Multiple Sclerosis nystagmus or MS nystagmus, as it is sometimes known, is an unsettling and uncomfortable condition that affects the eyes of MS patients. Not everyone with Multiple Sclerosis will end up with MS nystagmus and it can often go unnoticed by the patients themselves for many months, as the symptom is more noticeable to friends and family in the early days. Multiple Sclerosis nystagmus symptoms include unusual and often jerky eye movements, caused by damage to the optical nerve. Sometimes in Multiple Sclerosis nystagmus the eyes will jerk from side-to-side or up and down, while in other cases they may roll around in a clockwise or anticlockwise movement. It may seem strange to say that the patients themselves will not notice the signs of MS nystagmus, but in the early stages of the condition the unusual movements can often be very slight. If the symptoms associated with Multiple Sclerosis nystagmus are allowed to deteriorate, then the patient can also experience nausea and dizziness.
Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis nystagmus
Treating MS nystagmus is unfortunately quite difficult and there are not really any drugs that have been developed to specifically tackle the problem. Some of the medications that are prescribed for other symptoms of MS can also help with Multiple Sclerosis nystagmus. Drugs like gabapentin and carbemazepine that stop nerve spasms and the problems nerve spasms can cause could be effective in relieving the symptoms of extreme MS nystagmus, but there are no drugs that actually cure the condition. In some cases, the usual MS drugs have no effect on Multiple Sclerosis nystagmus and both patient and doctor might decide to seek alternative therapies. A recent study has found that the drug memantine, more usually prescribed for sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease, can actually relieve the worst symptoms of MS nystagmus, though this research is still in its very early stages and may not be available to patients in every region.
Alternative therapies for MS nystagmus
There is some evidence that stem cell treatment might be a successful future treatment for Multiple Sclerosis nystagmus, along with many other symptoms and causes of MS. In some cases, corrective glasses can help reduce the jerky or circular movements of the eye, though by itself this is unlikely to stop the symptoms of MS nystagmus altogether. Some hypnotherapist have also had limited success with Multiple Sclerosis nystagmus patients especially while teaching them techniques to help relax their eyes and control their movements as much as possible.
