Velo Dog

About a month ago I suddenly (over a couple of days) developed vertical diplopia, double vision with one image higher than the other. The vision part is correctable with lenses, and we're working on a diagnosis of the cause from among several possibilities--in about 30 percent of cases they can't find one, and most of the rest are related to diabetes (which I don't have, but there's a family history) or high blood pressure (which I do have, off and on). There's a high rate of spontaneous resolution, which means it goes away by itself in three months to a year.
I don't really need medical advice (my doctor's all over that), but I'm wondering if anybody has experience with this and how it worked out.
Thanks...

cyclintom

I have had it for minutes at a time intermittently for the last couple of years. I have tried to find the cause and what I've done seems to have eliminated it. I hope. Firstly I stopped taking vitamin suppliments and I've also tried to reduce the stress in my life. That seems to have solved the problem except when I haven't been getting enough sleep.

CrossChain

I have had "easily accessible" double vision most of my life. My eyes, if very relaxed or if I'm especially tired, will drift apart and stay so unless optic muscles realign them and keep them so for a time. Completely involuntary double vision I'm not familiar with. An ophthamologist suggested exercises to tighter the muscles as well as the possibility of corrective lenses someday.

cranky old dude

Don't mean to scare you or anything, but when my wife developed double vision...it turned out to be her first symptom of M.S. I believe most double vision cases have much less serious causes. I'm sure your doc is very thourogh, but leave no stone unturned.

Her vision quickly cleared up, and she's doing quite well.

Best of luck to you

wagathon

Could be foodborne botulism, e.g.,

DA Consumer Advisory on Refrigeration of Carrot Juice
Three Cases of Botulism Possibly Caused by Improper Refrigeration

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers of the vital importance of keeping carrot juice—including pasteurized carrot juice—refrigerated. There are three cases of botulism in the state of Georgia associated with pasteurized carrot juice that may have been due to the product not being properly refrigerated.

FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and health authorities in Georgia have been closely monitoring and continue to investigate these three cases of foodborne botulism.

On September 15, 2006, Georgia health authorities issued a press statement, which in part stated the following: "…At this time we believe that these three cases are an isolated incident…. During the investigation, other community members have been identified as having purchased and consumed the same product from the same vendor within the past three weeks. These persons have not become ill or developed any symptoms. The fact that additional cases have not been identified suggests that the toxin was not present before the sale of the product…"

"Because botulism is such a potentially serious illness, we want to remind consumers that it is critical to refrigerate carrot juice for safety. Consumers should not keep carrot juice unrefrigerated," said Dr. Robert Brackett, Director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). Inadequate refrigeration of carrot juice allows botulinum spores to multiply to the level at which they can cause illness.

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by botulinum toxin, a nerve poison that under certain conditions is produced by Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium commonly found in soil. Botulism can be fatal and is considered a medical emergency. Foodborne botulism is not common in the United States; an average of 24 cases are reported each year. Botulinum poisoning can result in the following symptoms: double-vision, droopy eyelids and altered voice or trouble with speaking or swallowing, and paralysis on both sides of the body that progresses from the neck down, possibly followed by difficulty in breathing. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

Adequate refrigeration is one of the keys to food safety. Cold temperatures keep most harmful pathogens from growing and multiplying. Refrigerator temperatures should be no higher than 40°F and freezers no higher then 0°F. Consumers should check the temperatures occasionally with an appliance thermometer.

Consumers should look for the words "Keep Refrigerated" or "Refrigerate After Opening" on juice labels to know whether the product should be refrigerated. FDA is looking into whether the industry is providing clear labeling on refrigeration of juice products during storage.

Guidance on labeling of foods that need refrigeration by consumers, particularly for safety, is available at https://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr970224.html.

Consumers with questions about juice safety also may call 1-888-SAFEFOOD.

gmcttr

A little over a year ago, I woke up seeing double. Two Eye Doctors "best guess" was that a blood clot had blocked the artery feeding the nerve that controled moving my left eye to the left.

In a week it had improved enough that I started driving again (might have been a little early on that one).

3-4 weeks and I didn't notice it much. 2 months and I couldn't detect it anymore.

The good news is that it got me to eat better, quit smoking, lose 35 pounds and start riding again.

oilman_15106

I had a lot of double vision in my misspent youth.

George

My wife has it all the time and the doctors can't find anything wrong. We think it's from one of the drugs she's taking for her RA. When I was taking vitamins I got blurred vision and a bad liver count. You just have to try different things to try and find out what's wrong. I got off vitimans altogether and I don't feel any difference at all. Good luck.