time though. They came on right before it started to get better so I am thinking that may be a sign of improvement. I do have to say that after reading a couple of posts about vitamin definciencies on here I started taking a B12 supplement accompanied by fish oil and a multivitamin and that’s when I started noticing the recovery speeding up. This could be just a coincidence but I am going to continue to take it since those things do help nerve and cell development/health. Can’t hurt. I am concerned that people say it comes and goes though since my opthalmologist told me that once it clears up you never have it again if it’s the viral kind. Anyone else hear this or experience this?
Today is day one of the 7th week of my sixth nerve palsy. Six weeks have passed without any improvement. I am a 72 year old retired male with very mild diabetes and very mild high blood pressure. I have been through all the MRI, CT, Ultrasound, Blood Tests, etc. All have been normal. I was bitten by a Brown Recluse Spider, and 12 hours later I awoke at 3:00 am with double vision, ringing of the ears, headache, etc. Neurologist and Opthomologist both say the Sixth Nerve Palsy and the spider bite are a coincidence and are not related. They think the palsy is caused by diabetes and blood pressure. Since the symptoms appeared 12 hours after the bite, I do not think the palsy is a coincidence. Regardless, the palsy is a real problem as I cannot drive or do much of anything except wait for what hopefully will be a recovery. One Dr. says six to eight weeks and the other says three months. Had mild headaches in the beginning, but none for the past few weeks. Wearing a patch 24/7 and can only wear it on the right eye, the problem one. Wearing it on the good eye and looking out the bad eye makes me very dizzy with vertigo. Everyone seems to react different to the palsy. Has anyone heard of sixth palsy being caused by a spider bite? Can’t wait to get on with my life.
Vinnie, no I have not heard of a spider bite causing this. However, after hours and hours of research that I did looking for answers for mine I did find information that stated that diabetes and high blood pressure can both be factors. I am assuming you are treating both of those conditions? What many articles did say is that when the cause is known and treated then the 6th nerve palsy will start to go away. I was told the same timeline at first, 6-8 weeks, then the second doctor told me most people recover within 3 months. Mine took 8 weeks.
can somebody pl. tell me if sixth nerve palsy is also accompanied with severe headache??
Just an update…I am now at a year with the VI nerve with no improvement. With no insurance and income down to one it’s hard to know what else to do, especially since blood work and mri revealed nothing other than showing that the nerve was causing the eye to turn medially (which isn’t hard to figure out). I have researched everything I can possible find to get answers and to this day other than what I’ve seen on the internet I know of no one with VI nerve or knows anyone else who has had it. I think it’s been one of the loneliest things that has ever happened to me. I do have a patch but haven’t found much benefit except to see one image. If anyone has anything encouraging as far as updates I would certainly love to hear it. Best wishes to those of you still dealing with it!
Charlotte, really sorry to learn about you, but don’t you have an option of some surgery, just consult your doc. pl. do u also feel pain in your head or anywhere else in your body??All best wishes to you.
emilys, yes I have both the diabetes and BP well under control. Both are very, very mild cases, but could possibly be the cause of my sixth nerve palsy instead of the spider bite. When you recovered, did you notice a slow improvement over time or did you just wake up one morning and it was gone? I still have no improvement and today is day one of 8th week.
neha, I only had very mild headaches during the first few days. No severe headaches at all, but everyone is different.
Neha, no there isn’t any pain, eye fatigue because the eyes tend to get so tired by mid day, especially if I am away from home. Surgery has not been mentioned but we also lost my income a year ago when I was unable to continue working and we have no insurance either. A problem that many people are dealing with right now. Thanks for your concern. It’s been about the loneliest feeling with anything I have ever had. My only health issue is blood pressure, which I work very hard at keeping in check.
Charlotte, thanks for update, I sincerely wish for your good health, my husband is also having sixth nerve palsy, its the 7th week now ,no improvement, rather there is severe headache also, may be we will have to go for lumbar puncture test.
Which place r u in?
Vinnie, thanks for update, my husband is running in 7th week of sixth nerve palsy, he is 40 years old, have no BP, glucose etc., no improvement, but these days having severe headache, slight feverish also, i am really worried if it is something else ??
Neha, right now I just feel like I’m in a holding pattern. The opthomologist I went to isn’t someone I would want to see again. Resources are very limited right now. After Thanksgiving I may contact my family doctor and see what he feels would be the best next step. He knows us well and our circumstances and has spoken to an opthomologist friend of his about me. I haven’t found anyone online that has had it more than 7 to 8 months (nor would I wish this on anyone…period!) I did have problems with headaches at the very beginning but rarely have them now. My heart goes out to the ones dealing with this. I trust your husband will have answers soon.
Thanks Charlotte, anyways my husband is getting admitted in Royal Hospital Muscat for further investigations like blood tests, MRI and Lumbar Puncture tests, I am really worried..God Bless All whoever is suffering.
New diagnosis…..Okay, so I went to the opthalmologist to get released to go back to work since my vision has returned. He now says that instead of my cranial nerve palsy being caused by a virus, I have opthalmoplegic migraine. This means I could be dealing with flare ups off and on forever. Great….just what I wanted to hear. He told me it’s extremely rare. When I looked that up online it’s not real clear what to do about it.
Vinnie, in response to your question about how long it took, it started improving one day where I could suddenly see straight ahead with one image but the image was shaky. I still couldn’t look to the right (the affected eye). Then every couple of days the range of clear vision was wider and wider until after a week I woke up and it was gone and I could look all the way to the right and see one image again. I can’t even describe the immense relief. Now, however I freak out if I even start to get a headache.
EmilyS, sorry to hear about your new diagnosis, but nice that you are over it for the time, anyway. Thanks for the info about your recovery. Today is the end of my 8th week with no improvement yet. I’m beginning to think that once you have this that there is always a chance for recurrence. Not a positive thought, but from other peoples experiences, it certainly looks that way.
I’m a 24 year old mom to be I was diagnosed with 6 th cerebral nerve palsy. It has been a couple days now and there has been no improvement thus far . My Dr says this conditions goes away gradually over the course of a couple weeks . I’m healthy and have all possible test done mri, etc and everything is normal
Just had a six-month checkup with my opthamologist, and he told me that my condition had stablized and to come back in a year. Another YEAR of double vision? I was flabbergasted.
When he asked me if I had any questions, I said,”Yes! What’s the next step? Can we try botulin injections?” He said the botulin wears off in about 3-4 months. Then I asked whether I should wear an eyepatch or black out an eyeglass lens over the affected eye or my good eye so the affected eye might be strengthened. He said an eyepatch would do no good due to my prism lenses.
Of COURSE an eyepatch would help! My double vision disappears as soon as I close one eye, and the prisms don’t even come close to making my double vision go away!
He was no help at all. It’s as if he’s too proud to consider that I might need stronger prisms than the ones he prescribed, or maybe he doesn’t want to tell me that there’s nothing he can do. I’m ready to get a second opinion.
MG, sorry to hear about your recent Dr. visit. I am in my 9th week of 6th Nerve Palsy and double vision. The only way I can function is to wear an eye patch over the affected eye. I have also taken clear lens safety glasses and spray painted the lense over the effected eye with black paint, which totally blocks out any vision in that eye. I also did the same with sunglasses. This gives me 3 different options, depending on the circumstances. The glasses work better when I’m away from home, people don’t seem to stare at me like when I’m wearing the patch. I am seeing both an Opthomologist and a Neurologist. Neither have any answers. I’m on wait and see if it goes away. You might consider a second opinion from a Neurologist. Apparently, surgery is sometimes an option after exhausting everything else. A Neurologist could likely advise you about that.
MG, really sorry to hear your report. If you look at my prior posts you can see my situation. I’m at a year and even though I didn’t have the eye issues you faced I did have 2 months at the onset of this where my eye doctor couldn’t seem to get my contact rx correct and then I felt he finally was fed up dealing with me. Makes you feel a little funny when you’ve gone to someone for years and paid almost every time I went in to try to get the problem corrected and then be given the brush off. My experience with the optho. was purely clinical. I knew what the problem was going in but she ran her tests, took notes, and then said I could go to the front to make the necessary appointments. I had to leave my job a year ago and we don’t have insurance to help with expenses and I’ve just been trying to be patient hoping this would resolve itself. I would like someone to at least be willing to talk to me and provide a few answers but I’m leary of going through the process all over again and run the risk of the same outcome. The only thing physically that I’ve had that can contribute to this is HBP which I’m trying hard to keep under control. But I always have this in the back of my mind. It’s a very isolated feeling condition and, at least in my circle, no one has ever heard of it. I wish you and the others all the best. I feel that somedays it almost gets the better of me. How long in total have you had to deal with this so far? I haven’t done prisms but I have tried a patch but you have a total blind side. I generally do any shopping with a family member that stays on my bad side to keep from running into people. Atleast for me, we can’t afford to run from place to place in hopes of getting answers. Wishing you a soon recovery!
Info needed… anyone heard of 6th nerve palsy after a difficult dental procedure?
Sympathy to all affected by this!
Nancy, I noticed your post of August 3. Have you determined that your 6th nerve palsy was caused by the spider bite? I was bitten by a brown recluse spider and started having double vision 12 hours later. I’m now in my ninth week with no improvement. The doctors say it was caused by diabetes and high blood pressure, which I have very mild cases and both were well under control at the time. Both doctors that I’m seeing say the spider bite is a coincidence and did not cause the palsy, which I disagree. Has your vision improved?
Get this: When I asked my opthamologist what the severity of my sixth nerve palsy was on a scale of 1-10, he said, “1 or 2.”
If my case is mild, I’d hate to imagine what a 10 must be like.
My neurologist has had me take all the tests. No cancer, stroke, MS, myasthenia gravis, Grave’s disease, Lyme disease, diabetes, etc. She’s recommending that I go to see a specialist 60 miles away.
I’m trying to schedule an appointment, but I work nights and my wife works days, and I don’t trust myself to drive such a long distance alone.
MG, when I recently asked my Neurologist what the severity (scale of 1-10)of my sixth nerve palsy (now in 10th week) is compared to other cases that he has seen, he said there is no difference between patients, that all cases are the same. Talk about avoiding the question.
hello i have been battling melanoma since 06,had tumors in meckels cave and removal of 5th mandibule nerve and over 2000 stereo tactic radiations to my head. now apart from other stuff i have developed palsy of the 6th cranial nerve. it fair dinkum sucks and am really looking for something i can do. will it help if i bounce a ball against a wall and catch it when it comes back something anything really need ?
Hello to all of you with Sixth Nerve Palsy. I woke up on Monday morning 8 weeks ago with this horrid double vision. My opto doctor recommended all these test through my family doctor. Did it all. The nureologist said I have a blood vessel resting against the optic nerve and not enough blood flow throughto the muscle. Has anyone had this problem. Per the doctor, he has never seen anything in his career with this. He researched and found one case in Belgium in 2007. He wanted me to take Teritol to relax the artery (my option). I did not take this. I feel at times the double vision is getting better. I do drive and close my left (the bad eye) eye. I do hope this gets better. I cannot give up my life style after working so hard all these years, and refuse to get old….. and become reclusive. So I say to everyone to hold your head up and it can only get better.
From what I’ve found on the Internet, there’s only a 5-15 percent of recovery without surgery if the sixth nerve palsy lasts more than 6 months. But there’s a 75 percent success rate after eye surgery, botulin injections and prisms.
Has anyone had their sixth cranial nerve palsy treated with notice I just heard about this procedure and I wanted feed back before considering it
Botox** sorry auto correct
I’ve heard from my opthamologist that sight improvement is temporary, about 3-4 months. Then you need another injection.
Yikes so not a permanent change . I’mstillwondering how the procedure is performed because I’m not too fond of a needle to the eye that just sounds crazy
I think the botox is injected into one of the eye muscles, paralyzing it and steadying your eyesight.
I actually visited my Dr today and she explained the procedure just like what you said its a temporary fix . I’ve only had it about 4 weeks with a slight improvement at this point she wants me to wait it out a couple weeks so I’m hoping it goes away soon all my test are normal which is pretty weird
Well, it’s month 13 with no improvement. At this point I’m wondering where to go next. Thinking that I may contact my family doctor again and maybe another opthomologist may be able to help. It’s so discouraging and I certainly feel the frustration the rest of you are feeling. Maybe I will get a Christmas miracle! My best to all of you. If any of you get any further helpful suggestions of treatments I, for one, would sure love to hear from you! Thanks!
Charlotte, I feel the same frustration that you are having. I’m at week 12 with 6th nerve palsy and double vision, not nearly as long as you have had it going into month 13. My thoughts go out to you. Had an appointment last week with my Opthomologist and no improvement was noted by him. He did say that the 6th cranial nerve is the longest and it can be damaged anywhere along the path from the base of the brain to the affected eye. Recovery time depends on where the damage is, if it’s right behind the eye, recovery is only a few weeks, but if it is closer to the base of the brain, then recovery can take months. He also said that diabetes and/or high blood pressure are commonly found in people with 6th nerve, but you could easily just as well have it without either of these. Treatment is wait and watch for it to recover on it’s own or surgery after a minimum of one year. There basically is no other treatment. Eye exercise does no good, according to my optho. Think positive. Hopefully, you will have a Christmas miracle.
Thanks for your reply Vinnie. As much as I have searched online there just isn’t any other ideas out there for treatment. I don’t know, once I went over the year mark you start to wonder if you will be stuck this way for life. I haven’t read much that is exceptionally hopefully on the surgical front either. As I mentioned in previous posts, I do have HBP that I work hard at keeping under control. I haven’t been able to continually be seeing the doctor either. When you don’t have insurance and lose one income you have to make choices. I really trust yours will be gone soon as well! My best to you!
My palsy is in my left eye. How about everyone else? Left or right?
And can you get palsy in both?
Mine is also in the left eye. I don’t know if you can get it in both or not. ONE eye is more than I want now!
Mine is in my right eye
Mine is my right eye.
mine is my left eye,also,i think mine started in the meckels cave as that is where my melanoma is/was, and that is where your eye sight nerves start. kucky me huh. merry xmas guys and gals god bless us all matt
I have this, too. Mine resulted from intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri). I have too much CSF fluid causing too much pressure in my brain. After having too much pressure on my brain for such a long time, this has developed. Even after having a VP shunt implanted to reduce the pressure, the double vision hasn’t gone away.
As a child, I had a “wondering eye” that caused double vision, but I learned how to keep my eyes straight, but I can’t control this 6th nerve palsy. I hate how this has become part of my life now on top of everything else.
All those of you who had lumbar punctures – did they check for CSF pressure?? I didn’t know my ringing ears, constant unbearable headaches, and other symptoms were being caused by pressure in the brain… until I finally got to a neurologist who clued in and did a lumbar puncture to check for pressure (not just to test spinal fluid). If it wasn’t for that, I’d still be suffering. Well, I still am suffering, but it would have been worse.
these lumbar punctures do they hurt or what. i dont want to do stuff that hurts any more.
I had my first sixth nerve palsy dream last night. I dreamed that I cured myself by simply closing my affected eye and massaging it through my eyelid with my fingers. When I opened it, I could see objects across the room clearly and without double vision. I guess the mind can’t recreate a ghost image in a dream!
Happy New Year! Hope everyone overcomes this frustrating malady in 2012!
Here’s a pro soccer player who was diagnosed with sixth nerve palsy after a collision with a teammate.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3276/serie-a/2011/12/13/2800979/agent-reveals-ac-milans-gennaro-gattuso-could-return-to
My 8 month old son has recently been diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy. He’s had an MRI and everything was clear. He’s had it for around 6 weeks now and his eye does seem to be moving into the centre more in the last few days but it hasn’t moved passed the mid point. If the palsy recovers on it’s own does anyone know if the recovery is instant? Will the nerve start working and the eye then be able to move outwards or is it a gradual thing? Thanks Rachel
apparently it gets worse before it gets better my opthamolagist says.it certainly is a bugger hope it goes well for the little fella
Hi everybody. I’ve been reading your posts trying to find out what my problem is. So far I have been to several eye doctors and all I was dianosed with was glacoma.
My problem started in Sept.11.with just blurred vision when i first woke up in the morning. It seemed like it was just in my right eye. This continued for a couple of weeks and it was random not every morning. Soon it became a daily event and I made a appointment with my primary who referered me to a nerologist, who refered me to a opthamolagist and he found the glacoma and told me that I needed a iridectomy, for the glacoma to open up the as I would go blind. Had it done on Oct.29, 11. Glacoma cured but now I had a new symptom. Double vision in the morning and it did not seem to be in any specific eye.No eye crossing or anything, eyes looked nomal while it is happining. It only last for two minutes or so and only when I have been sleeping. Went to a glacoma specialist in Nov, could not find the problem so she sent me to a Retina specialist and she told me she could find nothing wrong and told me to see a nero opthamolagist. It has taken me a month to get an a appointment with him and it is to be for tomorrow the 17 of Jan. My problem was getting better from Thanksgiving with only occasional attacks. Yesterday they started in with a vengence. I had it in the morning both times. My question is that since I don’t have any eye movement, they stay straight when it happens could it be the six cranial thing that you all are experiencing or do you have to have the wandering eye with it too? It does not seem to be in any paticular eye when I cover them. It helps to cover one eye then it doesn’t happen or the other eye, only when I am looking out of both of my eyes does it happen so it seems to coming from my brain. I’m so freaked out about this. I know they will want mri’s etc and I’m scared they will find something terrible. Can anyone help and do you eyes have to wander with this? Thank you for reading this and and thank you for posting your problems and helping others as you do.
Hi all, just an update and hopefully some feedback from those of you who have had multiple mri’s for VI nerve palsy. I saw a neuro opthamologist on Friday and even though he was nice enough would not let me explain the series of events that led up to all this 14 months ago. I had the last mri the end of Aug. and took the actual disk. Instead of hearing me out he is now telling me that I need to have an mri on a 3T machine which is supposed to be twice what the standard of 1.5. The cost is around $4500 as opposed to the $475 paid in Aug. at one of the stand alone diagnostic centers called Innervision. Has anyone had another scan on one of these machines and they found something different that on a previous scan? There is absolutely no way we can even think about that kind of money and was told that if you pay cash you get a 10% discount which basically amount to the total I paid for the original one. We live in upstate SC and it seems that not only is this the only neuro opthamologist in town but also the hospital where it’s done is the only facility with this particular machine. I feel the frustration that is expressed and it’s really discouraging to get to middle age and feel like you don’t know which way to turn. Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated. This forum has just about been the only place I’ve found that has others dealing with the same issue. I’ve had 3 eye exams within a year’s period of time and to be honest, I didn’t have as much done at the top of the field doctor than my optomotrist provided. That’s a little disheartening to say the least, aside from the fact that his charges were 3 times the others. I look forward to hearing from some of you!
My husband woke up with an eye problem two weeks ago. He is experiencing double vision in one eye and went to an Opthamologist who diagnosed him with 6-nerve palsy. The doctor told him he had a 90% chance that it would heal itself within 3 months. He is wearing a patch and now has limited vision. I am doing all of the driving. My husband’s blood pressure is a little elevated. The doctor ordered blood work and after 3 months MRI and CT-Scan. The doctor also said if it does not heal itself he will have to wear glasses with a prisim thing on the lens of the right eye. So far he experienced a little pain and dull ache now his eye is watering more–hope its healing.
To Kara:
I have been in VI nerve palsy for 14 monthes that reults a a horizontal double vision ( my right eye) as it is diagnosed by doctors as well as CT scan and MRI were negative, I have the same feelings of ur daughter, intermittent tingling, numbness, pins and needle feelings in my hands and both foot especialy toes and sometimes feel a light pain back of my head behind my right eye. also sometimes I feel a repeated light instantenous increased pressur in my head comes from the same point behind my right eye for very short time like pulses. how about your daughter, I hope that she has been recovered.
I am 26 years old female. I developed double vision just after the new year. I am scheduled to meet with my PCP this week to discuss an MRI. I have no symptoms really. I have had 3-4 sinus and upper respiratory infections each year for the last 4 years in a row. I hope my 6th nerve palsy is related to my sinus issues; however, my father passed away on March 8th, 2011 from a long struggle with Multiple Sclerosis.While there is no proven hereditary link, I am still scared out of my mind. My father was only 55. I am so glad to hear that others have this issue that have not had a major diagnosis with it. MS is typically diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 30 so if you have a chance, please say a prayer for me! I hope to write a positive update after my MRI results, although I am not sure when the MRI will be yet.
zelda, i will say a prayer for you. stay positive,i know it is easy to say bit you must do it. i have stayed positive for 6yrs and am still here battling away. you an have some dark moments as i do but i try to have them by myself. matt
hi, my brother was dignosed six nerve palsy in November, after completer checkup after a month in December doctors suggested for MRI. Through MRI we knew that he had Brain Tumer problem. After his brain surgery its now almost month although he is recovering & his eyes movement started as well but double vision problem is still in the same area where he was first complained.
can any one give any suggestions for this.
thanks in advance.
Update-
I had a follow up appt with my Opthomologist yesterday. He says my sixth nerve palsy is recovering slowly and he sees considerable improvement since my vist of 4 weeks ago, when there had not been any improvement. This is encouraging, even if I’m still seeing double. I’m now in my 16th week. He scheduled me for next appt in 6 weeks, at which time he says I may be completely recovered. He suggests exercising the affected eye by using it as much as possible, including looking back and forth horizontially from left to right as far as you possibly can in each direction. He says the worst thing a patient can do with sixth nerve palsy is keeping it covered and expecting it to cure itself on it’s own. Keep the affected eye busy as possible, which he says instructs the brain to contribute to the healing process. This is what I have been doing for the past several weeks and it appears to be helping.
Vinnie, so happy to hear your good news! It was also helpful that you shared the suggestions from your opthamologist. I’ve had a patch but rarely use it. I’ve always thought that keeping the eye as active as possible couldn’t hurt. My biggest disappointment is that I’ve yet to find an optho. who actually will listen and talk to me. When you’ve dealt with something 14 months it would be nice to have a professional you’re paying to help you actual listen. I look forward to hearing of your full recovery, soon!
Was diagnosed with 6th cranial nerve palsy in 2009 and I can tell it’s worsening but do not have the resources to see my doctor. Tests were negative in the beginning but it’s a little unnerving now to not know why. Wish it would just quit.
Cathy- sure sorry to hear about your situation but I can truly sympathize. Mine has been going on 14 months and had to leave my job because of it and resources are very tight for us as well. Any specialist I’ve seen has recommended more tests but unfortunely it isn’t that simple. In all this time I still don’t know of anyone who has ever dealt with it or knows anyone else who has either. It’s a pretty lonely problem and kind of hard to explain to people. I’ve had to learn how to adapt as best I can with things I do at my church but I’m sure hoping to wake up with clarity one morning. This site is the only place I’ve found that people understand and can share what they are going through. I trust you will soon have a recovery along with the others that have been dealing with this. God bless!
hi, my brother was dignosed six nerve palsy in November, after checkup in December doctors suggested for MRI. Through MRI we knew that he had Brain Tumer problem. After his brain surgery its now almost month although he is recovering & his eyes movement started as well but double vision problem is still in the same area where he complained first.
can any one give any suggestions for this.
thanks in advance.
I’m a 56 year old male. Was in the midst of finishing up doctoral work (lots of computer work) when mine hit. Some blurry vision on Friday. Double vision on Saturday. Same diagnosis, 6th verse palsy. Doctor said it will clear up in 6-8 weeks. It is week 3 now. No improvement yet. Wearing the patch, trying to exercise the eye some. Wear sun glasses some, eye is sensitive to light. Waiting and praying. I don’t have any information to share that hasn’t already been shared. Like others, this is the best place I have found to share this journey. Hopefully, people will continue to share their experiences, whether they are difficult or encouraging.
Has anyone experienced 6th nerve palsy following a LASIK procedure? Never had 6th nerve palsy before and now cannot move left eye, having double-vision, 6th nerve palsy. Any comments please?
Hello
I woke up with double vision Aug 11, 2011 and had the immediate CT and MRI and thankfully no visible issues. The diagnosis was idiopathic 6th cranial nerve palsy – meaning they don’t know what the cause is. It is now 6 months later and it has improved enough to see single images to about 5 or 6 ft. I wear the plastic lens so I can drive and otherwise navigate, but as I work in photography this has been a real downer – as you all know. The prognosis keeps on getting longer – 8 weeks to 4 months to 6 months to a 10 months, etc. The neuro-opthomologist that I saw says that excercising the eye doesn’t help, nor does these OTC treatments. Has anyone been diagnosed with occular Myasthenia Gravis? I would like to know as I have not had a work up for this. Anyway – frustrating as you all know. Best advice thatI have is to stay positive!
Was just diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy. MRI was negative so just wondering from reading all these posts what people have done to make it easier for driving, reading and just trying to get through the day. I am using electrical tape to black out one lens on my reading glasses and sunglasses. Wearing a patch is a pain. Rather curious if any of the people who have been diagnosed have had there vision return even after a long time. Thinking of sewing some creative eye patches just to give people something to smile about when I am out in public.
bummer paula it really sux. am same i use electrical tape over my left lens and it takes a bit of getting used to but i manage fine. cept in the supa market when people come up my left side. have just started taking mextradethasone a steroid for my brain swell etc caused from over 2200 radiation treatments to my head from my melanoma. been doing it for 6yrs now so they say that is how i got my palsy. it aint no pleasure but at least i am still alive. my eye is a little better at the moment i think cause of the new steroids tabs i am on. let me know how ya do ok and ya creative eye patches, cheers matt
I have been jumping through hoops since since January 1, 2012. Laid down for a few hours after watching the tv New years Day and upon setting up noticed double vision. At 60 and with current barrage of commercials on television first thought was stroke.
Trip to the ER resulted in CAT scan, much blood work, UA, etc. There were no significant findings. I had a chronic intermittent headache but not bad which had started back in mid December 2011. Diagnosis was “Atypical Migraine with Diplopia” (fancy way of saying yep, you have a headache and double vision), handed a bottle of Percocet and told to see neurologist.
Neurologist was seen a few days later and stated it was 6th Nerve Palsy within 30 seconds of walking in exam room. He conducted a further exam, (moving finger in visual field and observing tracking of eyes), and commented it would clear up in three to six months. He was skeptical of migraine diagnosis but cut a prescription for Imitrix.
Within 20 minutes of taking 1st Imitrix the headache was gone. Amazing! Headaches seemed to recur frequently (almost daily) but Imitrix nipped them in bud within 20 minutes like clockwork.
Returned home as I was on vacation when this struck. Scheduled appt to see Primary Care doctor who drew blood for PCR for evaluation of Lymes and other infrequent diseases. She also placed me on Doxycycline 200 mG twice a day for 30 days with intructions to return within 30 days. She said she planned to keep me on the Doxycycline for about 6 – 8 weeks.
Within two weeks of being on the Doxycycline the headaches decreased in frequency and last Imitrix was taken this past Sunday (February 5, 2012).
Vision has not improved during this time period. Neurologist during vacation stated the nerve recovery was protracted due to the nerve healing at a rate of 1mm a day along it’s length. (Patience, which is very thin right now).
There is no feedback on the PCR bloodwork yet. If anything significant is found I will post it here later. Hopefully the info on the headaches and my solution may provide an option for others dealing with 6th Nerve Palsy and accompanying headaches.
I had 6th nerve palsy start nov.25 in my right eye by end of january it had gotten a lot better but three weeks ago I had the right eye go now I’ve got it in both eyes anyone ever hear of this ?
CAN’T SEE or think had the left eye go you talk about not knowing which way to turn. Doctor says I feel for you but only time will heal.Also says he has never even heard of any one doing this
Thanks to everyone who has posted. Good to know it is so common – great how you are all coping one way or the other – it’s true – we are alive and not blind. I woke up with it on Feb 13 and the UK NHS have been brilliant – tests galore, CT scan and blood test already and now waiting for consultant with a patch and my computer reset to be clearer for bad site – technology is wonderful. I would be interested in eye exercises and alternative treaments if anyone has any good ideas. Good luck to us all – I have a ‘see through’translucent patch – that’s how the light gets in as the man said – so I feel not too restricted and at least cars aren’t coming at me on the pavement. Not driving – ugh!!!
I first posted Jan. 28. Not sure if 6th Nerve Palsy is any better. Maybe I’m just getting “used to it.” At times I think it is a little better, then a day or two later think it is not. Any ideas on how to measure if it is getting better? I’m thinking it will start by items getting closer together. I tried measuring how far apart a spot on a door was 4 ft away. Two weeks ago it was 4 inches (my wife measured what I saw). A week later it was 3 inches. However, when I last measured I realized that if I turned my head just a fraction the spot would get closer or further apart depending on whether I was looking more through my “good eye” (my left), or my “bad eye” (my right).
Wish I had great news or insights. Just have hope.
Hello everyone,
I stumbled across this site while doing some research, and after reading many of your posts, I have to share my stories with you in hope that it will help. I have recovered from 6th Nerve Palsy twice. Once in 2003(right eye), once in 2006(left eye).
Many of you wonder what about the underlying causes. There are 2 main causes: inflammation or tumor/cyst. Inflammation being the most common cause. In my 1st bout, the palsy occurred 2 weeks after I gave birth. Labor was induced due to pregnancy induced hypertension and concern about potential toxemia. That was just one factor. I had inflammation in my jaw area due to a strained/sprained my jaw from a combination of 8 months of weekly vomiting from pregnancy, straining my jaw during child birth, a pre-existing TMJ sensitivity from night time/stress teeth clenching. It also didn’t help that I had a head cold.
I woke up one morning with right-sided head pain and dizziness, and within a few days, palsy set it. Like many of you, I went through every test imaginable including spinal tap. All ok. To make it worse, the pain became so unbearable, it made me vomit frequently, making the inflammation around my jaw even worse. My 1st palsy lasted 9 months. I went to a neurologist, an opthamologist, and a chiropractor who performed electrical stimulation therapy. Doctors had me on steroids, muscle relaxers, anti-seizure drugs, and antidepressants all in attempt to manage my chronic pain and inflammation. Most doctors don’t know how to treat this. I was their guinea pig, but I learned alot through it all and I’ll never let them throw drugs at the problem like that again. It only treats the symptom, not the cause. I was like you..I didn’t know anyone who had 6th nerve palsy and I knew nothing about it.
My 2nd bout with 6th nerve palsy occurred because of two factors: my son accidentally head-butted me in the face/jaw when he jumped up while I was leaning over him. I saw an oral surgeon who confirmed my jaw was sprained…again. While I had tenderness and pain, palsy didn’t set in until a month later after I started a new exercise routine where I worked out with weights, which strained my neck/shoulder area and in turn, made me tighten my jaw muscles during the workouts. Palsy lasted 7 months. This time I switched neurologists. So here’s what I learned about recovery and pain management throughout both experiences:
1. ONLY wear a patch when you have to! Your palsy will last longer if you patch your eye. I made that mistake the 1st time because my neurologist never told me this. The patch is a crutch. The eye will become dependent on it. Eye exercises make all the difference. I’ve been through therapy for it. 10 min/day..3 times per day: move eyes (best as you can) back and forth, up and down, then roll slowly in all directions. You’ll feel the strain. It’s ok. You’re forcing that muscle to move in a way it doesn’t want to. Do no more than 10 min at a time.
2. Prednisone is the best prescription to manage inflammation and pain. I’m not advising as a doctor. Just sharing my experience as a 2-time patient. No other anti-inflammatories necessary. I started at 40mg/day for the 1st month. Then slowly, my dosage was lowered until weaned off. Stay on the anti-inflammatory steroid til your eye is healed. My 1st neurologist would put me on a 2 week pack, then take med off for a month, then put me back on. You have to reduce the inflammation in order to heal!
3. If you have right or left sided facial pain, pain behind your ears, or pain in the back of your head(I had all 3 at same time, severely)…You need to sleep in a semi-upright position. Do hot/moist compresses for 20 minutes to relax the muscles that hurt, then immediately follow with ice packs for 15-20 minutes on same area to reduce nerve pain/inflammation. The combination of hot then cold is the key to resolving the pain/ache.
4. Don’t let them prescribe any other drugs if you believe you don’t need them. The first time, they had me so doped up I was physically and mentally dysfunctional, I barely had the ability to bathe myself at times.
5. If you work, invest in a 12-month short-term disability plan immediately because you will be prone to reoccurance and if you are like I was, you will be unable to work.
I hope this helps some of you. Thank you for sharing your stories. This is how we raise awareness and help one another.
I came back this morning to read more posts. I’d like to add a couple more comments to my post above, from last night. Some of you have asked if the “watch and wait” method is all you can do. The answer is this: Yes and No. Yes, time has to pass in order to heal. So you wait. Thre is no quick fix. No, waiting isn’t all you can do. Just like others who’ve suffered from paralysis, if it can be healed(and it can!), you have to do therapy and reduce the inflammation at the source of where it began. The longer your eye remains paralyzed, the higher risk of nerve/muscle damage you risk.
You don’t need a doctor or therapist or chiropractor for therapy. Be proactive at home with your daily eye exercises that I mentioned above, along with heat/cold therapy for the nerve/muscles.
In addition to taking anti-inflammatory meds until your eye has fully healed, go on an anti-inflammatory diet. Google it. There are specific foods that are known to reduce inflammation in your body. There are also foods that cause inflammation, so be sure to avoid those, in addition to anything that increases blood pressure/hearty rate such as caffeine.
many thanks dawn i am trying all what you say,shame about the coffee as it is my one true joy that i iook forward to a few times a day. i have lost just about everything thru this,as i say it started out as melanoma 4th person in world to have this type. been at it 6 yrs now over 2200 radiations to my noggin and they think my palsy is related to the damage done from the rads. man to have coffee taken away from me is gunna be hard. thanks matt
Thanks for your input Dawn. If you look at my prior posts you can see my situation. I usually have pain in the eye or minor headaches but not all the problems you addressed but the palsy continues – now almost 15 months. It hasn’t really worsened or improved. My one mri at 9 months showed nothing but a medially turned nerve. I’m waiting for approval for another advanced MRI but have no idea when or if that will happen. My family doctor did put me on prednisone (10 mg) for 5 days but I didn’t notice any change. With the doctors I’ve been to I’ve still not been able to get any of them to answer whether or not the problems that I was having along with blood pressure problems has/had any bearing on this coming on. If you read my prior posts I’ve put the information there. Would love to hear your input. At 57 and working for years to find myself out of work for 15 months and drawing nothing gets discouraging. I didn’t pursue the ss disability because I’ve been told it’s almost impossible to get and I couldn’t draw unemployment because I had to leave my job because I wasn’t able to continue doing the work I had been doing. Look forward to hearing your input. Sure would love to have my independence back as I know the others feel likewise. Thanks again!
Very comforting to find I am not the only one…pretty sure I have 6th nerve palsy also. Still waiting for appt for neuro-opthomologist. In Canada that could take months. Have seen doctor, neurologist, opthomologist already with no firm diagnosis.
Hello again, curious as to all you that have posted out there and did get your full site back, did the site just return one day or did you notice it getting better and better. Also I’m surprised as that there isn’t alot of info for how to deal with this. I did get a pair of prescription sunglass and I use duct tape to take out one side of the glasses. That way I can drive in the daytime and do any shopping without having folks wondering why I have a patch over my eye. Have been out hiking a couple of times need to see if I can hit golf balls. Has anyone considered the surgery that can correct the eye muscle so that you don’t have the double vision. Would appreciate any posts with how people are doing as they continue to get through each day. I do find myself waking up each day wondering if this will be the day I see with both eyes.
Appreciate the posts from Dawn. Have been trying to do more exercises with my eye. Anyone found any other especially helpful sites that deal with 6th cranial nerve palsy.
Is it possible to have 6th nerve palsy in both eyes? When both my eyes are open, if I focus my right eye, my left eye turns in. When I focus my left eye, my right eye turns in. Any one ever had this?
I developed 6th cranial nerve palsey (rt eye) two weeks ago. Like most of you, I noticed the double vision first while driving. CT scans neg. I cannot have an MRI as I have metal in my ear canal. I have an appt with neuro opth in two months. He is the only one in town! Have been on blood pressure med for 20 yrs. Am wearing patch which I alternate between eyes. Have not tried the eye exercises but will start. Hey why not? Has anyone tried acupuncture? I have been toying with the idea.
I have 6th cranial nerve palsy and nothing was found on tests. My sinus on the left over my ye was on and off headachy for a couple of weeks but nothing developed and then this. I had every test too and have no contributing problems. It is 3 weeks now and my left eye, the problem side, seems to be turning in slightly like a bit cross eyed. I have not seen this mentioned here. Is this part of it? For those who have gotten better has there been a progression to it. Changing of distances, more or less doubling? etc. Yes, the patches help greatly but I don’t want my left eye to weaken or stay crossed. Any feedback? Muriel
Third or fourth comment for me. Trying to learn what I can and encourage in any way possible. My name is Bill. I am 56 years old and am on my eighth week of 6th nerve palsy. I “think” it might be getting some better. Initially, my eye was extremely sensitive to light. It is a little bit in the morning, but not otherwise. My thought–that’s getting better. The world does not look at “wacky” at eight weeks as it did at week one or two. Is this because my right eye (the affected eye) is getting better or I’m getting “used to it.” I really don’t know and wish I knew how to measure any progress. I have been doing exercises several times a day. It seems to help. The last few days I have put the patch (which I did not wear except for the first couple of weeks) on my good eye to “make” the affected eye work harder. Is this wisdom?? I really don’t know, but it doesn’t seem to be setting me back and “maybe is helping.” I’m also taking a multiple vitamin and some other vitamins also, trying to give the body all it needs to heal. Also, I have a bunch of people at my church praying for me daily…I’m praying also.
Hope these words may help someone.
Bill
Saw your comments Bill. I, too, have many at my church praying. I’m a pianist and it can be pretty difficult at times to position things so that I see what’s supposed to be there. I, unfortunetely, have been dealing with this for 15 months now, taking vitamins and reading anything I can get my hands on to find anything that would help. I’ve heard both ways, there aren’t any exercises that will help, and a prior poster that mentioned the possibility there were. Either way, appreciate you and anyone else that posts with any possible help and encouragement. Thank you for your comments! !
What’s frustrating is that my double vision disappeared when I got glasses with prism lenses, then returned a few weeks later, as if the eyes had simply become immune. Why does the brain let this happen? I’ve read the brain will go so far as to suppress one image out of self-preservation. So how and why did my palsy overcome prisms that had alleviated the problem?
Some good news about the soccer player suffering from sixth nerve palsy. He’s back training with his team.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1028649/gennaro-gattuso-returns-to-training-with-ac-milan?cc=5901
A simpler surgery is showing positive results for those of us with misaligned eyes.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/aligning-the-eyes-a-simpler-surgery-for-a-complex-condition-2012-02-13
UPDATE – Had a 6 week checkup with my Optho yesterday, with rather disappointing results. When I was there 6 weeks ago, he could tell that the affected eye was moving towards the center and it was improving. However, yesterday he could see no change or improvement from 6 weeks ago. Apparently any improvement is now at a stanstill. Ironically, yesterday was the first day of month six with 6th nerve palsy. This is the same Dr. that originally told me that I would have my normal vision back in 6-8 weeks when all of this started. He did encourage me to keep up with the exercises, much like those describe previously here by Dawn. He also gave me a prescription for Doxycicline for 28 days to clear up any infection or inflamation that might still be around. Also, he said that good foods to fight inflamation include drinking cherry juice (4 oz/day), or pomengrade juice (same) or 1 teaspoon of honey each day or any combination. One other thing that he told me that when improvement of the double vision is progressing, I will notice the 2 images slowly moving together to form one image. Getting over this is a slow process and you do not wake up some morning with it gone. Rather, I will realize when progress is being made by the 2 images becoming closer together to finally be back to only one. He also said there is no way possible for a Dr. to see your 6th cranial nerve in the MRI. There are so many parts of the cranium and brain near the nerve that seeing anything wrong with just that one nerve is not possible. So I’ll continue to wait and see what the 6th month brings. Good luck to everyone out there that suffers from this disabling condition.
Vinnie, sorry to hear your condition is lingering. Going into month 16 I understand your frustration. I am curious about the comment you made about your doctor stating that there was no way to see anything on the sixth nerve due to other cranium parts because the neuro optho I saw is wanting me to do another MRI on the 3T machine which is supposed to be more clear and precise and advanced but also has a hefty price tag which we can’t pay for that reason. He said there could be something 1 or 2 mm that is along that nerve that might not show up on the standard mri I had done. I, for one, really appreciate hearing any insight from others that have this condition especially when I don’t know of anyone personally that has dealt with it. Thank you for sharing!
Turns out that soccer player already was suffering from sixth nerve palsy during the game, then ran into a teammate because he didn’t see him. I thought the collision brought on the palsy.
Charlotte, the question I asked of my Optho was “when you read and see the mri, are you able to directly see the 6th nerve and what is causing the problem?” He said that it isn’t possible to see the nerve as there isn’t that much detail shown and there are too many other things so close to the nerve that the Dr. can’t distinguish the 6th nerve itself. It is quite likely that the mri that your Dr. wants you to have is much more advanced than my two mri’s, which both showed everything to be “normal.” It would sure be nice if they could see the nerve to identify the problem. Instead, it all goes back to wait and see. I’m sure you are very tired of waiting 16 months. I’m very discouraged because I had 3 doctors (optho, neuro and primary) originally tell me I should have my normal vision back in 6 to 12 weeks. There was no mention of anything else at the time. Now I’m at six months with no end in sight (no pun intended).
I saw neuro optho yesterday. He had a cancelation and got me in earlier than planned. Did alot of measurements. Told me the avg recovery was 12 wks. Said to alternate patch. Said eye exercises did no help. Made another appt in 2 wks. Said not to expect any change tho. I am going to take St. John’s wort and make acupuncture appt.
I had developed 6th Nerve Palsy (Diplopia) in my left eye in June 2011 leading to Double Vision and sever mental agony. I ran after various doctors and got MRI, Blood Sugar ; Hypertension Test etc. Let me share with you i am a diabetic more than 20 years; having High BP problem too. My MRI report was clear. After 6 months ; once fine day i regain my complete vision. Now I am perfect. I did not take any medicine by the by.My age is 50 years.So those are affected with this problem; follow Doctor’s advice of NO MEDICINE. Generally patients get back to normal in 9 to 10 months.
Good for you. I’m coming up on two years since my diagnosis. And it’s likely I had 6NP for three years prior to that. Only an old prescription pair of eyeglasses, severely bent by goofing off with my kids, kept me seeing one image most of the day. Since those broke, I’ve had double vision all day, every day.
MG, have any of your doctors given any indication that your palsy will resolve at some point? Mine has lasted almost a year and a half now and quite honestly, I’m wondering if I should just resign myself that this is what I’m just going to have to live with. I have managed to adapt at least well enough that most don’t realize how it affects me but if I look straight at a person and they are more than 2 feet from me my eye turns in. It’s sure great to hear that one of the posters has been relieved of this. I keep hoping the rest of us can follow suit and sooner rather than later! Best wishes!
My opthamologist said my 6NP hasdn’t worsensed and to come back in a year. The neurologist who ordered my battery of tests has questioned whether I’ve even got 6NP. She does the test where I follow a pen and is surprised I do so well on it, yet still see double. I’m supposed to see another neurological specialist 60 miles away one of these days.
I look crosseyed in photos and I often find myself missing when handed a paper at work or change at the convenience store. I’m trying to remember to close one eye when someone hands me something. My depth perception is shot. I don’t wear a patch. I drive with one eye shut.
I’m starting to come to the realization that only strabismus surgery on my left eye will help. I just wonder when my opthamologist will order it.
I was diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy a year ago…The symptoms I felt were a headache and dizzyness. I felt under the weather and thought I was coming down with the flu. The next morning when I awoke, I had a huge headache, and experienced double vision – side to side (double vision). I also noticed my left eye to be slightly crooked inward. After going to a neurologist, he determined it to be 6th nerve palsy. After a myriad of blood work, spinal tap, and MRI’s, it was determined to be idiopathic (unknown cause). I was given an eye patch to wear for driving…The important thing is, not to be too dependent on the eye patch. Only wear it when you have to…You don’t want the eye to become lazy, you need to exercise the eye and retrain that eye muscle…I was the typical case book patient. It took 2 months for the double vision to stop, and another month for the eye to straighten out. It hasn’t reoccured, although my eye is noticeably inward when I stare at an object from the corner of my eye….no big deal, it is hardly noticeable…(well, that’s my story),wishing you all great health!
About 3 years ago, I was doing some home remodeling. Sanding, painting, etc. Developed 6th palsy. Lasted about 2 months. Had all the tests, like everyone else. Nothing was wrong. A month ago, doing more painting, sanding etc. got the palsy in the other eye. This one seemed more painful. Sharp pains in the top of my head, running straight down to the back of my eye. Sharp jabs to my eye all the time. Driving is a real pain. One eye, no depth perception. And going into a store drives me bonkers. All the bright lights and motion. At least I can see though. Gotta be thankful for that. Hope this is the last time it happens. I am thinking about not doing any more home improvements. LOL
Turns out that soccer star who thought he had sixth nerve palsy had ocular myasthenia gravis instead, and is back in action after having been treated with cortisone shots.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3276/serie-a/2012/03/08/2955165/ac-milans-gattuso-considered-retiring-because-of-ocular
I was diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy in late Oct 2011. I was on my way to work and suddenly started having horizontal double vision. After visit to the ER, MRI, MRA, blood work – all results were clean. They believe the cause was a virus. I was sick with the flu a week before the double vision began. The theory is that the virus worked it’s way into my spinal column, travled to the brain, and settled into the 6th cranial nerve. Of course there is no test that proves this, so all theory. My doctor said there was nothing I could do or take to improve the condition. I ended up going on disability. I saw a neurologist, a vascular neurologist, and a neuro-ophthalmologist.
In the first 3 weeks with double vision, I experienced well defined headaches, neck pain, and also strange facial sensations – all on the left side of my face only (same side as the impacted eye). By the third week, my left eye went cross-eyed. I tried eye patches, but those caused migraines, so I just dealt with the double vision.
By mid-Dec 2011 (2 months), the cross-eyed appearance had subsided, but the double vision was still the same. My doctor’s measurements also confirmed no improvement in the double vision (they should be measuring for prism diopters – I was a 15).
After finding this board (thanks to all of you), I decided to try some alternative approaches to resolving the problem. In early January (2 1/2 months), I started taking vitamin supplements, anti-inflammatory herbal supplements (elderberry), cut down my caffeine intact to one cup a day (I was a heavy coffee drinker), and cut out alcohol. I also started doing acupuncture.
By the end of January (3 1/2 months), I finally had a breakthrough with half of the double vision correcting itself. I could see fine from about midline in my vision field to the far right. Left gaze was still double, but it was good enough for me to return to work. Over the next month, the condition continued to improve until fully resolved. It’s hard to say whether the changes I made had any effect (my doctor would say no), but for me it was better than trying nothing.
As a side note, if they offer you press on prism lenses, I would suggest passing. They did somewhat correct the double vision, but since they are made of a rubber material, they make the picture blurry. I couldn’t use them.
Hopefully this is of some help to you. It’s a frustrating experience that truly takes lots of patiences. Best of luck.
Hi AS your story is very similar to mine . I was wondering where you purchased the anti inflamatory supplements . I’m willing to try anything to help with my double vision .
hi as,please tell what anti iflamatory supplements you took i went down and got elderberry today. cheers matt
my mistake i got billberry not elderberry,bugger
I tried this product:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007CSCIS/ref=wms_ohs_product
To be honest, I think out of everything I tried, the supplement was the least effective. Of course, who really knows. The acupuncture was probably the most effective in my opinion. The doctor also used nerve stimulation(?) with the treatment (basically sends electric pulses through two of the needles).
thanks as i now a guinea pig for a 2 capsules a day alpha lipoic acid 200 high potency free radical scavenger,supposedly strongest one allowable by law in australia ,so this is my hope as they said it was better than elderberry. to be honest it all just sux big time. are you in america, i lived there on the cape for 13 years and am a bit happier this started here as i could not afford the bills in the usa. cheers matt
As it turns out, I was diagnosed with decompensating esotropia and not sixth nerve palsy. I am somewhat confused. Going back to see about prisms in june. At least I don’t see double for now anyway.
Good luck to everyone.
My name is Bill. I came down with 6th CNP Jan 7 of 2012. This is my 3rd or 4th post. Just trying to share any thoughts, insights, and hope I can that might help someone. My double vision (no headaches) has been in my right eye. I couldn’t drive, was very sensitive to light. It was miserable. Around the first of March I noticed things seem to be getting less “wacky”–that the only way I know to describe this double vision. It was still “wacky” and double, but seemed less so. March 14th, I drove home from church on a Wed. night and as I got out of the car I realized, “I drove the entire way home with both eyes open!” That was the first time I had driven over a few hundred yards without having to look through only one eye. (If there was no one on the road, I’d look through both eyes, but didn’t trust myself or what I saw. Wouldn’t drive like that for long).
My sight has slowly continued to improve. Yesterday I noticed that while shaving (standing close to the mirror), for the first time in months, I can actually shave a couple of strokes on the right right side of my face without it going double. However, as I hold a yellow highlighter at an arms length, it still goes double at a certain place to my right. No change there yet, but I’m hoping that as it clears up at closer distances, it will clear up in greater distances.
I have prayed often and had many others pray for me. I wore the patch for a few days on the bad eye just to help me cope. As the weeks went on, I started wearing the patch at times over the “good” eye to try and make the “bad” eye work. I took a Baush and Lomb PreserVision supplement, lutein. It’s coming up on 3 months, but I can see some improvement. Those are my experiences. The patch and the medicine– I don’t have a clue if they helped. I believe that God answers prayer, but (needless to say) don’t understand why He sometimes answers some prayers and sometimes doesn’t answer others. That is a greater mystery than 6th CNP.
Hopefully these words may give some hope and light to others who are struggling with this extremely frustrating condition.
Bill
My wife has been diagnosed with 6NP since July ’11 and has gone through many of the tests and procedures described by others – MRIs, steroids, spinal tap, prism glasses, all without improvement. Has anyone had success with the surgical procedures – strabismus surgery or others?
Hi, my name is Russ, I’m 60, and in good health, except for some minor residual muscle and nerve problems from taking Lipitor for 3 1/2 years. I stopped taking the Lipitor 3 1/2 years ago, and my muscle and nerve problems mostly healed.
On January 31 of 2012, I woke up with double vision. The Opthalmologist diagnosed it as 6th nerve palsy. He told me it goes away in 4-6 months 50% of the time, and if not, then we can do surgery. So far, there has been no improvement or change. It’s been 9 weeks now. My left eye is the affected eye.
I’m using the plastic prism lens for the left eye and it works well enough for me, though I’m afraid to drive.
My doctor said not to use a patch – it’s better to use both eyes.
Earlier in January, I had a root canal, then I got the flu, and then my dentist put in a crown the wrong way, and had to drill the crown out. January was a really bad month.
My question is, how many of you were on Lipitor or other statin drugs? My wife thinks the Lipitor damaged the abducens nerve, and then possibly either the flu or the dental procedures triggered this. Or maybe it was just the damage from the Lipitor – my doctor said there is no way any dental procedure could cause this.
Hopefully it will go away. I keep hoping each day I will see some sign of improvement.
I would really like to know if any or most of you were on or had been on Lipitor or another statin drug.
Thanks.
Hi. My name is Laura and I’m 73 years old. I discovered that I had double vision on January 18, 2012. That was the day after I was diagnosed with shingles. I had a horrible headache on the right side of my head for a week before it was discovered that I had a rash which I never saw or was even painful. The shingles affected my right eye, hearing in my right ear, my balance and my swallowing. Then a really scary vertigo episode sent me to the hospital where I stayed for 7 days. They put me on an anti-viral IV for two weeks and so I was sent to a rehab unit at a nursing home for the duration of the IV. While in the hospital I was told that my double vision is a result of a Left 6th Nerve Palsy. The only explanation that I’ve received is that I possibly had a small stroke. But they think it’s odd since the singles was on the right side of my head. Like many of you, the MRI was negative.
I was glad to find this blog to find out I’m not alone with this problem but I’m sorry for all of us since it’s the most annoying thing to have happened….and that’s putting it mildly!
I thought I would share what I’ve been doing and maybe some of these ideas will help others.
While in the hospital, the Occupational Therapist gave me two pairs of safety glasses. One has the right lens covered and one has the left lens covered with a clear translucent tape. This way I can keep both eyes open but don’t see double. I switch from one pair to the other during the day about every half hour or so. And I’m trying to use both eye for looking at things close up.
The OT at the rehab center suggested that I play solitaire for that forces you to move your eyes back and forth from left to right. I do this at least three times a day and I think it’s great exercise for my left eye since I’m not thinking about the exercise part. I also hold up a pen and track that with both eyes moving it back and forth. I also do this at least three times a day.
When this whole thing started my family physician got me right into an eye doctor in the same building and I was seeing him until I decided I needed a second opinion and it was time to return to the ophthalmologist that I had been going to for my regular eye check ups over the years. When some of you mentioned that you wanted someone to really listen to you I got the idea to write a letter to the doctor explaining my situation and and asking my questions in the letter. I had my appointment on Monday and it went very well. She knew my story before I got there and it made for a very productive appointment. She wants me to use my left eye as much as possible and continue with my exercise program and return in a month.
Once a week I have my husband look at my left eye and he’s encouraged by how much it has moved to the left. I still have double vision but at least now I can look at myself in the mirror and see only one of me!! So things close up are no longer double.
I’m back to work part time which keeps my mind occupied. I have my good days and my bad days when this double vision gets the best of me. But I’m still hopeful! So that’s my story.
My husband has had 6th nerve palsy for 3 weeks. I wonder if anyone has suggestions on how to cope with the headaches? The pain seems to be getting worse, despite 2 hourly meds taken through the day usually starting upon waking, until bedtime. (alternating paracetomol, naproxen and tramadol). He also feels nauseous at times, especially when using the prism glasses. Is tiredness common too?
Any tips on getting through this and keeping up his morale will be much appreciated!
hi dear
my husband got sixth nerve palsy last month.did MRI AND EYE ORBIT MRI everything normal. he cannot drive and very frustrating.can someone advise us what to do. neurologist says that we have to wait. it seems it is a very rare case. plz would be very happy to have your opinions.
I’m on my 8th bout of this problem in my left eye in the last 4 years. Always starts with a moderate sinus-like headache and then the double-vision begins – headaches go away at that point. The double vision lasts anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks. I tried the eyepatch thing but could not stick with it.
I find that I can compensate for the double vision simply by putting my finger on the skin just to the outside of my left eye and sort of tugging it outward – I suppose it re-positions my eye just enough to bring my vision back to normal. I use this method when driving or watching television.
I think the trigger for this may be biking. I know at least twice this happened just after I’d been on a long bike ride on my road bike. Could it be neck strain from being in a hunched over position for so long?
Wow, I developed 6NP on March 12,2012. The night before I developed a headache that was to die for. I work up the next morning with terrible double vision. I also had pulsation going on in my head. A trip to the ER diagnosed NOT ONLY sixth nerve palsy but also a leaking aneurysm. This was a known aneurysm that had been evaluated just two months prior as being small and stable. The aneurysm was repaired but the headache and the double vision continued.
I have been wearing glasses with one side blocked with blacked out tape since then. I do drive and am back at work.
My neurosurgeon feels that the double vision will get better in a few months, the neuro-opthalmalogist agrees and states to be patient.
My family says that the left eye is getting better and that there is more lateral movement. I practice everyday stressing the muscle to move with exercise – all that I have noticed is strained feelings and continued headaches. I will see my neurosurgeon this week and I will inquire about the Imetrex for the headaches and other eye exercises. I started this journey on a different path of the aneurysm than most of the others. Don’t think that this is much of a difference in the 6NP but it has been so enlightening to hear of others with this problem and what I can do, should do next.
I appreciate all of your comments – I am not alone and I feels so much better knowing that others have gotten through this. Prayer helps and I will keep praying for myself and for all of you.
I can’t describe what a blessing this site has been to me, I am 62 y/o and have been the picture of health for most of my life – then this past year little by little things have cropped up health-wise. I take care of myself, I exercise, don’t smoke, drink socially and BAM I have had issue after issue since last September. I just want it to stop. I never thought that my major health issue would be my eyes and I am overwhelmed. Like everyone here having your vision compromised can be OVERWHELMING. That’s how I feel right now. I will never stop praying for complete restoration of my normal vision.
Thanks for being there.
It’s been almost two weeks since my last entry on 4/11 and I’m happy to report that I’m seeing improvement in my eyes every day. It all started when after almost 3 1/2 months of 6NP I decided that I just had to use both eyes together more often and my doctor wanted me to use my left eye as much as possible. It was really hard at first but each day it got easier and my left eye was not so strained and sore. I discovered that I could be 8″ away from a mirror and see only one of me. Now I can be 18″ away from the mirror to see just one of me. Now I can read the paper, eat my meals, and look at the key board and the computer with both eyes. And most other times I still use my two pair of altered safety glasses.
Then one day last week I discovered that when I wake up in the morning I didn’t see double. Well that lasted about 5 minutes! But now it lasts about 15 minutes. Also, when I fall asleep watching TV, I wake up and don’t see double on the TV for a few minutes. It’s almost like my left eye needs a lot of rest and it needs to regain it’s strength to not see double. My husband thinks that my left eye is moving all the way to the left now. I find it so fascinating to see how this process is unfolding. It’s literally inch by inch and minute by minute getting better. I was told that it could take 4 to 6 months and the rate things are improving that might be just about right.
So there is HOPE and it’s amazing how any little improvement can lift your spirits. I’m praying for all of us. Take care and stay positive.
Whoops, I made a mistake. I meant to say after 2 1/2 months of having 6NP.
I don’t know why Laura, but reading your last post made me very emotional. My 6NP started on March 30th and I have been visiting this discussion ever since. It is so reassuring to know that I am not alone in dealing with this. I loved your message of HOPE!!!
Hi my son has had 6th np for 6 weeks now. It started 2 days after a very rough rugby game. Clear MRI & ct – he’s just started to get more pain & more movement
Nor sure if this is a good sign
It’s a nightmare he’s 17 & has had to cancel his driving test, sports trials & has as exams in 3 weeks
Is recovery gradual ?
Any help advice very much appreciated
Lisa….I have had 6NP for 4 weeks now. I just saw my doctor yesterday and although my “measurements” have not changed, I am able to move my eye further out now. He says that it is the first sign that the condition is improving. So if your son’s eye is moving better, I would say that it is a good sign!! :). I love this site, reading others’ stories, it has been very helpful and reassuring to me!!
Thanks Tricia that’s good to here – it’s the most frustrating condition : (
Amazing how many have the same problem. My opthalmalogist didn’t use the word ‘palsy’ but did say he likened it to a tiny stroke to the 6th cranial nerve. He basically said ‘watch & wait’. I got a patch from my optometrist to use while driving – definitely better than squinting one eye shut. will use it on my ‘good’ eye. Plan to do the exercises mentioned. Came on me suddenly. Maybe God wants me to learn to be patient & trust Him! I love seeing the beautiful spring weather & really realize how precious our sight is!!! I don’t like having to focus on my own health – but I guess it must be done diligently. I take 20mg Lutein, Vit C 2000mg, E800 mg, D3 8000 mg. And plenty of others. I will look up the reference re statins’ side effects. So many of you have so much more to deal with than I do & I pray for you & your endurance & adjustment – that you may somehow find blessing in the midst of these trials. Thank you for your posts & sharing!
hi guys i have been trying to get elderberry tablets or powder but not much luck here in australia,any suggestions ? cheers matt
I’m really sorry to hear of other cases of 6NP in recent days. It has been right at 18 months now for me. I wish I had more input for you but a couple of observations…when your eyes are tired the double vision and clarity is decreased significantly. I’ve found myself having to lay down and close my eyes for an hour or so every day that I can just to function. I am very thankful to have vision even though I see more than what is there 🙂 I take several supplements but haven’t as yet noticed any noticable improvement. I really appreciate those who offer opinions from their doctors. I think it helps us all feel a little more informed. If and when this ever improves I will most certainly post the results. My best to all who continue to deal with this very frustrating and discouraging condition.
Update *
My 6th cranial nerve palsy began on 11/25/11 I’m now on the 5 month but I’ve noticed a huge improvement after taking the supplements AS recomended on here my double vision is almost completely gone I can look straight and have no double vision my vision is only affected when I look completely to the right and its very minimal also my eye moves completely now as it didn’t before .
Martha….what are the supplements and dosages that you are taking?? Thanks….trying to do everything that I can…
Hi tricia I went to my local gnc and the associate there was helpful when I told her what I was looking for I am taking elderberry and bilberry the bilberry is the one that promotes better eye health after taking them for a couple weeks my vision was improving little by little and I can say there is a light at the end of the tunnel
Oh yes I forgot to add i use them as directed on the bottle which is 3 times a day I asked my neurologist as well and he didnt have any issues with dosage
Thank you so much, Martha, for the information. I am definitely going to start taking them!! I have had my leg in a cast and have been on crutches for the last 6 weeks AND have been dealing with this double vision from the 6NP for 4 weeks…….I am definitely looking for that light at the end of the tunnel!! :). My faith, my family and positivity keep me going…
Tricia, you mentioned that you were emotional after reading my last post. You are only a month into this. I was very emotional between my first and second month and cried a lot. But I think there is a certain about of grieving that has to take place. Who would ever imagine that something like this could ever happen. It seems so rare to all of us for we have no one to talk to who has gone thru this. No one knows anyone who has had this happen. (except all of us on this blog!) Wouldn’t it be great if there was a handbook on how to get better. I felt like I wasn’t making any progress in the last day or so and so yesterday I tried not using my left eye most of the day and that helped. Charlotte, I think you are right when you say that our eyes need a lot of rest. And I think I will try the bilberry. Good luck to everyone.
just back from opthalmic surgeon and whoo whoo i have a 5%improvment. i cant see it but he can. had it for goin on 6mths now and i dont wear a full left eye patch i just made a small circle bout the size of a 10cent piece or a bit larger than a dime and stick it on my left eyeglass lens and it takes away my double vision and i can read the paper when i get it on the right angle. i still say my palsy came thru having over 2200 radiation treatments to my head. it started out as a melanoma on my bottom lip in the center and after 3 operations and all those radiation treatments it is now 1mml from my brainstem. I was the 4th person in the world to have this type so keep up the fight and do what yagotta to get on top ok, i been doing it for 6yrs now so it can be done stay strong ok prayers and love to all matt.
First of all, I want everyone here to know how grateful I am for this forum. I found it the day after I was diagnosed with 6NP some three months ago, and just reading all the posts gave me hope, and also comfort knowing I was not alone.
I posted back on April 9, and at that time I’d seen no improvement since I came down with 6NP on January 31. Well, I’m happy to report that I’m seeing tremendous improvement since then!
My experience is very similar to Laura’s. About two weeks ago, after 2 1/2 months of no apparent change, I noticed when I first woke up that my eyes were a little bit better. For 5 minutes or so, I could see a few feet out clearly. Then it would go back to everything being doubled. Every day its been getting better. Now I can see thirty to forty feet out clearly for an hour or two in the morning, and everything within five feet is clear all day.
I also want to thank Dawn, who talked about going on an anti-inflammatory diet. I read that inflammation is a major cause of this, and also of many other health problems. I followed her advice, and cut out sugar, dairy, bread, white flour, and I’m only using olive oil for cooking and salads. Basically I’ve been eating fruits and vegetables, and some meat and fish. I’ve lost 12 pounds since I started, which is a nice added benefit. I’ve also been taking supplements, after doing research. The website iherb.com is a great one for getting high-quality supplements at a discount, and they have free shipping. Here’s what I’ve been taking: bilberry, astaxanthin, super zeaxanthin, curcumin, alpha lipoic acid, fish oil, resveratrol, d-3, holy basil and ubiquinol. You can find all of these on the iherb website, and read about them.
I think we have within us the power to heal ourselves, and it’s important to stay positive and do everything you can to help the healing process.
Is 6th Nerve Palsey connected with Myesthenia Gravis ?.
As my both eyes are satic since last 30 years & at present my right eye is a normal size & left one with eyelid drooping. Sometimes, I have close the same.
Is there any remedy for the same?.
Hi my son has 6np for 2 months and as in previous messages he’s starting to get some movement back. However hes started seeing flashes in his eye today. Has anyone else expereienced this? Lisa
Hi everyone! I was reading all the stories and found one person that has been suffering with this issue longer than I have,so Charlotte, you are not alone :). This is my story….My name is Jessica and I am 38 years old, and I am a brain surgery survivor!
Part 1- In November 2005, I woke up with double vision, after having a CT scan it was confirmed that I had what is called a Cavernous Malformation (CM) in my brain stem. A CM is a cluster of weak abnormal vessels that bleed. I had a 2% chance the CM would rebleed, so I elected no treatment for the CM. As a result of the CM, I had left side partial paralysis and 6NP that affected my right eye. I had one botox injection after about 2 months, and wore an eyepatch constantly for about 4 months- until the 6NP went away.
Part 2- In April 2011, I noticed when I would look to my right or about 25 yards away, my vision was double. Since I had a previous bleed in my brain, I knew something was happening. I had an MRI and was told that my CM had bleed again, and that surgery to remove the CM was my only option…I had a 100% chance of a rebleed, which would be fatal and if not, permanent damage to my brain….so I elected to have the surgery.
I researched and found the top neurosurgeon who had performed over 350 of the 700 brain stem surgeries in the world. I had surgery on June 16, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona with Dr. Robert Spetzler.
Post surgery I had worsening double vision due to 6NP which affected my right eye and muscle / nerve problems on the left side of my body. I see a pediatric opthamologist…I have had two botox injections so far, getting ready for a third one within the next couple of weeks. I wear glasses with the right lens taped, and sometimes at home I wear my eyepatch. I am now almost 11 months post op.
I am connected with others who have had brain surgery who have had 6NP. One of them had 6NP for 3 months, one had 6NP for 8 months, and one had 8 surgeries on her eye muscle trying to correct her muscle, and then 3 YEARS LATER, her 6NP went away, and because of the prior surgeries, her eyes are messed up. So, her advice to me was WAIT. Eye surgery is not an option for me. It gets so frusterating wearing glasses, patches, or going without and seeing double. I will continue to pray and trust that one day I will have normal vision 🙂
Sorry this has been so lengthy, I just wanted to share my story in hopes of encouraging and helping others.
If I can answer any questions, please ask.
Jessica 🙂
Jessica, so sorry to hear about the ordeal you’ve had. We don’t fully appreciate the vision we have until something happens to us. I’ve been waiting to hear if I can be approved for a sponsorship through our hospital to help with the expense of the 3T mri. The last one I had only showed the eye turning medially and the neuro opth. thinks that something might possibly show up on this type mri. I feel like I’ve been stuck in a holding pattern for 18 months. I would like to be able to find work again and get back to normal. It seems like in the economy today if there isn’t insurance a lot of decisions are made for you. I have a prayer support system through friends and people at my church which is encouraging. Even though they haven’t directly tied my 6np to hbp I know it has some bearing and I’ve taken so many combinations of meds to try to control it but I still have spikes and it stays higher than I would like. Thank you for sharing your story. I really only have this resource to rely on for experience in this because I still don’t know a soul that has had this happen to them with one exception of head trauma. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone dealing with this. Wouldn’t it be great to see posts from everyone to say that everything has returned to normal! I, for one, would feel like there is hope! God bless!
hi guys just to let you know that this site is very helpful to me as the first time i heard about the palsy i was surprised as i didnt know anyone having this in my country but when searching online i was relieved to see so many cases
Hey Charlotte, Do you have a facebook? I am connected with so many people with similar stories as mine through private groups on facebook. If so, let me know and I will give you my full name so you can look me up 🙂 You mentioned that you have a church support system… that’s awesome! My faith, along with lots of prayers, and of course the support from my family has gotten me through this whole ordeal. It’s good to meet people with similar issues and share stories… it’s good to have the support!
God Bless you too!
Jessica
Yes Jessica, I do. My site is pretty protected but if you send a way to contact you I will friend you. Nice to hear back from you!
Charlotte
Hey Charlotte, I understand about having everything protected on fb…I am the same way. I figured we could keep up a little better on there 🙂 My profile name is Jessica Maynard Noe. I look forward to hearing from you!
Started taking bilberry a week ago after reading some of these posts. Hope it helps!
well people i hope we are all getting better ok i for one have had a gutfull of it. matt
I’m fully healed now! Once I started noticing it getting a little better 3 weeks ago, then it just kept improving, and now everything is normal.
So try and stay positive, you can heal from this.
I believe the best thing I did was going on the anti-inflammatory diet right after it came on, back in the beginning of February.
Godd luck to everyone here.
GREAT news, Russ!!!!! Smilin’ over here for you!!! I have been dealing with this 6NP since March….and being positive is what is keeping me going…..and stories like yours!! I am 42 and have been diabetic for almost 30 years now. The doctor is blaming my 6NP on the diabetes….they blame EVERYTHING on my diabetes!! :). I just keep living my life!!! You probably feel like you have a new lease on life…..live it to the fullest!!!
Does anyone know why prisms don’t work? My new lenses gave me single-image vision for about a week. Then I started seeing twin images again.
I was diagnosed as having 6NP in March. I am being told I have to wait 3 months before we can decide what to do, surgery or glasses. In the mean time I hurt my back, the chiropractor I went to also does acupuncture. He is researching to see what he can do to help my situation. He has treated Bells Palsy with great success. I don’t know a lot about acupuncture, so I am kind of skeptical. Has anyone every heard of acupuncture being done for 6NP? I go back to see him again this week for my back and hope he has more answers for me.
hey russ what is the anti inflamatory diet look like and where can i get a copy of it. i will try anything now. thanks matt. am glad ya doing well now mate
Carol….I have thought about going to the chiropractor also to possibly help my 6NP. My husband’s cousin saw one for treatment of Bell’s Palsy and it worked wonders. Let me know if it helps you….
Thanks for your warm comments, Tricia. Stay positive, and have the thought that you can heal from this.
Matt, I just googled anti-inflammatory diet, and everything you need to do is right there. Basically, you cut out anything white – white flour, sugar, dairy and salt. I stopped eating bread, desserts, all fried foods, all processed meats,cheese. Only use olive oil, no butter or other oils. I’d have oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, and sprinkle two tblsp of lecithin granules on it – lecithin helps build up your nervous system – and one tblsp of blackstrap molasses as a sweetener. I used hemp milk instead of regular milk. Then I’d eat salads, steamed veggies, salmon, chicken, fruits for dessert. You can buy the lecithin granules at iherb.com.
In my case I think inflammation was at the root cause of this, and the anti-inflammatory diet seemed to work wonders.
I also lost 17 lbs in the last three months!
By the way, inflammation seems to be the root cause of many other health problems, including diabetes and heart conditions.
Best of luck to everyone here.
I have had double vision since March 4th, and have had it now or 12 weeks. Had cat scan, MRI scan with no serious problem present. I am waiting to see a neurosurgeon to confirm everything is ok, as I have a 2cm cyst on my oenile gland. This as been there or some time and they assure me tat this is not causing a problem with double vision.
My double vision has got worse, in that when I first got it I could still watch tv and function around the house ok. Now it affects everything I do even reading. My optometrist fitted a plastic stick on prism to my glasses which I wear all the time. At first I hated wearing my glasses as my vision wasn’t that bad and only wore my glasses for driving. I now wear my glasses all day long. I reassure myself by saying that I’m just like a lot of other people who have to wear glasses all day – everyday! Well until my nerve heals!
MG – I had a prism (no.6) in my glasses for two weeks, all ok at first then double vision re-appeared with prism. I was then given a new prism, no. 10….. Have had this now for 6 weeks and seems ok.
I too hope and pray that one day when I wake up I will be able to see clearly. It coud be a lot worse….at Least we can see xxx Tracey xxx
I have had double vision since March 4th, and have had it now or 12 weeks. Had cat scan, MRI scan with no serious problem present. I am waiting to see a neurosurgeon to confirm everything is ok, as I have a 2cm cyst on my oenile gland. This as been there or some time and they assure me tat this is not causing a problem with double vision.
My double vision has got worse, in that when I first got it I could still watch tv and function around the house ok. Now it affects everything I do even reading. My optometrist fitted a plastic stick on prism to my glasses which I wear all the time. At first I hated wearing my glasses as my vision wasn’t that bad and only wore my glasses for driving. I now wear my glasses all day long. I reassure myself by saying that I’m just like a lot of other people who have to wear glasses all day – everyday! Well until my nerve heals!
MG – I had a prism (no.6) in my glasses for two weeks, all ok at first then double vision re-appeared with prism. I was then given a new prism, no. 10….. Have had this now for 6 weeks and seems ok.
I too hope and pray that one day when I wake up I will be able to see clearly. It coud be a lot worse….at Least we can see xxx Tracey xxx
thanks russ that is awesome ,i will get on it by weeks end am happy for ya mate cheers matt
I have been reading all the stories and have not seen much about 6np in benign intercranial hypertention. I have had double vision that slowly came about mainly when I was tired around October 2011 and got diagnosed with benign intercranial hypertention February 2012 as the double vision got worse untill finally my eye would just go inwards and would stay like that. It has been 3 months since I had a lumbar puncture and my papilledema is gone aswell as the pressure being totally under control. So basically the reason they said my eyes where crossed was because the pressure was “choking” my eye. It has been 3 months and my opthamologist is telling me just to wait and see untill 5-6 months they will do Botox. Does this actually go away? P.s I do not have high blood pressure or diabtetes. Thanks.
i’ve been diagnosed with 6NP in 2009. i’ ve got my 6NP recurrent twice in 2010.almost a year and a half, the 6NP came back for the 4th time. i was lucky to see a good neurologist which in a month my eyes come back as normal but what makes me wonder is why the 6NP return for the 4th time. on 11 may 2012, i had a very bad migraine and on 13 may i’ve got the 6NP. I am a little bit worried with this condition but the doctor say everything is ok. so i am waiting for this friday for another test….
hey zara you say a neurologist,maybe i should go that way what is the diff between one of them and the opthalmic surgeon i see. have had mine in left eye since oct 2011.cherrs matt
hi Matt, for the previous treatment , the doctor gave me a few medication which include steroid. within 2-3 months i recover from the double vision. but since i got my 6NP for the 4th time, i’m going to other hospital for second opinion. i hope i can share some info about it with you tomorrow. By the way, i went to see an eye specialist but it’s nothing to do with the eye actually. so the doctor ask me to see a neurologist. Take care.
thanks for that zara,maybe i got mine as i have had over 2200 radiations to my head for a melanoma cancer that is now 1mml from my brainstem. not sure what to do next. i was the 4th person in the world to get diagnosed with this type of melanoma cancer so we dont have much to go back on and see. to be honest it sux big time but i look forward to some more info and i will say a prayer for you tonite,many thanks mate matt
My eye doctor told me that Botulin injections work for about 3-4 months, then have to be repeated.
Did you get the injection? Is it painful?
Just wanted to post something that MAY help others….when 1st diagnosed with 6NP back in March, I wore an eye patch ALL the time just to be able to function. The double vision would give me headaches and I was nauseous ALL the time!! I wasn’t driving because I felt that the patch impeded my view too much. I am just now starting to see a little improvement…I am able to move my eye all the way out now and I am starting to see further out with no double vision…..Something that has helped me over the last couple of weeks was putting away the eye patch and wrapping a small piece of plastic wrap (Saran wrap) around my lense of my glasses. This distorted the double vision enough but let the light in so as to let me see better and even start driving again!!! I hope this may offer some help to others dealing with this condition!! I am being patient and greeting every “little” improvement with BIG SMILE!!!!! God Bless!
well had a pet scan and ct scan on monday,thats for my melanoma cancer that i got 6yrs ago. i was tge 4th person in the world to get this type,hmm lucky me hey. my palsy in my left eye is just bad and it sux. had ct and pet scan on monday and 2morra,thursday at 8.30 in the mornin i find out whats goin on inside my noggin. i hope its not there any more but since i got the 6th nerve palsy in my left eye i dont know whats goin on in there cheers to all matt
Tricia, you wanted me to let you know about the acupuncture, I decided to have it done, I don’t really feel I have anything to lose, but a lot to gain should it work; so I had my first acupuncture session on Wednesday. I have noticed, maybe a little more twitching in my eye, a little more movement and sharp pains more often and lasting longer;(my optamoligist said the sharp pains was caused by my nerve trying to waking up). I know that it could take a few sessions before there could be any results if it is going to work. My doctor says I am special case, since he has never treated this before but I am hopeful. I will let you know as I move forward with these treatments as to what the results are. If anyone else has tried acupuncture for 6NP or has any information I would love to hear from you.
Carol
hi carol i hope it works great for you and then the rest of us may give it a go how often do you have accupuncture and rhe needles are all around your eye or back of the head as well.good luck mate cheers matt
I have had double vision since the first part of April of this year. I spend a lot of time on the computer. I am 67 years old, retired, and enjoy computer gaming and the internet.
I have yet to have an MD diagnose my double vision, but 6NP has come up in discussions with my pharmacist peers and Dr friends. I had a negative MRI scan with and without contrast media. I will see a neutologist tomorrow.
My eye doc was able to correct my double vision with prisms, but I am reluctant to go that route. Why put out the expense and hassle to to adapt to a what I hope will be a temporay problem?
I have been wearing an eye patch for driving, golf, and coaching little league baseball. Driving is not a problem, I look imposing as a little league coach, but my golf game really sucks. I am self diagnosing the 6th nerve palsy. I have no pain. My left eye drifts to center, and I have double vision.
Have any of you folks heard of this problem being precipitated by computer eye strain?
I will comment on what the neuro doc says in my next post
….Regards, JimBob
Hi Matt,
I have only had one session so far. My eye has begun to turn back to the center instead of straight to my nose. The needles were in my legs, chest, hands, head and around my eye. It did not hurt at all. I will have another session on Wednesday. Not sure how many a week we will do at this time. But I am getting excited since my eye is beginning to straighten. I will keep you posted. FYI, some health insurances will cover acupuncture. Mine does.
Carol
ahh carol am happy for ya mate it must feel awesome for ya to have a improvment. keep me posted will ya on ya progress,i will wait till after thursday when i see my oncologist about my tests and if its good news i will look at this for my eye. good on ya carol
hi, this 5th of may i started having double and limited vision. After series of tests such as ct scan, mri, blood, sugar, na tests.. all negative.. consulted 3 optha and 4 neurologists.. 6th nerve palsy it is.. i am still not able to work until today. went to the best doctors in the country and only told me it will recover on its own. im am currently taking vitamins for the brain… citicoline zynapse prescribed by the neurologist i consulted.. complete recovery 2 to 3 months.. lets pray hard..
i will include you in my prayers mary i hope ya get all that you want matt. i will try andget some of that medication and try it myself
Hello all. My story is much like Mary’s (April 22, 2012)It involves both a cranial aneurysm and 6NP. My name is Kathy, and I considered myself extremely healthy: no diabetes, not overweight, no high cholesterol, exercised etc etc. Then Feb 24, 2012, all heck broke loose. I will tell my story on this blog with the hope that someone out there will benefit from it.
My husband and I are in our late 50’s, retired, and were touring Ireland, when on February 24th at 3am I experienced what I thought was the worst migraine of my life. The pain on the left side of my head was incredibly intense. Within hours I began to suffer from pulsatile tinnitus, and my left eye began to turn inwards, and I could only see double looking through both eyes. I knew I was in big trouble.
we got back to the States, and the ophthalmologist diagnosed me with 6NP, but the neurologist and the first MRI of my head could find no reason behind the pulsatile tinnitus and the 6NP I was suffering from. Normally these happen to people with high blood pressure, diabetes or head trauma. I suffered from none of those. I was told that “hopefully” it will all right itself within a couple weeks or a couple months. During this time when they had no reason for all this I spent hundreds of dollars at an acupunctrist and on all sorts of non-Western medicinal methods.
My neurologist eventually ordered another MRI to be sure ‘nothing was developing.’ Luckily, the person who read that MRI found a cavernous sinus arteriovenous fistula, and I was sent to a fabulous hospital: Froedtert Medical Center. I had two endovascular embolizations to repair the aneurysm, and (thank god!) the pounding in my head–the pulsatile tinnitus–was finally cured!
However, a little more than 3 months later, I am still suffering from the 6NP. Although, like many of you, mine is getting better. People who have not seen me for a few weeks at a time will remark that my eye is more centered. However, I do know that until both eyes track together, I will continue to see double, but I have faith that with patience and some more time, it will correct itself since I have had steady–if slow!–improvement.
My neurologist said that with 6NP we MUST not let either eye become a “lazy eye” (which happens very fast to one eye or the other) and therefore we must alternately wear an eye patch on our eyes, or we must wear glasses with one or the other lens blacked out. One woman said on this blog she alternates about every half hour. That is probably good advice.
In addition, I have been taking daily doses of vitamin B12 (2500mg) and B6 (100mg) because those are nerve-healing vitamins. I cannot take the elderberry etc because of its blood thinning qualities and I am on a blood thinner due to the aneurysm. I mention this to make sure you check with your doctor before taking supplements!
I sincerely hope to post on this site soon that my eye has returned to normal, and I have no more double vision. Until that time, I have each and every one of you in my prayers!
I am a 57 year old woman who was diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy approx. three weeks ago.
At the end of a work day I noticed double vision from a distance but with my glasses and stronge concentration, I was able to correct it. The following day I was experiencing a dull headache around my eye. Allergy season was bad so I thought it was my sinuses. I did notice the double vision when driving to work but I tried to ignore it. I stayed in my office most of the morning doing paperwork. With my glasses, I was able to see. I was then walking to the lavatory and could no longer ignore what was going on.
I went to the eye doctor who diagnosed shingles. He told me to see my pcp to start the antiviral meds and to see a retina specialist. He said it might be shingles but it did not attach to my eye. He said my eye looked healthy. My pcp was not sure either because other than one pimple, there was no rash. She treated me for shingles and took a culture. I also went for a brain MRI that came back fine.
My pcp suggested I go to Wills Eye in Philadelphia. They diagnosed the the sixth nerve palsy, too. They want me to see a neuro opthomologist, which I will in a couple of weeks.
In the meantime, the shingles culture was positive. I don’t have shingles in the eye but the virus attacked the nerve.
The pain is no longer constant. My problem is I had lasik surgery many years ago. My good eye is mostly for distance and the bad one for reading. I do either wear a patch or keep my eye closed but by the end of the night my good eye is tired. I really cannot read well, especially small prints.
I too loss my balance and my depth perception is off.
How do you drive? I have been out of work since I cannot drive or read. I plan on remaining out until my vision resolves one way or another.
Thank you to all who sare, it is very helpful. Good luck to us all!!
A couple of days ago I realized that I was able to use both eyes, with my glasses, to play a game on my computer tablet. Granted, the figures were big, but I felt this was a first step. Yesterday, nothing. Today, again I could see. Distance is no better, hwever. I tried pulling my eye at the outer corner as someone suggested, and it worked:-)
I am also trying to use both eyes as much as possible. I am not so brave as to try to drive or navigate a tight area by myself.
My name is Bill. I have posted several times, but not in a month or so. I came down with 6th CNP on Jan 7 of this year. The doctor said it would clear up in 6-8 weeks. It didn’t. However, over a period of months it SLOWLY began to clear up. It was FRUSTRATINGLY slow. It was probably 3 months before I saw ANY improvement at all. That improvement was things not looking as “wacky” as they had. My vision was still double, but just not as double. Today, 5 months later. My vision has returned to normal. I started taking advil to help with any inflammation. I wore no patch after the first week or so, trying to force the eye to work. I did exercises. Did any of these help? I don’t have a clue. I simply share what I did. Last of all, I prayed. I grew closer to Christ (I am a Christian) than I had in a long time; I was more dependent. Many others prayed for me. I know that God doesn’t heal everyone on this earth, but I do believe He heals more that ask than those that don’t. Did I deserve the healing. No, but I am grateful. I write these words hoping they will encourage someone who is struggling with the most humbling (and perhaps) scary condition I have faced in my 56 years of living.
well hi to all. big day for me tomorra as i meet with my oncolagist and hope to come up with some sort of plan, my palsy as some may know is related to my melanoma(4th person)in world to get this one,and all the rads seemed to have started a whole bunch of other stuff. not that i am complaining i would not trade it with any one ill just take whats been given and deal ya know. i aint sayin its fair but this is what i got sick to the limit with it just want to be able to see so i can do some stuff instead of takin skin of when i hit a wall or cut me finger with a knife. i was a pretty succesful chef in the states foe over 10 years so its pretty tough but we all know that on here . so guys your all in me prayers and hope for nothin but good things ok . take care matt
My husband woke up on May 7th with Double Vision and it hasn’t gone away. We went to the ER on the May 8th and they did a CT scan that came back clear and was referred to an eye Doctor. He saw the eye doctor on May 8th and was told to wait and see if it clears up on its own and to wear an eye patch for driving and working. We waited one week and nothing improved so we went back to the eye doctor he was diagnosed with sixth nerve palsy at that time and referred to a neurologist. The neurologist wanted to get an MRI and a spinal tap so he had by husband admitted through the hospital for the tests. The MRI was clear and we had to wait for the results of the spinal tap. We got those results yesterday and the neurologist said that there was some inflammation in the fluid so they need to run more test. He said inflammation in the fluid could mean something that MS. He has been scheduled for another MRI of the neck area and today he is starting a steroid antibiotic treating VIA IV that he has to have done at the hospital for 5 straight days. We are hoping that with the antibiotic we will see some improvement with his vision but we really have no idea what to expect. They have drawn his blood several times and will be taking more today also. So we are just stuck waiting for a diagnosis of what is causing the Double vision.
it aint easy rebeca but hang in there as it gets worse it gets a little better then worse but we are all different so we pray that he gets better quick. had mine since oct 2011 eye doc today no improvment and they trying to take me lisence of me now . just keepsgetting better for me but i will come thru it so keep ya chin up ok . matt
I have an ulcer on my left cornea and 6np in right eye. Having tests done. Dr. suggests it may be my immune system. When younger I had ulcerative colitis, but with diet I have had no problems for years.Doc said the ulcer can manifest in eye, leaving him to think my 6np is related to an immune problem.
Doc put scotch tape over 1/2 of right lense. This helped me. I can focus well.. I have difficulties seeing the big picture… I’m sure you know what I mean!
I appreciate all the comments.
My husband – 53- was diagnosed with shingles on the left side of his head – the pain started in his left ear, around the left eye socket, and then the poxes and rash started on his forehead and scalp. His internist immediately sent him to an opthamologist to make sure his eyes were okay – was put on steroid drops – no shingles in eye – corneas okay. He was put on Valtrex. He’s taking Advil for pain.
A week later the double vision started – went back to the opthamologist and was diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy. He is also type 2 diabetic and has HBP – both under control and medicated. We got him an eye patch so he could function – doctor does not see the need to exercise the eye.
8 days later we go back to the eye doctor and now he’s blaming the 6NP on his diabetes and HBP and wants him to see a neurologist – his symptoms clearly stemmed from the shingles -nerve pain is still there.
Will update as things progress – learned a lot from reading this forum – will be looking at the anti-inflammatory diet – looks like a diabetic diet anyway. I do know that all people should get the shingles vaccination!
Update
I went for my f/u at Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia. The measurements have improved. I go back in August unless something else happens.
It’s been approx. Five weeks. I notice that my medial vision has improved, I can see further. As far as distance, it sepends on the angle. I am using both eyes more often, now. However, by the end of the day, all bets are called off or if I am tired. I am still afraid to drive or to walk alone in unfamiliar places. Depth perception and peripheral vision is also a problem.
Thank God things are moving in the right direction 😉
Hi all,
Wanted to share my updates with you. I was diagnosed with 6NP the middle of March. I have had a CT scan, a MRI, been to 2 ophthalmologist, a neurologist, and my doctor. My right eye turns in directly towards my nose, and will not move.
4 weeks ago I hurt my back, and went to a chiropractor, I have never been before, I have always been afraid of going for some reason, and I have hurt my back on several occasions over the years. The chiropractor that I go to also does acupuncture, 3 weeks ago I started acupuncture for my eye. 3 days after the first acupuncture my eye had straightened up to almost a normal position. After the second one, I was able to go for about 20 to 25 minutes of a morning and see normally. After the third one, I can go for a hour or two seeing normally, then things start to take a little longer to focus in. I am going for another one this week.
Is it coincidental or did the acupuncture help with my recovery? My neurologist says it is coincidental, I feel it has helped.
The other day a friend asked me how I heard of the chiropractor, I told her God sent me.
Every person is different, what works for some may not work for others, but for me, I feel this was my answer to my prayers. God is good.
Good luck all. I will keep you posted as my recovery continues. I hope that you all will start having results soon.
Carol
Wed, June 11,, I woke up and was experiencing double vision. Thursday I had an MRI, which indicated no stroke, no tumor, or no aneurysm. Friday I had an appt with my regular physician. He researched the side effects of the anti-biotic doxycycline. I had taken my 7th of 7 doses on Tuesday, June 11. The anti-biotic was for a sinus infection. I also saw an opthamologist that same afternoon, who told me it was Sixth Nerve Palsy. He also said it would go away in a month, or two.
So, here it is….the 5th day of the double vision — hopefully it will be soon.
Good luck, everyone!
Carolyn
Hello everyone to was diagnosed with 4 left nerve palsy. I do have the same symtoms as you all the double vision. Have any of you heard of this kind? 4 left nerve palsy
Hi everyone. I woke up with double vision after a minor car accident 2 weeks ago. First optometrist and opthomologist said it was 4th CNP, now occupational health (I was driving for work as I am an on-call hospice RN) says its 6th CNP. CT scan was negative for tumors etc. I am headed for MRI today and despite my empathy for all of you, I am relieved that their was no underlying neuro disease like MS for most of you. I will keep those thoughts as I lay still for the MRI. I am 52 years old and have right-sided tingling (was told before it was sciatica) and heat intolerance (menopause?). The big question is did I have the accident because of an underlying, undiagnosed neurologic condition or is it a result of the accident. Thanks for sharing your stories. Pray for me and I’ll be in touch!
Thanks to everyone for sharing their cases. This is all very interesting! My tests were all okay. Sed rate a tad high. So we are going with the idea of an immune problem. I thought I was seeing better, but Doc said I was the same. Guess the dorky scotch tape on my glasses really helps.
Nurse said that it is best to have palsy in 6th nerve than any other nerve. The chances are better for recovery. Doc said 90% of his 6np patients are better in 90 days. Hope we all are in that 90%.
I am 50ish, workout and eat healthy. Seems there are several of us who are 50ish! Interesting! God Bless.
Hello all!
I am so glad to run across this site and your comments. I woke up with double vision in right eye on June 17, 2012, had an MRI on 6/18 (all clear), and diagnosed with 6NP yesterday (6/25). My depth perception is off, walking in unfamiliar territory is frightening. Driving is not even possible, as everything is double, and runs together and looks jumbled up.
My opthamologist says it is due to inflammation in the 6th cranial nerve and that time and patience is what it takes (estimating 6-8 weeks). I am following up with a neuro-opthamologist, but have an appt for early August(bummer).
I had a similar issue about 6 years ago which lasted 2-3 days and was gone by the time I got a doctor’s appointment. I have noticed symptoms similar to an oncoming ear infection, like stuffy ear, dull pain at base of neck and side of my face (all on the right side). Needless to say with this diagnosis I am paying full attention this time around.
Thank you all for the sharing of information. I’m about to google ‘anti-inflammatory diet’ thanks to this site. I am not feeling as powerless and will keep you posted on my progress (or lack thereof).
Dee
Hi all
My vision has returned!! After 3 months. I feel that God and the acupuncture is what helped me, my neurologist says no, it is coincidental, guess we will never know for sure, but if the 6NP returns I will most definitely do the acupuncture again. Thanks so all who have shared their experiences I will pray God will touch his healing had on each of you.
Carol
Carol, Great news! Did it come back all at once? God Bless.
Irene
In a few rare cases, scoliosis can cause cranial nerve palsy in young children.
http://www.chicagonow.com/suck-it-scoliosis/2012/06/amazing-grace-graces-story/
Hi everyone
Well this is my 17th week with 6np. I am glad to say that this last week it appears to be getting better. I can see clearly to drive first thing in the morning and don’t have to wear my glasses with prism until late at night when my eye gets tired. I guess it must be true that time is a great healer!
Good luck to everyone.
Xxx
Hi Irene, No it did not happen all at once, but after the first acupuncture, my eye improved so much that it was hardly noticeable that it had been crossed and looked at my nose, and I had movement that I had not had before. The double vision was one object on top of the other instead of beside each other with a large gap. I still wore the patch during the day, and at night when home from work, I would spend the evening with out the patch. I had 3 more acupuncture sessions, each time showed improvement and my muscle getting stronger, yesterday has been 1 week with out a patch at all. I feel the acupuncture jump started the nerve to begin waking up, Should it happen to me again, I will most definitely go back to have it done again. It worked for me. An earlier post from someone said she had tried it and it did not work for her. Each person I guess reacts differently as well as each Dr who does acupuncture has different results. Good luck, I hope your sight returns to normal soon.
Carol
Hello all!
I saw the neuro opthamologist yesterday at Hopkins’ Wilmer Institute in Baltimore, MD. Nothing found to indicate source of problem other than suspected nerve inflammation. They took lots of measurements of my eyes and vision from different angles with different equipment. This will help them to determine any differences in my sight at subsequent visits. Neuro opth agreed with my regular opth’s diagnosis and prognosis – 6NP and wait til it heals itself. Next appt is in 6 weeks. I am happy that nothing more was found, but bummed out about the waiting.
In the meanwhile I am reading Floyd H. Chilton’s 2006 book ‘Win the War Within’ on how to fight inflammation through diet. Just trying to find some way to combat this thing.
Dee
I submit this account of my SNP in the hope that it will help others as indeed this site has helped me. IT DOES GET BETTER IN TIME!
My SNP started on 18th March – “Mothers Day”. Suddenly saw two grandsons sitting opposite me as I enjoyed a meal with my wife at my daughters house. The timing of this onset was particularly cruel as on the following day I was to get the OK for driving again following a hip replacement in February. Clearly driving was now completly out of the question again!
That evening we went to the casulty department where we got no real answers after waiting around until well after 1am. Well this service does have its problems at weekends in the UK! I must say after contacting my own doctor things moved very quickly and hospital visits to neuologist, eye specialists and orthopist were soon arranged together with an MRI scan confirming 6NP.
My orthopist fitted a patch to my glasses and I managed for a few weeks using this. She tried a range of prisms but none were strong enough to achieve single vision. Three weeks later on a further visit, there was a small improvement and a prism was fitted to a spare pair of glasses. These took a long time to get used to with lots of lines and a degree of distortion but single vision was achievable using both eyes. They were however no good for reading.
Now for the good news. Last week (the picture on my bedroom wall (some 15 ft from my bed) appeared as an overlap double image where it had previously been two distinct images about 18″ apart. Initially these images began to separate after a short time but this extended daily. This week (16 weeks after SNP first struck)I am able to wear my normal glasses around the house and for reading with no problems. At present I still have a bit of a problem even as a passenger in the car and where moving objects are concerned but am confident this will improve in time.
I had my 6NP treated with Botox and it feels so good to have my sight back to normal!
Hello Everyone,
My mother is 90 years old and was diagnosed with 6NP in 2010. Let me provide her eye history:
December 2007 had right eye cataract surgery with Dr. A (ophthalmologist).
Mom had trouble focusing both eyes together after right eye surgery. We worked with Dr. A by changing prescriptions. Dr. A said mom’s brain needed time to adjust.
In 2009 mom had a TIA (minor stroke) and has fully recovered from hand finger issues. Mom was lucky.
Mom wanted to seek out another opinion for the focusing issue so we found Dr. B (ophthalmologist).
After a few visits and several eye tests Mom was diagnosed with 6NP. As her condition seem to have started after the first cataract surgery and not post TIA related Dr B. indicated due to time nothing can be done. Surgery was an option by no guarantee of 100% resolution.
March 2011 had left eye cataract surgery with Dr. B
Now that Mom has two new lenses her focusing issue has become worse as she no longer has clouded vision to hide behind.
Dr. B has suggested using a patch and possibly a prism but neither of these options are desirable to Mom. She just wants to be able to read. The focusing issue she complains of also includes double vision at times.
Mom is on cataract watch for both eyes as the rear natural lense which was left in place to support the front artificial lense (standard procedure for cataract surgeries) can also cloud up over time. The procedure to correct this would be a laser “x” cut to allow light to shine through.
Mom also has early stage Age Macular Degeneration (AMD).
I have realized that the cataracts and AMD may very well may be diet and nutrition related over a long period of time. With Dr. B’s encouragement we are going to try high dose vitamin c and other eye vitamins.
I probably told you all more about Mom’s eye conditions than you needed to know. I am not looking for sympathy. I just want to share what I know to encourage others and try to learn what I can to try and help Mom out.
I am encouraged by the many stories here from others and their experiences with 6NP. Going forward I am all about finding the cause and trying to resolve it naturally if possible. I suppose Mom should consider seeing a neurological eye Doctor. To be honest I don’t like the suggestions some have stated here of waiting it out, and just giving it time.
Between here and ehealthforum.com it seems like lyme disease may be a cause. I am encouraged by the use of acupuncture that seems to have been successful for a few people. I guess the challenge here would be to find an acupuncturist that works with eye issues.
Hello Carol,
That was a great story about your experiences with acupuncture and how it help resolve your 6NP. Did you take any Chinese herbs during the process and are you still taking herbs to help maintain your current normal eyesight state?
Did you ever learn what might have caused you to go into 6NP? In my brief review of the practice of acupuncture they seem to focus on identifying what the cause is versus just treating the symptoms.
Thank You in advance.
Hello Lorrie,
That’s great news for you. What can you tell us all about your treatment and experience using Botox and how you discovered this solution?
Was the resolution instant or did it take some time?
Will you need future Botox treatments or is it too soon to tell?
Were you ever able to identify what the original cause may have been?
Thank You in advance.
Hey patrick! Well I had benign intercranial hypertention which is high pressure in the brain. It’s difficult to explain, but basically the pressure squeezes the eyes and after having a lumbar puncture and the pressure went back to normal the 6np still didn’t go. After 4 months of observation from opthamologist… Which they kept “hoping” it would just go back to normal.. It never did. And I dont think it got much better with the abduction and eye movement. They decided that I can have Botox as an option. I took that and after having the injection it took 3 days to see any difference. It’s like magic. Although my eyelid went droopy.. It’s better then looking crossed eye and having major double vision. I’m still in my first month of having the Botox and it will wear of in 2 or 3 months. The opthamologist is hoping my brain will kind of “kick in” and go back to normal. If it goes back back to being crossed then I’m not sure what they will do. I’m just enjoying living my life again!
I got sixth nerve palsy the end of April and like most went through all the tests and found nothing, a good thing, although frustrating. I looked everywhere for answers and wanted to hear from anyone who had it and had been cured. I just wanted to know it was possible as it seemed as though it would never go away as a minute felt like hours. Well i took b-12 , aleve to help with any inflammation and fish oil. I did not wear a patch unless i was driving and just dealt with it
I got sixth nerve palsy the end of April and like most went through all the tests and found nothing, a good thing, although frustrating. I looked everywhere for answers and wanted to hear from anyone who had it and had been cured. I just wanted to know it was possible as it seemed as though it would never go away as a minute felt like hours. Well i took b-12 , Aleve to help with any inflammation and fish oil. I did not wear a patch unless i was driving and just dealt with it hoping gutting it out would help. After about a month the eye began to move a little but my vision did not seem to improve much. After a few more weeks things just weren’t and bad as they were, although I could not see straight ahead. After two months i could see straight ahead. I have since gotten even better although i still cant see all the way to the left. Just wanted to let others know there is hope so hang in there
It’s good to hear that some of you are starting to see some resolution with your VI nerve palsy. I’m still waiting for something to give. It’s been 19 months and as yet feel there is no resolution that is noticable in any way that I can notice. It is always much worse the later in the day it gets but I feel I’m becoming a real homebody because that’s is now my safety zone. It’s so hard to be in any unfamiliar surroundings, especially if I have to look for anything. I wish you all the very best and hope that someday I may still see my eyes return to normal and work together. It’s been so long now that I’ve about forgotten what it was like to have them work together, period. God bless all of you still dealing with this frustrating problem!
Hello Lorrie,
Thanks for providing the details. Well it sounds like you at least had an explanation for why the 4NP appeared. I am sure it was very frustrating having to wait so long for some type of solution. I have read a few things about using Botox to relax the muscle even though you are dealing with a nerve here. My Mom’s eyelids have been droopy for some time. Not sure what the cause may be. Lets hope you get your muscle memory or in this case nerve memory back. If not they may suggest another Botox shot to maintain a more normal state. In any event enjoy your eyes and take in as much visual imagery as you can every day.
So the list of causes continues to grow. There has to be a common link somewhere.
Hello Lorrie,
I just came across this link on this web site which provides a good description of your condition and mentions Botox.
Look for the paragraph labeled Abducens
http://www.ophthobook.com/chapters/neuroophthalmology
Yeah, thanks patrick, although this is different because I’m not obese. And I have searched this before.
I have sixth nerve paralysis at the moment, from the age of 22 yrs I have had this with a 10 year gap inbetween. Now aged 53 it came on about a week ago, mine goes away after 6 week to the day . I have noticed that trauma is a contributing factor in my case, I take 4 vitamin B tablets daily to help speed the recovery, I use frosted tape on my sunglasses and a patch when reading with my glasses.
Hello Glynis,
Thanks for sharing your experience with 6NP. Real interesting to read your condition is long time intermittent. I wont ask about your trauma but what specific B type vitamins seem to work for you? Are you taking four B’s to increase the dosage or to include more B type varieties (B1, B3, B6, etc.)? I have read that vitamin B12 seems to be real important.
My husband, aged 42, was diagnosed with sixth nerve palsy last November after a bout of flu. The week after that flu he encountered dizzy spells, followed by nausea. Several days later he had blurred vision and then it turned into double vision. We saw the eye, ENT specialist and neurosurgeon to rule out any growth or tumour which could be inhibiting the nerves. He does not suffer from high blood pressure, has high cholesterol but is controlled under medication, loves sports and the outdoors but due to the nature of his work, has to use the computer most of the time. He suffers from sinusitis as well. The recovery process took about 2 months, during which time he switched to using glasses with an eye prism patch covered on the affected eye glass. Besides daily eye exercises, he also took Neurogen-e, which contains vitamins that can help neuromuscular functions. It can be bought over the counter without any prescription. The double vision has come back when he gets very tired or has too much alcohol but we are still learning about this condition. As I’ve seen how debilitating sixth nerve palsy it is, I hope some of this information can help those who have been diagnosed with it. The reassuring thing is that it does seem to heal by itself over time.
Hello All,
Sorry to hear of this conditions from all of you and my heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery.
I have experienced VI nerve palsy 3 times in the last 10 years. I am affected on my left eye. This time around, I am into it for the 6th week. My 1 st attack lasted 3-4 months and the 2nd attach 45 days to 60 days. As has been the case with most of you, I too underwent all the tests (CTSCAN/MRI/various blood tests) and nothing was identified to be the reason which is causing this double vision. On both the earlier occassions, I had single vision for about 10-15 degrees in relation to objects that were to the right of my nose. However, this time, I think I have had a severe attack. while it started as usual, in 4 weeks, my eyelid (affected eye) closed involuntarily. It is surprising that I seem to be odd man out with this particular symptom which does not seem to be common going by the posts. Also, I do not see any of you talking of the medications that has helped you (those who recovered). In my case, I was put on steroids and it did have an effect in the cure. I am on the same drugs now also. However, pl. do not take these medicines without medical consultations as they have larger side effects on long term use such as leading to blood pressure, stones in kidneys and many more long term problems.
Finally, as many of you had written, patience is the virtue that we should develop and use these situations to understand life and learn to surrender to god who only has answers to all our problems and prayers. It is his way of teaching us things in life and we should take sheter of him. It is the lords plan to prepare us for something larger which we are not able to understand with our limited understanding. Take care. God bless.
Hi, I woke up on Mother’s Day with double vision. I’ve also been diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy. The first few weeks I had to use a walker, then went to a cane. I am now able to walk on my own (two months later). I wear a prism on glasses (which I never wore before this) IT takeS the double vision away. I’ve also had all the blood tests, MRI, Opthamologist/Neurologist, Specialists, Myasthenias Gravis tests, etc. They are now looking to do an EMG on my eye, not sure I’m up for that one. I refused the spinal tap, too many side affects for me. I’ve been told that there is a 20% chance of this correcting itself. *I’ve been told I could have surgery after 6 months. Also, HAS ANYONE HAD THEIR EYELID DROOP FOR A FEW DAYS AND COME BACK? I appreciate the exercises from Dawn.
Hi Patrick, when I had the first attack way back, my doctor advised me to take vitamin B complex tablets, he said go home and take 4 tablets everyday for the rest of your life. Regret each time for not taking them religiously when the double vision returns, oh and the trauma is more based on the broken heart stuff, but this time round I think it is stress related, funnily , I felt a twitching sensation in my eye and I did say to myself ..lord please let it not be 6th nerve paralysis coming on. But a few dys later there it was, I was trying to open our remote controlled gate and could not see whether it was open or closed. So I closed the one eye and saw it was open, that’s when I knew well here goes it again. I have not been back to doctors because in the first bout had every test possible, lumbar scans, blood test. No one could determine the cause, oh and I has also misdiagnosed with MS .. That was scary then. The same doctor also explained that people who have ancestory from the very northern Europe, wales Scotland etc carry a genetic virus that can effect the sixth nerve. I have never pursued the information as back then we did not have the wonderful technology that allows us to discuss over lage divides. But know that I am writing this I will pursue and post information. Hope all improves soon Patrick .. God bless
One month after being diagnosed with 6NP, I have noticed small improvements. My good field of vision has increased. I no longer see double at close ranges and seem to be good to roughly 3ft out, looking straight ahead or to my left. I can read a book somewhat normally now!
The right side is still a problem, but that problematic field of vision seems to be narrowing SLOWLY. Every now and again I’ll have small bouts of clear vision that last only a few minutes. I’m thankful for these small steps towards progress. I’m taking B12 complex, stopped the statin medicine that might be a problem, and am watching my diet closely to monitor my fat, cholesterol, & fiber intake. I was trying to eat healthier and this illness was the push I needed. As Vaidya and others have commented, patience is so much part of this process. For me, that ain’t easy. Still looking for more info to help with 6NP, as we all are. My prayers continue for all of us.
I developed 6NP last year, after suffering a severe headache for two weeks. The headache stopped and I developed double vision, had all the tests, everything came back fine, what a huge relief! I found positive thinking helped the healing process, which took around two months. Just over a year later, I developed a pain again in the left side of my head, concerned with this pain (as it doesn’t feel like a normal headache) I went to see the doctor a few days ago, who sent me away and said if the pain gets worse come back… I have now developed double vision again! I am a 34year old female and very healthy, so I’m resigned to the fact that this pain in the head I get (migraine or severe headache) is the cause of my 6th nerve palsy. It doesn’t feel quite so severe this time and the headache has stopped after 3days, unlike 2weeks with my last one. I’m praying that this bout will not last as long as the last. I will be doing lots of my positive thinking again, as I strongly believe that patience and time is probably the best healer.
Hello Belinda,
Thanks for sharing your husbands experience with 6NP. I hope he has recovered fully and is doing well. He had several conditions that no doubt triggered the 6NP. I noticed your husband is taking medication for high cholesterol. Let me guess Lipitor/Atorvastatin? My mother takes Atorvastatin and has now for many years. I believe this may be a major contributing factor to her 6NP. I want her to stop taking the Atorvastatin to try and prove my point. We are modifying her diet to eliminate margarine (only use butter) and eliminate the bad cooking oils (corn, veg., etc.) She will only use olive and coconut oils. The body needs cholesterol and good fats (saturated and monounsaturated) to survive. They are also important in maintaining the myelin sheath which protects the nerves in our bodies. More on this topic in future posts.
Hello Vaidya,
Thanks for sharing your experience with 6NP. I am glad you have recovered and took the time to post your story after the fact. It does not seem like the eye experts know what meds to offer. Meds are not always the answer as they only treat the symptoms but do not find the underlying cause. Would you be willing to share the name of the steroid you were put on to help effect the cure? I am wondering how many people that have suffered or are still suffering with with any of the nerve palsy’s (3rd, 4th, 6th) may be taking some form of cholesterol controlling medication. Cholesterol is involved in the hormone process which is linked to steroids in the body. The body is a complex machine with alot of different systems but they are all inter related in one way or another. God did a real good job in his creation of the human body and has left plenty of clues along the way. We just have to be patient, seek them out and put them all together.
We can do this.
Hello Gail,
Thanks for sharing your experience with 6NP. I am sorry to hear you have had to go through all of those tests and still don’t have any clarity as to the cause or how to resolve completely. I am not a doctor, nor am I licensed to practice any type of medicine. I would NOT consider surgery to correct your double vision/6NP. There is no guarantee surgery will correct the issue 100%. I strongly believe these eye nerve conditions are related to our long diet/ nutritional habits (processed foods are evil) and various prescription medicines. All the drugs do is mask the symptoms, they do not address the cause. Our bodies are very complex and can with stand an awful lot over extended periods of time but the body will start to break down at some point.
Try to seek out an eye expert that has had experience diagnosing and treating multiple cases of the nerve palsy’s. Preferably by diet and nutritional remedies, not surgery.
Please continue to share with us your progress or check in to learn more as we find out more along the way.
Here is a web site link that provides great detail on droopy eyelid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptosis_%28eyelid%29
Hello All,
I came across a web site, the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health that has information on various studies (see web links below). They may not be the easiest to understand and follow but you may be able to learn something by reading and maintain hope that their are medical professionals researching and trying to find causes and applying possible solutions.
The first study mentions 4 causes (not in any relevant order:
trauma
viral infections
tumors
cerebral ischemia
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3380668/
The second study mentions several names that describe the condition.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001710/
I will high lite here the section labeled treatment below.
Treatment
If your health care provider diagnoses swelling or inflammation of, or around the nerve, medications called corticosteroids will be used.
Sometimes, the condition may disappear without treatment. People with diabetes may benefit from close control of blood sugar levels.
Until the nerve heals, wearing an eye patch will relieve double vision.
My thoughts:
The corticosteroid mentioned above may be what Vaidya was given to her treat her 6NP.
The viral infections mentioned above may be the genetic virus theory from ancestors of Northern Europe, Wales Scotland that Glynis mentioned here. I did not realize that virus’s could be genetic.
Diabetes is another possible cause although not too many here have posted this as a new or existing health factor.
Its too bad there is not more information listed under the treatment section. I guess this is why we are here. There have to be more answers. We all need to keep trying and not give up hope.
I am sorry for all of the extra posts here. I am just trying to keep the research going here. The more informed we become the better. People helping people.
Hello Glynis,
Thanks. The b vitamins can help the nerves in the body. Stress can have an impact on the hormones and steroids in our bodies causing some chemical imbalances.
If its possible or not too late any information you can obtain from the doctor regarding the name of the genetic virus could prove helpful. I will see what I can find on any virus causes. Strange you should mention the virus as my Mother has had daily minor eye discharge or crusting. Her dermatologist prescribed some Erythromycin ointment which is an antibiotic that stops the growth of bacteria. It has helped somewhat but has not eliminated the condition completely. My thought is if Mom has a viral infection this ointment will not resolve it. I will have to look into this further.
Has anyone else here had any daily eye discharge / crusting issues with their 6NP condition?
Hello Dee,
Thanks for sharing your experience with 6NP, especially your action plan to try and combat the cause. For those here who are not familiar with statin medicine, they are taken to inhibit our bodies production of cholesterol. For example Lipitor/Atorvastatin. We do intake cholesterol through our diets but most is made by our bodies naturally.
Saturated and monounsaturated fats are the best for our bodies and brain. Polyunsaturated fats are the worst. Simple fact; what makes us fat, excessive sugars. The body burns sugar for energy and thus stores any fat we eat. The body ideally should burn fat for energy not sugar.
I am curious if your doctor knows you have stopped taking the statin and what he/she had to say? If not, do you plan on telling your doctor? I would suggest that you provide some documentation to your doctor at your next visit to support your conviction to stop statins. If you need some help with some good information sources please let me know.
Hello Vics,
Thanks for sharing your experience with 6NP, especially your headache issues.
When you mention your doctor, “who sent me away and said if the pain gets worse come back…” that concerns me. Maybe he thinks it could be stress related? If so why would it impact your vision?
I am not trying to be an alarmist or scare you but headaches are usually related to blood flow in the brain and eye sight is controlled by nerves. You are too young to have these conditions.
Try taking in some daily high doses of natural vitamin C (not via supplements ie. pills) but fruits (oranges). Squeeze the fruit or use a juicer and drink up. The natural vitamin C from foods is absorbed much better by the body but is used up quickly in a good way. Vitamin C is an excellent antioxident and will dilate the blood vessels thus improving blood flow in the body.
Also consider obtaining a second opinion from an eye expert. Good luck. Please keep us updated on your condition.
Hello All,
I have noticed a quirk on this web site sometimes when attempting to “Submit Comment”. If you have written a comment and then noticed your comment never posted and became frustrated after spending the time to write your story, I have a resolution below that may help you.
After clicking on “Submit Comment” this web site displays several lines of computer syntex messages indicating your comment did not post correctly.
In order to resolve:
1) Click on your browsers Back button
2) Click on your browsers page Refresh button
3) You should now see your comment added to the button of comment the list.
I hope this comment has been helpful to those that have shared this same issue.
Hi All
It has been some time and I wanted to update. I was diagnosed when I got Shingles. That was at the beginning of May. My sight is almost back to normsl as far as the double vision. I have to learn to turn my head right whem I need to look to the right or my vision doubles. I have noticed that my vision in general has deteriorated. Has this happened to anyone else? I just started driving last week. I tend to drive close to the right and I do not always see what is going on on the right peripheral. I am hopeful. I go back to Wills for another check-up.
Best wishes to all.
Hi Ronnie, I understand the deteriorated vision. I wear contacts and have never really changed much as far as my distance vision goes. I’m noticing now that I am not seeing things as clearly. Since I’ve had the VI np for 19 plus months now, I guess it’s to be expected. I’ve kind of learned to ignore things on my left because it isn’t clear and is doubled (mine is on the left). I just wish there would be information available to way whether or not a VI np will eventually go away. It’s kind of scary thinking about going the rest of my life like this. I know several others are probably feeling the same way. I sure hope you get some good news when you go back for your checkup. Best wishes to everyone still dealing with this condition!
I have had 6th nerve palsy now for 2 weeks. It started with slight blurry vision on a Monday. I just felt a little off. I noticed it when I was driving. The day before I had been in the sun without sunglasses so I thought it was just that. But then the next day it got a little worse. I went to my primary and she did a basic eye exam and blood work and all was normal. I made an appt. at my eye doctor for the upcoming Friday, but Wed. it got worse and then on Thurs. I didn’t feel comfortable driving so I stayed home from work and then in the afternoon I started having double vision which freaked me out so I made my boyrfiend take me to the ER. They did a head MRI, EKG and some additional bloodwork and everything was normal/negative. The next day I went to my eye doctor and he diagnosed me with diplopia (double vision) and referred me to a neuro-opthamologist. So that Monday (a week after symptoms started) I went to the neuro-opt and he said it was 6th nerve palsy most likely caused from a virus. I was sick the week before and had been sick quite often the few months preceding not to mention I was under an extreme amount of stress the few months prior as well.
It’s funny how finally when things were good and I was stress free then my body decided to do this. He said I just have to wait it out. It could take weeks or months, but it should go away since they ruled everything else out.
At first, I was very depressed and cried and thought it was the end of the world. I don’t do well with medical issues. Now I am fine emotionally. And I am not sure if I have gotten better or that I just know what’s going on now and I am getting used to it or compensating for it. My right eye is the affected eye which won’t move all the way to the right so I just turn my head to the right to see. I can’t turn my head quickly, and I do get dizzy sometimes, but for the most part I am coping, driving, working, etc. I tried an eye patch when it was worse last week, and I didn’t like it. I am also just amping up the vitamins and trying to workout and eat as healthy as possible to see if that will speed it up. I play a lot of volleyball and will attempt to play next week for the first time since the symptoms came on.
Like most of you, I had never heard of this before. And while I am ever so thankful that it’s nothing more serious, it’s obviously an annoyance. Just be grateful for what you have and know that it could be worse. I keep waking up everyday hoping that I don’t see two of the one fire sprinkler in my bedroom ceiling. One day it will happen.
On an additional note, I started a new birth control pill the day before my symptoms started. I am still not fully ruling that out, but I went off that pill 3 days later and no change.
Forgot to say that I have also had eyelid twitches on and off for a few months. It started when I was really stressed out and wasn’t getting a lot of sleep. I am still getting the twitches here and there. And they are mainly occurring in the affected eye.
And I forgot to say how glad I am that there is this forum! It really helps to know that I am not alone.
Ronnie,
I, too, have noticed a difference in my overall vision. My 6NP is slowly improving, but I rely on my reading glasses almost without exception now, whereas before it was 50-50.
Dee
A big boost for my confidence. I just helped my wife drive mearly 3,000 miles on a family vacation.
I had begun to doubt I could drive long distances any more with my 6NP, but this trip helped me feel better about my driving skills. For about half the trip I placed masking tape on my left eyeglass lens – for the first time. I was a nice relief to see a single image again without closing one eye. The rest of the time I kept one eye shut. Trip went off without a hitch!
I am a male of 66 years. I started some stress in my left eye after using my computer about a week ago. Two days later I started having double vision more on seeing the things on left side. I consulted a local eye specialist and he told me it will be OK after a few days. Today I went to an eye hospital where they did Hess charting and then told me that it is the Sixth Nerve Palsy, and advised me to do an MRI of head including orbits. Day after tomorrow I have an appointment for MRI. Let me hope the MRI will be negative and I will recover fully.
I am a male of 66 years. I started some stress in my left eye after using my computer about a week ago. Two days later I started having double vision more on seeing the things on left side. I consulted a local eye specialist and he told me it will be OK after a few days. Today I went to an eye hospital where they did Hess charting and then told me that it is the Sixth Nerve Palsy, and advised me to do an MRI of head including orbits. Day after tomorrow I have an appointment for MRI. Let me hope the MRI will be negative and I will recover fully. Important to note I don’t have hypertension or diabetes.
i am a female 49 yrs old and was told today i have the 6th nerve palsy and to be honest i am scared ..will follow up with the blood work and diabetes ,, then go from there i hope can get this taken care of soon … glad to know i am not alone either
Hello Patrick,
I have twice tried to respond to your questions about whether I have informed my Dr of my decision to stop the statins( no, not the one who prescribed it, but yes to the eye Dr.). I had detailed the documents I will take to the prescribing physician (with links and full references), which was deleted.
Suffice to say yes, I will take documentation, but I am also interested in any references you may have as well.
I am doing much better, removing the eyepatch, and wearing the prism glasses originally prescribed 8 weeks ago. I have attempted to drive not far from home, but will venture out a bit further today with a co-driver. I’d say about 20% of the vision (mostly peripheral) is still showing double without the glasses.
My eye does tire easily, about midday or if I am reading print material it tires within an hour. Digital media does not seem to be as much of a problem for me. Will see what the opthamalogist says next week.
Hi i’m so glad i found this site as info on the net is sketchy regarding this and to find others that are suffering like me and read their experience.
A bit of background on me, im male 32 from England not suffered previously from any illness and have always been fit and heatlhy, in Jan 12 i suffered a bad ankle injury which resulted in my ankle being pinned together with some screws which meant being off work for 6 months while i recovered i finally went back to work mid Jun then my mum had lost her battle with cancer so spent a week by her bedside in hospital with family waiting for the inevitable which was the 1st Jul, after spending another 2 weeks off work in mouring i finally went back to work after thinking i can get my life back on track again.
About 2 weeks ago started experiencing some infrequent light headed spells which increased as the week went on.
After driving home from work on Fri 27 i went straight to A&E to get myself checked out.
The doc checked me out along with some tests for nerves, breathing, BP and everything was fine so just advised rest as i may be suffering from stress but i felt ok within myself.
I woke up the next day and experienced blurred vision and as the day went on this changed to double vision.
I went to the Optician on Sun who did the eye test and he confirmed the double vision and ordered me some glasses with prism which im still waiting for.
As i was still concerned about this i went to the Eye clinic at the hospital on Tues 31 Jul where i first went to Orthoptics where they did the tests on computer and movement and confirmed my left eye wasn’t moving outward, i saw the opthamlogist the same day who conducted more tests with my eyes using lights, dye etc and said the same thing, eyes and singular vision ok but eye muscle not working properly hence the double vision and possible 6NP.
I was admitted to hospital the same day and stayed there till Fri 3rd Aug, i had lots of blood tests, CT Scan and Lumber puncture along with fluid decrease all tests came back ok.
Neurologist has confirmed Idiopathatic 6NP and may be due to increased pressure in my head but the lumbar puncture hasn’t helped and its not due to stress either.
I volunteered to help the Opthalmalogist train some student docs today and while they were conducting their training tests she noticed i may be showing symptoms of 4th NP as well but i’ll have to wait until she sends me an appt in a few weeks to test for this.
I’m also awaiting an MRI scan which is due in a few weeks and then discuss with the Neaurologist.
At the moment im wearing clear lens glasses with tape on the lens of the bad eye to stop the double vision.
Trying to be as proactive as i can i have started to take vitamins as well, a B12 complex and multivitamin with Bilberry in the morning and Visionace for eyes vitamin in the evening with my dinner.
I also started acupunture twice a week from a chinese doctor on full body and my left eye so far i’ve had 2 sessions but im not sure whether its too soon to see any results yet.
Im also doing eye exercises as mentioned here and on youtube.
Its really hard to try to be positive with this and my workplace have been very supportive with me but i pray to god that it goes away soon as its really putting a downer on me with all i’ve gone through this year and i just want to get back to normal again and not make any drastic life changes like stop driving or leave work, apologies if i’ve waffled on a bit.
Hello DK,
Thank You for sharing your 6NP story and all that has happened to you this year. No need to apologize for providing so much detail. We are sorry to here about your Mom. I am sure she is in a better place now and no longer has to suffer. God Bless her and you. Welcome.
It sounds like you have done alot of research and tried just about everything. These eye nerve issues are all related to diet that could have been triggered by stress events in your case. We don’t mean your diet and what you ate yesterday or last week or last month but what you have been consuming over time.
Refined sugar and all of its derivatives (high fructose corn syrup, etc.) can be a major cause of inflammation. Please review the web links in my previous post above to Dee. Although you may not have any issues with high cholesterol due to your age you can learn some things about a good diet to help maintain good nerve function.
I am still learning as well and as I find more quality information I will post to this ophthobook web site.
As you are currently being treated with acupuncture I assume the Chinese doctor may also be providing you with some herbs. The needles and herbs usually go along together. If so, maybe you would be willing to share the names of the herbs with us here.
Hello All,
Here is an excerpt from the web link below. The web link content is very lengthy. If you do a search on the word cholesterol you will be able to read the entire section on cholesterol. Enjoy.
Cholesterol
“Cholesterol” is absolutely necessary to many basic body functions. Cholesterol is a soft waxy fatty acid substance that is present in all animal cells, the blood, and other body fluids. We must have cholesterol to form cell membranes. Cholesterol regulates membrane fluid content. It functions as a precursor molecule in various metabolic pathways. Cholesterol is the precursor that our bodies use to generate essential steroid hormones and vital bile acids (which help break up saturated fats that we consume). Later in this material, we will explain how eating saturated fat stimulates the release of bile acids, which REDUCE harmful levels of bad cholesterol.
Cholesterol is involved in the construction and maintenance of the absolutely necessary myelin sheath, which is conceptually similar to electrical insulation around all axon/dendrite nerve fiber connections. Defects in cholesterol synthesis can cause a variety of congenital malformations. Cholesterol is not always “bad,” Quite the contrary – we can NOT exist for even a minute without cholesterol.
The cholesterol in our bodies comes from two basic sources:
1. Our body produces essential cholesterol (mostly in the liver), and
2. Cholesterol can also be consumed through animal products like egg yolks, dairy fats, internal organ meat (like liver), muscle meat, poultry fat and fish.
Dietary cholesterol and “saturated fats” (discussed in more detail below) tend to increase blood cholesterol, but there are many other factors that can increase fat in the blood stream, such as inherited genetic tendencies and excessive blood sugar from eating and drinking sugars, bread products and starches like potatoes, etc. (since the liver can rapidly turn excess serum glucose into to fat).
A high level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood is one serious risk factor for coronary heart disease and high blood pressure, which eventually leads to heart failure or brain stroke, which are the leading causes of death in the United States. For many years, doctors have monitored blood (serum) cholesterol levels and advised patients to avoid high cholesterol levels. However, several studies in the 1990’s showed that as many as eighty percent of people having heart attacks have normal or low cholesterol levels, so cholesterol level is obviously not the only issue with respect to heart disease.
Link
Hi Patrick
Thanks for your kind words, i’ll have a look into the diet suggestion you made, its interesting as the Neurologist told me this doesn’t occur with stress.
Although i think my levels are fine as my food intake is average and im not overweight and i play or used to play regular sports (how i got my ankle injury).
I think i’ll book in with my GP to get checked out.
Lately i feel like theres some sort of pressure around my nose and inner ears so im not sure if this contributing to the 6NP it comes and goes.
I’m interested in the anti-inflammatory diet someone mentioned earlier and i’ll mention it to the doc to see if he can prescribe anything.
In regards to the acupuncture i am only doing that by itself and she hasn’t advised any herbs but its a bit difficult with the languange barrier to sometimes communicate properly with her about this, i’ll ask her next time i go in.
I also got my prism glasses today i think its like 4.0 so optician said its a high prism, when i wore them they didn’t really make any difference but he advised that i should wear them and see if my eyes will adjust to them as its a gradual process so i’ll just give them time and hope for the best
Hello ZK,
Your welcome. The nose and inner pressure you mention is not good. You may have some type of vitamin or mineral deficiency. One suggestion would be to write down everything you eat and drink over the course of a week and try to identify patterns or some particular food/drink item that keeps showing up that could be linked to a cause.
Regarding prescription meds. They only mask symptoms, they do not identify or resolve the underlining cause. You have to act as your own doctor and challenge the doctors you visit with your discoveries. Try to avoid all prescription meds unless its an emergency. Eating real food not processed food (box, bag, can, etc.) with the right vitamins and nutrients can work wonders and your body will appreciate this.
The Chinese herbs that may be suggested fall under real food nutrients if harvested correctly. I here you on the language barrier, especially when they get excited and speak faster.
If the prism glasses end up helping they will only mask the symptoms. You want to make every effort to obtain help determining the ultimate cause and treat accordingly.
Best of luck to you and please keep checking in here as I and others continue to post information and news.
Hey Patrick
You kind of worried me now with the vitamin defeciency comment, i didnt think my diet would be that bad it just consists of a latte in the morning a light lunch (sandwich) then a main meal in the evening like chicken/meat or fish, apart from my one latte i only drink water or oj throughout the day.
Hopefully the vitamins im taking will help somewhat if i do have this problem.
Im not really feeling the prism glasses so far so may only try them for a few hours a day.
I guess a trip to the GP would be best to voice all my concerns.
Again thanks for your comments Patrick you’ve been a help and i’ll be sure to post any developments as they happen
Hi everyone, what a great forum. My name is Phoebe and I am 24 years old. I developed 6th nerve palsey a week ago. I have been to the optomestrist, a&e, a specialist and am going to have an MRI and a CT scan tomorrow. I am a teacher and work has been challenging. Thankfully everyone has been very understanding so far. It has been great to see everyones comments as it is so frustrating. I am so glad that sometimes it just heals by itself! Anything that anyone has done that has helped this condition would be so helpful.
Hi Phoebe
As you can see from my posts above that i just recently got this as well, unfortunatly my MRI will be at the end of Aug (slow NHS) but hope you get the all clear.
Tips to help on this would be like myself and what others have suggested take vitamins, do eye exercises and look into the anti-inflammatory diet that someone posted above.
Im also having acupuncture at the moment to see if i can speed things up.
I guess patience is the best thing and hope it recovers by itself sooner than later as it is so frustrating this condition.
Keep us posted
Hi ZK,
Thanks so much for your reply. I have been trying all of the above, bar the acupuncture. CT scan came back clear, waiting on MRI results now.
Today has been the best day since it came on, have been able to see one of things up to about 20 metres away, compared to about 50cm yesterday! I am really hoping that it will continue to improve.
Hello Everyone,
My husband was diagnosed with six nerve palsy June 30th, and he’s been able to move his eye outward a little more than when he was first diagnosed. Opthamologist advised me to do eye exercises with him, but as I’ve done some research on-line it states exercises don’t help because it’s the nerve itself that needs to improve. He has been wearing an eye patch since he was diagnosed, but I’m concerned that his other eye will get weak. Overall, I’m just very worried because I want him to be back to his old self. He’s only 38 years old. We feel this condition was caused by his sugar dropping one evening to 42, that’s when he started complaining of headaches and double vision. Since then he’s been taking care of his sugar and making sure he keeps it in the normals. He hasn’t had any other tests done since he was diagnosed, however, he has a doctor’s appointment today, so we’ll see what happens. Thank you all for sharing your stories. I hope we are able to get more information about this condition in the future. I’ll keep you all posted!
I’ve noticed a trend in these posts among people who’ve gotten an MRI which comes back with no clue as to what’s causing the 6NP. You’d think an MRI could spot any unusual facet of the 6NP, such as an unusual mass pressing on the nerve, etc. Yet nothing!
Mg,
I had 2 MRI’S within 60 days of one another and neither showed anything that might be causing my 6np, which is now in the 10th month with no improvement. Three different Doctors told me I would have my normal vision back in 6-8 weeks.
Hi all, just wondered if anyone has had the 3T MRI? We finally have the funds to proceed with the test. The one I had a year ago showed nothing except the eye turning medially. I’m just curious if anyone has had that particular MRI. Vinnie…I’m sorry to hear you’re at 10 months now. I do know how you feel. I’ve had this for 20 months and you start wonder if it will ever be normal again. I sure would love to see the people who have written in about this post that they were over finally over it. Sure seems to me that with all the advances we have made in medicine that something would have been discovered that would take care of VI nerve palsy. I guess we’re all waiting on that one!
hi charlotte i wish i could say something different but i was the 4th person in the world (i am an aussie) to get my type of melanoma and am lucky to be here but the other stuff that comes with it sux. i got 6th nerve palsy bout 8mths ago and i just cant seem to get it better.i pray every nite that i wake up normal but not happenin.i have head mri every 3mth as well as pet and ct scans but all the story is they dont know why its happenin but ah well i have the best oncologists and surgeons and i figure i just got it as a side affect from well over 2200 stereo tactic radio therapies and surgeries in my noggin. i wake every day and wish it were gone but it aint. thanks for talkin ok mate and i hope ya do better soon matt
Hi all, I am just posting to let you know that my 6th nerve palsy has nearly 100% cleared up. So there is hope for all of you yet!!!
yeh phoebe i am so happy for ya that is awesome.how long did ya have it and did ya do any thing different. cheers matt
I have just been told that I have this 6th nerve palsy, it has been 2 months now, already seen the medical dr, had a MRI, seen an opthamologist and now seeing a neurologist this Friday. Oh I forgot about the optometrist who I saw first and game me glasses which the rx is now wrong, I still have to drive with one eye shut. I was also told that this might go away in a few months so if that is the case then why all these test and doctors???
“Sixth nerve palsies are the commonest oculomotor palsy. They have a spontaneous recovery rate in our series of 78.4%. Of the 16.4 % of patients who fail to recover, 40% have serious neurological disease accounting for their palsy. Therefore palsies unresolved by 16 weeks should be fully investigated to exclude an underlying neurological aetiology.”
http://www.nature.com/eye/journal/v9/n4/full/eye1995110a.html
Developed double vision over 4 day period. MRI and blood work clear. Diagnosed 6ONP. Next step Optometrist is suggesting is “eye mobility expert” and full neurological checkup. Think I’m going to wait on both until after 16 weeks. Going on 6 weeks. Eye mobility expert would be to discuss Botox injection or possible eye surgery. Dr. told me they take some muscle strands from the top and shift and attach them to the side. That sounds fun. Pain, pressure, and strain around eye and forehead have not been fun. Have prism glasses that take the edge off a little and just barely allow me to drive and work. Think my world would be a mess if I didn’t have them. 5th Acupuncture appt tomorrow and have been on Chinese herbs. Eye flush…something or other. Energy has been a little better from sessions but seems to make the pain and pressure worse each time I go. Never been before but was game. No idea is this is helping. Diet is good but I’m drinking on and off….seems like only thing that temporarily helps…my mood at the very least. Eye has really shifted towards the middle and becoming very self conscious. Thank you for sharing your journey’s. Very insightful and comforting….in a way.
Oh, this is where I say my church has been a great help. They have sacrificed 3 chickens, 1 goat, and 2 pigs. 3 virgins have also stepped up to help. I don’t know where I would be without them. Have faith and may MojoJojo bless you all.
Hi Patrick
Just an update, my vision is back to normal. Please keep up the dialogue,and vitamin B Complex take 4 per day.
Have faith
Kind regards
Glynis
Hi all, just wanted to post an update following my 3T mri w/wo contrast on monday. My neuro opthamologist said that it appears there is a probable intra-cavernous sinus lesion that is consistant with a meningioma. I still haven’t been able to get clarification on some questions I have but my neuro said that it’s in an inoperable position and it doesn’t go away. I am interested to find out since they have this imaging if they can compare it to the one I had a year ago when I had dealt with VI nerve for 9 months. It seems that something should have shown up a year ago since it showed with and without contrast. Has anyone out there heard of this? I’d really appreciate any input. I sure had hopes this would still resolve even though it’s been 20 months now. I really appreciate seeing any new updates that are posted and Glynis, congratulations on getting your normal vision back!
Charlotte
going on 2 month with 6 nerve palsy at first drs thought stroke keep me in hospital 2 days but after ct and mri came back negative they sent me to eye dr and found out i had this my sugar was high and blood pressure too im diabetic with no blood pressure problems but alot of stress.my dr said it will come back on its own usally with time and not to wear eye patch to work eyes better…im a truck driver and find it hard to drive or walk with both eyes open…goodluck to everyone and sure to get back to you all when better…
Here’s my story… about 3 1/2 weeks ago I had what I thou was a pimple at the bottom of my right nostril. Within a few days it became very swollen and painful. I went to an immediate care placed and the doctor prescribed bactrim and said it was staph. The swelling increased over the next few days and I returned to see the doctor who then prescribed another antibiotic keflex and referred me to a plastic surgeon to have it lanced. The surgeon lanced it and sent a culture off for testing and that night I became very ill and ran a high temp. This went on for two days until I returned to see the surgeon. He said it was mrsa and immediately put me in the hospital. I was switched to vancomyacin IV and later was put into icu for three days where they did an MRI and 2 CT scans and couldn’t pinpoint the location of the infection, so the gave me a spinal tap, negative. I began getting better and was taken out of icu. Within 24 hours I developed severe head and neck pain as a result of the spinal tap. It was excruciating and lasted for 8 days, in which I was bed ridden. The day I was able to get up and move around I noticed I couldn’t see clearly and by that night I was seeing double. I could only see clearly when I covered one of my eyes. Six days later I was referred to an optghomologist who diagnosed me with sixth nerve palsy and prescribed glasses with prisms. They are still trying to figure out whether the infection or the spinal tap caused it and they think I might have also had viral meningitis! The double vision is constant and so frustrating. Still waiting for my glasses to come in and praying the help. The opthamologist said it was temporary and would go away within six months. I hope she’s right because not only is the vision loss frustrating the way my eye is crossed makes me feel self conscious about my appearence.
Hi Glynis,
That’s great news. I am so happy for you. I think you are the only one here that has experienced intermittent 6NP and over multiple year periods. Keep taking you B Vitamins. Did you try anything different in your diet that you think might have helped you as well?
Don’t forget to update us with any information that you find on the “very northern Europe, wales Scotland etc. carry a genetic virus that can effect the sixth nerve”.
We will keep the Faith and Hope. Thank You Glynis.
Hello everyone,
Do any of you know if VI palsy diplopia always causes horizontal diplopia? Can it ever be vertical?
I would appreciate any feedback you can provide.
All good things,
Laura
Hi Laura,
My Mom had been diagnosed with 6NP and she tells me her double vision is more diagonal (similar to a stair step). So not completely horizontal or completely vertical, but somewhere in between.
Has any one else experienced a diagonal diplopia if there is such a term?
Patrick…
Patrick & Laura,
My 6NP diplopia was not always perfectly horizontal. It was definitely diagonal as well. It just depended on the angle, object, distance, etc. But I would probably describe what I had as more diagonol than horizontal. I know there is a thing such as vertical diplopia, but from what I read I am not sure that would be a 6NP thing. Might be something else, but don’t quote me.
To Everyone Else,
I am happy to say that my 6NP has fully gone away. It happened at about the 2 month mark but didn’t want to post anything until I was sure. And it definitely happened gradually. I am still getting slight double vision when drinking alcohol, and I never used to have that before my 6NP so I am thinking that maybe the nerve is still a little off somehow and alcohol triggers it. I am going to ask my neuro friend about it. But the good news for those of you who have recently developed 6NP without any other underlying issues is that it will most likely go away within a few months. 🙂 Hang in there everyone!
I just found out from several neighbors that one of my other neighbors is having eye problems and when I asked what she was experiencing it sounds like 6NP.
Two years ago in May, I was driving down the street and suddenly started seeing double. Over the next four or five days it progressively worsened. I was also prescribed the prisms that ‘stick on’ your glasses, but, I wanted to be able to see clearly and it doesn’t really allow that. I spent the money and purchased glasses. I ended up getting two pair because from the time I ordered the first glasses until I received them, my eyes had worsened and they didn’t help. I finally got the right prisms (biopters (?) of 25 split between two lenses – looked like coke bottle bottoms!). After all the CT scans, MRI’s and visits to the doctor, I was finally diagnosed with a small stroke to the 6th nerve. I was told that it usually corrects within 90 days or so. My doctor has prescribed one aspirin daily rather than the baby aspirin I used to take. This is a precaution because of the stroke factor. I am not suggesting that anyone take a full aspirin until you talk to your own doctor as too much can cause other problems.
By September of 2010 my vision was almost back to normal. Prior to the incident, I had not needed glasses for distance and now I do need them to enjoy TV. I don’t require them to drive though.
I am so happy that my vision is now normal as it was a very frightening experience and a very long 90 days.
Best of luck to all of you going through this now.
ASre diference in the gamaglobulin by brands or it is btter to take in the unatates
My issues started 4 weeks ago with double vision after a visit to Ophthalmologist dilated my eye Have had 2 CT scans and as MRI as well as much blood work all showing nothing Currently left eye lid is drooping significantly Dr feels is related ro my Type II diabetes Hope to clear within 90 days
difficult to deal with depth perception with one eye closed all the time
On September 3rd I was diagnosed with 6np. Iam 42 Years old and have had Type 1 diabetes for 16 years..Just recently diagnosed with high blood pressure and Have also had a thyroid problem for 12 years. I woke up one morning with a realy bad head ache took some Aleve and around 3 that afternoon was seeing double. It came on fast and it scared me. they thought that I was having a mini stroke. Had the MRI , Blood tests went to 2 diferent eye Dr’s and then was finally told by my Family Dr. that it could be 6np so i went bback to my Eye Dr. and he confirmed it . I was told that it could last anywhere from a day to 6 months. It is very hard for me to deal with because i already have a stability problem with Neropothy in my feet now my balance is off with 6np. I cant work now and I dont knw what to do….I have 5 children and home and No help. I hope that this will resolve soon….. Thanks for just letting me air out my frustrations….
On September 3rd I was diagnosed with 6np. Iam 42 Years old and have had Type 1 diabetes for 16 years..Just recently diagnosed with high blood pressure and Have also had a thyroid problem for 12 years. I woke up one morning with a realy bad head ache took some Aleve and around 3 that afternoon was seeing double. It came on fast and it scared me. they thought that I was having a mini stroke. Had the MRI , Blood tests went to 2 diferent eye Dr’s and then was finally told by my Family Dr. that it could be 6np so i went back to my Eye Dr. and he confirmed it . I was told that it could last anywhere from a day to 6 months. It is very hard for me to deal with because i already have a stability problem with Neropothy in my feet now my balance is off with 6np. I cant work now and I dont knw what to do….I have 5 children and home and No help. I hope that this will resolve soon….. Thanks for just letting me air out my frustrations….
Hi Guys
Just an update my vision is about 95% corrected now since i first developed this at the end of July, i can still feel a bit of pain in my optic nerve but glad to see singular vision has now returned.
Had the MRI as well which didn’t show anything.
I started taking Aspirin as well which i think helped quite a lot after taking advice from my auntie who had 6NP due to a blood clot.
I’m not sure if it was just time that healed me or the combination of daily B vitamins, ibuprofen, aspirin, eye drops that i took and also patching my eye but i hope that they helped.
All i can say is if you had Idiopathic 6NP like myself take vitamins and if you are able to, then take aspirin and ibuprofen to thin your blood and reduce any swelling but check with your doc first.
I noticed my nasal passages were bunged up during this period as well so clean them out by blowing your nose regularly or using a salt solution to perform a nasal flush.
Drink lots of water and get plenty of sleep/relaxation.
With everything i’ve gone through this year i’m so happy i’ll be able to get back to living my normal life again.
Keep hope people as with time most likely you will recover quicker if its not linked to anything and wish you all a speedy recovery
I’m 72 and was just diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy. Started with terrible pressure and pain in right eye. I thought it was maybe glaucoma. Went to my eye doctor and she wanted me to get CT scan and MRI. Thought maybe having a stroke in eye…not so…had all the tests and 6th nerve palsy is what they have determined and was told it would last about 2 months. I have a eye patch, but hard to use with glasses..its just better closing my eye…so very afraid I was losing my eye sight…this came on very sudden. One day slight head ache and 5 days later this….I have no other problems otherwise health.It is just frustrating and slows me down way to much. I.m very independent and keep busy helping others so I really didn.t feel I had time to be sick ever…what a surprise…Good Luck to all of us that have this problem. I had never ever heard of this before and did not realize just how many people have this problem.
its amazing that there are so many cases of this happening yet they have no idea the cause.
Hi I got it on 13 February – but realise now that it had been coming on for a while – I had seen left eye drifting but thought that was me seeing things! Whipps Cross Hospital have been great – alltests OK but 5.9 cholestorol spotted- now down to 4.9. I decided to try acupuncture and found this calming if nothing else. Last two checkups show significant improvement, Worse when I am tired or on the computer too long but generally since I was told I hadn’t had a stroke or got a tumour I can’t get too upset – I can see and am alive. Good luck all
Hi all,
I developed this annoyance in May during a sinus infection. After the myriad of tests with all negative results I went to my internist for help (was seeing Neuro opth). She of course did tons of blood work and found my Vitamin B/D a bit low and also that I had hypo-thyroidism. Don’t just get your TSH tested but the antibodies as well. I was put on meds in Aug. and my near vision has returned to “normal” but my distance is still off. I am able to drive without covering one eye though and the road is not all helter skelter like before, so improvement! I would suggest getting your thyroid tested because your thyroid is involved with all the cells in the body. Good luck everyone!
I’m coming up on my annual appointment with my opthamologist and I’ve got a feeling my 6NP has worsened.
After I was first diagnosed in 2010, I would gauge how bad my 6NP was day-to-day by looking at a big sign at the end of a hallway at my workplace. If the images of two signs were close together, I knew my 6NP wouldn’t be too much of a bother at work that day. Now the images of the sign are so far apart it’s as if there’s only one image.
I used to be able to nearly “merge” images together by tilting my head up while gazing at the image. No more. I can’t get the moon to get any closer to the other moon.
I’m also starting to worry if the 6NP in my left eye is making my right eye develop bad habits while trying to compensate.
Guess I’ll know in a few weeks. I just hope the doc doesn’t tell me to wait another year. I’m sick of double vision. I want to drive with confidence. I want to play catch with my kids again without looking like a feeble ole man out there. I’m ready for the next step — strabismus surgery if necessary.
My opthamologist supposedly is one of the top 25 in the US and is an expert in strabismus surgery, but he acts as if doesn’t seem to want to deal with me, even though I’m probably a gold mine to him due to this rare condition.
Wish me luck!
MG, really sorry to hear about your continuing situation. I do know how you feel. I’m coming up on 2 years of this and I would really like to get “back to normal” again. I am supposed to meet a neurosurgeon to look at the results from the 3T mri I had a month ago. My first one didn’t show anything but this one showed the intracavernous sinus lesion or meningioma. I still am waiting to find out why something didn’t show the first time around when I had already had VI nerve for 9 months. At this point the only hope that is even possible is eye muscle transposition surgery to try to straighten the eye. There’s a lot of scary stuff out there if you start looking up some of the facts. I’m hoping my appt. this Thurs. will add some clarity. I had read that a meningioma can be treated with gamma knife radiation but according to my neuro opth. it doesn’t seem that is an option because of the location and potential damage to other nerves, etc. It sure seems like there doesn’t appear to be too many options for most people on this site. I keep hoping to see improvement posts. I think it encourages us all.
hi to mg and charlotte i have it in my left eye and they say mine came from my melanoma treatments. i am the 4th person in the world to get this type of melanoma and it cant be caught i have had over 2200 stereo tactic radio therapies and then i stoped countin at that point snd all the side effects suck let me tell ya palsy of the 6th cranial nerve my left eye sux and it dont seem to be gettin better i have had it now for 12mth and i hate it. i had brain surgery 2weeks ago and was hoping my eye would get better but they were lookin at one of 3 things and it turned out to be necrosis on me brain but a well i wish i could see properly
I had my first sign of 6NP about 6 years ago. It only lasted for 2 weeks. It came back about 6 weeks ago with vengance. It affects my left eye. Have gone to my medical doctor, neuro doctor and optomatologist(sp.)I have had all of the blood work, ct scans, mri’s, etc. Nothing has showed up. The opto dr. finally diagnosed me with 6NP. Said that it is idiopathic-no known cause and no known treatment. he prescribed steroids for two weeks-have not helped. I am now taking one aspirin a day. Gald that I found this site and know that I am not alone in this supposedly rare disease. I do not have high blood pressure nor do I have diabetes. The opto dr. says that he feels that stress and lack of rest are the main cause. Trying to reduce my stress level and get more rest. Thanks for all of your comments.
had 6NP after a car accident a little over 3 months ago. I’m happy to announce I’m now about 90% cured of the disorder. Only a little double vision at the very rear (ear) side of my left eye.
It’s never a devastating situation. Just need you to be patience cos it will surely all be a thing of the past soon.
I’m 75 year old and have had a very active and healthy life and for that I am very grateful. Three weeks ago my ladder slipped out doors and I landed on my fanny 8′ down in soft dirt.
The next day I began to notice I was seeing side by side double. Since then I’ve seen just about all the doctors and done all the tests, all are negative. I am coping and do have pretty normal vision out to 24-27″..thus far no driving our motorcycling riding. My eye doctor laughed when I came to him with all my test data and scans and told me all it was a terrible waste of money. He did however order a glucose tolerance test him self and indicated the 6th facial occular motor nerve palsy was the cause of my double vision..he simply said it will go away in 4-6 months on its own..I hope he is correct.
I’m 75 year old and have had a very active and healthy life and for that I am very grateful. Three weeks ago my ladder slipped out doors and I landed on my fanny 8′ down in soft dirt.
The next day I began to notice I was seeing side by side double. Since then I’ve seen just about all the doctors and done all the tests, all are negative. I am coping and do have pretty normal vision out to 24-27″..thus far no driving our motorcycling riding. My eye doctor laughed when I came to him with all my test data and scans and told me all it was a terrible waste of money. He did however order a glucose tolerance test him self and indicated the 6th facial occular motor nerve palsy was the cause of my double vision..he simply said it will go away in 4-6 months on its own..I hope he is correct. Jack S..Oct 24,2012
Hi and thanks to all you brave people esp. Patrick,I was diagnosed with 6np Oct 2011 severe double visionstarted after 3 weeks of severe headaches. mri etc no reasons were found. .after approx 3 months woke up with it completely gone.In the last week I have felt it may be coming back, same “fizzy” feeling in the same side of my nose,a very tender feeling in the same (right) side of my scull. last night as I started to become rather concerned about my symptoms I, for the first time ever, googled 6np and found your site, I am a Christian and felt very emotional as i started to read all post from beginning of site. Have read whole post now and so many similarities except I have seen no mention of scalp tenderness. Sorry for length of 1st post but i am so grateful to you all for making me feel almost “normal” to have this problem. God bless you all Esther
sorry to reappear so soon, just thought to say that I am v happy to answer any questions and that my vision was both double and “fourfold” ?? if that makes sense.
Hi Esther, sorry to hear that you may be having another bout with VI nerve. If you’ve read all the posts you will see what my situation has been. It’s been almost 2 years for me and because of its cause my only hope is possible surgery to my eye to try to line it up but the doctors have to make sure the meningioma doesn’t get larger and potentially affect other nerves. About the tenderness, I have had problems with that. I have no answers as to why but the left side of my head and sometimes the back left part of my head is tender and the back left is often very painful, much like an isolated headache. Other than this sight I have still never found anyone who has had this or knows anyone else who has either. It’s a very isolated feeling. I’ve had to modify so much of what I do, even to the point of the way my eyes function in particular environments, ie stores, flourescent lighting etc. Shopping is very hard and I rarely go shopping unless I know exactly where things are. I’ve found blocking my left lense on my sunglasses helps outside but doesn’t do much when I’m indoors. I still pray daily that somehow God will see fit to heal the problem that is causing this. I wish you all the best and I trust if this is trying to come back that it will be very short lived for you. My doctors haven’t given me any human “hope” other than the possibility of eye surgery itself. Keep us posted on your progress. I would like to see how some are dealing with this when indoors or doing simple tasks like shopping. The one thing that bothers me most is that I feel like my independence is slipping away. I have 2 young grandson’s and I hope to stay as active as possible. Sorry for the long reply but if you have any questions I would be happy to answer anyway I can. God bless!
My vision doubled in the middle of the afternoon during a stressful time a work. It’s been almost two weeks. Was diagnosed with cranial nerve palsy. Now I’m in the wait and see mode, I’m a graphic artist and web designer and programmer so clarity and color is such a critical part of my career. Everything is so flat and dull in a world looking through a patch. Hope it comes back. 🙁 so sad.
3 1/2 months now. Pain has increased significantly. Sharp stabbing pain around/behind affected eye. Headache from temple to temple, entire forehead, and top of scalp is tender to touch. Worried about my ability to continue to work and provide for family. Spent the entire weekend in bed. Headache and pain do not go away anymore. I have decided to try and get appt with neuro opthomologist as I don’t know what else to do. None of the Migraine meds work. Have not tried opiates yet. Xanax and Soma help as they sedate me to a point that I don’t care about the pain as much. Cold compress seem to help too. Funny to hear about peoples experiences at the grocery store, crowds, etc…too true! This thing sux. Depressed, wife is not happy/understanding, feeling helpless. After trying so many different things…I think “Dawns” plan seems to make the most sense. I’m going to throw on Elderberry and Billberry (suggestion from someone else) just for good luck. Thank you for all your posts. I read them from time to time when I’m really down….like now.
hi Charlotte thanks so much for your reply, I am wondering how you got on at neuro (Ithink you were going 11th?) Your posts are always so brave and positive even though you are having such a struggle.I thought I would send a few short bits of info : I am 62 and live in England. Were it not for PATRICK taking the trouble to explain how to navigate the ” leave a comment section ” I could never have used it. I woke up one day with complete double vision after 3 weeks of headaches. headaches completely disappeared with dble vision onset. After approx 3months I woke up with clear vision back. I had all the usual mri etc, but no treatment and did not alter nor add to my diet. As you say Charlotte so little seems to be known about this condition maybe medics could read these posts and find some common threads. God Bless , Esther
Hi Esther, to answer your first question on my neuro…I basically have gotten the facts as to what was my underlying cause, which as I indicated before is a meningioma in the intracavernous sinus that is inoperable. I still have never gotten a clear understanding as to why the first mri didn’t show anything even though I had been dealing with this for 9 months at that point. My biggest frustration is how to deal day to day with this. I see better with contacts than glasses but I do block my left lense when I’m wearing sunglasses which allows some functionality but limits depth perception. It has never even been brought up about prisms and as you’ve probably already read, the reviews are definitely mixed on that. I wish I could find a way to deal with this when I try to shop (which, by the way, I’m not a big shopper to start with!) even for groceries or just basic needs. Thankfully, God has given me a terrific husband who is willing to do this for me. I can only manage one or two store visits in any given day. I usually go online to find what I need and where to go and stick with stores that I’m most familiar with the layout. I will have another visit the end of November. If I get any helpful information I will certainly pass it along. I have begun to wonder how many of the ones who have had MRI’s have actually had the 3T. It is more advanced and was the one that actually showed up the problem I have. It is hard to stay upbeat, especially since I have 2 little grandson’s that I have on a regular basis and try to act like everything is normal. I still pray that somehow this situation will heal on its own even though the doctors have given me no hope of that. I sure wish you all the best. I would feel like I had been given a 2nd chance if I woke up with normal vision again! Take care and keep me posted Esther! God bless!
Hi fellow 6th abducens nerve palsy friends! I am 17 years old and was diagnosed with this on October 14th ’12, and it seemed that no doctors at the hospital nor neurology offices knew why or what the cause was, until I found a NEURO ONCOLOGY office in PALM BEACH FL. I went there today for my first visit and the doctor IMMIDEIATLY knew how to treat it. I just got my spinal tap results in, resulting in bacterial meningitis and was right away prescribed Prednisone (steroids), anti bacterial medication, and prism glasses. I have been informed that these steroids will bring positive results in 3 days(min) to 2 weeks(max). I suggest that any of you fellow nerve palsy sufferers go to the eye institute in palm beach fl if you live here! It’s NUMBER 1 in the USA! Ill let you know what my ending results are in a week!
Hi fellow 6th abducens nerve palsy friends! I am 17 years old and was diagnosed with this on October 14th 2012, and it seemed that no doctors at the hospital nor neurology offices knew why or what the cause was, until I found a NEURO ONCOLOGY office in PALM BEACH FL. I went there today for my first visit and the doctor IMMIDEIATLY knew how to treat it. I just got my spinal tap results in, resulting in bacterial meningitis and was right away prescribed Prednisone steroids, anti bacterial medication, and prism glasses. I have been informed that these steroids will bring positive results in 3 days min to 2 weeks max. I suggest that any of you fellow nerve palsy sufferers go to the eye institute in palm beach fl if you live here! It’s NUMBER 1 in the USA! Ill let you know what my ending results are in a week!
allie t i hope it works for ya please post one way or the other ok and as i live in australia now i will look into where to go to get what you got to fix it i have had mine for tem months now and i hate it thanks matt
matt you may have seen my new posts as a joiner but having read all the posts right from start I was wondering where you had gone and hoping the best for you.glad to see you still fighting the fight Having just read ellie’s post I wish her all the best and she has made me think I ought to ask for a spinal tap (i think here in England it is same as lumbar puncture?)as my 6np has come back with a venganceand that is one thing i have not had.love and hugs to you all Esther
Dear Charlotte having now had time to read your latest post again ,I can empathise with the grandcildren problem. I too have had to change arrangements for them. they were and of course still are ,my hobby and my life. My 6 yr old granddaughter has a severe squint,in her right eye, various specs and pretty patches have made no improvement. she has had this for a few years and when my eye “went stuck to my nose” I was worried she would be distressed. NO . she said “Granny, stop trying to make a game with your eyes, it’s not funny.She will have an operation in the next few weeks to mend problem?? please God. like you Charlotte it changes your relationship with them. prev. I did , and enjoyed so much, the school run and also the after school stuff ,however you and I both still have that contact and too many people are isolated and frightened by this scary problem.So lets count our blessing, worry for only one hour per day max any longer is a silly hobby. love and hugs esther
hello esther i have been here but not writing its been hard as i dont remember what i have said about this as it seems to be a thing that happened cause of my melanoma. i am the 4th person in the world to get this type of melanoma and its in me head an brain and had over 2200 radiations and stereo tactic radiations and they cant tell me much about that or me 6th neve palsy or my speech all i can say is its pretty tough and i look on here most every day to learn more and big thanks for all ya positive thoughts and hugs and love and right back to you esther ok love matt
esther and matt: i hope all works out for you all. it is a really horrible condition and its scary how it just happens over night, but yes esther a spinal tap is the same as a lumbar puncture here too. but yes you should also think about getting bloodwork tested for CRP- C reactive protein.
Dear matt, i just read your last blog and i cant believe that has happened to you. i will pray for you, as well as for everyone else who is sick. it must be so hard on you wondering what is going on with you and your health without getting very many answers. i couldnt imagine what kind of stress, anxiety, and pain you must be going through. gosh, id be so scared. i pray that all clears up and goes well for you… P.S They said that if its vascular that the steroids wont help, but if it is viral like mine and yours, the steroids will help. i hope the best for you. much love, allie taylor
hi matt and thanks so much for responding, glad you like the positive thoughts, i cant take any credit for them as i discovered accidentally ,when i suddenly had one, that they are more cheery, even if its a tiny thing,like learning to count to ten in acouple of foreign languages or a big decision to plan a trip which you may make,after all if a miracle happens you have to be ready, i chose a place id like to visit (mine was venice, although the news is venice is flooded today (( i thought that was its whole point?)) and i am really ejoying choosing my route , probable good prices, and places to stay .when you get into it lots of backpackers and even comfortwanters leave messages on forums about: what to see, where is good value ,where to eat well for small money etc and hey if we are not well enough just yet we can go later,love and hugs esther
many thanks to allie and esther it means a lot to me ok this is the hardest thing i have ever done in my life and well sometimes i think i am loosing as it keeps taking away from me but then i turn around and think more positive its the hardest thing i have ever done and it gets a bit much sometimes like when they say that 2 of the first 4 have passed away that gets tough but then i think and hope that me being the 4th in the world to get this type of melanoma along with this 6th nerve palsy well i pray and hope that number 5 or 6 gets fixed as they learn more about it of me again many thanks and good thoughts and love to you guys ok matt
i love hearing from you guys it really helps me thru and ask any thing you may want to know ok this site and you 2 are awesome ok love and best thoughts to you ok matt
Hi and hugs to you all Had some more tests today so obviosly nothing to report as yet. hope you are all (keeping on never minding) as my late Australian Father always told us to do. How are you all doing with your tests, non-tests and general fight against this horror of a thing love prayers and big hugs esther
hey esther are you from australa thats where i live now again . i also lived in the usa cape cod for 13 yrs and i can say that i feel lucky to be the 4th in the world to get this melanoma living in australia again and i got the best docs in the world to try and fix me
hi matt and best wishes from uk. i have never been to australia althogh my late father was born there and came to uk as a child with his family.i do have , proudly hanging on a wall in my home, a citizen of Australia certificate.. My grandmother , paternal, encouraged all of her many grandchildren in uk to ” quickly, apply while you can, never know what might happen in this strange world ” I think,having seen 2 world wars and lost relatives in both she must have thought everyone may need an “out” someday, bless her. I think you sound very lucky in the hospital attention you are getting, ours is very overstretched and getting worse. I paid for my mri about , three thousand pounds because the nat health docs said urgent to have it but could not give a probable date. I am not paying for any more stuff on a “need to know basis” as no longer want to here that they dont know much! anyway glad you are getting good support .and as your situation is so unusual you could be in the guiness book of word records YET for getting fixed up, take care,love and hugs esther
hi esther i have had stereo tactic radio surgery/therapy and that i stoped counting at 2200 in 2 goes and about 50 standard radiation treatments so i hope this hyper system works which i start in about jan16, love to you for your thoughts and wishes and cause i hope you get better soon ok . matt
hi matt, sorry no response from me recently , have been a little unwell from asthma and (as always follows) chest infection treated by steroids. I do know that my first bout of 6np followed a similar route of steroids but im not sure i could have breathed without them when the asthmatic bronchitis gets really bad. I have had the asthma etc from 2 years old and many times been pumped oxygen etc and a kind of tent to help the breathing, i am well used to all that and doesnt scare me . i have been told the steroids can be dangerous (for bones etc) but when i am really bad they make a difference, so you make your choices. having thought i was in charge of my mortality, along comes 6np, ulcerated stomach,told spine fusion needed. very high bp, not responding to meds and , yee haa haemmoroids!!!!! actually called ‘piles’ in uk hope someone can tell us why that is, they certainly feel like someone is piledriving part of your body. matt iam only sharing all this with you as i know you must be out of your mind with questions and boredom,and i know YOU know its not get sympathy from you, if this has sparked a reply from you, good, if not, rest easy, float as best you can, love hugs and prayers for you and all the other POSTERS,i would please encourage you all to give vent to you’re thoughts and feeling on this wonderful site we will always answer you . maybe youwant advice about cat litter we will not laugh xxx esther
ah esther this sux big time eh,i dont know what to think of all this stuff thats wrong with me but i am lucky i got some of the best docs in oz to try and get me better,i hope and pray that after february when i finish my times in the hyperbaric chamber that i am somewhat better and i pray to get 12mth to 2yrs so i can be a fair bit better physically and mentally so i can visit all me friends to say my goodbyes and have my plans all done. i hope you get better esther and i will say a prayer for ya ok mate . as i said i am the 4th in the world to get this type of melanoma and i am happy that i meet people like you that i can be honest and tell ya what its like and you know most of it as well ok so i will not ignore ya mate thats for sure ok love and best thoughts to ya mate ok matt
Hi,
Three weeks ago I started getting double vision and was diagnosed with the sixth nerve palsy. Had MRI and blood work, all came out clean thank God. So far, the doctor does not know why and keeps mentioning that it may very likely just resolve itself in a few weeks to a few months. The week before I started it, I was having a lot of trouble with my contact lenses which was really straining my eye. I also work a computer based job, so by the end of the day, my eyes would be super tired and sensitive to light. Then I started feeling a bit dizzy and got headaches.A few days later, I started getting double vision. In my opinion, the eye strain had something to do with it, but none of the doctors seem to care for that bit of info. so maybe my self-diagnosis is wrong, but thats just how it started for me. Anyway, this is the 3rd week, I’m hoping it will go away soon so that I can get back to life. Its just not the same with a patch on.
Thank you all for posting your stories here, it really helps a lot to see that you’re not alone and to hear it from someone with first had experience. God Bless you all and I wish you all the very best of luck.
hi matt,good on ya for talking the fight as ever im sure you are helping lots of the less voluable people ,you certainly help me with your jolly banter which must take a lot of bravery love hugs and prayers Esther ALSO HI TO RANI Thanks to all the good wishes to us all all the best possible to you. I did laugh out loud at your phrase’but none of the drs seemed to care for that bit of info'”!!!!!!!!!!! We have definately all been at the ‘please explain tell me everything’ which is then moved to a different tack because (only my opinion) they dont know an answer even though there seem to be so many of us . Just a thought have you been tested for, ILL SUSTAINED RETENTION, which is when one or two pupils fail to react correctly to light .I had this a few years ago and a patch did help for a while. Dont stop asking your medics, after all you are their source of income and also their learning curve .blessings to all Estherxxxx
As I expected, my opthamologist said little about my 6NP at my annual checkup, but said I needed a new prescription because my eyesight had worsened to 20-30 in my left eye. But he didn’t write me a stronger prescription for prisms because he thought they’d be too thick. I’d take Coke bottle lenses if they could get me to see one image again.
I think I’m done with him trying to help me with my 6NP. Time to talk to neurologists only.
I was diagnosed with 6NP in my left eye, but it’s my right eye that turns in in photos. However, if I focus real hard and try to make my right eye my dominant eye – which is tougher than it sounds and only lasts a few seconds – my left eye seems to turn in until my left eye takes over as my seemingly dominant eye.
Rani,
I too have had eye strain for four years before my 6np. Seems to have progressively gotten worse. Same as you, all 3 drs have dismissed this.
Going on 4 1/2 months now and recently seen a neuro op. More blood work and orbital ultra sound came back negative. Next up, spinal tap. Headaches are 24/7 and getting worse. Gave in and now trying opiates. Hydrocodone doesn’t work well for me. Fioricet/codeine is working pretty well but I just got them today. Otherwise it’s been a steady diet of Xanax, Soma, Advil, and Tylenol.
stay strong guys stay strong
Hello Everyone,
My name is Brian and I am 56 years old. On Nov. 1 of this year I woke up seeing double. I had been having headaches for about 2 weeks prior to the double vision, which is very rare for me. Up until this time I have been quite healthy for my entire life. Proper blood pressure, bmi, that kind of thing. Both symptoms together made me think I had a brain tumor pressing on my brain and optic nerves. A mri with dye confirmed that there had been no stroke or tumor. My doctor referred me to a ophthalmologist, who diagnosed the 6np.
When I was trying to find out what was going on with my vision, I just closed my right eye and used my dominant left eye. After diagnosis I got an eye patch and put in on my right eye. After a few days of that I switched it to the left eye while watching tv. Maybe 15 minutes later I got up and tried to walk into the kitchen and almost fell over. Loss of equilibrium. So I switched it back. Several days later I looked in the mirror with the patch off to evaluate my eyes. I noticed that when I turned my head side to side, my right eye tracked properly but my left eye would only go from straight ahead and to the right. It would not rotate to the left. I started wearing the patch on the left eye and life has gotten a lot easier. I can drive again, something that was like driving in the twilight zone with the wrong eye covered.
There have been a few mornings that I have gotten up and had some improvement but not in the last couple of weeks.
I have yet to find anything that I could do before that I can’t do now. It just takes me a little longer. This has taught me a lot about being patient, something that I had very little of prior to this.
I am concentrating on the fact that this is not some terminal disease, even if it is a major inconvenience.
Stay strong everyone.
Brian
I first posted here in the middle of October when i first got CNP. I had so many questions in the beginning. My doctor said mine was the worst case he had ever seen. I had no horizontal movement at all in my right eye. I just wanted to encourage those who are new to this and are scared or confused. My friend who is an eye doctor confirmed that the ‘wait and see’ diagnosis is not insane but very ‘normal’. After ruling out the more serious causes my doc thinks it was a virus. I’ve been taking b-12 in both shots and pills. I’ve also been taking other immune building vitamins. Every day it gets a little bit better. For me it’s a gradual improvement. I first noticed single vision again when I looked down closeup. Then 3 or 4 feet away to the left only. Then 3 or 4 feet away a little past right. Now I can see the tv across the room if I raise my chin so that I’m looking through the bottom part of my eyes. I still can’t see distance which probably requires the most movement to align properly. I’m reading this post with both eyes! I’m so happy its coming back. Also, when it first happened i didn’t know how I was going to cope with one eyed driving etc. After a few weeks it’s something you get used to. Be encouraged and hang in there.
Hi Teresa,
I have posted here in the past regarding my Mom’s 6NP (sixth nerve palsey). Her condition has not changed. Mom just had a visit with her eye doctor last week and all of the technical tests for the cataract watch (rear capsule becoming cloudy) and Macular Degeneration (dry early stage) are stable. As far as the 6NP they really don’t have any clue. My mom had issues with some eye discharge early in the morning where the outside corners of both eyes were a little crusty. She was given a prescription on anti-biotics Eurythomicin (sp?). We apply some each night at bedtime into the bottom inside eye lid. After one week the morning eye crustyness seems to be going away.
I am glad you are doing better. Learn as much as you can about your immune system and nutrition. Try to seek out foods that provide the vitamins and minerals that you need versus relying on pills and shots. Many of the pills use inferior ingredients and have fillers. There is nothing better that natural.
I am wondering if you have experienced any type of dry eye or discharge that may provide a clue that you may have had some type of virus or bacteria? When doctors make these comments, don’t they have a way of testing the moisture in an eye for a virus or bacterial infection? If not, can they take a blood test? Maybe blood tests for the eye are not possible. If not, is it something internal which is harder to test for?
My questions above can be directed to anyone on this web site that has posted their stories and status on their ongoing condition.
I don’t understand why these eye nerve palsey’s are such a mystery to the eye health profession. I guess there is not enough research or studies done to try and learn the root causes of these issues. The answer has to be out there somewhere. We cannot give up and must keep trying to solve this mystery.
Patrick…
hi guys i am starting in the hyperbaric chamber at prince of wales hospital jan 16 for my brain necrosis which started cause i have had over 2200 srereo tactic radiation surgeries to my head to try and get my melanoma cancer out but it did not work. it has effected a lot in me head and the 6th nerve palsy is one of them so i am hoping the chamber helps me with my eyesight as well as the melanoma ask any questions ya want and as i have been doing this for 6years now i will answer any i can ok also my email if ya want some privacy is as follows ok matthew_e_griffiths@yahoo.com.au so feel free to ask away ok many thanks matt
I’ve had 6th nerve palsy for about six years now. Unlike some of the people who have commented on here mine doesn’t come and go but has been permanent all of that time. Despite tests and scans no reason has ever been found. I wear a prism in my glasses and this suits me very well. I can still drive and live a perfectly normal life, in fact I even sometimes forget I’ve got a problem.
hello pat i have the same problem as you and just want to ask is the prism stick to your glasses or not and i would like to try if its not the same as the clear plastic thing they stick on my glasses and it has kind of thin ridges running from top to bottom of my glass is it the same as yours thanks matt
My 16 month old daughter was just diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy. She has a MRI scheduled in two days time. She just finished a round of antibiotics for an ear infection caused by a nasty upper respitory infection. Praying the MRI comes back normal.
Pat, I envy the fact that prisms apparently have allowed you to see a single image again. When I got my prescription glasses with prisms two years ago, I could see fine and thought my troubles were over. But within two weeks, the 6NP somehow overcame the prisms. Now my double vision is the same when I wear the glasses or not. The only difference is the twin images are nice and clear when I have my glasses on!
Hi Sarah,
We are sorry to hear about your daughter and her 6NP. We hope all of her tests come back normal. Please let us know know how she makes out and if the doctors come to any conclusions.
I believe this is the first case I have read about on this web site in which an infant baby was diagnosed. This tells me that neither age, stress, or a long term diet habits may not be the cause of these various nerve palsy’s. A few contributors on this web site have indicated that their doctor thought the cause may have been related to a virus but were not sure. If your daughter was on antibiotics, that would indicate she had a bacterial infection. If either a viral or bacterial infection may be the cause, it may be the kind that is very subtle and hard to detect and get rid of, especially if the doctors do not know what the ultimate cause may be and how to treat it.
Does any one else on this web site have any possible thoughts on the virus or bacteria theory?
Do any of you have minor sinus or throat issues that have been persistent over your time which might be correlated with your nerve palsy’s?
My mom has minor sinus and throat flem issues certain times of the day, which we always related to prescription pill side effects.
Patrick…
Hello Everyone,
I am writing to update what I posted on 12-6-12. Tomorrow will mark 7 weeks since I started seeing double. I would like to share some of my experiences with you.
As I said in my previous post, I had some improvements in the first week or two, but that there has not been much change in the last 4 weeks or so. So I finally decided to start alternating the patch that I have been wearing from one eye to the other. The results were dramatic. Within a day I started to see a larger area that was not double. I am still alternating the patch several times a day.
My opathamologist told me that eye exercises would not help. I think he was right to a point. I think that until the nerve heals, exercises probably won’t help much. But as the nerve heals, I think it is good to exercise both eyes. At first when I moved the patch over to my right eye, I could hardly walk. My equilibrium was messed up. Now I can change the patch back and forth with no problems walking.
I hope that if you are reading this, you get better soon. I told my wife a couple of weeks ago that the only thing that I want for Christmas is to see single vision again.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone.
Brian
Brian that is really good news. I totally agree with you as far as what you want for Christmas. In my case, it would have to be a Christmas miracle because with the type of tumor(meningioma) that I have the outlook isn’t looking that great. After more than 2 years of this it would be wonderful if there was still some way to strengthen the lateral rectus muscle so that the eye would learn to function but our eyes aren’t made that way. The VI nerve is so small but sure carries a lot of weight when it comes to vision. I trust you get your wish for Christmas!
HI again! Just an update from my November 20th comment. My double vision gradually went away about 3 weeks ago. I had started taking vitaminA, B12, and Fish oil so im not sure if that might have sped up the process.. its really tough to tell when its starting to come back. Other people told me it looks a little better but i would be suspicious that they are just trying to keep me positive. I could somehow feel a tiny bit of change and as though it was getting better but was too scared to believe myself incase it was false hopes. But little by little I could see more progress and over about a two week period it became so much better and then went away. Howeverr..that wasnt a complete end of the problem…I noticed that if I strain my eye too much by staring at the computer or phone or tv over a long period of time…it will slight come back for a few moments as I look in either far right OR FAR LEFT! :-/ … which is weird because so far the double vision was the most worst looking to the right and it would go away as I looked to the extreme left.. so no idea how to explain that. I will mention this to my neurologist when I go back so lets see if I find a creative answer to it. I was scheduled for another MRI with contrast but the neurologist said that if its getting better than I may hold off on it for a bit… Im not sure how to feel in gollow ups when I can tell that he feels a pressure to have answers that he clearly doesn’t have.. so he keeps listing the different possibilities for the problem..mostly his concern for MS… while that relieves his pressure for having an answer..at the same time, he did just tell a 23 year old that her life mightt possibly have ended..and then smiled in the next sentence..-.-… lol. Im glad that he’s not letting his patients miseries under his skin though..I cant imagine how depressing some of his cases might be. My respects to all the doctors out there! Its a hard job. Anyywayy… back to the doubke vision, for me it seems to add up to where the cause is eye strain, sadly the doctor doesn’t buy it..but I cant ignore the fact that “Rani + too much eye strain = double vision coming back” EVERY TIME… basic math tells me that the “x” in this equation would equal to “eye strain”…
Does anyone else have the same experience regarding the eye strain? Please let me know… and I hope you all the very best! Stick in there and stay strong 🙂 every dark night ends at dawn and theres a dawn for every dark night
My 6th Nerve Palsy began in 1997 while I was pregnant with my daughter. I have had every test known completed and all negative. I went to John Hopkins and had the Mayo Clinic check everything out. I was told by numerous doctors that I was a medical mystery and sent home. My symptoms start as sever pain, almost like fire behind my left eye and left side of my brain. I also have pain radiating up the left back side of my neck, close to the spine. I was diagnosed last year with shingles and was told to get the vaccination. My left eye pulls into my nose and the pain stops as soon as the eye has completely moved (crossed). My pain usually lasts a week sometimes two weeks. Over the past twelve years, this occurs every four to six months, the timing varied greatly. Numerous MRIs and CTs have only shown sinus congestion on the left sinus cavity. So, I try to keep a check on sinus infections. After years of being told I was a medical mystery. I did not see a doctor for the problem for years until this past year. I did have the shingles vaccination and went a year without any episodes. I had an onset of pain December 24 and today is December 27 and I am still dealing with extreme pain on the left side of my brain, eye is still pulling inward. After the pain, which usually sends me to bed for a week, I feel like I have whiplash. My brain gets so sore. I then wear a patch over my eye for four to six weeks depending on the length of the neuropathy. After four to six weeks, my vision is somewhat back to normal. No answers for me from doctors, I have just learned to deal with symptoms.
Prayers for anyone dealing with this diagnosis.
Hi Charlotte,
Thanks for your encouraging words. Yesterday I spent most of the day without my patch. Still seeing double in about half of my field of vision but things are slowly getting better. I am keeping all of the posters here in my thoughts and prayers. I haven’t seen any posts from Matt lately. Hope he is still doing OK.
One other thing that I forgot to mention is that along with the headaches that I had for a couple of weeks I also had night sweats fairly frequently. The headaches and night sweats are gone now, thankfully.
I hope everyone here had a Merry Christmas and wishing you all a happy and healthful new year.
Brian B
hi guys am still here they want me to get the prism built in to a new pair of glasses but i dont want to as at least i can take the plastic prism thing of my left lens and have a practice and i start 30 goes in the hyperbaric chamber on the 9th jan to try and help all this stuff that has gone wrong with me cause of my melanoma fight hope you all had a great xmas and have a awesome new year ok matt
Hi Matt,
I am sorry to hear about your Melanoma and 6NP. A few things I have learned along the way is that refined sugar, especially excessive refined sugar in the diet and how it influences glucose (insulin) can act as a fertilizer for cancer. Second the spice turmeric (curcumin) is a great super anti-oxident and has proven as an effective natural substance against cancer by inhibiting angiogenesis and forcing cancer cells to die. To learn more about these two food sources look into a book by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, “Anticancer, A New Way of Life”. I also have learned that our cells rely and flourish on oxygen. Bacteria, viruses, cancer and things that attack our immune systems do not like or survive when oxygen is present. The use of a hyperbaric chambers is one way to flood your cells with oxygen but is not 100% effective as you cannot live in the hyperbaric chamber, but it is a good tool. There is something called Hydrogen Peroxide therapy which may be more effective and less expensive. If you need more information on this I will have to look up my sources and provide.
Keep in mind curcumin is a natural substance which is plentiful and cannot be patented by Drug companies, thus they cannot make money promoting curcumin. Drug companies have a big influence on the prescription drugs doctors, hospitals and medical community uses. I mention this because you may run into resistance with your doctor if you bring up curcumin. If you do your research and due diligence and decide to present to your doctor, you will be better informed and able to take control of your health.
http://www.amazon.com/Anticancer-New-Way-Life/dp/0670021644/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356706741&sr=1-1&keywords=david+servan-schreiber+anticancer+a+new+way+of+life
Let us know what you learn out and how you make out. Don’t give up or stop fighting.
Patrick…
Hi All,
I just came across this web site which offers the best explanations I have read on 6NP. They refer to it as Strabismus. If you read the possible causes, this may help you either better identify or rule out your specific cause and then focus on what can be down to try and resolve. I am focused on understanding causes at the cell level in which blood flow and oxygen play an important role. Natural methods through diet are the key to improving blood flow, oxygen and cell health which all impact our nervous system.
Sixth Nerve Palsy
http://www.aapos.org/terms/conditions/98
What causes cranial nerve VI palsy?
The most common causes of 6th cranial nerve palsy are stroke, trauma, viral illness, brain tumor, inflammation, infection, migraine headache and elevated pressure inside the brain. The condition can be present at birth; however, the most common cause in children is trauma. In older persons, a small stroke is the most common cause. Sometimes the cause of the palsy is never determined despite extensive investigation.
Adult Strabismus
http://www.aapos.org/terms/conditions/11
Note in the last paragraph that an ophthalmologist trained in strabismus is the most qualified specialist to treat adults with misaligned eyes.
The web site offers a Find a AAPOS Eye Doctor > search by geographical location.
Patrick…
Patrick,
Yes, the day i got this, I woke up with a swollen eye and I believe i remember a slight discharge. The people at work had ‘pink eye’ shortly before but I can’t remember the timeframe I don’t know if it was just a week before or a month before…One other important thing… I just found out today that my aunt had it too. I can’t seem to find anything regarding genetics but it seems to be quite a coincidence that she had it too… does anybody know?
As of today I’m 95% better. I drove without a patch today. I can focus on things in the distance now if i lift my chin slightly.
I am a 23 year old single mother. I battled what was diagnosed as a sinus infection from November 14 until Christmas. The sickness caused severe head pressure and headaches all on the right side of my head. Although the sinus symptoms seemed to clear up with antibiotics I was left with constant headache that will wake me up from my sleep. I presented at the ER where they diagnosed me with a migraine gave me a shot and sent me home. Two weeks later while I was at work I noticmy vision was blurry over thenext three daysdays it got worse. I presented at the ER Christmas night and spent two days there running the standard MRI CT and blood. Work w
I am pretty fit 67 y/o male keen golfer. Have had 6th nerve palsy for 7 weeks. It has improved dramatically.
I have had great success wearing a patch covering only part of one eye it doesen’t matter which eye. It will give you better peripheral vision and make driving safer. I have been playing golf this way quite successfully.
You will need to experiment with how much you need to tape glasses up to remove double vision. i started with approx half of one side if you don’t wear glasses buy a cheap pair and take out the lenses.
My opthmologist thought it was a touch of genius
Hope this helps
Terry
well wednesday cant come quick enough 4 me as that is when i start me 40 goes in the hyperbaric chamber at prince of wales hospital randwick nsw australia. i hope and pray each day that it gets me a bit better so i can go see everyone before this melanoma kills me. i hope it fixes my palsy first day now that would be so cool . all the best to every one on here matt
My 5 year old son was in a snow tubing accident on New Years Eve. His tube collided with another tube that had stopped too soon near the bottom of the hill and he must have knocked his head on the other person. In the ER, he had a CT scan which showed two skull fractures (one behind his right ear and one in front). Blood was coming out of his ear. We noticed in the ER that his right eye was not tracking and he appeared cross-eyed. The doctor in the intensive care unit prescribed prednisone and an eye patch and sent him home the next day. He wears the patch on his good eye (left) which is difficult because he has a neck brace and can’t see to the right, nor can he turn his head to the right. The doctors in the intensive care unit told him to go back to full day kindergarten and he has been there 3 school days, but I don’t see how he can function this way long term. Since he is only 5, it’s hard for him to tell me what it’s really like for him. He appears to have double vision all the time, except when looking to the far left. It has been a week and I don’t see any improvement in the ability of his right eye to track to the right. It goes to mid-line and then stops. If he improves, will his eye gradually keep going further to the right? Has anyone had sixth nerve palsy after a brain injury? I’m wondering what to expect and very worried that his vision will never return to normal. I am taking him to a different eye doctor in two days.
Rachel,
We are sorry to hear your son had his accident and suffered those injuries. Many posts I have read here indicate an eye patch should not be worn all of the time. It should be alternated between eyes if anything. The reason being the brain gets use to only one eye. The brain needs to know they are two functioning eyes. Sixth nerve palsey (6NP) is an issue when a nerve that controls the eye muscle is not communicating correctly with the eye muscle. The next eye doctor you visit should be a Neuro Opthalmologist as they understand how the nerves and eyes communicate. A general (non specialist) eye doctor is not trained in nerve functioning and will be of limited help with testing and applying a solution.
Please keep us all updated on what you learn and your sons progress. We will all pray for a positive and his speedy recovery.
Patrick…
Rachel,
Here is a web site that may help you locate a Neuro Opthalmologist in your geographic area.
http://www.nanosweb.org/i4a/member_directory/feSearchForm.cfm?directory_id=1&pageid=3390&showTitle=1
Patrick…
Thanks Patrick. I’m very confused about the patch. Everything I see online says to alternate and that’s what I was told initially (they acted like he just needed to cover one eye to prevent lazy eye) but the doctor he saw in the PICU changed his mind at the last minute and told him to wear it as much as tolerated on the good eye. I called the eye doctor he is about to see and she said that he should either have it on the good eye or none at all (so he’s just supposed to run around with one eye shut otherwise or double vision?). I looked up abstracts in pubmed and it seems like a lot of research has been done at Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN which isn’t too far from here, so maybe I should try to get an appt. with one of the docs there.
Rachel, if I was close to Mayo clinic I would try to see Dr. Sanjay V. Patel. I think he is the Chairman of the Opthomology Department. I have read several of his writings about 6np. I’m sure there are several other good Doctors there as well. I only wish I was close enough to go there.
I am in my 16th month with 6np, with no sign of improvement. I’m now seeing a Optho-Nuerologist who is 200 miles away so I’m willing to do most anything for some relief. I’ve been through all of the imaging, tests, etc, all which came back negative. I have worn the patch since day one, but it has
only helped me to function on a daily basis. It hasn’t given me any improvement.
I hope that your son finds a very helpful and caring Doctor, who will take a a real interest in his illness. I’ve seen four different Doctors and all of them said to just wait it out as it should resolve itself within 6 to 12 weeks. Like I’ve said earlier, I’m now in my 16th month. You have to be an advocate for your son in order for him to get the attention he deserves.
I’m not sure if Dr. Patel sees children. I have also been looking at Jonathan Holmes. I don’t know if either of them are neuro-opthamologists. Not sure how much it matters, if they have studied sixth nerve palsy. I’m waiting for a call from his pediatrician to see if I can get a referral.
The neurologist in the PICU looked at a MRI that he had in 2011 because of possible hand tremors, hypotonia, and poor motor skills. I was told that the MRI was normal, but he says it’s borderline normal for Chiari Malformation, and that may be playing some sort of role in this (even though there was obviously trauma). So that complicates things even more. He hasn’t had an MRI since the injury, just a CT.
Recently diagnosed with bilateral (both eyes) sixth nerve palsy.
The double vision in medium to far distance is quite bad: I can’t drive or watch TV unless I close one eye.
I have hypertension/high blood pressure, very high “bad” cholesterol.
I’ve had a couple MRI’s and am going in for lumbar puncture shortly.
My condition deteriorated quite significantly over a period of about 4 months between the initial visit to the ophthalmologist and the follow-up visit. At first it was unilateral, but after the four months it was bilateral, which is apparently very unusual, for it to change that way.
I’d like to understamnd what the “worst case” progression of the disease could be.,
I would like to know what the worst case scenario is as well, but I’m too scared to ask.
In the case of my 5 year old son, the pediatric opthamologist said that he is losing vision in his bad eye. This condition affects children differently than adults and I guess it’s really important to never patch the bad eye in children. We have been patching the good eye so many hours per day and his vision is still being affected, maybe because his eye cannot track to the right and it’s basically shutting down. This is called amblyopia. I am hoping it doesn’t keep getting worse.
I have noticed that he doesn’t see double if something is about 6 inches in front of his face. Not sure what this means. I am hoping that if this distance gradually increases that means his eye is getting better. The eye doc tried prisms and said he is too extreme at this point but they may help if he improves. His eye comes almost to the mid-line, then stops.
She also said that most people improve but it takes months, not days or weeks. The eye would gradually move farther and farther outward and the nerve heals in such a way that you can actually measure a certain distance of healing along its length each day. If people do not improve in around 6 months they can surgically re-align the eye but “this is never perfect”. Sorry for everyone dealing with this.
Well, I’m going to take my leave from this site. Apparently my first MRI was taken too early and didn’t catch a tumor. My lesson from this experience is don’t be afraid to ask for a second MRI if this lasts for several months…especially if you are having increasing headaches and pain. All my subsequent testing was based on that initial MRI coming up blank. Good luck…
FDB
Speaking of eyepatches, does anyone know if there’s an eyepatch on the market that doesn’t protrude out so far?
I wear eyeglasses and was expecting the eyepatch I bought from Walmart would be much flatter against my eye. Instead, it has a raised surface that sticks out so far that it nearly pushes my glasses off my nose. Walgreen sells the same type of eyepatch.
FDB–I hope you are ok! That is very scary.
The nurse in the PICU gave DS a flat pirate eye patch. It is green on one side and black on the other. They said they had a call the hospital next door because they didn’t have any eye patches whatsoever. Unfortunately the elastic is a little too big for him. The eye doc really wants him in an adhesive patch most of the time, though.
I am wondering if you could just use black electrical tape on the inside of your regular glasses.
MG / Rachel,
Here is a nice variety of web sites that offer various eye patch solutions for both kids and adults. If you take some time to review them I believe you will find a solution for you needs.
Review the numerous product links on the left side of the web page
http://www.ortopadusa.com/
http://www.myipatches.com/home.php
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Best-Eye-Patch/253699774649768
http://thebesteyepatch.com/
http://www.drpatch.ca/
http://www.framehuggers.com/
Patrick…
Hello everyone. It saddens me greatly to read these stories. There are so many treatment options available to help with double vision and treatment of sixth nerve palsy. Please go to http://www.nora.cc to find a specialist in your area that has special training in neuro-optometric rehabilitation. There is no need to wait for things to get better on their own. If you had a speech issue or weakness of your arm, therapy would be recommended sooner than later. Patching is not necessarily the best strategy and can actually reduce outcomes long term. Best wishes for everyone!
Jill
Thanks Patrick–those are very cute. I’m currently buying him adhesive patches from Wal Mart because the eye doc insists they have to be adhesive for 3 hours per day (then he can wear whatever patch he wants). The adhesive tends to be very hard on his skin. Eye doctor told me to put on liquid maalox and let it dry, then apply the patch, but then the patch tends to fall right off. Some of those other adhesive ones may be better (or maybe not) but they are cuter.
His right eye now seems to be turning more inward than it was before. Right after the accident it seemed to go to the mid-line and now it doesn’t. I’m guessing there is some muscle contracture because he’s not using the outside muscle. But then how would we know if there is any improvement in the nerve? His pediatrician will not give us a referral anywhere else unless there is a good reason. I found out the kind of skull fracture that he has–temporal bone fracture.
Hi Rachel,
Your Welcome. I was thinking more practical than cute. That is why I suggest thoroughly reviewing the web sites if one has time. I saw a few good practical solutions minus the fancy prints and colors that could help. Its all personal preference though.
Keep in mind the basic principals here. The brain sends a message through the nerve to communicate with the muscle. Your son had a head injury and a few posters on this web site have had head injuries that caused the nerve palsies.
If you are saying that your Pediatrician will not let you go see a specialist (neuro opthalmologist, etc.) or whatever specialist you deem necessary, that is bull. I think the new Obamacare is forcing every patient to work through a primary care provider who is suppose to manage costs and control various tests. I dont always agree with this approach. The best thing you can do is keeping doing research and challenge your doctor in a positive way to seek the answers and treatment your son needs and deserves to get better.
Dr. Jill Schultz contributed an interesting post and offered us all on this web site a new term, neuro-optometric rehabilitation. I started looking into it briefly
and did not find anyone in our general area that specializes in this topic. I need to research more.
Stay positive and do not give up.
Patrick…
Our insurance has always been that way–for the last 10 years at least. We have to stay in-network unless we get a referral from the primary care physician, and the pcp has to have a good reason to give you a referral or the insurance doesn’t like it. I can always take him somewhere else, but without the referral, all costs would be out of pocket. It seems like most docs would wait at least 6 months before doing anything so I don’t feel urgent, but I wish I could at least get a second opinion on the patching and whether we are doing the right thing. Kids tend to develop amblyopia and lose their vision if the eye is not patched appropriately. He has another appt. on Wed. so I’m waiting to hear what she has to say. As long as his vision isn’t continuing to get worse, I think we’re ok.
I did look at the link from Jill Schultz and nothing came up but a physical therapist–not sure how that would help at this point.
hello to all posters and wishing you quick recoveries. MATT hows it going for you and your jan apptPLUS CHARLOTTE ETC you are all on my prayer list every night. had to go to see my mother in Turkey as she was having a cataract done and as in most of those countries the relative is expected to sit and sleep by the bed and basically do what the uk would deem auxillary work. obviosly i was only too pleased to attend and view the system anyway . all turned out ok and mother is now back in uk for a couple of months. onmy return i disvovered that my 6 year old grand daughter needs an operation on her right eye which just stays at the side of her nose.lots of glasses and patch wearing later no improvement so op 25 march this year. apparently it may not workwell or it may ? had been saving all my pennies to pay for a private op for her as specialist said there was a very small oportunity (before 7 years of age ) for this to be done but nhs full up. seems we may have found a space. for myself the vision is sometimes four fold and some times just double. love and hugs to you all. estherxxxx
hello esther i am on day13 in the hyperbaric chamber and not feeling better but i only hope they can learn more from me and help #5 6 7 8 etc and heal them now that would be awesome. hope you are coping well with all thats happehin for ya and i will say a prayer/thought for all on this page. matt
Hi Everyone,
I thought I would give an update of my condition. My vision is almost back to normal with just a little double vision at long distances later in the evening. I am so thankful for the recovery.
I think that switching the patch from one eye to the other has been a big help for me. Also, I have been taking a vitamin b complex every day. I do drink alcohol and have heard that alcohol depletes the body of b vitamins so I thought it wise to supplement.
Yesterday was 12 weeks since I started seeing double. The ophthalmologist told me generally it takes 2 to 3 months for a full recovery so he was right on with the time frame.
This is a rather exclusive club that we belong to, though I am sure we all would surrender our membership post haste if given the chance.
To Matt, Charlotte, and the rest of you who are still suffering with this condition. Stay strong, get plenty of rest and get well soon.
Best wishes All,
Brian B.
thanks brien i really do hope to join the club and get my vision back but ahh well at least i still got one eye but thanks heaps for ya thoughts mate and they are also learning a lot from me with all the stuff they put me thru and i hope they learn a lot from me hi to yall matt
My 5 year old who was in the sledding accident a few weeks ago has been complaining a few times about a headache on his forehead. His 6th nerve palsy resulted from a blow to his head by his right ear resulting in two skull fractures near his ear, and even then he never complained about a headache, just an ear ache. Has anyone had this experience of getting a headache around the forehead and what does it mean?
His eye continues to look worse than it did right after the accident (more turned in) and the eye doc claims this is a normal progression. She said that botox will not help in the long term. Prism glasses do not work for him because the deviation is too great. She said that if the nerve does not heal at all, and they need to do surgery, they can improve the situation but it will not be “perfect” and he will still have double vision when looking to the sides. So hopefully this will heal on its own. She said it would be unrealistic to expect improvement even in two months. They would not consider surgery unless there is still no improvement in 6+ months.
She also told me that he will not have double vision forever and that his brain will “turn it off” whatever that means (maybe because he’s a kid). He does not care about wearing a patch anymore (although he does without complaining). I noticed that he is able to read fluently with both eyes open and asked him how since it seems to me the print would be overlapping, and he said there are two books side by side and he only looks at one of them. I can’t even imagine. Same thing with the TV, except the TVs are about 5 feet apart. For him the images seem to be getting further apart than they were before. Although it’s hard to say because 5-year-old explanations of things aren’t all that reliable.
I just noticed some news reports about Hillary Clinton wearing prism glasses after falling and getting a concussion. Wonder if she had sixth nerve injury.
Hi Rachel,
Thank You for the update on your son. Sometimes headaches can be related to diminished blood flow or nerve inflammation. Your son had some serious head trauma and he is experiencing some side effects. I don’t know if a generalist will ever determine the central cause. They attempt to offer methods of treating the symptoms. A specialist may be needed to determine sooner rather than later. I know you need a referral in order to see a specialist.
The brain sends messages to the nerves which transmit signals to the eye muscle to direct it to contract and relax. The nerve never touches the muscle. The nerve squirts out some substance that touches the muscle. Botox will only relax the muscle. Botox will not help the nerve function properly. I would think a Neuro Opthalmologist would know how to diagnose the nerve issue and help it function properly again without any surgery.
Its amazing how young children adapt to things as your son just only looks at one book when actually seeing two.
I also saw the ABC World news story about Hillary Clinton and her double vision. Hillary had suffered a head concussion when she fell some weeks ago and a blood clot was discovered. One of the side effects of her concussion is double vision. After seeing her close up tonight on the 60 minutes interview with President Obama, I did not notice any left eye palsy but I did notice the prism on the inside part of her eyeglasses which I believe is a stick on Freznel Prism. I have provided the web site link below in case you wish to look into.
http://www.fresnel-prism.com/
I don’t know if anyone on this web site has had the traumatic experience that you and your son have had which has lead to his double vision and eye palsy. Others on this web site experiencing the same symptoms have been stricken in other less traumatic ways and that are mostly unexplainable. I wish I knew Bill Gates (Foundation) and had the influence to ask him to consider funding some research on this eye nerve palsy to try and find cures for everyone here.
Keep asking questions and learning as much as you can in hopes that some day soon you will find all of the answers you are seeking to help your son recover.
Patrick…
I don’t think there is any way to make the nerve function properly if it doesn’t heal on its own–they have to treat it like a strabismus case and rearrange the muscles. Part of my son’s problem is that the outside muscle is weakening and the inside muscle is pulling the eye further inward–so theoretically botox would help prevent this from happening but the research doesn’t show it helps in the long term according to her).
I’m wondering if Hillary Clinton had a partial nerve palsy and it’s not very obvious. I’m not sure why she would have double vision unless there is some misalignment of the eyes.
No doubt Hillary’s double vision will bring a lot of attention to our plight.
Meanwhile, I’m seeing a neuro-ophthalmologist on Thursday. My current ophthalmologist wasn’t helping. Time for a second opinion, a different approach.
Hi Rachel,
It could be possible the nerve is slightly inflammed and this may interfere with functioning. If not inflammation, than how does a nerve heel? Our nerves are similar to the electrical wiring in our homes. Electrical impulses run through our nerves to control our bodily functions (ie. muscles). The brain initiates all electrical impulses.
The outside muscle may be weakening due to lack of use (atrophy). This would be similar to not using a hand, arm or leg muscle due to injury (cast or ace bandage), it weakens.
Hillary reported the double vision but it may not be visually noticeable by any of us. It could be the prism is being used to correct the double vision and allow the eye, nerves and muscles to continue to function and adapt.
I heard that Hillary Clinton’s double vision was being attributed to the concussion. They indicated double vision was a common side effect.
I came across this information and web link regarding the use of patches versus prisms.
Double Vision (Diplopia) Causing Disruptions to Reading
A loss of normal binocular vision may occur from ocular motor paralysis. When possible, prisms may be used to re-establish binocular vision. Short-term patching may be required. Patching should take place on the glasses and not with a black patch. A black “pirate’s” patch blocks all the vision including the side vision. If we patch on the eyeglass lens, the patient will still have vision at the far side of the occluded eye and function better. If binocular vision cannot be restored during the first 10 months, then a surgical consultation may be recommended.
http://www.hemianopsia.net/reading-problems/
I came across in my research recently how eye surgeons that work on cataracts (replace the cloudy human lense with an artificial lense) have to administer some type of anesthesia prior to the procedure. The basic concept is to temporarily paralyze the eye nerves (neurotransmitters) that controls the muscle so the eye does not move during the cataract procedure. After the new artificial lense has been put into place, the eye nerves are de-paralyzed so the eye muscle will function again.
Sometimes the eye nerve does not always function 100% right away but eventually should. What does this tell us. That the use of anesthesia to control nerve function is known and possible. This is the key to any anesthesia. Neuro Opthalmologist’s have this knowledge and could possibly do some testing of the eye nerves in order to diagnose whether there is a nerve, muscle or possibly a brain issue.
The neurotransmitter is the chemical substance that is squirted at a muscle to cause it to contract.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotransmitter
Patrick…
Hi MG,
If you have an opportunity please ask your Neuro Opthalmologist about the use of anesthesia during certain surgical procedures to temporarily paralyze nerves to prevent muscle movement and then how reverse the process to allow the nerve/muscle to begin functioning again. This knowledge has to hold clues on possible testing or non surgical treatment that could be tried to help diagnose and possibly correct any eye palsy’s.
Good Luck with your second opinion.
Patrick…
ive had 6th nerve palsy for a month now…had mri, cat scan, blood tests, ecg, got a follow up appointment in feb…i cant wait for this to clear up..its annoying not being able to drive myself to work, and i feel vulnerable if im out on my own shopping…i think high bp caused this…i now have this under control, plus im on cholesterol tablets…i also pray that one morning i will wake up and my eyes are working properly again…i wear a patch on the bad eye…should i try wearing it on my good eye to see if this does any good…advice welcome…deb…
Debbie, I’ve had my 6np now going on 17 months, with no improvement . When I first started with it my doctors said to wear a patch over the bad eye and didn’t mention wearing it anytime over the good eye. That was a mistake, at least that’s my opinion. I should have been at least alternating the patch, even if it made we dizzy and light headed to try and see from the bad eye. Later visits to the Optho and also to the Nuero, they then said I should be alternating the patch. I regret that I did not alternate in the beginning, but instead started alternating at 3-4 months. I think that’s partly the reason I’m now going on 17 months. I haven’t given up on a recovery. I’m now seeing a Nuero Opthomologist 200 miles away who has taken a real interest in my case.
One thing I’ve noticed on this forum is that 6np affects most everyone differently. No two cases are alike. Hopefully, you’ll recover in a few days or a few weeks at the most.
thanks so much for your quick reply…ive been reading these posts for an hour now…i know im not doing my eye any good..
ive had double vision before caused by high bp, that was sept 2010, then another time shortly after, then again last sept, these cases only lasted a week at a time…then on 4th january this year i had a headache which lasted a couple of days, then on the 6th jan, i woke up with double vision…i knew it was because i hadnt been taking my bp pills…a few days later i went to the docs for a prescription and just mentioned about my double vision, he took one look at me and said i had 6th np..then instantly sent me to hospital, where i underwent some tests…i thought id had a stroke..i was very scared…i went back to work last week but cannot drive..i work with children, so wearing a patch is annoying as it blocks my vision to my left…i sometimes dont bother with a patch as i dont even know if its doing anything…ive already been to the eye clinic, and as i said i cannot wait to go back in 3 weeks time to see if its improved…i feel it hasnt… i seriously cannot wait for this to right itself..i get very down on not being able to funtion like i was used to..plus in may im the big 50, and have a holiday planned…ill keep ya posted on my progress…thinking of everybody who has this 6np….
They put him on prednisone for 2 weeks to help with any swelling/inflammation. He also has a possible chiari malformation that may have contributed. Chiari Malformation increases pressure in the skull and supposedly people with chiari malformation are more likely to end up with 6NP. So this is one thing that the neurosurgeon wants to look at when they repeat the MRI (the last one he had was 2011 because of tremors and motor delays and at that point the measurement for chiari malformation was “borderline” and I was told it was a normal MRI). However, they think the real reason that the nerve is paralyzed is because it stretched due to the blow to his head and acceleration in the brain. The ophthamologist talked about how “if” the nerve heals it does so along it’s length–a certain small measurable distance each day. Don’t really understand that, but that’s what she said. It’s possible that the nerve had too much trauma and is just not capable of healing.
Oh, yeah…I forgot to say in terms of double vision and reading that I tutor second-third graders in reading at a school. One of the boys I tutored complained about print overlapping when he reads and it sounded like he has double vision. I recommended that the parents take him to an eye doctor but I’m guessing he has some focus/convergence issues and possible minor strabismus. Ironically I researched this extensively a few months ago trying to figure out how to help the kid, then my own kid developed double vision. Strangely, he would read fluently whenever I put a blue or yellow transparency over his reading passage. Could never figure that one out. With my son the deviation is so great he’s seeing two books side by side, not just mildly overlapping print.
I asked for a second opinion, and boy did my new neuro- ophthalmologist give me one today. He said I have 6NP in BOTH eyes and said it was “prudent” to have another MRI (my second). I go in tomorrow morning. More blood tests are likely unnecessary, he said.
He said only after my condition stabilizes can he consider sending me to a strabismus surgeon.
All my concerns were confirmed. I was worried that my 6NP was worsening and that it was my right eye that was always turning in, even though I was diagnosed in 2010 with 6NP in my left eye and my previous ophthamologist said my 6NP had remained stable when I saw him in 2011.
I’m pretty stunned that my previous ophthamologist didn’t notice any worsening when I saw him again for my yearly exam a few weeks back.
So now I’m torn. Should I hope that the MRI turns up something this time? If a cause can’t be found, it’s unlikely that strabismus surgery will provide much more than temporary improvement. But the causes are pretty terrible, too.
Keep me in your prayers, OK?
My new neuro-ophthamologist also said my 6NP is so bad that the strongest prisms won’t help.
I’m trying not to kick myself for having stayed for so long with my previous doc. He’s rated one of the top 25 ophthamologists in the US, so I really trusted his judgment. But I always wondered why he never recommended me for strabismus surgery, one of his specialities, even a year after I was first diagnosed in 2010. I may have wasted precious time by not being more pro-active sooner.
Hi MG, I know how you must feel. I’ve gotten almost no positive feedback from my neuro opth. and he’s the only one anywhere close and I’ve been told he’s one of the best in his field. Mine has been going on over 2 years now. He has given me conflicting information on different visits and I’m due to go back the end of May and I’m really in a quandry as to what I should do. I’ve also been told a prism would not help me. If mine, indeed, is caused by a meningioma pressing on the nerve the only recourse I’ve been given is to continue monitoring to make sure it doesn’t get larger and affect other nerve functions. He was supposed to have a couple other neuro radiologists look at my mri results but never followed through. To date, the only thing I’ve found that helps me function somewhat is to put contact paper over my sunglasses and I have a very light pair that I wear to go in stores. At least that way I can limit the doubling but have a little peripherial on my left. Even tho it’s been this long I still hope and pray every day that I will wake up and it will be gone. I really hope your new doctor works out for you. I just wish I could have some direction as to someone to see for a second opinion. It’s hard to do that with no insurance and only one income now.
To all afflicted with this I wish you the best and trust that we can get some answers and clarity soon!
Hi MG,
Thank You for your update. We are sorry your second opinion did not bring you better news. The MRI may used to look for swelling of a nerve or some type of small tumor growth.
Don’t beat yourself up to badly for remaining loyal to your ophthalmologist. This happens to many of us. At this point you cannot change the past but you can take control of your future. We cannot be afraid to challenge our medical professionals with good questions and discussions as we have access to information today like we never have before. Most of us will spend more time, energy to try and uncover more details as we are intensely motivated to get better. Certainly as patients we have deep vested interests in our health issues, diagnoses and treatments, sometimes more so than the medical professionals who service us. Most medical professionals will appreciate our passion, questions and willingness to learn more about our conditions. If they do not appreciate these efforts, than most likely they lack the passion required to meet our needs.
We will all say a prayer for you in hopes that you will learn more soon and continue to explore every possibility you can to help you improve your eyesight.
Please keep us all updated.
Patrick…
Hi all you brave sufferers of the sixth, good to hear from you Matt, do let us know all the happenings. Charlotte, I know you are a little shy to query the specialist, why not write to him reminding about the 2 other specialists he was going to arrange and asking him when he thinks it will be?hopefully you have explained your personal restrictions about going for a second opinion, but another mention of this subject may create a little more of the action you very much deserve.Ialso hope you suddenly wake up ,as I did, with it suddenly gone!! As you know miracles do happen.love,prayers and hugs to you all xxx Esther
Hello Everyone,
I am very happy to report that my 6np has been totally gone now for a few days. It took almost exactly 3 months to go away and it was a gradual recovery.
The first couple of months or so I wore the patch on my bad eye and didn’t switch it back and forth. I think that was a bad move. Almost as soon as I started to alternate the patch I started to see improvement. My ophthalmologist was not a real big help except to ease my mind that this was likely to improve with time.
When I told him at my second appt.that I had been reading online about 6np, he told me that I probably knew more about it than he did. Like he never even told me which eye was affected. I thought it was both eyes that had a problem. After about a week of wearing the patch on my good eye, I looked at myself in a mirror with no patch and could see that my left eye was the culprit. It made things a lot easier to deal with when I started to wear it on the affected eye when doing things like driving.
I don’t think it would have made much difference early on if I alternated the patch but feel pretty confident that as the nerve healed, alternating the patch helped the muscles strengthen.
Best of luck to all and I am hoping you all get better soon.
Brian B
Patrick,
Wasn’t it you whose mother had 6np? Or was it you who had it? Either way, how is that going?
Brian B
Brian–I’m glad you recovered. So do you think that your eye started to get better at about the 8 week point and took 4 weeks to recover? How did you know it was improving? Sounds like your doc didn’t know what he was doing. The eye doc we are seeing now seems to know what she’s talking about, but I wonder how many cases of this eye doctors actually see. The general consensus of the neurologist and 2 eye docs we’ve talked to seems to be that there is a “chance” that there will be improvement, but they refuse to give us odds.
From all the reading i’ve done it sounds like it’s a good idea to alternate the patch every day. The eye doctor wants it only on the good eye of my child right now, but that is because kids develop lazy eye and their brain shuts off their vision if they don’t use the bad eye. Once his lost vision improves and both eyes see the same, she said we can try alternating the patch but need to be very careful.
Hi Brian,
That is great news to hear. We are all happy for you and look at your recovery as inspiration for the rest of us here that are at various stages of 6NP. Sad to hear your Ophthalmologist’s comments about you probably knowing more about 6NP, but at least I give him credit for being honest. We have to help them any way we can rather than be too critical.
It is my mother who has the 6NP. Her condition is no better or no worse. Since the beginning of the year she has stopped taking statins (Lipitor) based on my suggestion. I was getting concerned about some long term side effects based on some of my observations. Since then the negative signs I had observed seem to have improved. The body needs cholesterol and to suppress it is not a good thing long term. I watch her diet closely and make sure she takes high dose vitamin C daily. The key is to make sure she has no internal inflammation (arteries) and keep the blood healthy thin. This will neutralize any impacts from any bad cholesterol that may be present. I am currently looking into omega 3 fatty acid supplements to help with the cardio system and her eyes.
It would be good to know if you changed anything in your your diet or vitamin / supplement routine at all during the three month period? Did you stop eating certain things (ie. soda, sugar, etc.) or start eating new things or taking new or additional vitamins or supplements that possibly could have inadvertently helped your nerve recover?
If not, consider yourself very lucky and fortunate. Also, think about what you can do to protect yourself against the 6NP coming back in the future.
Patrick…
Hi Rachael,
Your raise an excellent point. If at all possible we should try and seek out a Neuro Ophthalmologist or other nerve specialist that has the most experience with diagnosing and treating the eye nerve palsy’s and has had the most success.
Background:
I watch Fox News Sunday House Call weekly and Dr. Somoni is a surgeon that uses robotics for men’s prostrate procedures. Last week he said surgeons in his field are starting to use them for female organ procedures. The Doctors who have the best eye and hand coordination are the most successful with robotics. Dr. Somoni said you want to seek out a surgeon that has performed as many robotic procedures as you can. His point is to find a surgeon or a Doctor that has the most experience and the highest success rate.
http://www.intuitivesurgical.com/company/
I know this is easier said than done and not practical or possible for everyone on this web site. With an open mind the use of technology (ie, telephone, tele-conference, SKYPE, etc.) as as method to schedule an initial remote consultation with the right Doctor might be worth an attempt.
If anyone on this web site happens to know of or finds an expert who has a non-surgical treatment with a successful track record please share with us. Maybe we can start a list.
Angie’s List is one way of finding a professional by reading reviews by patients but is limited to a general geographical area (close to where you live). For example, I live in Rhode Island but cannot access Mass. Doctors even though the state border is only 10 miles away. I did inquire with customer service and they had no easy solution to offer.
Patrick…
Hi Rachel,
I know things were getting better because when I looked at the tv early on I would see 2 tv’s next to each other with about a foot in between them. As things improved, I was seeing 2 tv’s without a gap between them. Eventually, the overlap of the tv’s were smaller and smaller until they were one. I still saw double when driving with both eyes open and had to close one eye to drive. I ditched the patch a month or so ago. Got tired of all the pirate jokes and felt that it was better to let the eyes work together.
Patrick,
Sorry to hear that your mom is not doing better. I did start taking a b complex vitamin daily as I do drink some alcohol and had read that alcohol depletes the bodies b vitamins. I had also read, possibly here, that b vitamins help to control inflammation and that inflammation may be a cause of 6np.
As to the doctor that treated me, I think he is in his early 30’s and may not have much experience with 6np. To his credit, he did properly diagnose my ailment. I think he may have just figured that common sense would dictate that I would wear a patch on the affected eye. Problem was that for the first week or so, I didn’t know which eye was affected. I thought it was both of them.
I saw virtually no improvement until I quit wearing the patch. Of course, until the nerve started to heal, it probably didn’t matter if one eye was covered.
This is a pretty exclusive club we belong to, one which none of willingly belong to. This thread has been an inspiration for me, knowing that I was not in this alone. I will check back from time to time and hope to read of others who have recovered.
Best Wishes,
Brian
Thanks Brian, I think you’re right, probably doesn’t matter what adults do with the patch til the nerve is functioning or has the potential to function. It sounds like the nerve has to be healed in a certain place which could take some time (if it heals slowly along its length like the eye doc was saying). Someone was saying on this board that the further away from the eye the injury happens, the longer it takes to heal. I guess that makes sense. The neurologist told me that if there is one instance where it would be good for kids to watch too much TV, this would be it, because it trains the eyes to focus together (if you do it without a patch). I also read playing computer or video games can also help the healing along. My kid is definitely not lacking in screen time!
Hi all.
I’m also fed up of the pirate jokes. Not finding this funny anymore.
I’ve not driven for a month. I need lifts into work @ home again. I even need someone with me when I go shopping. I get confused & frustrated with this condition. Even wearing the patch is annoying. I’ve not worn it today. I’m hoping my eyes will start working together. Sooner rather then later. I’m due at the eye clinic in three weeks. Sounds ages away yet. But I can’t wait to see if they think its improved. How can you drive with a patch on ? Must be hard. I can’t believe so many are effected with 6np. I’m coming upto 50 soon. I pray it will be gone. Started healthy eating & haven’t smoked in a month now. Gone cold turkey. On statins, god I hate these side effects. Achey muscles. Back to the docs for me tomorrow. Late here in the UK. Here’s hoping tomorrow is another day closer to finally getting rid of 6np. Night all.
Second MRI was done last Friday. Wednesday I got word from my neuro-ophthalmologist that my MRI was normal. That’s another reason I like my new doc — he’s fast! My first MRI results in 2010 didn’t come back for a month, so I spent a week on vacation worrying about the results.
good news that your mri was normal…so whats next then…
have you got used to having 6th nerve palsy…i have…
two more weeks to wait till i attend the eye clinic for the second time..cant wait to find out if its improving or not..i cant really tell as i think im getting to used to it..
who drives their car??
wished i could..
i want my normal vision back asap…getting me down big time…
Has anyone had experience with prisms on their glasses? I only use reading glasses occasionally. My Nuero Optho says the next thing he wants me to try are prisms since my 6np isn’t getting any better after 17 months. If I don’t normally wear glasses, I’m wondering if he will have me wearing a pair of non-prescription glasses with prisms. Guess I will find out at my next appt in 6 weeks.
They tried prisms with my son but the deviation was too great and the prisms did not eliminate the double vision. They said that as he improves (assuming he improves) they could try prisms on regular non-prescription glasses. Hillary Clinton has a prism that just sticks on, like tape. But I think they can be incorporated into the actual glass.
Good news for us in that I think my son’s eye may be starting to track farther than the right. Hard to tell if it’s wishful thinking and an over-active imagination or if it’s really improving, so I am asking him to look to the right as far as he can and I’m taking a picture every day so we can see if there is progress.
hi vinnie i use a plastic piece on my left glass lens it has ridges that go up ann down kind of like this IIIIIII and its plastic and thick and cut the same shape as ya glasses it works for me and i can keep both eyes open and look and drive so its good but better if i did not have it and i have had it for nearly 12mths now i hope ya get better mate matt
I am 57. On 23rd feb 2012 ,accidently while in sleep my thumb forcefully press my left eye.Next morning when i woke up i noted double vision. Doctor after MRI , tests etc told it iwas 6NP due to diabete. i am using spectactles having one of glass grinded (translucent). Neck and other i have adusted little bit ,i can see without double image on right side. Taking B-complex vitamins, Fish, Additional folic acid for nerve regeneration. Can perform routine activities with one eye covered.
My next appointment with my neuro-ophthamologist is Thursday. Now that a second MRI has come back normal, does anyone have any suggestions for questions I should ask him?
Hi, my self shanti,i have a serious problem since 2.5 years,my doctor advised its a cause of “diplopia “(double vision),6 th nerve pulsy,my all report (MRI,CT,RNST,ECG,BLOOD REPORT(SUGAR) ARE normal,my doctor advised me go to surgery,but there is no guaranty after that it will survive,so in this moment please any suggestion for me,please anybody reply….as soon as possible
http://www.cybersight.org/bins/volume_page.asp?cid=2-64-93-1511
I found this article helpful. Basically what it says is that if there hasn’t been improvement in the eye tracking at 6 months, it is likely to be permanent and surgery should be done to re-align the eye.
Hello
I have 6np for about 2 weeks now. I have seen my eye docter whom did several tests. He said it is 6np will take 4 to 8 weeks to get better. He also told me NOT to wear a eye patch because you dont want your brain to adjust to the patch. I also have seen a Neuro opthomolgist and he said it is 6np. He also said not to wear the patch. I am dealing with eye pain, dizziness and light senisitvy and of course double vision. My right eye is effected so I turn my head to the right and look to the left and my vision is single looking straighs ahead approx 10ft images are about 2ft apart. I am a machinist and my work wants me to go on short term disabilty. Good luck to all.
Paul
I went back to my neuro-ophthamologist this week, and for the first time in years, I came away with a feeling of hope that this malady can be corrected.
My doc answered all my questions, and I had a bunch of them. He was glad to see that my second MRI came back normal. When I asked if that news wasn’t so great because it meant I had “idiopathic bilateral binocular diplopia” (I really did my homework for this appointment – even brought my iPhone along to study up on the terms while waiting to see the doc!), he replied that any mass or abormality would have to be removed or repaired surgically, and then I’d still have to be monitored to see if my condition would stabilize, so this MRI outcome was the best outcome, even though it showed that the cause of my 6NP was unknown.
He suggested the highest-power stick-on fresnel prisms for my current eyeglasses, which would give me single-image sight — but blurry in one eye — for the first time in years, followed by a period to see if my bilateral 6NP will stabilize, then strabismus surgery, which he said should be very effective in my case.
I asked if corticosteroids would help, but he said my 6NP isn’t caused by inflammation. I asked if my MRI could reveal intracranial pressure and whether I’d need a lumbar puncture, so that got him to check my SVP (some sort of pulse in the eyeball that a doc can detect with an instrument). He said he detected a pulse in both eyes, so my chances of intracranial pressure were “one in a million” and no lumbar puncture was needed. It felt good that I had suggested something that inspired the doc to do a test on me that he might not have thought of otherwise. He even suggested help for my ocular rosacea — 1,000 MG of fish oil and 1,000 MG of flaxseed oil, along with scrubbing of the eyelids with baby shampoo.
So I guess I’ll get stick-on prisms next, followed by surgery. Even the nurses seemed more positive than those at my last doc. One smiled and said, “You’re not going to know what do do with yourself when you can see a single image again!” I liked the fact she said “when” and not “if.”
So instead of walking out stunned and shaken by another worsening diagnosis, I walked out encouraged, with a sense of relief that I’ve found the right guy to treat me.
MG,that is great news!
I wanted to report that my son who fractured his skull on 12-31-12 is significantly improved. The improvement has been happening rapidly and started over a week ago. For about a month his eye looked worse and was stuck in the corner by his nose, now it clearly tracks well past the mid-line when he is asked to look to the right (palsy is on right side). So about two weeks ago his eye was still stuck in the corner, and now it tracks past the mid-line. Docs say that this clearly means the nerve is not “dead”. No way to know if it will resolve completely but it is looking good. My son does say his double vision is getting worse. It may because images are moving closer together. Prisms still do not work for him. We are still patching his good eye because of amblyopia.
I am a 52yr old male diagnosed with 6NP, It happened on 6th Feb 2013, MRI, CT, Diabetes test are fine.
Ophthalmologist said it takes 6-9 months, I wear a patch whilst driving ( Neuro & GP said don’t drive however Ophthalmologist said I can drive.
I have a 62yr old cousin who had 6NP 5yrs ago and recovered in 3 mths, he had several B12 injections then a course of vitamin B tablets, I am told I dont have a deficiency with vitamin B, so don’t need supplements.
My cousin said 6NP corrected itself gradually, I havent noticed any real difference since 6th Feb, I suffer from dry eyes, dizziness, etc etc.
My Ophthalmologist cant provide stats about success rates, refuses to allow me to wear Prism glasses, wont discuss what happens after 9 months if sight hasnt been corrected.
Weekends are now a case of staying at home, no fsmily gatherings/functions, it is terribly frustrationg, sleep deprived.
Bring on 6-9 months.
Hi Everyone, Thank you all for your posts! I’m adding you all to my prayers and hoping to see positive progress posted here for all of you.
I’m here as my husband has 6NP effecting the left eye. It was brought on by a stroke on Jan 12th. He had controlled HBP and diabetes and not so controlled cholesterol. Was on meds for all 3 issues.
At first no solution was given for the double vision. Then, in Rehab, they suggested a patch, alternating eyes. This took the double vision away but was also a hinderence as it took away depth perception and so much periferal awareness which made him so unsure of himself. Unfortunatly this was the lesser of two evils for him as his stroke made him dizzy. The wacky double vision made him dizzier. Excess dizziness made him vomit. So the patch ultimately helped him feel better.
Since we’re home now, we went to Neuro Opthalmologist last Thursday. He had us walk next door to an Optician. For $40 he put a Fresnel prism sticker onto a pair of Ed’s glasses. We walked out of there and I could immediately tell Ed was less wobbly and more sure of himself. No more double vision and he has depth perception and periferal vision back. From your posts and our patch experience, I feel Ed will have to take the glasses off and exercise his eyes without them so he doesn’t get too dependent on them. Just need to weigh the dizziness and the sickness… His Neuro-Opt. said that he should use the prisms to make him comfortable while the nerve heals which I agree with. But he also said exercises wont help which I agree they wont heal the nerve faster, but I think they will help the muscles and nerves that are working to stay healthy and to be ready when everything else is ready to start up again. These sticker prisms seem to be a quick low cost way to go if the degree off is treatable with them. This way the prisms levels can be changed as the eye gets better.
MG – hoping to hear that the prism stickers are working for you.
Michael, sounds like you may need a second opinion… just wondering why the Dr would refuse to allow the Prisms? makes me a bit worried about using them?
Diagnosed with this condition in May 2011, been wearing glasses for nearsightedness since I was 7, so they fitted me with prisms. This works just fine. 2 MRI’s have been normal, and condition has been stable for nearly 2 years. No history of high BP or diabetes. Some cases are just idiopathic ie no known cause, so no point in dwelling on it. And by the way, no way I would go for a lumbar puncture even if a dr had brought it up-sometimes a puncture worsens the condition.
Just wanted to report that my son who fractured his skull 12-31-12 (almost 3 months ago) has full movement of his eye and it looks aligned most of the time, but he still has double vision. He needs to patch to prevent amblyopia but doc wants to minimize the patching so his eyes learn to focus together. For whatever reason, she still hasn’t suggested prism glasses, maybe because he is improving rapidly and they wouldn’t work for very long. He says he likes having double vision and it doesn’t seem to bother him, but he’s a little kid and says bizarre things. It truly doesn’t seem to bother him though. I don’t think I would be quite so adaptable!
I am 57. I wrote on feb 15 that “On 23rd jan 2012 ,accidently while in sleep my thumb forcefully press my left eye.Next morning when i woke up i noted double vision”. Doctor after MRI , tests etc told it iwas 6NP due to diabetes( I have type ii diabetes). I am using spects having one of glass grinded (translucent). After nearly 60days now I have noted improvement in my left eye ball movement and severety of diplopia is diminishing ,thanks God. I was adviced to have B-complex ( initially in injectable form for two weeks on alternate days,then oral vitamin mineral supplement tablet which i am continuing ).Additionaly I am taking one folic acid tablet ( I read it may permotes new nerve tissue formation as it works in foetus when pregnant women takes iron with folic acid). Though i was vegetarian but one advice i started taking “Fish” ones in a week,considering it a medicine providing additional essential fatty acids/ammino acids etc. I am doing five minutes daily Regullar excercise for eye movement ,on all directions, clockwise and anticlockwise( some person says it may not help because in 6 nervepalcy it is 6th crannial nerve invoved and not muscles,but i feel it works). Avoiding eye patch for some hours to give chance to muscles has helped me. I used a cardboard piece on my left glass lens it has ridges that go up ann down kind of like this IIIIIII ( I used this idea from suggestion of Matt given on feb 16 , above) it is working for me,give soothing effect and has reduces diplopia severety. I feel Having faith in “God”is most important part of 6NP treatment ,it gives strength and courage , mental stability and helps in keeping mind calm which helps in healing. I pray “God may bless and heal all those who are facing the problem.
I used a cardboard piece on my right glass lens ,correction in my earlier statement please.
Hi. My last post was back in February.
I now hav a prism stuck onto my left lense of my driving glasses. It works for me. I’m so happy I can drive. Plus my eye is improving. Everybody has commented on it. Only a little bit to go before its all back to normal. I have another hospital appointment on the 12th April. Will report back to let you know how things are. But I’m happy with the progress I’m making. 🙂
My first post was back on March 16th.
At my most recent Ophthalmologist appointment 3rd April it was established that my double vision was getting better (they have a way of measuring this however didn’t volunteer this, I had to ask) I went from a 20 to a 16 in a matter of 2 weeks.
Sue to answer your question relating to Prisms, apparently I need to be a 10 before they will consider prism glasses. Zero means you have no double vision.
Whilst the turn in my affected eye was getting better (turning less), I still have double vision so no real change for me.
Next appointment is May……………….here’s hoping
Mine
Hello to fellow Sixth Nerve and/or Diplopia sufferers! I am a 44 year old female who was diagnosed with Sixth Nerve Palsy at 42. Sudden onset w/ a Vitamin D deficiency and a Vitamin B deficiency as well.
25 plus lab tests, MRIs, spinal lumbar puncture, nerve testing on legs revealed nothing. Prism lenses could not be made as my strabismus was severe.
After my neurologist exhausted all main/related tests for diagnosis, my Sixth Nerve Palsy was ruled Idiopathic, pending further symptoms.
Last resort was to see an oncologist as, in rare cases, a Sixth Nerve Palsy can be caused by Paraneoplastic Syndrome. I declined further testing.
One year later and last summer, I underwent strabismus surgery at a well-renowned university hospital for correction of my double vision. Results were immediate upon my waking and my double vision is 90% gone. I still have double vision upon glancing, with only eyes, to the immediate left and immediate right; however, no double vision in my main viewing range.
I have compensated by turning my head towards an object or person, instead of glancing and nowadays, never notice the double vision.
Here is what I have learned and hope this helps some of you:
1. Some Sixth Nerve Palsy diagnosis are Idiopathic and you may not ever find out the true cause. In my age group, a good neuro will test for Myasthenia Gravis and/or Multiple Sclerosis along with other tests (Lyme disease, etc); hence, the many tests and lab workups.
2. Stay with one, great neurologist who is willing to work with you.
3. If you decide on eye surgery to correct your double vision (strabismus surgery), it doesn’t take long and usually is outpatient. You don’t have to live with double vision and when I regained my ‘normal’ vision again, I could somewhat relate it to a blind person regaining vision for the first time–I WANTED TO CRY!!! It was a true blessing.
4. Don’t be afraid to research on your own and, yes, they will tell you that Google is NOT a good thing in trying to self-diagnose; however, I sure learned a heck of a lot about my medical condition.
5. Remember that every day is a new day!!! Live life, regardless of your final diagnosis. Take charge of your health!
Unless future symptoms come about, I’m back to my usual routines.
Wishing you all the best!
Hi all,
I’m new to this but have found this forum a great support already, it’s certainly an unnerving and lonely experience and I’m only in week one…!
I’m 35 years old and after five days of bad eye strain type headaches last week, the pain went but I was left with horizontal double vision when I woke up the next day. If I look down or look at things within about 8 inches of my face I can focus ok, but beyond that the double vision is severe. Cars on the road are 10 feet apart so I’ve stopped driving. That said my eyes and eyelids look and behave normally, no noticeable droop or anything, I guess only a tiny problem is amplified and eyes are pretty sensitive.
I’m waiting for blood test results, have seen an eye specialist and a neurologist, and am waiting for results and a booking for an MRI.
I have a history of borderline high BP which I am now prompted to get treated.
Other than work stress and general fatigue I am quite healthy, no virus recently other than a stomach bug. I see a rare form of migraine could be one cause. I have had eye strain for probably many months working at computers and have had similar minor symptoms before which I put down to tiredness….but this is definitely a step change and is not improving at all. No other symptoms at all.
Any way, wish me luck, and thoughts go out to everybody else here.
Cheers,
Jon
I’ve had this for 7 weeks now. I’m wearing a patch at home and prism glasses when I drive and work. To watch TV I put the patch on over my left eye and then the glasses over my “good” eye. It’s tolerable, but working in front of a computer all day makes my eyes tired.
Last week I noticed the first improvement since this started, I see about a foot in front of me without seeing double. So now I move the monitor closer to me at work and I can work OK with my glasses off.
My neurologist has been helpful and, after reading a lot of the comments here, I have hope that this will resolve. Just had the MRI last week and waiting for the results, all the blood tests were inconclusive. I’m learning that sight is a valuable gift that we shouldn’t take for granted.
Hello.
Just a little update.
Had another eye appointment today. Got told my eye is improving.
I’ve gone from a 16 in January to a 4 today. Huge improvement.
I’m very happy. I now have halve the strength prism patch on my distance
Glasses, to the previous patch. I’m going for another check up in 6 weeks.
If I feel the need to take the patch off then I can. Only if I feel as though I won’t need it anymore.
Also today I saw my neurologist. He wants me to have another MRI. Just something he wants to check on.
MRI is not a favourite of mine but I will have it done again.
One day in January I woke up with double vision.
Everyday I’ve hoped & pray it will go away.
In time it will. Mine is nearly cleared up. But there’s lots of you who are having an awful time. Stay positive. Thinking of you all.
A question: for those of you who have seen improvements, is it a slow improvement, seeing only a foot or so and gradually getting better, or has it been faster?
My Dr. thinks it can take a long time for the nerve to heal because it’s a long nerve.
MikeF,
I think there is a big difference between patients when it comes to improvement. What I’ve noticed on these posts here is that 6np affects everyone differently. I’ve had mine for 18 months now, had no improvement until around the 14th month and then started to see a very, very slow improvement out about arms length before the double started from there on out. I had an appt with my Nuero-Optho last week and he said I’m now ready for prism glasses. They are a big help driving but otherwise of no major help in other daily activities. My prism measurement was 14. The Dr. said until now, I hadn’t enough improvement for prisms to be of help. Prism measurement starts around 40 and zero is perfect normal vision, or at least that’s what in told by my optician. My Dr. was really surprised that my 6np now shows improvement after nothing for 14 months. He was ready to recommend surgery, but not now, he says. All 4 of my Drs. told me it would resolve itself within 6-12 weeks when I was first diagnosed. I’m now at 18 months and haven’t given up yet for full recovery. Mine was caused by a brown recluse spider bite and I’m 73 years old. All of my never ending tests, etc have came back normal. You can draw your own conclusions, but one thing is I’ve never given up hope.
Thank you Vinnie, my prism glasses are a 15, which I think means that my vision is 15 degrees out of normal. So if you have a 14 the glasses should help. They help me drive, but I wouldn’t go to a movie or something that is vision intensive with them.
I was diagnosed with 6th Nerve Palsy about a month ago. I just woke up one day and had trouble seeing. This progressively got worse, to the point where I was perpetually seeing double and eventually severe light sensitivity. I finally had an opthalmologist dilate my pupils and note the inflammation in the back of my left eye that caused the nerve damage. Fortunately, he prescribed me some anti-inflammatory eyedrops and my vision eventually returned to normal. Unfortunately, this is rarely an isolated problem and is usually caused by something. MRI and blood tests for various conditions should be done. My MRI results came back with some lesions and I’m still waiting on an official diagnosis. It may be nothing, it may be something, but I’ve learned it’s always best to check.
Was diagnosed with 6NP on 6th Feb 2013, my first post was 16th March, then 7th April.
If I look to the left I still have double vision however when I look straight ahead I have single vision, a dramatic improvement, I can now see directly in front of me which I couldn’t do before, this has happened gradually over the last week.
I am a tragic golf fan, previously if I placed a ball on the carpet in our lounge room I would see double, now I see only one.
I have done nothing differently other than more visits to the gym, reduced my work hours, taken vitamin B tablets daily, & watched my food intake, I don’t have diabetes or high blood pressure however cholesterol is 6.7. Now I am not sure if this has assisted with progress, just thought I would share it with you.
Another update on my son who had a head injury 12-31-12.It has now been 3 1/2 months and his eyes look aligned 100 percent of the time and he is not reporting double vision. Eye doctor said that his eye is at around a -1 and should go to a zero (whatever that means) but she is confident he will have a full recovery. I noticed that he had a lot of trouble with the test for stereo blindness (depth perception)–so whether that is evidence that his eyes are still slightly misaligned, or he has amblyopia and his brain shut off his right eye, I have no idea. His vision is 20/25 in each eye. I hope the depth perception improves. Doc said to stop patching and come back in 4 months. I’m posting these updates to give people hope, plus it’s so hard to find info on sixth nerve palsy and traumatic brain injury in children in particular. Some of the doctors we saw didn’t have a very optimistic prognosis in the beginning (with the neurologist saying “there’s a chance he will improve but if he doesn’t he’ll just learn to live with it” !!! Hello? There are surgical options? Prism glasses?). So he has recovered more rapidly and completely than anyone would have guessed.
Turned on my car radio to head for work last week and the first song to come on — on two different days — was “Double Vision” by Foreigner. An omen, perhaps, or maybe a good sign?
One thing about going to the movies with diplopia: It’s always a double feature!
So glad to see some people posting improvements! Yea! My husband has also started to improve! Just as many others, his double vision is gone in the morning for a little while and then comes back. But he is seeing single vision a little bit farther all day long. Very encouraging!
Michael, so happy to hear your sight is so much better! Praying for you and all the posters to recover fully and quickly! Un update on prisms, my husband is a 6 and the prism works wonderful for him. I know you are past needing them now but maybe others can benefit. Love our Neuro Optician!
MG – Gotta love that Foreigner! How are you progressing? Did you get a prism?
My eye sight is back to normal, had my last visit to the ophthalmologist & he confirmed all is good.
So I was diagnosed on 6th Feb & it took approx. 3mths to correct itself.
Appreciate all the prayers & well wishes.
I will continue to visit this forum & wish all a speedy recovery.
Sue I was delighted to read your husbands progress, take care.
Hi my husband 56 is a builder and has 6th nerve palsy after having a bulkhead hit him on the head on site . This was 4weeks ago . After a week he felt dizzy, blurred vision, severe headaches nausea and severe vomiting ,I have had to him to theER 6 times since .CT scans MRI and lumbar puncture all clear He has been kept in hospital twice for 3 days each time and put on a drip with saline also given panaol Endone , maxalon in drip as he could nt keep any food or liquid down. He has lost over 9 kgs:( the only thing that gave him relief was morphine . Our last visit he was sent home with stematil and amitripyline for headache which is giving him some relief and hasn’t vomited for 48 hours now but is just laying in bed all day in a dark room . This is very worrying he is used to getting up at 5am each day going to gym and then working on site . Neurologist said its just a waiting game as to how long it will last. he can’t drive and doesn’t want to Go out or have visitors over as he feels so unwell ( even had to cancell family for Mothers Day:( ER staff say just keep bring him back, they are very good
We are trying accupuncture on Sunday trying to stay positive:)
Hello, I woke up one morning about 6 weeks ago with blurry vision and dizziness. talked to a couple of doctors at work about it, had all the lab work done plus 2 CT scans and an MRI. Only thing they found was a retention cyst in my right maxillary sinus. Going to have the cyst removed in next week, although they tell me its not the cause of my 6th nerve palsy. My Dr is sending me to Pittsburgh for more advanced testing. No cause has been found yet, I keep being told it will resolve on its own, its probably due to a virus and just have to wait it out. I appreciat the many Doctors who have seen me and taken their time examine me but waiting for anything just doesn’t sit well with me. Hope ya’ll feel better soon.
Hi, my self shanti,i have a serious problem since 2.5 years,my doctor advised its a cause of “diplopia “(double vision),6 th nerve pulsy,my all report (MRI,CT,RNST,ECG,BLOOD REPORT(SUGAR) ARE normal,my doctor advised me go to surgery,but there is no guaranty after that it will survive,so in this moment please any suggestion for me,please anybody reply….as soon as possible
Hello all, i have read every post on this site and happy to hear of all the people who have recovered from this,
I am 25 years old and 30 weeks pregnant with my first child.
I believe i have been diagnosed with 6NP but not sure. About a week ago while driving i started to feel as if my left eye was taking longer (slower) to focis on an object i was looking at, as i remember i was getting headaches in the back and the front of my left side and wpuld only go away with tylenol for a short period of time. The next day when i woke up i had double vision and the only way i could see 1 imahe was to look to the far right of things and thay caused a lot of strain to my head and neck causing more headaches. Being pregnant i went to the er and they had thought it could have been preeclampsia but my blood pressure was normal so they ruled that out. They sent me in for a ct scan and said they didnt see anything thay coukd be causing this but i should see my obgyn and an opthamologist. I made an appointment the nexr day with the othamologist and she jad checked my eyes and said she couldnt see anything wrong and said my eyes looked fine which discouraged me because i do not have any insurance and pay for all my medical myself so i felt like i paid her for nothing when tbere is clearly something wrong, and even her nurse had sewn that my left eye wouldnt turn to the left!! It even reacts slower than the healthy one causing me to take longer to focus on something. The eye dr aftet telling me nothings wrong had written me a prescription for a clucose blood test considering i could be diabetic of have high glucose from pregnancy, so i went back to the er and they did the gluclose test right there and it was fine, making the opthamologist a waiste of time. They did blood work for almost all you can think of and decided to admit me for an MRI.
After 2 days of being in the hospital and talking to 2 neurologists and getting an mri they say they cant find whats wrong and they have no diahnosis. No ms, diabetes, tumours, anurysms, bleeding on the brain, growths.nothing! Which is good but doesnt help as to knpwing whay the cause is. The dr also took a blood test for myasthenia gravis but that doent comw back for about 2 weeks so i have to waot on those results.
After a week 2 er visits ct scan blood work and mri still nothing and was told to patch either eye so it relieves the comfort.
Does anyone think it might be jist the pregnancy or it could be something regaardless? The neuro said he doesnt think pregnancy has caused this which makes me feel hopeless because i was hoping that after birth maybe it would go back to normal…
Also when i cover my good eye and try and use my bad eye i feel dizzy, unbalanced and ofter loose my balance and run into things or fall over which is scary because i will soon have a newborn baby that i will have to care for and if i cant keep myself on balance, how can i him!?
I also have pain that feels like its coming fron the inside of my eye, tiny sharp pains in the socket and oftens hurts when i try and move my eye a lot. I also try multiple times a day to force it to the left by trying my hardest to look to the left as far as i can. Maybe that makes ot worse i dont know but i really hope one day i will wake up and its gone. I cant drive barely shop and can barely even ride in a car while my eyes are opwn because of all the movement and seeing 2 constantly makes me naseous and i end up throwing up evert time im in one.
Any advice or knowledge would help!
I can deal with looking cross eyed but seeing double with a baby on the way is terrible!!!
Thank you
Amanda
I would suggest going to an optometrist. They could measure how far off your vision is and hopefully fit you with a prism for glasses so you could see better. I would think this would help even if you don’t wear glasses regularly.
I’ve had 6NP for 13 weeks now. The first 6 weeks or so were difficult: I would have lots of headaches and similar pain in my eye as you’ve described. I used a patch as soon as I got home from work, I would try to rest my eyes after working in front of a computer all day. I’m a firm believer that the patch has helped. I would start by covering the bad eye, and then just once in a while, like 1 day out of 2 weeks, cover the good eye.
So after 6 weeks I was able to see about 18 inches without it being double, now it’s up to about 4 feet all the time, and in the early morning when I go outside to get the paper I noticed that I could see normal about 3 houses down the street! And the last 3 days I’ve been able to drive to work with my regular glasses. The vision does get worse as the day progresses, but today it seemed to last longer. This makes me want to get up early in the morning and go outside and see!
I had blood tests and an MRI and was worried that this is permanent. The tests came out negative. But having the small improvements in the last few weeks gives me hope. It also helps to have an understanding Dr. My neurologist has been very positive.
So hang in there, you will get better. Our sight is such a gift that we need to appreciate. Anyone who has had 6NP understands this.
amanda i go to yhe eye doctors at prince of wales hospital in australia as i have had this palsy in me left eye for almost 8 mths now and i hate it but they did the eyetests and put plastic things on my left lens and it helps enormosly i still wish it was gone bit at least with this on me glass lens i can see single so i live with it as i have bigger problems than this ok i hope ya understand the plastic things but ask away and i will answer them as best i can ok matt
sorry amanda but i have had this for over 12mth now ok matt
MikeF,
I was also thinking of going to see an optometrist. i do wear glasses for driving as i am nearsighted (i believe its when you cannot see far) but i didn’t want to go waste money for the doctor to tell me the same thing the opthamologist did.
As for covering your bad eye, from the time you wake up you only use your good eye? the neurologist was scared that if i did that my brain would get use to not using the bad eye and i may loose sight altogether but seeings its working for you, i think i am definatly going to try that!
By the way 4 feet is a BIG improvement id say! thats amazing how it seems to be getting better! I am so happy for you!
thank you for all the advice, and if you have anymore advice on how to help the discomofort please let me know!
like i said before i can deal with this as long as i have a happy healthy baby, but after he is born i am really hoping this goes away, its scary to imagine all the accidents that could happen because of unbalance an other things!
also is there anything you do for the sharp pain you get? because it also is in the back left side of my head/neck from constantly trying to see out of my far right side.
Thanks for the tips and i hope yours continues to get better! All the recovery and improving comments i have read are giving me faith and keeping my head up like there could be hope!
Matt,
Those are the prisms they put on your glasses right?
did you go to the opthamologist or an optometrist to get them prescribed? also do you wear them all day and just off when you go to bed?
I am sorry to hear you have had it this long… i can imagine,, im going on a week and half and in the begininng it felt like hell on earth and it was discouraging because i felt helpless and reliant on my husband for everything… it really is an uncomfortable thing to experience and i do feel terrible for everyone who has this and honestly wouldnt wish it upon anyone. I agree with MikeF on this one, our sight is
most definatly a gift that we do need to appreciate because in this week and a half i have learned to appreciate what i had because i could not imagine being bling od having anything else, its just unbearable!!
Also, does anyone else feel unbalanced any sometimes dizzy when they cover up one eye? in the beginning it was just the bad eye that was unbalanced, now when i cover it the good eye seems to makes me tipsy too
Monday morning, I woke up and noticed double vision and felt unbalanced.Saw my GP on Tuesday and was admitted to hospital in the evening with prognosis that I had a stroke. Had CT scan on Wednesday which showed nothing.Consultant suspects 6th Nerve palsy but without MRI scan can not be confirmed.Discharged from hospital and waiting for MRI Scan.
When asked would diplopia go away and was told may be.
I got the prism for my left “bad” eye from the optometrist. The first one I got was a few days after the double vision started, it was a no.15. A few weeks ago I had the optometrist exam me and I improved to a number 12. I think the number is how many degrees off the vision is? not sure..
I would wear the patch only from the time I got home from work until bedtime: I didn’t want anyone at my work to know I have this problem. I would wear the glasses with the prism during work and to drive. I didn’t go out much at night.
My neurologist told me that it was ok to to wear the patch and to not worry about the other eye being overused, or having the bad eye no longer work. He told me the best thing was to have the bad eye rest, and eventually it will heal on its own slowly. I would take ibuprofen for the headaches, but a lot of the time the pain would go away if I got up and walked around. I would go outside and wear the patch and my regular glasses over it.
When you wear the patch, just be careful moving around, I’ve learned to just take it a little easier, be patient and watch where I’m going.
Praying for all of you that are afflicted with this…
MikeF
amanda i got my prism for my left lens thru prince of wales hospital in australia where i live and it helps enourmosly i take it of and dont use a bit each day to try and strenghthen me left eye but i think mine is coming from all my treatments i have had for my melanoma cancer which i am the 4th in the world to get and its been in me head for 7 yrs now and i have had over 2200 radiations and stereo tactic radiation surgeries to me head but i am still here and fightin it evey day and i need them to keep learning from me in case there is a 5 or 6 to get the same. i have the besy in the world looking after me and that is a fact that they are the best in the world as one of them just went to new york to tell them how and what they should be doing hope ya get well soon ok matt
Well i have an update…
I have been patching my bad eye for the past 3 days trying to let it rest so it doesnt overwork or keep strained, and today when my husband checked my eye to see how far it would move, he said when i look to the far left it actually moves now instead of being stuck in the center. He says it’s almost where he can’t see any white when i look far to the left!
Although he says its getting better, i don’t feel like it is, i still see double from the left side and still a little from the center.
i unpatch my eye at night time so it can breath and try and use it for about an hour in the morning just so it doesn’t weaken up again.
i thinnk sometime this week i am going to try and book an apointment with an optometrist that way i can get my eyes measured and get some prisms fitted.
thank you all for your help! i will definatly keep updates considering my prayers may have been answered and i might be getting better!
MikeF
also, when you patch your eye is it still open and you can still see the inside of your patch or do you patch it entirely shut so only your good eye is open?
MikeF
also, when you patch your eye is it still open and you can still see the inside of your patch or do you patch it entirely shut so only your good eye is open?
Matt im so glad to hear there are good people taking care of you, and maybe your diagnosis will save others from having to go through this aswell!
I use a black eye patch that covers the entire eye, the brand is Flents I think. I think the eye would hurt less if it remained open when it’s patched.
I can keep both eyes open while wearing it, I didn’t find it difficult to get used to it after a couple days. And I wouldn’t worry about over-using the good eye or not using the bad eye. That’s what my neurologist told me.
hi everyone. . .I had an accident a month back followed by a bout of tonsilitis which went away after taking antibiotics. Once that cleared up i started experiencing double vision in my left eye. Went to the opthalmologst who told me it could be 6NP and suggested a CT scan. I’m really scared that this could be a life long situation. .It could be my BP or trauma from my accident but am trying to keep it together. Am in Zimbabwe and our medical expenses are sky high i hope its not something that wilt leave me out of pocket .
Hi everyone, My vision all of a sudden was getting worse. I went to the Hospital and they ruled out a stroke. After staying 4 days I was release and I went to see my primary doctor. He advised me to see an eye doctor. The eye doctor told me that I have 6NP. The eye doctor advised me to go see a neuroopthalmologst. I hope that it clears away. What we take for granted and don’t even know……….will update once I see the doctor………hope everyone gets well……….
I am on my second bout with 6NP in two years (different eye this time). The first time I had all of the CAT scans, MRIs on the brain, blood work, etc. All negative. I do believe that stress is a huge contributing factor; both times I was under enormous amounts of stress, along with having high BP. My first episode lasted about 3-1/2 months and it cleared up rather quickly; I noticed it getting a little better and within a week or so it was completly gone. It seems like once it starts mending things move real quick. Atleast thats the way it worked for me. I am about 2-1/2 months into my second episode so hopefully I’ll be done with it in a month or so. It can be very fustrating and even depressing, but just be patient – it will go away eventually.
BTW, this time I used a bandaid instead of an eyepatch – I cut it so there is about a 1/4 inch of adhehesive on either side of the cotton in the center, then close my eye and “tape” it shut. It barely covers my eye. Looks better and feels a lot better.
I’m absolutely gutted.
Back in April, I had the near perfect vision. Eye clinic discharged me because they was so pleased with my progress. I had a tiny bit of white showing when looking to my left. I was happy.
So, last Friday I caught tonsillitis again, as from two days ago I noticed my double vision is back in my left eye. I’m sad. I really can’t go through that again in such a short space of time. My BP is also high. Doctors are still trying to find out what caused it back in January.
From a very sad Debbie. 🙁
Hello all
My update is exciting! for the past couple days now my eye had slowly been getting better , and now today has been the first dy where it moves fully and there is no more double vision at all! if i stare at something too long it does get a bit sore and feels really dry, but other than that i think it is safe to say that it has gone away, for how long i dont know, but i do believe the patching worked and letting it rest without using it helped alot!
I wanted to thank you MikeF and Matt for all the info you could provide me because if it wasn’t for your help and inspiration it probably would still be here!
I really hope everyone else on this site clears up for the better and i will keep you guys in my thoughts and prayers!
take care and i will keep watching this site for all the progress reports 🙂
Glad to hear that you’re doing better Amanda! I think I may be over with this after 15 weeks, the only double I see now is when I look way far to the left and sometimes to the right. I took off the prism on my regular glasses and everything was fine this week: no headaches at all! Prayers for everyone who is dealing with this.
Hello, I am a 53 y.o female in great health. I was diagnosed with 6NP on May 26 at the ER. Have been wearing a patch as this is the only way to see. The double vision starts at about an arms length from my face. Went out on disability with work as on computer all day long. No other symptoms, no headaches or dizziness. Happy to have found this website, dr told me from the beginning to stay off the internet but cannot find much info on this condition. Been told not to work or drive, really has changed my life from being very active to just hanging at home..One thing that I have found though is that I feel very shaky on my feet and hoping this will soon pass. Almost two weeks with no change.. Seeing eye dr next week. Hoping for a miracle, best of luck to everyone on this site who is experiencing this and any comments greatly appreciated.
Hi,
Today June 9nd, its my Month and 2 Days with this problem 6NP
My Experience is very bad and terrible I don’t wish this to anybody, my optometrist Here in Santa Barbara California, apply already Botox 2 times and I don’t see any change, my problem is like all of you in my left eye, on May 6th 2013 I woke up and I notice double vision like most of you, I pray a lot and hope some day everything returns normal for all of us, I don’t use eye patch, I use frosted tape outside of my reading glasses, and I change very often the tape on my glasses to let the left eye to work and don’t let cover all the time, SORRY FOR MY ENGLISH I DID MY BEST,
I wish the best for all of us and God bless us.
I am a 58 year old woman who was diagnosed on June 3, 2013, with 6th Nerve Palsy. I too had MRI, spinal tap, blood work, carotid arteries checked, sugar diabetes checked, blood pressure checked, and eye exam. The only thing the neurologist thinks is that my blood sugar hiked up too high and caused the 6th Nerve Palsey. My blood sugar was 390 when I was admitted into the hospital. I had never had high sugar levels before but for some reason it had hiked that high at that time. My blood pressure was elevated a little too but I have never had high blood pressure. I just saw my ophthalmologist on June 11, 2013, and he said no prisms in glasses will help me and that to see a neurologist and my doctor, and that it could take up to six months or more before this condition corrects itself, if it does. I wish all the people who have this good luck because its hard to deal with.
Hi everyone,
Reading these stories has been great for me.
Over a month ago a chiropractor that our optometrist referred us to was doing some cranial adjustments on our young son to help alleviate some strain in his eyes (sore during schoolwork etc, but otherwise 20/20 vision).
The first morning after his adjustment his eye turned in. The second morning it turned back to normal. The fourth morning it turned in again and has remained since.
Our optometrist, chiropractor and opthalmologist all have said they’re not sure of the cause…but we recently saw Dr Mark Westway who practices a lot in integrated health, osteopathy and musculo-skeletal. After some discussion and tests quickly suggested that it was almost certainly “lateral rectus palsy” of the sixth cranial nerve.
The more we read, the more it makes sense.
MRI is clear, no symptoms other than double vision and a turned eye.
Bi-nasal patches on his glasses force binocular vision…but they are unsightly and not long-term.
After some treatment from Dr Westaway and also during some moments of exercise and relaxation our sons eyes track together better…otherwise he has a persistent turn, falls over, stumbles and generally is out of sorts!
I cannot imagine having this happen to myself – as most of you have – but it’s a special kind of heartache when a treatment we allowed has caused this problem.
any direction appreciated, but we are almost at our limit of doctors.
Our opthalmologist is hell-bent on surgery, but we are tending towards waiting a bit longer…it’s a tough decision though.
I have read that intervention within the first three (or some studies say six) months provides the best outcomes.
any thoughts appreciated!
Cheers,
Dan
Hi, I’m in the US. I got dizzy, was falling over and crosseyed at the end of Sept 2012, and improved in 3 to 6 months, just like the doctors and google said I would. I wish I would have found this website sooner!! My recovery was just as one of the lauras said above, minute by minute, inch by inch. You wake up a little better every day, and you go to bed a little less worse! I must say, some men seemed to find my eyepatch period rather intriguing…
I came here because now, nine months out, I think I need new eyeglasses because my eyes are aligned differently than before, and I’m wondering if that is why I have headaches and dizziness? Lying down in bed I’m good, but an hour or so after rising – not so great. Do you all wear progressive lenses? I.e. near and far without a dividing line. Do you use a deeper lens area?
Like many of you, yes, I am so grateful just to be able to see. But the headaches and nausea, if I can do something mechanical to get rid of them.. thanks for your help!
P.s. I didn’t read thru all the posts, but i think Hillary Clinton is one of us! She was wearing prism eyeglasses earlier this year.
Hi everyone, I am happy to report that after the third week of 6Np, my vision has improved. What started out as seeing two objects side by side turned into one and a quarter object to then normal vision. The right eye is the one affected and now usually by later afternoon, the vision turns back to double when i look to the right, as the doctor told me this is caused by eye strain. Although I’ve never had high blood pressure, I did have elevated levels at the hospital and am now monitoring it daily with the home version. Also I wanted to mention that I had a rhinoplasty in April prior to this happening to me but the doctors do not think it is related. I have not worked out since this occurred and had taken a very strenuous cross fit class that I was not used to. I tried doing some sit ups the other day and after three, the double vision returned so I will have to hold off longer on that.
Please don’t give up hope because for the first two weeks I was getting so depressed and just wore an eyepatch or blacked out sunglasses. Was hard to go out in public and felt very awkward.
It does go away1 Good luck to everyone out there!
Hi to everyone.
Today Friday June 21 2013,I feel more confident with my vision sight on the left side, thanks to my Optometrist Here In Santa Barbara California, with his Intervention and Botox is working and almost my problem is going away I’m still see double, very little in my left side but as someone mention before this is go away in slow process Thanks God, since last Wednesday I peel off the frosted Tape that I Stick on my reading glasses for almost 2 Months in the beginning I was afraid when I was driving 12 Miles to work with only one eye and on the Freeway now I’m typing this Update with my normal reading glasses, no tapes and cover eyes I wish all my fellow friends with the same problem soon feel the same feeling that I Have Now, Thanks I give to God for This I appreciate Him because He is returning my sight to Normal. By The way I Have and Angel with God that I Think she Help Me in this My Mother I ask her to help me in my problem with God and I Think she Helps me a Lot THANKS MOTHER I LOVE YOU AND I MISS YOU. God Bless you All.
hello evry1,myself kamlakr from India Pune,I am suferring form 6th nerve plasy from last 1 month,done with MRI, blood test and B.P test,everythng is normal.OPthalmologist treated me with botox inj in affected eye,but i doesnt give any effects,later he he refer me to Neurologst,he is also saying nothing to worry it will take 1 more month and get to normal vision,its hard to live life lyk this,m a Marketing person,so driving is must for me,but i cant bcoz of this m on leave from last 1month. When it will get resolve pl any1 suggest me……
Hi everyone,
This website is great! Can’t believe how many other people have been suffering from the horrible VI nerve palsy!
I’m 19 years old and have been dealing with this problem for over 6 months now. As I’ve seen with most of your cases, every neurological test came back clear, MRI, CT etc and eventually I was referred to an opthamologist.
Unfortunately I was seen and told that there was no obvious problem to be fixed and that I would have to live with this for the rest of my life. Needless to say, I was so upset.
Since then I have been misdiagnosed time and time again with problems such as decompensating esophorias and told I would have to wait years for a surgery.
Finally, two days ago, my bilateral VI nerve palsy was confirmed and I have been scheduled for a Botox treatment into my eye muscle in order to try balance my vision again. Hopefully this works!
Although this has all been extremely frustrating, my prism lenses have been my lifesavers over these past months!
Has anybody here had this Botox treatment? If so, has it helped and what is it like?
Thanks for that! I hope everyone can get their eyes sorted soon!
hi GEORGIA, i had red your update,pl dont get upset m also suffrin from the samr problem as your , me too just 23 years old and was living healthier life, but suddenly it appears i.em6th nerve plasy,i had also took BOTOX inj once but i doesnt get any good reilf from vision,but one of above update i.e peter vera get good reult of BOTOX,jst tell me after taking BOTOX r u getting its good result or mot,if u get, yhen i will also suggest my doc to resart with same inj,W8N FOR YOUR REPLY
hi guys i have had this for 12mths or more now and i would like to know where do they put the botox injection somewhere in ya head i would assume thanks matt
Glad I found this site. I developed double merging vision left side after cataract surgery. I am very independent, still work, need to drive and this is terribly frustrating. A week after the double vision, I have developed numbness in the tips of my left fingers. The optometrist put me in prism glasses which has helped but I still can’t get near busy traffic. Hoping this is a temporary thing.
I just got Botox injected into my eyes an hour ago, which is quite sore but hopefully a temporary relief until I can get surgery. The injection was put into the muscle closest to my nose inside my eye, as this relaxes the muscle and will stop the turning in of my eye. I had this done in both eyes. The eyes are numbed beforehand so you can’t feel the needle
thanks georgia i hope it works for ya mate i may stay away from it as i think mine is permanent due to me having over 2200 stereo tactic radiation surgeries in me head and brain op and some other stuff thanks matt
Hi evry1, i had complete now 2 months for 6th nerve plasy,n georgia u will def get positive results after 4 to 5 days,keep on updating your vision status,m rite now on b12,fish oil,acetyl lcarnitine,& steriods. All r jst supplements,hoping to get cure on this,bt still cant able to see a single improvment in vision,jst frustated for this kind of life.. Praying to god to heal you all.
Hello. I would like to shed some light concerning my experience with Sixth Nerve Palsy…
In 2009, I had sudden double vision (Diplopia). Was referred to a neurologist by my opthamologist, as was told this was not an eye problem, but neurologic.
I spent one year undergoing the usual testing that a Diplopia diagnosis entails. Approximately 30 tests were run from labs (lyme disease, Epstein Barr, etc.) resulted in a Vitamin B deficiency and a Vitamin D deficiency.
MRI without contrast result – negative; same with contrast. Brain (angio) run for possible vein/artery clot -negative. Lumbar puncture – negative (though advise when physician tells you to lie down for a couple of days, please do. I returned to work next day and ended up in the ER with a spinal headache. It is the most severe pain you could ever have.
I had nerve testing on both legs which revealed slight damage in left leg. I had no symptoms.
Throughout all, my only symptom was double vision that was 24/7, which I had for approximately one year, and fatigue.
In 2010, I opted for strabismus surgery to correct my double vision. Surgery fine, with only slight double vision in furthest peripheral vision. It is a blessing.
Released from neurologist, pending future symptoms as all basic testing for a Sixth Nerve Palsy had been exhausted.
Fast forward to May 2013. Diplopia has slightly returned along with nerve problems along left jawline; numbing throughout right foot as if partially asleep. Aches/deep pain within back of neck. I am tired but mostly…tired of being tired and ill. I am 42 years old.
Family physician was seen two weeks ago. Labwork normal and referred back to original neurologist. My appt is Friday, 5 July. I am worried at what these new symptoms mean and what is in store for me.
Whatever the outcome, I will press forward. I am in otherwise very good health. I plan to repost next week or as informative results yield in hopes to help others who may be experiencing the same symptoms as me.
We can all learn from each other and take our health into our own hands. I know that I, for one, am proactive in my healthcare. I will continue until I do have a complete and accurate diagnosis because I KNOW that something is wrong.
Looking forward to reading new posts and updating my own…
Hi everyone,
I am in Australia and two weeks ago my 16month old beautifully healthy boy woke up cross eyed. He had a bruise on his head from an unseen fall the day before, possibly from in his cot? and so I rushed him to the children’s hospital and after extensive testing over three days CT, MRI, Lumbar Tap and blood tests, he was diagnosed with left onset 6th nerve palsy. All the tests came out normal and there were no signs of inflammation either so the hit to the head may not have even been the cause.
I am extremely distressed but feel we are in good hands at the hospital being looked after by both the neurologists and ophthalmologists as an outpatient. I am wanting to not stress too much about his future at the moment, but continually wish I had a magic ball to see what will happen over the next six months when recovery if any is said to occur.
I am heart broken reading some of the stories on here both for the sufferer and also in thinking that these stories might reflect what my sons life will be like in the future if he doesn’t go through spontaneous recovery. I am also hopeful after reading stories such as Brian’s and Rachel’s and for all the useful bits of information from the stories that help me piece together my understanding of this condition.
We currently patch his good eye for about 20-30mins a day so that he gets used to patching. At times he is happy for us to patch him and at other times he cries but as he is in the amblyonic age range patching is going to be necessary. I felt that his eye was getting worse – turning inwards more (he can still move it back to the midline if i hold his head) but after reading some posts here have read that this is normal.
Thank you for this site, I just needed to share and found an answer to a question I could not find anywhere else. How does the eye recover, which I have read is not as instant as the condition usually occurs but very gradual, day by day. So thank you.
I’m sitting here right now with 6th nerve palsy I had it once 2 years ago. I also had bells palsy twice and now this twice. So afraid my vision won’t return to normal. After my 2nd bout with Bells Palsy which was worse than the first my face did not fully return to normal. Don’t know about anyone else here but I believe that in my situation that all is cause from the Herpes simplex virus. It started with reoccuring cold sores and then moved on to Bells palsy and now left nerve palsy. I haven’t had a cold sore in years. I did have a sore throat and doctor just diagnosed me last week with having a virus. I had all the tests done before like MRI etc but doctors all say its virus related.
i seem to have stoped getting new posts each day
Hi All,
I was diagnose with 6th nerve palsy in 2003, I visited two-three doctors for my eye check-up, all my doctors advise me eye exercise and one anti oxidant in a day. But it is not working the problem is still exist. I feels pain in my eyes & head.
I think this problem is not treatable and cureable, we have to live with this problem.
hi denesh i feel the same as i have had mine sice 2011 and it aint improving at all and i hate it but i am still here putting up the fight with this and my other stuff i will say a mention of ya in me prayers tonight matt
Currently enduring week three of 6th N palsy (left eye) and wanted to share what I’ve done to my distance glasses to facilitate driving during the day (I tried driving at night . . . and it was just too scary!). I bought dark colored repositionable decals at a party store and cut one to fit over my left eyeglass lens. Then, I affixed clip on sunglasses to my eyeglass frame which further darkens the left lens and also provides glare reduction for the right eye. For playing piano, I use a patch on the left eye coupled with over the counter readers so that my right eye sees the music more clearly. So thankful to have found this website!
hope that works for you rob i just use the #20 prism on my left lens got it thru the eye docs at prince of wales hospital here bin australianans it helps but not gettin better as i have had this since 2011. i was surprised by the time frame but my go confirmed it yeserday
i hate this thing now and dont know what else i can do hope you get better ok mate all the best matt
hi every1,
I am from INDIA pune,After a 2.5 months from onset of 6th nerve plasy,my eyes had showing Very Good Improvement,My Pupils had Start reacting to light,as firstly they had fixed dilated pupils of both eyes.Image are slowly getting nearer to eachother,Even my affected eye size has getted Normal.Hope so things will improve as going, n lots of prayers to all my frndz Rob,matt,georgia
,to get cure.pl keep updating your views also,,,tak cre
Hello everyone, I am 36 years old and also got sixth nerve palsy in my left eye. Along with it I had a really bad taste in my mouth and severe dizziness. I have had this now for five weeks. I have been doing some research as it seems we all have. I have severe headaches and unbelievable pressure in my left eye. I go in for an MRI on Aug 5th. I will be asking them to check my sphenoid sinus which is located behind the eye. I found a link that talks about this. http://www.neurosciencesjournal.org/PDFFiles/Jul00/SixthNervePalsy.pdf I don’t know if I have this but I googled 6th nerve palsy and bad taste in mouth and this came up. Then I googled sphenoid sinus and it is almost always diagnosed. Just thought I would share some of my research to all of you that are still looking for a reason why you still have this. Anyway I have been really scared that this will last forever. I can’t work and can’t really walk around due to severe dizziness. I hope maybe this helps someone.
Hi Matt,
I also asked about Botox injection from my doctor, and doctor said it is directly injected in effected eye.
Hi Georgia,
As you said you had botox injection in your effected eye, just let us know about your experience of botox injection.
Take Care… Dinesh (INDIA)
I first reported my cranial nerve palsy 10 months ago. My vision is almost completely back to normal except when I look far left or far right at objects far away. So be encouraged and don’t give up. I got a lot of b12 shots. i created a custom patch out of a head band and the eye part of a traditional eye patch so i could easily slide it on and off instead of dealing with the uncomfortable band around my head. I hope everyone gets better. I found out my aunt had it once so I don’t know but maybe it’s hereditary.
I had 6th nerve Palsy but It was a result of a Posterior Fossa Meningioma. Brain Tumor – First Opthamologist told me nothing was wrong after a short exam. My optomatrist sent me to a second Opthamologist who said it could be diabetes or a tumor. He said he did not think it was diabetes. The First optomatrist was highly recomended and highly noted. By the way the 6th nerve palsy became permanent double vision, When I wear an eye patch, I do see normally but the vision is still impaired, because the eye still receives light from under the patch
I had a tumor near the pituitary gland. 4 years ago it was pea-sized. 2 years ago it was about 4 inches. In January 2013, it was still about 4 inches. The physicians did not monitor it properly in those four years. In February, they removed the tumor by surgery.
Then my eyes went bad. I saw 10 of everything all over the place. 10 tv’s with 10 people on each screen and at all angles.
I could not drive, cook or anything. Had trouble just walking across my living room. Was off work for 6 months and had to depend on friends to take me to the doctor.
Went to Opthalmologist who said it was the nerve in the back of the head. She gave me prisms and said it might take 12 months and might heal on it’s own. It was/is terrible to lose my independance for those 3 months.
It’s been 6 months now. I can drive and have returned back to work with restrictions.
I had 3 different doctors say the cause was 3 different things. Funny, it happened when the tumor was removed.
I now have some of my life back. But I work computers all day for a job.
Hi.
I’m on my 2nd bout of 6th nerve palsy. It’s a pain, & I can’t wait for it to return back to normal. My consultant thinks its viral. Ive posted on here before. Lets all hope that one day our vision will be normal again. I can’t wait for that day to arrive. X
I was doing a project for our church which involved about 10 hours a day on the computer. I has some eye strain itchiness etc no big deal. Went out for lunch and I am seeing people in double vision on the right side. I am almost 78 years old and had no eye problems. WOW was this a shock. Had all the tests, 6th nerve eye palsy. All the comments and conditions on this sight lead me to believe that it may or may not go away. Thank you all for your openness to discuss this health issue….praying for those on this sight (good word huh?) learning to laugh at the broken dishes missing the kitchen trash bag etc…knocking stuff over. Blessings to all….Don
i dont know why my page dont update each day sometimes it takes 3 days b4 new posts appear
Hi, I posted on here back in April. After 6 weeks of tests and debilitating double vision my eyesight cleared up by itself over the course of about a week. Consultants do not know the cause after all the usual tests and scans, but suspect it was a virus – I had a very severe stomach bug earlier in the year which might have something to do with it but who knows. My eye sight has levelled out at about 90 percent, still got double vision and general confusion when I look tight to the left, otherwise I can do everything normally. I hope this is positive news for people who have just got these symptoms, it’s an awful thing that’s hard to describe to people.
The last 14 days of eye socket pain has been the most difficult to bear. I had the er give me some vicodin 500 mg
which I cut in three and took Tylenol with the 1/3 vicodin.
This helped a lot. I also wrapped two tea towels and wet them,folded them and nuked them for 2 minutes. I then placed the folded towels in a plastic bag and place them in a pillow case then laid them on my eyes. The pain diminished and was gone in the next 30 minutes. I only took the vicodin/Tylenol when I had extreme pain. I hope this helps someone suffering 6th nerve palsy…praying 4 U…Don
ooops…bare!!
PS: you must be able to tolerate the heat of the towels on the pulse side of your wrist. I am not a doctor and am suggesting this as a help to this condition….Don
Pain has finally gone and I have adjusted to driving and parking. I am caregiver to my wife who has stage IV cirrhosis and is slowly wasting away. Well we both thank our Lord for helping us get through each day. I dropped a soda last night and it split open and sprayed soda all over the kitchen cabinets the curtains and me LOL….I had a tough time catching it, because it went spinning on the floor and I could not get my eye to focus to catch it….
oh well another day….Thanks for reading this….no change in the 6np…praying for us all as a 6np group…rejoicing with those who are on the mend….Pastor Don
i like my new picture of me on here its great thanks matt
Matt, glad you like the cartoon logos. I finally got around to adding “gravatars” to the whole website. If you ever want to upload a custom photo (like mine) you can create an account at http://www.gravatar.com
Does anyone know how to navigate to the end of these 506 comments without scrolling down through each one, which takes forever. Until the last couple days, it was no problem. Has something changed that I’m not seeing?
hi doc timothy root many thanks but its a bit hard for me to do that many thanks matt i hope my 6th nerve palsy gets better but i am not seeing anyone and dont know what to do matt
Vinnie Go to END that will take you to the end of the document then you can go PAGE UP or scroll up Don…
Thanks Pastor, but my iPad doesn’t have an end key, at least that I can find.
When I put up this post, I never dreamed there would be over 500 comments on it. If it will help the readers here, I am happy to archive the first 2-300 comments onto another page to decrease the scrolling hassle. Let me know if that’s a good idea.
Also, I’ve created a “subscribe to comments” box below. Check this box the next time you comment, and an email will be sent to you whenever someone comments on this page. That way you won’t feel compelled to reload the page so often. Hope this helps.
This is my 2nd time of having double vision with a crossed eye. I have been going thru many test. The Dr. have no idea what is going on with me. I have been doing my own research and think it may be 6th nerve palsy. The 1st time it only lasted 2 weeks. This time is worse. More symptoms. Vision, headaches, jaw pain, nausea, weakness, they even found enlarged arteries in my head. Guess I will tell the dr.’s what I think it is. Don’t know what else to do.
Thank you Dr. Root. The follow up email should work for me.
I am a 61 year old male. For me it all started at the end of July, a month ago. I had a severe sinus infection that led to an ER visit. At the time we were on holidays 1500 km from home. Took the prescribed antibiotics and all seemed to be improving so we continued on with our vacation. About a week after the ER visit we were setting out for a day trip when suddenly my vision went double. Another visit to an ER more sinus meds but no prognosis for the double vision. So we were 1500 km from home, my wife doesn’t drive and I had double vision. after reviewing all our options it was decided that I would attempt the drive home with one eye patched even if it took three or four days. Fortunatly we made it home in two days. I was really happy to be home for sure.
The next day my optometrist examined my eyes and immediately diagnosed 6th nerve palsy. He told me it usually clears up on its own but wanted to see me again in three weeks. I also visited my family doctor and he prescribed some blood work and an MRI is scheduled for next week.
So far no improvement, left side is much worse than the right, Fortunatly I can see out to about three feet and can read with my bifocals. Also as previously mentioned I can drive. However, it’s diifcult to work and there isn’t much enjoyment in normal everyday things. I am a long distance runner and getting used to running with be eye patched is difficult but not insurmountable.
I am going to try to convince my optometrist to prescribe prism lenses as most patients seem to find them ver helpful. Otherwise wait it out.
I was happy to find this forum as it’s hard to explain to non-affected people what a pain this is. I’ll update on a regular basis. Good luck to all of you.
good luck mike i hope it goes away for ya keep us posted if ya can matt
I’ve had 6cnp since July 10. I’ve learned more from this blog than anywhere else. It helps to know we’re not alone. I’m in Canada. I’ve done the ER because I thought I was having a stroke, neurologist, had an infused ct, blood tests etc. My problem is that none of these professionals tell me anything. They evade the simplest questions. The best has been my optometrist. She got me a prism which has given me the freedom to drive. By mid-day though I’m usually dog tired. If nothing else I’m getting used to it and trying to live as normally as possible. Goes to show you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
I was dx with 6th nerve palsy in January of this year. I’ve had the MRI, etc. I have been improving slowly, and have another appointment with my neuro-opthamologist this week. I also have complex regional pain syndrome, take Lyrica and Baclofen for that. The blurriness and double vision had come on suddenly, shortly after an increase in my Lyrica. I feel that my 6th nerve palsy was caused by either the Lyrica or my CRPS. The doc says that if it was the Lyrica, then he would expect the problems to be bilateral instead of just one eye. Wondering if anyone else has used Lyrica and experienced this, or have CRPS and 6th nerve palsy.
My optometrist put a set of fresnel prisms on my glasses so overall that improved things a lot. I noticed today that without my glasses I can almost focus the wall clock which is about 12 feet from where I was standing. They almost merge but within seconds the left image drifts away. Maybe it’s a bit of progress or maybe it’s a red herring. Nevertheless, I will use that clock as my test point going forward.
For the past couple of days I have felt what seems like small spasms in my left eye. Neither the eye or eyelid move during the flutters. Vision hasn’t improved any but I thought that maybe it’s a sign that the nerve is beginning to wake up????? Also had an MRI this week no results so far.
g’day mike keep us posted on ya mri results ok i hope and pray each nite and will include ya ok matt
hi to charlotte if ya still on here how ya doin with it mate do ya still have it mine is me left eye and i have had it for nearly 2yrs now and i hate it with a passion hope ya well ok matt
Hello All,
Frnds Good News,Exactly after 3 months from the onset of 6th Nerve plasy,Now i am getting 95% cure from it and my Normal vision get Back. Its a small hope to you also,not any medication and nothing only i had take multiVitamins,And steriods. And Till 2 & half months,there was not a little improvement,but later improment gear ups suddenly,and day by day it gets cure. Frnds i will pray 2 God for all of you also,to get cure from this.Keep faith on urself your immunity only cure you to normal back. I will read your All post daily,and also kep coment you all.
After six weeks I can now see my laptop and navigate the keyboard. The frustration and depression set in on the 3rd week. Like all of you I had to work through this at my own pace. I believe there is some improvement, but will leave that to the neurologist for his evaluation. Praying for all of you as a group, who have had few, or many months of this condition….bless all of you!
Hi Matt, thanks for asking about me. Nothing has changed for me and I am still in limbo as to what to do next. The neuro optha. in this area has been little help to me. I’m supposed to have another follow up since it’s been a year since the last one. At this point, we don’t know what to do next. This will have been going on 3 years in November. I still continue to pray that I will wake up some morning and this will be gone as suddenly as it came on. I have 2 little grandson’s and would sure like to be able to do more with them (especially since my oldest is 4 1/2 and very active. When my eyes feel like they are constantly fighting each other it makes me feel so unsure of myself and the smallest tasks that I used to take for granted do present challenges for me. I do hope you are seeing some improvement. I do wish I could find someone in my area that deals with VI nerve that is caused by a meningioma (located in the intracavernous sinus area). Hopefully, I can find someone like that. We just don’t have the funds to “shop around”. I just keep trying to do as much as I can and try to make it work. Take care of yourself!
thanks for that charlotte i am with ya as i will be 3yrs in oct that i got mine and i am in australia and me eye doc dont want to see me anymore so he cant help me and i dont know what else to do as i have other issues with me health and i wish they could fix this palsy of 6th cranial nerve so i could concentrate on me other which is a melanoma cancer that i am the 4th in the world to get and 6 ops and over 2200 radiations it is 1mml from me brainstem and can only go up or down but it is silent at the moment be good ok charlotte love to you and all on here and i will include you and all in me prayers matt
I definitely have more improvement each day. things 20 feet away I see as one then after a few seconds the second image appears. I hope and pray that his is progressive and that it was a virus. After reading many who have had this conditions for years I am blessed to have any improvement at all. No one who has not had this issue can relate to the confusion, frustration and depression that comes with 6np.
I am sympathetic to all who struggle with patience for the release from this…..bless you all in Jesus’ name.
a big thank you pastor i sure have said many a prayer to him as he has kooked after me for 7yrs now and i am still here matt
Hi matt……..thank you for your response…praying for you and all who are suffering 6np…..Don
i have had it twice. The spasms mike referred to are a good thing as things seemed to get better from that point forward albeit slowly very slowly. mine cleared up both times in about two months. From my experience i wouldn’t wear prisms as i think your mind is forced to adapt and maybe even heal by using both eyes. i also think b vitamins, anti inflammatory (naproxen) and fish oil help. If not they didn’t hurt. It sucks and you worry if it will ever get better and doctors are totally confused and not reassuring when every answer is “i don’t know.” Just know that healing is possible you just have to practice patience oh ya and never throw batting practice to your sons team. i looked like wild thing from major league.i sympathize with those who have it, it sucks but you’ll appreciate seeing a lot more when it comes back and never take a day with clear vision for granted.
Neurologist said “there is a major improvement and that another month or so I should be back to normal vision”.
It appears that no one knows if this will return, moreover, no one seems to know how to prevent this from recurring again.
Blessings to all 6npers.
Dr’s appointment today to go over MRI results. All clear 🙂 however the neurologist stated that there is evidence of ongoing sinus issues. Just as I had thought this whole thing is related to the serious sinus infection I had a month or so ago. A new prescription for a steroid nasal spray. Hopefully if I can clear the inflammation the nerve might improve.Opthomologist appointment next week.
Have had 6 NP since Aug 22 this year. CTs, MRIs,Blood tests. No answers. Had sphenoidal pituitary tumor surgery and then gamma knife surgery in 05, 06. Also had WestNile Virus in 05. Hypertension which is very well controlled for 10 years now. Also had breast cancer surgery in 08. Almost 5 years. YAY!. Neuro opthamologist thinks the 6NP is vascular due to hypertension and other health history. Neuro surgeon says it could be that, or, it could still be the pituitary tumor/ radiation. MRI indicated no growth in tumor. Must wear eye patch to function. WO it I am dizzy, loose balance, etc. You know the story. Question is has anyone gone to Mayo Clinic for research into the basic cause? So thankful I found this discussion site. At least I know I am not alone.
I was diagnosed with 6th Nerve Palsy on July 2 of this year and here is my story on how it started for me. I woke up one morning in mid-April and found my jaw cracking and it seemed off when I would open my mouth. I went to see my Primary Dr. and he said that you have a mild case of TMJ. I also went to my Dentist and she said the same thing. They both said that it would leave in about 3 to 4 weeks. I also had a strong pain on my left side of my face, used a mouth guard and was taking a lot of pain medication to help with the pain when I would sleep at night. At the time, I was working quite a bit and since I work with High School seniors who only text, I was texting quite a bit on my IPhone to reach them.
Beginning in June, I started to have blurred vision and then double vision along with numbness on my left side of my face. I then visited my Optometrist and she prescribed Prisms and she recommended me follow-up with an Ortho Eye specialist which I did. About a month later I did not see any improvement and was concerned what was happening in my brain, so my wife convinced me to go to the Emergency at our local hospital and I did.
The full day I went through every test that many of you have gone through; neck scan, CT scan, MRI, blood test, etc., etc., etc. Everything came out normal and the attending Doctor/Neurologist said that I had 6 Nerve Palsy and it would leave in about 6 to 8 weeks. Well, that time has come and gone and I still have the left side numbness and double vision, although I am improving everyday thank God. My left eye is not turned inwards any longer but straight, numbness is leaving slowly and double vision is getting better also. What I have learned is that most, if not all, Doctors are not sure how to cure 6th nerve Palsy, so as many of you know, I takes a lot of great patience to go through this. I know I will recover fully but my patience has been challenged but notice I am improving little by little. Like I read earlier in some of the comments, keep faithful and make patience your friend and know that you will absolutely recover, never doubt, you will recover. I hope this helps others and thankful for this website, kinship of comments and most importantly, I want to thank my wife for her continued support which would have been difficult without her. In conclusion, I am going to an Acupuncturist on Monday and hope that this will also help to speed my recovery. Keep you abreast of the results.
glad its gettin better 4ya frankieb i have had mine for 2yrs now and i hate it and dont know what i can do matt
Each day I have slight improvement…drove without the patch and it went ok but in certain oncoming traffic I had to close one eye because of slight confusion. The first time I walked without the patch I was bumping into walls and very dizzy. After a week I was able to adjust and try without the patch for an hour a day. I can now work on my comp with no problems…all is clear….long distance objects are still in double vision…tough stuff. I empathize with all who are battling this condition. I pray God’s richest blessing on those who have suffered with this for many months or years. I thought I had a lot of patience, however that was not the case and I lost my temper got mad etc. Then I came to the realization that this could be for the remaining years of my life….not many left.I don’t know if this will improve over the next few ???? But I sure hope so…Many state that it could improve over time…then there are the statements of those suffering for years… well we can say we have one good eye…friends of mine are blind and they have a lot better attitude than I have…I hope we all adjust over time….Don
Opthomologist appointment yesterday. Good news my prism was reduced to 15 from 20. Dr told me my problem is a result of acute sinusitis as I had expected. Another positive point is that my sinuses are improving. He also mentioned that this condition requires a lot of patience, I see him again in eight weeks and hopefully I can progress along. I can’t complain too much, there are no other medical issues and with the prism I can see quite normally. Good luck to all of you.
Great news mike….I see the neurologist in three weeks…Thanks for the info on the prisms…don’t know if I will need it…Blessings Don
Well it’s been 3 months now and I remain optimistic. Like Don I have single vision out to about 15 feet for a few minutes at a time. It’s best when I first wake up in the morning when it lasts about 5 minutes. My optometrist says there is minor improvement up close so she has reduced my prism from an 18 to a 12. Hang in there everyone.
Hi, doctor. i have an accident of car on 20 August, my right eye had improvement after 1 month. it been 52days, my right eyeball could move to right side.but i still saw two vision.
I was diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy last October. at first it went away for about a month but then returned. It tends to fluctuate between severe and moderate double vision. I’ve had an MRI and CT with the only odd thing being a blood vessel that is pressing on the nerve. The CT advised it may have something to do with high blood pressure which I’ve had on and off for about 10 years. I’m seeing a neuro-ophthamologist tomorrow and will see what her thoughts are. this is very frustrating and difficult to live with. I do have a prism in my glasses but it is not always strong enough. I’m 48 and don’t want to live the rest of my life like this.
Some good progress. For the first time since this started I can see across a normal sized room as one image. This evening also I can watch tv straight on from about 10 feet away. Hope the progress continues. I am using the prism mainly now for driving or when in a large space like a department store. A long way to go but it’s nice to have some real progress at last. Good luck to all of you.
Hi, I had diagnosis 2,5 years ago. My condition didn´t change until now. I investigate Vitamin B12 deficiency as there are research done that specifically optical nerve paralysis is caused by B12 deficiency, including all other symptoms like tingling and numbness in the legs and arms, fatigue, memory loss, balance issue, etc. Perhaps it is worth to investigate.
I’m not sure if this in American or UK site, but what I say may be helpful to someone. I am an Orthoptist working in the UK. We specialise in eye muscle disorders, including 6th nerve palsy. There are three nerves that run from the brain to supply the eye muscles on each side. The 6th nerve supplies the muscle that makes your eye look outwards, there is one on each eye. There are many reasons why a sixth nerve palsy can occur, but they are mainly due to a problem with high blood pressure or diabetes. Sometimes a very bad infection in the ear or sinuses can cause it, but we don’t see that so often. There are also more sinister reasons, but again these are rare. Sometimes a problem cannot be found on a scan, blood supply problems can often be small and impossible to see.
We see many people with sixth nerve palsy in our eye clinic every year, and the recovery rate is different for everyone. Sometimes they can improve very quickly, at other times they may take up to 18 months. The majority do completely recover, but depending on the damage to the nerve, it may only partially recover, or not recover at all. Exercises will not help it to get better, the best you can do is ensure you stay as healthy as possible and keep blood pressure problems etc under good control. Nerves can take a long time to heal if they are damaged. An Orthoptist may be able to help keep you more comfortable by prescribing temporary prisms on some glasses, or a patch may be the only suitable thing for you. If you have not seen an Orthoptist, you should, we quite often don’t get people referred to us until the poor patient has had the problem for several weeks or even months. Some sixth nerve palsies are more complicated and do not fit in with what I have posted, but an Orthoptist should be involved in your treatment as soon as possible. Hope this post helps some people understand the problem a bit better.
Helen, there are not many orthoptists in the US. This is a very small field with a limited clientele. I had access to one in New York City, but that was a very large Ivy-League teaching hospital. To my knowledge, there isn’t an orthoptist within 100 miles of my office in Florida.
In most areas of the US, an orthoptist’s job is covered by other doctors. Most optometrists are excellent at prism treatments and patching. Neuro-ophthalmologists and general ophthalmologists are good at diagnosis and workup. The one area we AREN’T always good at is counseling patients, coordinating this care, and tweaking glasses – I would love to have access to an orthoptist to help with this (and help me out with finicky prism adjustments).
Just an amazing couple of days I was wearing a 15 strength prism up to Wednesday. It was fitted by my Opthomologist about a month ago and that was a reduction from a strength 20 that was fitted about four weeks after this all began in early August. On Thursday suddenly everything seemed to be ligning up on its own and by Friday, I could drive with no prism at all. I had read about spontaneous recovery but never thought it would happen to me. I’m not 100% just yet as left gaze still has some double vision but that’s really nothing. For info it was confirmed that mine was caused by a severe sinus infection.
Helen your comments are dead on. Although there is no magic cure for this condition, it is important that any double vision conditions be seen by a medical professional immediately. My treatment team has been great. I am hopeful that I will experience a full recovery. Good luck to all.
As of this week my 6np has recovered 99%. The neurologist said complete healing may take months. My driving restrictions have been lifted and I can now drive the freeways and at night. This has been a four month challenge for patience, which I found I didn’t have as much as I thought I had. At first the healing was very slow then sped up as the days went by.
Praying for you as a group, that single vision would be yours as soon as possible. Blessings….Don
hi to all it takes days to get new posts on here or is it just me thanks matt
i still have no new posts to read so i guess everyone is better now so that is awesome but i still got mine .
Hi Matt, you aren’t alone. I’m hoping many have found healing from this but I’m now at 3 years and no improvement in sight that I can tell. I’m still hoping and praying for a miracle. Perhaps, many are caught up with the holidays but thought I would send along my comment to let you know you aren’t alone. I still am looking for someone else that might lend more insight into my situation but not getting my hopes up. They’ve been dashed 1 too many times and finances are still a huge factor into how far I can proceed. I would truly love to wake up and find my eyes back to normal. Hang in there Matt and I trust you have a wonderful holiday season!
many yhanks charlotte i am in the same boat with ya as mine has been 3 yrs and i hate it and i see a mew hospital in january and hope they can help me as i hate this thing as ya cant escape it eh you are in my prayers ok thanhks mate matt
Update from post in Sept.2013, Improvemnt has been slow. I now have new neurologist who is consulting with previous docs and he wants me to have a test to determine if I have Opic Myasthenia Gravis. The test is called Tensilon. I have had every test possible and have already been tested and results came back negative for Opic MG. it was the Accupunture that has helped me the most, along with patience. Every doctor I have seen up to this point has not been able to determine one thing.they all have that ? look in there face. your comments would be appreciated!
Is it ok to wear the patch during these bouts with sixth nerve palsy… will it hurt? I don’t think I could function without it. help.
hello doctor i just want to ask why i get no new posts from anyone for days and days thanks matt
Hi Lori, from my own experience, and advice from professionals is that it won’t affect the condition at all whether you patch or not. It doesn’t even seem to matter which eye you patch as the only purpose of the patch is to eliminate double vision. For me though, I couldn’t stand wearing the patch for a lot of reasons and had my optometrist apply prisms to my glasses which worked much better for me. My condition lasted exactly 12 weeks and required a lot of patience on my part. I consider myself lucky though that it cleared up that quickly. I am very hopeful that it will never return.
As like many of you; I was diagnosed in Oct. 2013 with 6th nerve palsy. I was so upset not to be able to see normal. I thought this was permanent. I had also been dealing with chronic knee cramps and unable to walk for 8 to 20 hrs. when this occurred. Iwas even taken to hosp. in ambulance because I couldn’t even put my foot on the floor; let alone walk. This cramp started in June and xrays, cat scans and mri’s were not reveling what was wrong. My ortho doc. was so pulzed. It became worse and the cramps or muscle spasms would come every 5 days to a week and I would have to go to bed for 8 to 20 hrs (until the cramps would go away and my leg would go back to normal). This went on from June until Oct. (when I was diagnosed with Diplopia-6th nerve palsy), which caused my doctor to order a Mri of brain and then a pet scan(because of spot on my brain – fatty tissue – (not sure if maybe Melanoma). I thought with all this happening to me;Knee spasms,double vision and now maybe melanoma,this may be the end of the line for me.
Well, after pet scan showed the problem with my knee (synovial cyst tumor – under my knee cap) doctors now could solve one problem. They operated on my knee which they couldn’d see before from xrays of my knee because it was hiddened behind my metal knee replacement (which was done 3 yrs. before). My knee is wonderful now – no pain or cramps. And my 2nd problem was this 6th nerve palsy which I’m so happy to say is gone. It lasted for 4 wks. I used a patch off and on and also paid only $30.oo for a ridged prism to attach to my glasses. It was so much better to have this so I could drive and see more normal. I really feel for people who have this longer than I did. I hope and pray you all recover. As for the spot (3 rd problem) on my brain – I have to check again in 2 to 3 mos, to see if there is any change. I also pray that it will be nothing.
I started to read up on this 6th nerve palsy back in Oct. when I first had it; and read about Charlotte and Matt and others. I really hope you are all doing better and are cured. I wanted to tell my story because even though we read about people who have these problems; I think when people get better, they forget or get too busy to get back on and tell they are cured. God Bless!
This is Elaine again. I forgot to point out why I told this whole story. I just wonder why this 6th nerve palsy occurs in the first place. I think if someone has an infection or some tramma occur in their life this may trigger something in the brain to cause all sorts of problems in the body. I personally had the horrible pains in my knee, which caused infection. Other people, as I read had other things going on in their life from other sickness, sinus problems and even girls who gave birth, which is also a shock to your nervous system. Hope this helps everyone with questions as to why this occurs.
Thanks Mike. Appreciate the help on the patch, I’m going on 6 weeks now and have an appt. with the eye doc in another week. I will check on the prism thing. I get depressed sometimes as I keep reading that many have this malady for months and some even years. God Bless you all.
My life motto however has been….never never give up,
Find a way. So, my online friends with 6th nerve P.,
Ever Onward.
Elaine, in response to your comment about myself and Matt…I can’t speak to his condition but from my own perspective and having 6th nerve for over 3 years now lack of comment doesn’t mean the condition has gone away. I have no hope at this point that I will ever see relief from this condition. Sometimes it’s just easier not to have to think or dwell on it anymore than I already do. When you deal with something like this after 3 years you just try to deal with the what is and not what you would like it to be. Every day presents its own challenges. I’m sure that it’s the same situation for everyone still living with this condition. I pray that you will receive relief. as I do. with all who have corresponded on this blog. I still have hope that someday relief will come and if it does I will post as others have done that have had their normal vision return. As to the cause of this issue, I’m beginning to think it can be any number of reasons and there doesn’t appear to be any true pattern or cause. I’ve had little success even getting answers from the doctor I’ve seen. I wish you well and trust that you may find relief. God bless!
This is an update for my original post July 2013. I am improving slowly but surely every day. I can truly say though I am exhausted with Dr. visits, my PCP, neurologists acupuncturist, lab work. I do have a new neurologist that I will be seeing this Thursday, and all we do is discuss my slow-moving improvement. These doctors seem to know nothing about 6 Nerve Palsy..My vision is restoring half of the day is double vision and the rest is single vision I am still in my prism glasses. This Group has been my lifeline to support. Keep the updates coming. I have learned so much about our condition thanks to to awesome ppl. God Bless
Dear All
My name is Robert and I am 61 years of age living in UK. I was on holiday in China during December 2013 in a city called Quanzhou. I had a mild fever and a bowel disturbance. One evening I had a hot bath and went to bed, woke up with double vision. I am usually a very healthy person.
I had a CT scan in Shanghai which they said was normal. On return to Southampton UK I was examined at the eye hospital very carefully and they diagnosed Diplopia due to 6th nerve palsy. The Doctor estimated 4 to 6 weeks to recovery but that is optimistic, no change so far after almost 3 weeks since it happened. I am moving around my home better than 2 weeks ago but maybe because my brain has become used to the condition.
My Doctor sent me for a chest x-ray to check for TB and Sarcoidosis, all clear. After reading a lot about this condition I am surprised at how many of my symptoms correlate with Giant Cell Arteritis,(GCA)an inflammatory condition of the arteries in the head / brain. I will get my Doctor to check for this disease. GCA is potentially very dangerous to the eyesight. I feel sure that this happened because of a viral infection. I have no diabetes, bad cholesterol or high blood pressure.
Good luck to all with this condition.
well its jan23 and i have nothin new since jan15 so i guess most everyone is cured that is awesome news but please tell me how ya did it so i can do it as its been over 3yrs for me now thanks matt
Hi, my name is Angela and I’m 29 years old and woke up on December 6th with double vision. I immediately went to an eye doctor who sent me to another eye doctor, they both found nothing but diagnosed me with 6th nerve palsy and scheduled me for blood work and MRI. MRI and bloodwork all came back normal. I googled all different possible causes for this condition and thought maybe because I kept getting sick it may have caused it. I was hoping it would go away and thought it was getting better until a couple days ago I got sick again and it got worse than ever. I feel like a Siamese cat and feel like its super obvious. It’s nice to know I’m not alone with this, it just sucks because it came out of nowhere and there’s no way to fix it. I’m scheduled to see a neuro-opthamologist in March. Hope it’s cleared up before then! Other than the 6th nerve palsy I am healthy, vegetarian, good blood pressure, no glasses or health issues. Wish they had more answers for this condition 🙁
Hi Matt, sorry you have had this problem for such a long time. It appears everybody else here has recovered and stopped contributing comments.
I have just noticed another forum that you might be interested in reading but it appears inactive now.
http://www.losteye.com/message_forum1/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7603
Good luck!! Robert
Woke up with double vision in October 2013. Saw my md. No clue. Saw opthomologist , no clue, saw optometrist and she prescribed prism glasses. Very very expensive glasses. Of course they were of zero use, because the left eye was worsening week by week. MD ordered a Ct scan. 3 weeks later returned to my md. Ct scan was fine. My MD has no clue. Referred to neurologist. Immediate referral but a three month wait. Will see the neurologist finally next week, (Feb. 2014), for the first time. But guess what?My vision came back 4 weeks ago. Still keeping the appointment next week, even though the vision returned completely. I would like to at least get an educated medical guess of what this was. What should I do with the prism glasses that I never wore? Insurance scam for sure by optometrist, that probably should have waited to let the condition reach its maximum low. Sadly I feel like the medical people all participated in a scam that netted everyone some insurance money. Because it was a constant “I don’t know, better not drive, wear a patch, see another medical person……etc”. Gosh this is Las Vegas, wonder if anyone is even medically qualified to diagnose and treat any disorder? LOL? I have learned more here on possible diagnosis, causes and treatments. Am hoping the neurologist is capable of researching possible causes, without ordering the endless and expensive tests that many of you had to endure, only to find out that “time” healed the mysterious affliction. So for your suffering this…..do not give up hope……time may in fact help you. Best regards to all, and thanks to everyone for taking the time to share your information.
Oh I should add that I am 59, healthy blood pressure always, no cholesterol or heart problems, do have diabetes 2, but it is completely under control by diet exercise and januvia. MD says that since it is controlled so well, doubts that is what caused it. As I said above, I would like to know what caused it. I will leave an update for others as this medical journey continues.
My husband walked into the corner of our bedroom wall the night of the 23rd. He had a cut in his eyebrow and upper eyelid. On the 25th he noticed tunnel vision and the next day experienced double vision. We went to the ER -CAT scan, blood tests, EKG all normal. The next day he was told he had 6th nerve palsy at the eye doctors. He will see a neuro opo next week. After reading this site, I called the Drs to ask about an eye patch and was told he could use one. He is using the patch sometimes and alternating eyes. I wish there was something to do for him now. He never naps but is resting in the afternoons now. From what I have read time will heal but what a lifestyle change! Any suggestions would be welcome.
As per my posts above, I was afflicted for 12 weeks between Aug-Oct last year. I am very thankful that it cleared up once my sinusitis was brought under control. As far as prism glasses go, I was prescribed the stick on type that can be easily changed as the condition changes. These were $10.00 per lens and worked great. When my vision returned I simply peeled the lens off. I had tried patching one eye but hated it.
My first comment was 15 Jan. Since then I have had some big improvement in my condition. My single vision has returned almost completely but I do have some double vision when I move my eyes well away from the forward position. But my forward looking vision is 95% better. I saw my Doctor and as I mentioned I would get him to check for Giant Cell Arteritis. Apparently at the Eye Hospital here in Southampton they had already checked my blood for C Reactive Protein and my score was very low only 2mg per litre. My GP and I agree that this was probably caused by a flu like virus I had whilst on holiday in China.
I tried to help the repair by taking Vitamin Bs for nerve repair, Vitamin C to improve my immune system and Olive Oil to help contribute to the myelin sheath repair. Whether any of this has helped I have no idea. I will see the Eye Hospital Consultant on 10 February and get back here to let you know what the official progress is.
To give you some idea what my sight was like with double vision I did some very basic measurements. When viewing the average sized car at 100 metres I could see two cars with enough space for another car in the middle. Now only one car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 🙂
My last contribution was 15 January and since then I have had some very good improvement. To give you an idea what my double vision was like I did some basic measurements of images. When viewing the average sized car from 80 metres I could see two identical images with a space inbetween to fit the same vehicle. For almost 3 weeks there was no change and then I noticed a very quick improvement over the next 10 days or so. I now see one vehicle at 80 metres with almost no secondary image. However, when I view by turning my eyeballs left or right I can induce double imaging.
As mentioned before I said I would get my Doctor to check for Giant Cell Arteritis. Last Friday 24 Jan I had an appointment and my Doctor had all the results from the Eye hospital including blood tests. No underlying condition detected and my C Reactive Protein (CRP) test was very normal. Therefore it appears I have no inflammatory disease. We both agreed that this condition appears to have been caused by a virus that I had when this happened. So it would appear I come under the “Idiopathic” umbrella with a suspicion that the virus caused the problem.
I studied information about nerve repair and tried to help my body repair the nerve. I have been taking Vitamin Bs and C, also I have read that Olive oil (oleic acid), fish oil and nut oils can help to repair and keep the myelin nerve sheath healthy which is apparently 70% fat and 30% protein. Whether any of this has helped I do not know but I can imagine it has not done any harm.
I have another appointment on 10 February at the Eye Hospital which will be 6.5 weeks after the double vision started. I will let you know what happens, I am very pleased with my progress at this point. Good luck to all of you with this unusual and worrying condition.
On Monday of this week, at the end of giving a lecture in class, my power point presentation on the projector suddenly went bleary. That was around 11:30am. My vision was blurry off and on for the next few hours and I felt cross-eyed at times. By 3 pm I had double-vision all the time. My drive home at 5:30pm (in the dark) was VERY scary. I had no idea that if I shut one eye, I would see one image. The next day I went to the ER and had an EKG, MRI, and a little blood test. I was referred to a opthamologist and neurologist. The opthamologist diagnosed me with 6CN palsy. The neurologist is currently ruling out M.S. versus ischemic stroke. She started me on daily IV doses of steroids — 1 gram a day! I finished my second dose today. The steroids helped my eye pressure but have given me a mild headache, and a fast heart rate — my eyes are also dry. I can’t work and drive very little – with one eye closed. I just want this to be done. As I’m sure all of you do too. I’m 53 years young with two daughters – ages 11 and 12. They are very worried.
i will say a prayer for ya judi stay strong ok. i know its hard to do as i have had this for over 3yrs now i hate it every day. i am in oz and dont know of any one here who has it or had it so this is me only outlet i wish i had more help but yuo stay strong ok matt
Judi, I know how you feel and how your daughters feel. If you’ve always been healthy and I have it is kind of hard to believe this can happen and seemingly there is no real fast track to relieve it. I just got back from my neurologist visit who was extensive in a very on hands testing to see my mobility. again, I was just fine. He did some blood work and half is back, one test revealed that I had an underactive thyroid which he then prescribed a low dose med to correct, which really takes several weeks to really see results… It should help the dryness in the eyes as well as some other conditions associated with thyroid. I am still waiting for the other half results in blood work to come back. I wear a patch every day and he said that’s just fine, one has to function. I also wear it on the affected eye, the left one, as it is my dominant eye…my other one is only for near vision. It crosses to help the affected one but the patch was made up by my husband to put over my glasses it covers the front and side vision.
I am still amazed at how many people have this…yet it is just a wait and see treatment. My neurologist said that The vein going to the actual nerve is very very tiny and even a pin point blockage will paralyse it. I hope you find your single vision quickly as work and taking care of two teens, tweens is difficult enough. God Bless.
Compared to many here I seem to have been fortunate. I had my appointment at the Eye Hospital yesterday and passed all the optical and eye muscle tests. My diplopia has fortunately resolved itself after 6 weeks and without any medication. It was a very worrying condition.
Not sure what caused it, maybe a viral infection or a microvascular problem. I have no detectable underlying conditions and my cholesterol is OK also.
Good luck to all!! 🙂
After six months of thinking that I have six nerve palsy I was taken back to the emergency room and I was given an MRI with contrast. When the results came back I was absolutely flabbergasted I had a large tumor pressing against my right eye that was causing not only the double vision but the droopy eyelids my recommendation to you is to ask for an MRI with contrast. After three days of rigorous testing and now I am at the city of hope and warty California I will be having a biopsy to check to see if I have a malignancy please don’t know further have an MRI with contrast
2weeks and no new posts so i am glad everyone is better now but i am not and wish i was
Hi, my dr’s are now thinking this is more like MG, Myasthenia gravis, of which the only symptom I have is double vision. Also could be Ocular Myasthenia…??
So far, I’ve been given thyroid meds for an inactive thyroid, low dosage. and may be in line for some test called a single fiber EMG? More later when I talk with my Neuro. ARGH.
I had a number 7 trapped nerve on my left side of my face for nearly 4 months last year and i am still recovering now but the last few months i have been a little funny on my feet and have been feeling nauseous and i don’t know if its from having bells palsy or in just drained and worrying over nothing i am also going to try to see my gp tomorrow morning or tomorrow afternoon to get it all checked out but if u have any other suggestions i would appreciate it thankyou
Wow lots of reading here. I am 28 and healthy. Had shingles a few months back and then was diagnosed with 6 nerve palsay. After 2 weeks of no relief I went back to dr and asked for steroids as I heard this helps. This took away the pressure and temple pain almost immediately. I am now just waiting for the vision to come back. When I first wake up in the morning my vision seems better but after a few minutes the eye goes back in. Dr won’t give me prisms so I have to patch it everyday.
ok i give up i have had mine for nearly 4yrs and i must be the only one with it as no posts for over 3weeks i am glad yall got cured ok matt
my 6th nerve palsy started 12.15.13, my left eye felt tired/over worked…I read a lot, so jokingly thought I had finally worn my eyes out. Spent 7 hours in ER, lots of tests, MRI, all negative, I kept asking for an eye doctor, my request went unanswered. Next day called Ophthalmology and got a wonderful RN who explained, if I closed or covered one eye and only saw one thing, it was a good thing. She arranged an appt with a special doctor who handled lazy eye. The nice doctor figured it out, ordered a 15 prism for my left eye and I actually had to drive home (my official driver got an insulin reaction). That is the last time I have driven, I live in So Cal, there aren’t many driving options for someone who has no depth perception and can’t see worth squat. I have finally 13 weeks later regained mostly full vision, but no confidence to drive. If the eye gets tired it starts seeing multiples again. I have depended on the kindness of 6 friends and family to drive me for hair cuts, volunteer duty, dental and medical appts. In a stroke of luck, I changed my medicare at the new year, so I had a very long time waiting for referrals. It has been very frustrating, I could only read Kindle by changing spacing and font. I discovered this site in late January and it was a sanity saver to see others, their issues and solutions. Thank you for being there to prevent total helplessness.
Feb 28 2014 I started having double vision with both eyes open. My eye Dr. Diagnosed me with 6NP in the right eye. I was glad to find this site, because none of my family and friends ever heard of this. I’m glad to see a lot of post where you are back to normal. I am 39 year old male, and am scheduling an MRI soon, praying nothing like a tumor shows up.
Hi, so I commented January 23rd. I have since seen a neuro-opthamologist. He scheduled me for another MRI and an MRA. He suspects that they will both be negative due to the fact that I am 100% healthy otherwise. He is going to compare the 2 MRI’s and schedule me for a spinal tap because he said there is no reason this should be happening. I am happy to have found this website to not feel so alone. I’ll keep everyone updated. Definitely didn’t go away.
Hi all. I am a 22 year old female and am going into my 7th week of 6NP.
Unlike many of you, I developed double vision and severe headaches 2 days after being struck in the jaw. After a week in hospital and numerous tests (CT scan, MRI and angiogram) doctors found a small tear in an artery and a narrowing of another artery in my brain. They sent me home with a 3 month prescription of aspirin to prevent possible stroke and advised that my double vision would resolve in 6 to 8 weeks.
The headaches stopped quite soon after leaving hospital, but unfortunately the double vision remains.. Although I have noticed some improvement in the movement of my eye in the last week or so – I am hoping this is a sign of recovery. I have an appointment with an ophthalmologist next week, so I am hoping they have something (anything!) to offer.
It is a very depressing, frustrating condition but I’ve definitely learnt in all of this that positivity is key! I refuse to let this horrible condition get the better of me and am trying my best to continue life as normal. I would also like to add how helpful this forum has been to me. I found it quite soon after my double vision started and it has really kept me going. It’s nice to know I’m not completely alone.
3-19-2014
Hello, I can see clearly now. I bumped my head and was knocked unconscious and woke up with the six nerve palsy in January to June 2013. Neurologist and ophthalmologist confirmed blunt trauma cranial sixth nerve palsy. It was a challenging time physically and mentally. After June I returned to seeing only one moon in the sky instead of two, I new then that I had fully recovered. I look back at my palsy and I feel I would have benefited by communicating with people who had experienced what I was experiencing. I have learned of some things that may help you, check with your ophthalmologist. Check up first, Time, Eye patch,Prism glasses, Training exercises, baseball hat with a long low tight rim like a tunnel, Miscellaneous.
Rest more and practice good health. I did focusing exercises like staring through a cone or tube for a few minutes a day along with other eye stimulating exercises. I know how hard it is two see double and I feel for you, you will get better a little bit at a time. I think there is a lot to know about the recovery. I would like to find out if Doctor Root or anyone else knows of any eye focusing or stimulating exercises that may help in the recovery of eye palsy. I will check back tomorrow. Thank You and good night, Gregory
My name is Wendell I am 39 years old. I want to know from someone that’s been through this, will your eyesight be normal when you wake up one morning or does your eye go back to normal slowly each day?? I read a lot that says it took 6-8 weeks at least. Any comments with these answers are appreciated.
3-20-14 To Wendell From Gregory. I am 50 years old. I have been through the sixth nerve palsy in 2013. My eyes returned to normal a little bit each day for around 200 days. Then I looked at the moon and saw only one moon in the sky instead of two, I new then that I had fully recovered. I posted also on 3-19-2014 with some information that may help you. I will check back tomorrow, happy first day of Spring Gregory
Mine lasted 12 weeks exactly. The root cause was a severe sinus infection. I had what they call a spontaneous recovery as for about 11 1/2 weeks no change then within a few days my normal vision returned. For me the prism lenses were great and allowed me to live more or less normally. Nevertheless, the day that I removed them for the last time was like throwing away the crutches.. Good luck to all.
MikeM- how did you know it was a severe sinus infection that caused your 6 nerve palsy? Did it show up on a MRI or cat scan? Thanks Gregory, I’m glad yours got better. I am scheduled to see a neurologist 4-1-14. I never hit my head or anything , I just all the sudden got double vision, 6 nerve palsy in the right eye. Thanks all
Do you know of any eye exercises, or eye training, or eye stimulating, or anything else, that someone can do on their own to help themselves recover from sixth nerve palsy?
Hi Wendell, about a week prior to my double vision I was treated in emergency for a severe sinus infection. My doctors concluded based on the symptoms that sinus swelling paralyzed the sixth cranial nerve. I also had an MRI that indicated residual sinus issues. My treatment team were of the opinion that once the sinus was resolved the nerve would recover and it did so after twelve weeks. For sure they were a long twelve weeks and one begins to think that it will never heal, but it did.
I developed 6th nerve palsy early February. After all the blood tests, MRI’s, Cat Scans, etc. no cause could be found.
I have seen a neurologist and an opthamologist. I was given an eye exercise: hold a pencil at arm’s length in front of you. Keeping your head facing forward, make an arc with the pencil from side to side, following it with only your eyes. I do this for 5 min. three times a day. Don’t know if it helps, but it can’t hurt.
My condition has improved somewhat but has not gone away. I have become quite used to it and only use the eye patch to drive. The most trouble I have is in a crowded area, such as a store.
I have followup appointments in a few weeks. The opthamologist recommended prism glasses if it does not disappear. I was SO happy to find this site – and see that others have had the condition go away.
Jane- I started having 6 nerve palsy feb.28. Today marks my 4th week. I go to a neurologist April. 1 . I’m 39 year old possibly pre diabetic, I don’t know why this happens, my family and friends have never heard of this, there is very little info. On the internet. I may try the pencil exercise. I can’t believe in 2014 with all the technology there is no cure for this, I pray this goes away soon!
hey Matt, you’re not the only one with the double vision that never ends. Mine will be 1 1/2 years next month. It fluctuates and sometimes even goes away for 10 or 15 seconds before returning to really bad. I have a 12 strength prism in my glasses which helps but my vision is still not real great. I’ve seen 4 Ophthalmologists and 1 neuro-opth. So far they are totally baffled at the fact that my vision clears briefly a few times a day. Does anyone else have this fluctuating stuff going on. Help me, please.
Hi Jean, just saw your post. I think Matt and I are the long term VI nerve individuals on here. Mine has been 3 and a half years…if I remember correctly, Matt is around 4 plus years. I don’t have any moments off and mine is too far off for prisms and I don’t have any hope at this point that mine will ever go away. I keep my left lens covered when I’m out on my sunglasses and wear them in the stores just to be able to maneuver with any accuracy and still occasionally bump into people because the depth perception is basically gone. I still try to keep my hopes up but it does get hard when it’s 24/7, 365. I wish I could offer more advice but as many others have mentioned, very little still seems to be known about this or how to help the condition. I am glad that some have eventually found relief and I hope and pray that can eventually be said for all of us that are dealing with this. Best wishes!
Hello…I have not been on this website sense I had sixth nerve palsy almost a year ago. No cause was ever determined but I am happy it has resolved. I had many tests done, all of which were normal. I was told it could have been the result of a virus. I did have a fibroid cyst removed from my maxillary sinus, which I was told was not the cause. However it was shortly after that my eye sight improved. I pray all of you who continue to live with 6thNP and hope you recover soon. God bless
jean t i wish i could give ya some positive feedback but as i say had mine for 3yrs and 5mths and i guess i have to live with it as not one eye doc has given me hope they just see me a few times then say we dont need to see you again. yeh they do great eh cant fix it so dont come here no more so i just have to cope the best i can. i am in australia where you at jean stay strong mate ok i will tell ya more about me if ya want to know as i keep to meself nowdays but tell people if they want to know more of me story. thanks matt
I went to see a neurologist today and she ran some nerve test , reflex, hearing , walking, sensitivity to touch. She has scheduled me for a MRI , today has been 4 weeks and 4 days with 6 np . I am 39 year old male and ready for this to end. Neurologist says not to use patch too often, to help train the brain to line up the eyes. Told me to do eye exercises. Any comments are appreciated .thanks
Joel K—– how long did you have the 6 nerve palsy? Did it come back over night or gradually get better?
hey charlotte glad to hear from ya mate and tes you are corect with me being 4yrs but i dont think mine will ever get better either so i just deal with it best i can i dont drive at nite or in the rain only when its sunny how you copin mate well i hope and to all stay positive ok
Wendell, I believe some exercises and practices may help you recover. Check back to my march 19 2014 post. Practicing tunnel vision, in different ways like looking through a 6 inch wide by 36 inch long tube made of wrapping paper and moving and focusing may help you, cover far end lightly and adjust tube into different sizes and practice and focus. Practicing focusing was also a helpful exercise.
Gradually got better. Also follow precautions advised for a concussion, and rest as much as you can.
Matt and Charlotte, I am in the US, Wisconsin to be exact. I happen to work for 12 eye doctors, which seems ironic in my situation. I have been told that eventually when my eyes stop fluctuating I can have corrective muscle surgery. Matt, have any of the docs you’ve seen suggested this? I have another appointment the end of May and I will see if I’m ready to go that route. I share your frustation. It seems like not much is known about 6np.
My first occurrence happened around June of 2012 at the age of 25. I had a terrible headache/ migraine for days on my right eye, and my double vision was insignificant at first, but it got worse. At that time I went to the ER at the first hospital, they told me it looked serious and I would better off going to a hospital who would be aware of this type of problem. Off I went. They kept me a whole week, and did all possible tests, including spinal tap and found nothing. The doctors refused to give me steroids, or anything else. I was in a lot of pain and all I was given was Tylenol during this week. Then the eye doctor finally saw me the day I left, and he said that I had 6th nerve palsy, and that my eye would get better in a month, and it did. Now 2 years later, I’m experiencing the same pain. I’m worried..Taking lots of ibuprofen so the condition does not worsen. What triggers this palsy, at least for me.. Are standing in front of the comp all day, stressful situations, not taking care of a migraine during the initial symptoms. Good luck all.
hi jean noone has said that to me they just dee me a couple a times and say i dont need to see you any more i hate this palsy thing as i cant escape it it unless i am asleep i dont know what else to do. i lived on cape cod for 13yrs maybe i should go back and go to boston to get some help. what ya think .
Matt, It might be worth a try going to Boston. I can’t say muscle surgery would be the cure for you but my docs think that eventually I could give it a try.(they can’t guarantee it will help me 100%) I can’t imagine living with this the rest of my life. I am very active. Like to bike, kayak, hike and other outdoor things. This is definitely getting in the way of my lifestyle. keep me posted on your decision.
For those that recovered from this. Could you tell it was getting better by turning your bad eye out past the midline? I can turn mine almost all the way out, with just a little white showing. But, then the bad eye turns back toward the nose and my double vision is no better? How can you tell when it’s getting better? 6 weeks now for me.
I am a 60 year old female that had ACDF, 4 levels, done almost 4 months ago. About 7 weeks ago sudden double vision occurred. My left eye is bulging and apparently affected with 6th nerve palsy. I am desperate to know if anybody else has the one bulging eye? I have had the MRI and MRA along with the blood work, everything is normal. The Dr says to wait and see what happens. This is making me so depressed and obsessed to find out if my bulging eye and double vision will go away. Can anybody advise me?
congrats to all as there aint to many of us on here now i wish mine was gone to matt
Eight months ago I had cataract surgery – monovision type and all went well. Recently I had an appointment with the opthamologist and mentioned the glare from car headlights, especially one from each headlight that went up toward the sky. He said he would laser and it would correct. Two days after the laser procedure I started seeing double. The opthamologist claims laser had nothing to do with it. Has anyone experienced this?
Hi Wendell, it gets better gradually. I was diagnosed with 6NP in Feb 2013, by April 2013 my eyes were measured at 12,was 20 previously, (zero is normal vision)by the opthamologist. By May 2013 my vision was back to normal.You will notice that your double vision is reducing.
Hope this helps.
Hi,
I am 51 years old and I started seeing double. I went to an eye dr..who know it was 6thNerve Palsy.
After my first check up ..I had to go back…He decided to do an MRI. It showed a spot and inflamation.
Next I want to a Neurosurg.. and he did some test.
He has decided it was caused by a virus. I take only B12 and Folic Acid.
At first I could not hardly walk.. now I am walking and adjusting to live after about 7weeks of this.
I have driven once.. with an eye patch.
I know its a very unadult way to be..but this is miserable!!!
I meant to say the eye dr. knew it was 6th Nerve Palsy.
Also I am adjusting to this lifestyle … is what i meant near the end.
It is just frustraing!
My MRI was clear, but I still have the sixth nerve palsy for 9 weeks tomorrow. My eye turns out past the midpoint when I strain it to, but it turns back in toward the nose when relaxed, causing the double vision. Will it be an instant recovery or a gradual recovery for those that recovered from this?
Doctor says if not better in 6 months, it probably won’t improve and eyeglasses can correct the problem. Has anyone noticed swelling the eyelid?
Six weeks ago, On March 18, 2014, I was in my car driving when I noticed that my vision seemed off, kind of blurry. By the following morning, I had complete double vision in my right eye. Went to Ophthamologist, who diagnosed me with 6th nerve cranial palsy. I am 42 years old with no history of diabetes or high blood pressure, so she sent me to a neuro-ophth. He ordered blood work and 2 MRI’s. No tumors or masses, but found what looked like inflammation in cavernous sinus area of brain. He sent me to neuro-oncology to rule out everything bad. After tons of blood work and lumbar puncture, they found no malignancies, etc. So the neuro put me on high dose steroids for 3 weeks, hopeful that this will take care of the inflammation. I only have one week left on steroids, but still have double vision. I pray that this will get better soon. Fyi–the LP was a horrible experience, sick with spinal headache, nausea/vomiting for 6 days!!
I feel like I am the only one that has this now..I live in the country… away from everyone. I have driven once. Some one comes from and agency every other day to get grocerys, dog appts.. etc.
It is so miserable, and again still very frustrating.
Mary, concerning eyelid swelling, yes I did notice my eyelid was swollen. I commented on April 20th stating I have a bulging eye. It was the swelling that I first noticed even before the double vision and it was my ophthalmologist that brought to my attention that one eye was out further than the other, hence the double vision. Mine does seem to be making small improvement. Baby steps, but I’ll take it.
Hi All,
I can now see the computer screen, the tv and am able to do light driving..
9 weeks so hopefully its over soon.
One thing I notices is the change to better sight is a slight and a slow progress, but still appreciated.
Good Luck all..
Sandi
After 11 weeks I am starting to see an improvement, I now can look straight ahead and see one image. I still see double to my right but the image is closer to one another. It’s not completely recovered but it’s on its way.
Hi, my name is Ming and I live in Sydney. Three weeks ago, for no apparent reason, I wake up with a double vision. Like everyone else, after all the tests: blood, MRI, ultrasound… the results are all negative. I am taking Vitamin B1 each day advised by my doctor. There is no sign of improvement yet. I shall certainly let everyone know when it’s getting better. It’s hard to be driven by other people all the time.
Hello! I have had 6th Nerve Palsy since last June. It is much better but present in the evening when my eyes are tired. It is especially, hard to look through paperwork as the strain hurts & I am not good at that sort of thing anymore. Also, at night I am unable to see the TV. Does that mean that I still have 6th Nerve Palsy? Does anyone else experience issues w/ eye fatigue near the end of the day & watching TV in the evening? Looking off to the sides is especially trying. Also, my upper lip numbs & is tingly throughout the day. Does anyone experience this as well? Does it affect your balance more of issues w/ vertigo when looking up or down or quickly to the sides? This happens every day all day even though 6th Nerve Palsy is getting better. Thank you in advance for you answers as I appreciate it a lot!
Hello, My double vision started in 9.14.14, I just went to an ophthalomogist who diagnosed me with 6th nerve. He wants me to go see a neuro-optho. It seems like a lot of this is from allergies etc. I have been dealing with allergy problems/sinus infections my whole life. I am wondering if B12 and a patch will work. I don’t want to spend all this money either and its nothing that will just go away in a few months. I am 29, and healthy. Any help would be appreciated.
I was diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy two weeks ago. I had double vision until two days ago when I noticed a big improvement. The only thing is now I feel like half of my face is numb and I can’t make certainly shapes with my mouth, like to drink out of a bottle. Has any one else had that problem?
Mine came on after choking and coughing after inhaling a sunscreen spray I was spraying on my shoulders. Excruciating pain across my forehead at the time, then violent headaches, then few days later double vision. Went to ER, had CT scans, MRI’s etc., would not have a spinal tap, which annoyed the neurologists, but the headaches subsided somewhat with Excedrin and ice packs. So sent me to a neuro-opthamologist, who diagnosed right side 6th optic nerve palsy. Seemed to be getting better till I did some cardio aerobics, then got worse again. I have controlled high BP, but my GP thinks this IS purely mechanical caused by the violent coughing which caused vacuum pressure. My question is, I don’t want to stop exercising so has anyone else become worse after exercising? Thank you in advance for your responses.
58 y/o male with no significant previous medical history. I take absolutely no medications unless prescribed by doc. BP is excellent. Anyway in Oct 2014 had severe R eye pain. Dx’ed with sinus infection and put on course of antibiotics. Pain went away after 3-4 days. 19 Nov 14 another round of eye pain with increasing severity until 21 Nov (Friday) morning when I went to ER for the eye pain which was also making me sick to my stomach. CT only found a sinus infection. Blood work was all negative. Saw a ophthalmologist who said I should use eye drop and warm compresses. Went home sick the rest of the day and spent the next two days in bed. Pain gone by 23 Nov (Sunday) AM but I woke up 22 Nov (Saturday) AM with severe double vision. 24 Nov had apt with primary care doc who was quite impressed that my eyes were no longer tracking together. 25 Nov I was back to see the ophthalmologist who DX’ed R eye VI Nerve Palsy. Only sway to function now is by wearing patch or closing R eye. Driving is a challenge as I have no depth perception. First time driving I went out at 4AM just to see if I could do it. I was just closing the affected eye for this test and about went off the road when I over corrected the steering when I switched which eye was should be held closed as part of the test. Now wearing an eye patch on affected eye and hoping for the best. As I told my wife, on the bright side, it looks like I married twin sisters.
A British research study on VI Nerve Palsy said 78% self correct over time. 16% do not self correct. Of that 16%, 40% of them (6.4% of the subjects) have an underlying causal medical problem (high BP, intracranial pressure, etc)
New comments have being blocked on the site for a couple of months … I’m now unblocking these. Over the next week, you’ll probably see a ton of new “old comments” appear on this page.
There is quite a backlog. If you’re “subscribed” to the comments on this page, you may receive a lot of emails as the old stuff is released. I’m really sorry about that and won’t mind if you “unsubscribe.” -Tim Root
I am a 39 year old male. I had six nerve palsy for three months. It gradually got better until it was normal. Maybe high blood sugar?
Hi John your symptoms are virtually identical to the conditions I experienced a year ago and commented above. For me it cleared after 12 weeks. Also I used prisms on my glasses which worked effectively during that time. Your optometrist can fit these and they come in various strengths. Good luck
I started becoming aware of double vision in my left eye while undergoing a number of xrays and a couple CT scans leading up to my discectomy surgery. My ophthalmologist dismissed it as “dry eyes” 2 yrs in a row at my regular visits. A neurologist ran an MRI wanting to rule out a stroke and said everything looked good. Finally, my next yearly visit to the ophthalmologist , he refered me to a pediactric surgeon thinking that it might be strabismus. Pediactric surgeon said I have 6th nerve palsy and ordered a detailed MRI and got a copy of the neurologists MRI from 2 years before. A mass or tumor was discovered to be causing my palsy and it was visible on the previous MRI but they had missed it. I eventually underwent proton radiation on the tumor for 6 weeks. My vision still hasnt improved but they hope the tumor wont grow anymore causing further problems. They had hoped the radiation would shrink the tumor a little and take pressure off the cranial nerve causing my vision to improve but so far nothing has changed.
Hi Moe, I did continue my ruuning routine during my 12 week affliction. This included competing in a half marathon. I mainly dealt with it by staring down at the pavement.
I have had 6th eye palsy and it lasted for about 3 months.. I could not drive, and watched tv with one eye..and could not read..I do feel for you ..I am so sorry for anyone that has to go through this.
I would trip alot, walk into doors and riding with someone driving would make me think every other min..we are in the wrong lane..Mind tricks.
Good luck to all
Wow, there are Alot of comments to read through here! @Steve just above, how scary. Thats my biggestfear; thatthey are missing a tumor in daughters brain stem or something. For nearly 2 years she has had diplopia,double vision. The first 6 monthsitcame and went and i thoughtshe was looking at electronic devices too much. Until the weekend she couldnt physically un cross her eyes, we went to ER, they treated me like an idiot…I am sorry but I have 6 kids doc, never seen their eyes suddenly do that!
Over the past 18 months weve seen half a dozen docs, had 2 MRIs, tensilon tests, blood tests, ice pack tests….they just cant figure it out. Her angles keep changing sowe haveprism glasses thatreallya sticker puton the lenses professionally,that can be switched cheaper than all new glasses.
The last doc said MAYBE Idiopathic Intercrania Pressure or Psuedotumor Cerebri. He started her on Diamox,twice, but she bad reaction..her muscles ached like flu and both times she could barely get out of bed. She is14 now, and her onlyothr symptoms are fatigue, pain in base of skull..top of spine, intolerance to heat or cold. This last doc said next step is a Lumbar Puncture, whi h she will do if necessary but e are both kinda freaked by the thought of the ole Spinal Tap.
So, thats it. The recoveries Im reading on here are making me more hopeful. I wish it were me, all young ladies at 14 are beautiful but often they are so worried about how they look, low zelf esteem etc. but shes been a trooper so far. She had to give up Lacrosse. Thanks for reading.
It’s been 6 weeks since my 53 year old husband developed 6NP. He had medium headaches for about a week, then woke up with double vision & a real bad headache. After all the usual tests mentioned by all the previous posters & the results all negative he was referred to a specialist. He has basically told us the same that we found here, 3 month wait & then he will consider surgery. We are going to wait longer if necessary because I see the length of time varies so much & don’t want surgery if chance of self-healing. I am so thankful for this forum, at first it depressed me thinking 3 whole months on average for recovery but now I’m thankful there most likely will be recovery & 3 month wait is welcome to the alternative to no recovery. I have come to the (hopefully right) conclusion the 6th nerve is inflamed causing it to be paralyzed & since it recovers 1mm per day (apparently about 5 inches in length) we are relying on the 3 month cure. His headaches were not the whole head but to the right side of head behind the bad eye & seemed to travel down the back of neck. At first the headaches were severe & the only relief was Tylenol 3 with 30mg codeine & a Corticosteroid Nasal Spray. When he stopped the nasal spray the headaches returned. Headaches lasted about 3 weeks – 1st week he suffered, 2nd week he used Tylenol and Spray and the 3rd week only spray. We have taken some of the suggestions we found here. He takes 1 pill a day of Vitamin B12 250mg and 1 pill a day of Vitamin B6 100mg and 1 pill a day of Fish Oils AND he will continue to take forever. He uses a pair of glasses with clear glass & the bad eye is covered with cellophane, but after reading here to only cover the bad eye lens partially we are going to try that. He only has double vision when both eyes are uncovered. His right eye is turned inward when resting. I started testing his movement by having him follow a pen as I moved it. For the 1st couple weeks it would stop dead center & not move further to the right. Then for the next couple weeks I noticed he could move it 1mm past center, then for the next couple weeks 2mm past center & now he can move it about 3mm past center. Again, so very very thankful for this forum as we found more answers & suggestions than the Doctors could give us.
I do want to say one thing. My dr gave an eyepatch but said to not use it often.. as the eyes needed not to rely on it or possibly lazy eye would cause the condition to last longer.
Update: Good news– my crossed right eye and double vision went away after 3 1/2 months!! Went through every test in the book, and 3 wks of high dose steroids. The improvement was very slow–did not wake up with perfect vision.
my husband was 2 months having doble vision doctor said it was 6th cranial nerve palsy as of now it was never cured this week were going to chinese general hspital to know if my husband can be cured hope all of us cure thaks guys
Hi everyone. My husband has 3rd,4th and 6th nerve palsy due to a stroke back in Jan 2014 that has also put him off balance.. He gets really frustrated and tends to sink into depression.. Is there anyone that has had the same as my husband and recovered? Please help…
Just wondering does any one notice their 6th nerve palsy affecting them more when it is dark out?
My daughter has a congenital cranial dysinnervation disorder called Horizontal Gaze Palsy with Progressive Scoliosis. She does not have a true 6th nerve palsy as it’s not the 6th nerve that is affected, but her eyes do not turn outward. She will be 8 this year. Obviously, she has lived with her vision her whole life, so whatever she sees seems very normal to her. I am hoping someone who has acquired 6th nerve palsy might be able to shed some light on what the world looks like to my daughter. She often complains of headaches and I wonder if it’s from her vision. Is that common? Is it hard to read? Hard to watch TV? Hard to maintain eye contact? Do you fatique quicker just taking in your surroundings? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
I had 6 nerve palsy that lasted for 3 months. My eye healed completely but now I have a burning and tingling sensation all over my body, that is getting worse. Any one had the burning and tingling sensation. I am a 39 year old male. My A1c is 5.7. My oral glucose tolerance test came back a little high? Any one out there experienced this?
31 year old male. Found this and have been reading all the posts. Kind of gives me hope but it’s just a waiting game I guess. Was driving to work and it was like snapping my fingers, my vision went double. That was 4 days ago. I’ve had CT scan, mri, seen opthomalogist, and have an appointment to see a neurological opthomalogist next month. They told me I had 6th nerve cranial palsy and just to patch the eye and wait a month to come in. with the mri and ct scan they found i have mega cisterna magna, fluid at the base of my brain from what i undedstand. They tell me its not related but i also have horrible sinus problema and allergies. I deliver mail and drive about 150 miles a day. They gave me a note to stay out of work for 3 days. Hopefully this will clear up quick. Just needed to get that out there, thanks.
A 6th nerve plasy can be caused by many different factors. it is commonly caused by a problem with the abducens nerve which causes the eye to turn out. because the muscle supplied by this nerve is therefore unable to function properly the eye turns inwards and duoble vision is appreciated.
often it is the blood supply to the nerve that is compromised and once the blood supply is managed appropriately the problem resolves. for example, a diabetic patient may experience the problem if the blood sugars are not under control but as soon as they are controlled, the problem may go away.
other causes can include but are not exclusive to; blood pressure, viral infections, head trauma. the length of term for recovery depends very much on the cause of the problem. often the quicker the onset, the quicker the recovery.
it is always best to visit an emergency eye department when double vision is noted so that the cause can be determined and treated.
A 6th nerve plasy can be caused by many different factors. it is commonly caused by a problem with the abducens nerve which causes the eye to turn out. because the muscle supplied by this nerve is therefore unable to function properly the eye turns inwards and duoble vision is appreciated.
often it is the blood supply to the nerve that is compromised and once the blood supply is managed appropriately the problem resolves. for example, a diabetic patient may experience the problem if the blood sugars are not under control but as soon as they are controlled, the problem may go away.
other causes can include but are not exclusive to; blood pressure, viral infections, head trauma and in some cases, space occupying lesions and tumours. the length of term for recovery depends very much on the cause of the problem. often the quicker the onset, the quicker the recovery.
it is always best to visit an emergency eye department when double vision is noted so that the cause can be determined and treated.
I learned on this forum to add a translucent film to the lens of my glasses on the side that has the palsy. This technique has been a game changer. Because your eye is not closed, you are only blocking the double vision but still can see light, shadows and over the top, sides and bottom of your glasses. With this, I have been able to go back to work and drive. I am in my 10th week with sixth nerve palsy and may be able to survive the healing process now. Thanks to those who suggested this way of patching!!!
Sixth nerve palsy for 16 weeks. Gradually getting better. What has saved my sanity was covering the lens of my glasses on the side of the palsy with translucent paper. This blocks the double vision but allows you to see above, below and to the side of the glasses. This addition of light and peripheral vision has made it possible to drive and work.
I have some good news for some of you! At age 22, I had a 6th nerve palsy. Had all the test and no cause was ever found. I would rotate patching an eye so I could function, which was not fun at all! It took 6 months for it to fully go away. I am now 41 and have had NO ISSUES with it since, only a little paranoia at times! Prayers for all as I know how discouraging it is!