QUESTION RE optic neuritis---

Hi Everyone,

Not Dxd yet-still at probable MS--lesions on brain & spine.
Had left eye pain a few weeks ago with pain upon movement.
Went to optometrist (thought I had aptmnt w/ ophthalmologist) he saw inflammation and wanted me to return for test and to see the ophthalmologist. He was concerned about me having glaucoma. Went to ophthalmologist today,
he said he thought it was an episode of ON that resolved on its own.
Anyone else have similar experience???

[NotMadCow]

Was eye pain the only symptom you had? I am just getting over my first bout w ON, and I have to say that pain was the least of my problems there. I was too busy freaking out over losing my sight! I have read tons of literature, articles, etc. re: ON in the last month, and I do recall seeing that it is possible to have asymptomatic ON, meaning you have it and don't realize it. Sometimes when a person goes for an exam for what they believe is their first bout, the doctor will discover evidence (damage) that it has happened before. There are some great tests they can do to scan your eye and tell you for sure. Also they need to start the steroids within a certain timeframe from onset for it to do any good. With or without treatment, ON will eventually clear up.

[nursefairy]

The opthamologist has an xray that specifically looks at the optic nerve. I got my official MS diagnosis after I had optic neuritis. My symptoms were extreme light sensitivity & sever pain when moving my eye to the right. One morning I woke up and the world in that eye was greyish.

Hi Everyone,

Not Dxd yet-still at probable MS--lesions on brain & spine.
Had left eye pain a few weeks ago with pain upon movement.
Went to optometrist (thought I had aptmnt w/ ophthalmologist) he saw inflammation and wanted me to return for test and to see the ophthalmologist. He was concerned about me having glaucoma. Went to ophthalmologist today,
he said he thought it was an episode of ON that resolved on its own.
Anyone else have similar experience???

[Redwings]

My first episode of ON was so mild that neither my doctor nor I could tell at the time that's what it was. The pain was relatively mild and I lost only a very small spot of visual field. It cleared up completely on its own in a few weeks.

[opiegirl]

ON was one of my first symptoms, pain with movement then holes in my central vision. Resolved itself over time, a couple of years, never took any steroids for it. I was still able to drive.

The second time I had double vision for about six weeks, woke up one day and it was gone. Didn't take meds that time either.

[jlas01]

Not all episodes of ON are accompanied by vision loss. Also it's widely believed the ON will naturally resolve itself on it's own eventually. Steroids just speed up the process. so it's very possible u had an attack that cleared up on it's own and wasn't severe enough to cause vision loss.

[CarolRic]

Is it possible to have vision lost for only a little while with ON? It's happened to me a few times where I lose my vision for a few hours, then get a headache and by the next morning, my vision is better. Not 100% but better, and it gets better and better over the next few days until it's back to what I think of as "normal".

[SNOOPY]

Is it possible to have vision lost for only a little while with ON? It's happened to me a few times where I lose my vision for a few hours, then get a headache and by the next morning, my vision is better. Not 100% but better, and it gets better and better over the next few days until it's back to what I think of as "normal".

Hello CarolRic,

It sounds like you are having Ocular Migraines rather than Optic Neuritis.

Information about Ocular Migraines:
http://www.allaboutvision.com/condit...r-migraine.htm

[salamandertom]

I can only tell you what my ON was like. I had (and still have as I have permanent damage from the ON) loss of vision in the central field, and I had no pain. Mine lasted for a very long time, and got a little better then got worse again - now it is back to what it was when it got a little better. I will probably not go back to my original vision.

I had a VEP, which showed evidence of ON and damage to my optic nerve. You could have that or you could see an opthoneurologist. I would think at this point a VEP might be better. Talk to your neuro about it. Good luck.

[gomer]

I recently had a waterfall effect in part of my right eye vision, my eye doc Dx'd it as optic migrane. It did not last long but sure was wierd.

Having diabetes as well as MS I tend to be cautious about eye issues.

I had a EVP as part of my formal MS workup and it showed optic nerve damage on both sides. My MS specialist also noted evidence of past ON episodes.

Gomer Dr. of, Been There, Done That

[REG53]

I had pain with movement and blind spots in my left eye.
It cleared on its own after it drove me crazy.