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Had a thorough eye exam today

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    Had a thorough eye exam today

    Last week my peripheral vision seemed weird, so I took the advice of a member here and scheduled an eye exam. All went well, but because of my MS, the dr wanted me to come back in today for more thorough testing because what I described sounded exactly like how optic neuritis starts. Well, I wasn't going crazy after all. My peripheral vision is slightly screwed up right now, and she's thinking I have a mild case of optic neuritis based on my test results. Not cool. I'll be calling my neuro tomorrow, so I bet that means a round of steroids will be coming soon. My vision hasn't been bothering me the past few days. Hopefully it doesn't get worse.
    Diagnosed 1/4/13
    Avonex 1/25/13-11/14, Gilenya 1/22/15

    #2
    Darling, don't worry about it too much. Believe it or not the majority of MSers will get ON at least once on their journey. I have had it three times in 15 years. My Optic Nerve is still in good shape.

    IV Steroids are important with ON. Unlike other flares, you do not want to try and wait this out. I too think you Neuro will put you on Steroids.

    Get Better.
    Katie
    "Yep, I have MS, and it does have Me!"
    "My MS is a Journey for One."
    Dx: 1999 DMDS: Avonex, Copaxone, Rebif, currently on Tysabri

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      #3
      Thanks for the reply. That's good to know, for something that really sucks. My neuro wasn't in today so I won't hear back from him until Monday. I've either adjusted to the vision changes or it's not as bad as it was a week ago, so I can make it.

      My biggest problem now is my right leg has started giving out on me again. It seems like it's always something. I went off my Amantadine two days ago, and I'm wondering if that's a coincidence or it has something to do with me being weak today. I'm starting back up on it tomorrow, so I guess only time will tell. I've really been enjoying feeling good for a change, so hopefully that'll be back before I know it.
      Diagnosed 1/4/13
      Avonex 1/25/13-11/14, Gilenya 1/22/15

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        #4
        Originally posted by lstrl View Post
        My peripheral vision is slightly screwed up right now, and she's thinking I have a mild case of optic neuritis based on my test results. Not cool. I'll be calling my neuro tomorrow, so I bet that means a round of steroids will be coming soon. My vision hasn't been bothering me the past few days.
        A lot of doctors think that mild flares anywhere don't need to be treated with steroids.

        If your vision is only affected slightly in the periphery and the eye doctor said that your ON is mild and it hasn't been bothering you for the past few days you might not need to be treated with steroids. A lot of neuros and ophthalmologists think that steroids should be reserved for trying to shorten serious flares that affect daily functioning. It doesn't sound like your ON is bad enough to fit into that category.

        Even though your ON is mild it doesn't qualify for "mild" treatment. The big study of ON done 20 years ago found that ON has to be treated with high dose steroids so even a mild case that isn't particularly bothering you still has to be treated with a high dose. That means the tradeoff will be a big whack of steroids will all of the short term and long term side effects for a mild case of peripheral ON that isn't bothering you that much anymore. And IF it's already getting better what would be the point of treating it?

        And a lot of doctors will treat a flare only within the first 2 weeks. The feeling is that the damage has already been done after 2 weeks and steroids won't help. You are already at the 2 week point so that's another reason to ask whether steroids will help your ON at this point. My neuro-ophthalmologist won't treat ON in one eye after 2 weeks have passed and won't treat it if its a mild case of peripheral vision loss that's already getting better.

        So you don't have to have steroids for a mild case of ON. You might decide you don't want them or your neuro might decide that they aren't called for. You and your neuro will have to see if the benefits of treating you with high dose steroids outweigh the risks. This will let you find out whether your neuro is one who is conservative about steroids or one who prescribes them easily.

        Comment


          #5
          Recurring mild peripheral issues

          Hmmm, last fall I has some very mild peripheral vision issues in one eye. It was in the middle of a very intense period at work, and honestly I felt like I didn't have the energy to go see the ophthalmologist. It mostly resolved but has come back to bother me a bit this summer during another period of intense work.
          I'm going to make an apt w/ the ophthalmologist - which I KNOW I should have done last fall. In the mean time, just curious from those that have had ON, does this slide back in function during periods of exhaustion/ way too much work and stress happen?

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