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Double Vision

I am a healthy 19 year old and my entire life i have had had good vision and never needed glasses.  However over the past 5 days i have been suffering from Binocular diplopia, when my eyes are looking straight ahead, but not when looking up or down.  I have gone for blood tests and a catscan, both which came out normal, and i have seen an eye specialist, who told me that he thinks the problem could be a virus.  However my condition has not been improving and after reading about Binocular diplopia online and the possibilty of having conditions such as myasthenia gravis, i have become extremely concerned.  Should i seek a second opinion?
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284078 tn?1282616698
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
There is a blood test that is quite helpful in diagnosing myasthenia gravis which can cause variable intermittant droopy eyes and/or double vision. Variable and intermittant are the key characteristics for myasthenia.  Not likely your diagnosis but is a possibility.  I often see symptoms like this due to medication side effects like seizure or pain meds.  There are, of course, several other possible causes.  The fact that your CT scan was normal should be a big relief.  Suggest you see a neuro-ophthalmologist for the best evaluation of this situation.  A pediatric ophthalmologist (strabismus specialist) would also able to offer a good evaluation.

Michael Kutryb, MD
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
If the doctor that you've been seeing is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in strabismus, you are probably in good hands.  Otherwise, I'd suggest a second opinion from such a specialist.  It was my experience that some eye care professionals don't know much about binocular vision problems and may give erroneous information.
Helpful - 1
233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
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Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
is there any possibility that this could be a sinus infection?  I havent had any other symptoms other then the ones listed earlier, but somebody i know who had a similair problem a few years back told me that it ended up being a sinus infection.
Helpful - 0
233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
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Helpful - 0
152264 tn?1280354657
I would think you'd also want to see a neurologist if the other doctors can't give you an explanation for the double vision. Although not everything can be explained or diagnosed. Sometimes they just don't know. I've noticed that doctors often seem to fall back on the good old "could have been a virus" explanation! :)

Nancy T.
Helpful - 0

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