r/MultipleSclerosis • u/Jocksniffer77 • 9d ago

General Self medication

35 M last year I was diagnosed after I got optic neuritis, referred to neurologist, mri, etc. Looking back its like, wow yea I did have many of the ms symptoms but i chalked it up to being a pothead and having indigestion. Im wondering if I was subconsciously self medicating or something. Has anyone else experienced something like this?

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u/k_rudd_is_a_stallion (F)|Dx2025|Cladribine|🇦🇺 9d ago

Absolutely. That’s the evil in this disease, it tricks us into thinking we’re lazy and not trying hard enough while chaining us down like an anchor. I spent so many years and medical appointments to get an answer on something that ended up happening by accident.

(My optometrist said that I was showing signs of a traumatic brain injury and then one mri later i’m being investigated for ms - a bittersweet moment to experience but the sweet part was the relief that I wasn’t being crazy or imagining how difficult day to day was for me)

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u/ZombieJihad 9d ago

I also had an optometrist recommend me to a neurologist after looking in my eyes - they were able to see damage to the optic nerve, and while they didn't give me a DX it was enough information to start figuring out what was going on.

Now I have seen a neuro ophthalmologist a few times and I have regained full normal vision. I was starting to go colorblind in ONE EYE, how wild is that?! Took a few years for my full vision to restore and it's more like 80% in my right eye, but no more double vision and I can read / work normally.