Flashing lights--- Optic Neuritis

[Badandy]

I have had Optic Neuritis for 4 years in my right eye and about 2 now in my left. So I have been noticing lately that it feels like there is flashing lights going off around me, mostly when the lighting is at a certain level, but it can get pretty intense at times. Has anyone on here every had this as well?

[slckjebw]

I have. I had ON in my right eye 4 years ago and still have flashes of lights at times.

I know it is irritating.

[0485c10]

I had that, it can be caused by damage top the optic nerve but also from a lesion in the occipital lobe. when it happened to me it was from a new active lesion in the occipital lobe.

i wrote down how often i saw the flashes of light in the morning. afternoon. evening & at night. and brought the sheet in with me to my regular neuro appointment.

she asked me if i saw light in one eye or both(i saw thm in both) & if i saw the lights in any particular location(i saw them mostly in the upper and outside edges, not the center of the eye)

so start keeping a log of these flashes of lights to tell you doc about them.

[Waydwnsouth1]

I have had the flashing lights too. I do not if they are associated with ON or not, though I have had ON, nor have I talked to my neuro about it. I have seen this topic on here before and quite a few people have experienced it.

[Redwings]

Hi Badandy:
There are several causes of the perception of flashing lights. Some of them are harmless -- such as the aftereffects of optic neuritis -- and some aren't -- such as a tear or detachment of the retina (potentially very bad). The only way to know for sure is for an eye doctor -- not a neurologist or GP -- to dilate your pupils and fully examine the insides of your eyes. If you've just been noticing the onset of flashing lights lately, the wisest approach would be to not assume anything and see your eye doctor for a thorough internal eye exam.

Your post also brings up an opportunity to mention something for anyone who's following this thread who wants to know more about optic neuritis. A common misunderstanding about ON is that it's an ongoing condition when it is, rather, an event that occurs and ends. In that respect, an episode of ON is like a car accident. A person would say, "I was in a car accident 5 years ago" instead of, "I have been in a car accident for 5 years." Similarly, it's correct to say, "I had ON 5 years ago" rather than, "I've had ON for 5 years."

As in any other pseudoexacerbation in MS, there can be variability in vision. It's important not to confuse those pseudoevents with the actual inflammation of an active case of ON. There can also be just daily variability in vision, sort of "just because," just like there can be generally good symptom days and bad symptoms days.

Just like a car accident can leave lingering damage and aftereffects, so can ON. For ON those aftereffects can include permanent blind spots, glare, reduced acuity, reduced contrast, reduced color vision and flashing lights. (The correct term for the resultant damage is optic neuropathy.) But that doesn't mean that the inflammation of ON is always ever-present and ongoing. And that's why it's particularly important that any new onset of symptoms gets checked out by an eye doctor. It could be a new onset of ON or something else entirely.

[Badandy]

Thanks everyone, I'm going to start writing down when it happens.
Redwings- your right, I have been told it is now Neuropathy, basically permanent damage. Not the new's I really wanted but oh well. So I am gonna watch this very closely. Thanks again.