Bilateral Monocular Diplopia? HELP!

[maddieflajnik]

My double vision is monocular (but i have it in both eyes) because when i close EITHER eye the double vision does not go away. I would describe it more as a vertical "ghosting" effect. I have had this for about 3 years. When it first started, I became very worried so i went to the eye doctor and he changed my prescription which i thought would resolve it, but it didn't. I have just dealt with it for about 3 years now but i have health anxiety and sometimes when i think about that i never found the cause of it i get scared and freak out because what if it is a brain tumor or something, i always think the worst. even though idk how i'd have a brain tumor for 3 years and not know it and not have headaches or anything. anyway, the double vision goes away with the pinhole test which everyone says means that its a refractive error. It is most noticeable at night or in dim lighting.
I have one other symptom that i can literally find nothing on the internet about. When i look at an object up and down very quickly, it like smears downwards. I don't know how to describe it... but it happens when (like i said) i look at something up and down fastly and then i can see it like trail downwards for a second. Idk if that made any sense but let me know if you've ever had this or know what it's called.

[Ron_AKA]

I have 0.75 D cylinder in both eyes. In my right eye the astigmatism is regular and I have good vision with no double image. In my left eye the astigmatism is irregular as shown in the topography with a Pentacam pushed off axis to one side. This gives me a double image that looks like a drop shadow effect. In my case the second image is offset to the lower right. I see it on text especially when it is white text on a black background. When I look at a full moon at night I see the effect too, but only with the eye that has irregular astigmatism.

If you get to the point of needing cataract surgery the IC-8 Apthera IOL may correct the issue if it is due to irregular astigmatism, but I believe the IC-8 is typically only used in one eye. The IC-8 uses a pinhole effect like the test you get with the paddle which has holes in it.

You could confirm whether or not you have irregular astigmatism by getting a Pentacam scan. It is a normal part of getting measured for cataract surgery, but not typically in a standard vision test by an optometrist. I knew I had astigmatism but didn't know about the irregular eye until I got measured for cataract surgery. Irregular astigmatism can be caused by keratoconus which typically develops in the teen years.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Thanks Ron AKA helpful post

[JohnHaganMD]

That is not true double vision its one eye ‘ghosting” the causes can be: needing glasses, improper fit/prescribed glasses, corneal disease including irregular astigmatism, cataract, macular pathology.  It is not a symptom of Braine tumors. Need to work through causes with eye MD ophthalmologist.

[maddieflajnik]

What about the streaking i mentioned when looking at an object up and down?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

That is called 'palinopsia' it has been discussed here before. It is rare. I have never had a patient come into the office complaining of it. If you want to read more about it start here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palinopsia

[maddieflajnik]

I don’t believe that’s what it is. that’s where an after image lasts for a very long time after you look at something and has a trailing affect. that’s not what I am experiencing..

[maddieflajnik]

but say it is palinopsia, I have had it for 3 years. if it were caused by something serious wouldn’t I be aware of that by now?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

I don't know anything about that symptom

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Never had a patient complain of it or read anything about it in medical journals only on internet

[Ang0485]

Hi,

Did you ever get see some kind of improvement with your symptoms?

I’m praying that you did!

Thanks!!

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

That comment was 2018, doubt you will get a response. If you are interested start a new discussion