Fourth Nerve Palsy

s_k_s

Well-Known Member
Messages
403
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I am a 43 yo male and I have been type Type 2 for 5 years and have my regular 6 monthly checks and the annual retinopathy tests. All tests over the years have been normal. On Monday I was working as normal and started suffering from double vision. Thought I might need some fresh air and went for a walk. When walking outside realised that my vision was not stable. Came back home and got through the evening and decided to sleep on it. On Tuesday things didn't get any better and I was getting a headache which seemed to be on the left hand side of the head. I slept through a large part of the day and I noticed that watching TV was becoming a challenge and I had to close one eye to focus. Therefore I got an appointment to see the GP on Wednesday. The GP was at a loss to understand it so asked me to go to A&E.
At A&E they did a CT scan which was normal and they said they would refer me to neurology as an out patient which would come through in a couple of months! When I walked outside A&E I could see that my vision was getting severely compromised. Looking at far objects was proving very difficult and my perception of depth was getting compromised such as negotiating stairs.
I decided at this point that I should go to the A&E at the eye hospital. The A&E at the eye hospital were brilliant in dealing with me and after extensive tests I was diagnosed with having a slight damage to the nerve in the left eye which is known as Fourth Nerve Palsy. i was given some glasses with a prism coating on the left eye which immediately resolved the double vision.
Normally the Fourth Nerve Palsy is caused by a blow to the head or trauma but neither was the case in my case. It can only be put down to the diabetes. My HbA1c was carried out last week and came back as 48.
I am told by the Eye Hospital that over time the glasses will resolve the fourth nerve palsy but in the meantime it is a case of learning to live with glasses.
The whole episode has been quite a scary experience so would like to know if anyone else has been through the same and what their post diagnosis experience has been.
 

Moniker

Well-Known Member
Messages
219
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
That sounds very scary. I hope it resolves soon for you.
 

Arab Horse

Well-Known Member
Messages
884
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Sorry I can't help you but hope your sight improves soon. Good luck.
 

Tweetypie

Well-Known Member
Messages
570
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Spiders, control freaks, untidiness, ignorance.
Sorry not sure about the 4th palsy, but hope you get used to the glasses, as at least they will help you greatly. i had to start wearing glasses after diagnosis and took me a while to get used to. Make sure they are adjusted to fit you comfortably and i would go for plastic frames instead of metal - much more comfortable, i forget i have them on! I went to boots for a 2 for 1 deal and tried one of each , defo prefer plastic
good luck x
 
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s_k_s

Well-Known Member
Messages
403
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Make sure they are adjusted to fit you comfortably and i would go for plastic frames instead of metal - much more comfortable, i forget i have them on! I went to boots for a 2 for 1 deal and tried one of each , defo prefer plastic
good luck x

Thanks for that advice. Just coming up to 24 hours since I started wearing them so it feels very strange at the moment. The ones I have been given are the metal hospital ones and they do seem a bit small for me. I have the retinopathy test next week so will see what the optician says.
 
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Tweetypie

Well-Known Member
Messages
570
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Spiders, control freaks, untidiness, ignorance.
They should be able to adjust the arms or nose pads for you, depending on where they feel tight/not sitting right. You should be o.k with metal, I had metal for a year and they were fine, but now i've got plastic and prefer those...
 

Etty

Well-Known Member
Messages
367
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I don't know about the 4th nerve, but I had Bell's palsy which involves the seventh (facial ) nerve. It was frightening when it happened, as I had never heard of it, but the doctor told me it was quite common. One side of my face was frozen for a few weeks and then the condition resolved itself without treatment.
Looking back, it was one of many negative symptoms that accompanied my high carb diet over a period of many years and probably indicated (pre)diabetes which was not recognized.
Now I am 5 years into low carb and my health is far better.
My doctor told me a funny way to remember the nerves of the head: On Old Olympus Towering Tops A Finn and German Ate Some Hops.
Your number 4 must start with a T, and my number 7 with an F.
I hope yours resolves as quickly as mine.
 
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s_k_s

Well-Known Member
Messages
403
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I don't know about the 4th nerve, but I had Bell's palsy which involves the seventh (facial ) nerve. It was frightening when it happened, as I had never heard of it, but the doctor told me it was quite common. One side of my face was frozen for a few weeks and then the condition resolved itself without treatment.

Now I am 5 years into low carb and my health is far better.

Thanks for the reply. Good to know you recovered and your health is better.

The overall feeling the day after is one of surprise and frustration as I had thought it was a condition that was being managed and was under control. Looks like the "normal" levels are a guide but for me as an individual I need to bring my levels down further.
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Well done for taking yourself to the eye hospital A&E!

Glad it's had an (almost) happy ending.
 

s_k_s

Well-Known Member
Messages
403
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
So just as an update in case it helps someone in the future, I had my follow up today. Various tests were carried out and compared with the tests from 17/12. Turns out the prism has corrected my vertical diplopia which I had a feeling was getting better.

In the week-10 days after the incident the vision had got worse without the prism glasses but the glasses were serving their purpose. In the week after the new year I began to sense improvement. There was even a morning when I forgot my glasses but I didn't notice until after quite a while.

So in the tests it was confirmed that though my vision is dragging a bit to the right that may have been there all the time but the vertical vision is much better from the 3 degrees it was off by.

Have been told to keep my glasses and use them if I feel the need to but don't need them all the time.

All in all very relieved.
 
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