Optic Neuritis in both eyes?

[jackjackson]

Anyone have experience with getting ON in both eyes? I had ON three years back in my left eye. It has never fully recovered, it is still blurry.

Now I think I have ON coming on in the right eye. I am not positive though.

I had thought it was rare to get ON in both eyes. Can anyone tell me for sure?

Any help is appreciated.

Jack

[Redwings]

When it's said that it's rare to get ON in both eyes, that means both eyes at the same time -- bilaterally, simultaneously. It doesn't mean one eye during one episode and then the other eye during another episode.

More common is one eye at a time, and which side gets affected is purely by chance -- just like with any other MS attack. Either side can be affected in repeat episodes, just like the odds of a coin toss. Having lesions affect the same place (or approximately so) on both sides of the body at the same time has much lower odds of occurrence, whether it's ON or anything else.

To have a second episode of unilateral ON affect the other eye is not at all unusual.

[Alicious]

FWIW, I've had ON diagnosed in my right eye, and they suspect I've had a full blown attack of it there twice. When we did an OCT of both eyes, it shows rather extensive damage to both sets of nerves, even though I have never noticed issues with my left eye.

As Redwings said, it's not uncommon to have both eyes affected with ON, it's just unlikely for it to happen at the same time. I believe when that happens it warrants further investigation as it rarely happens in MS, but can happen with other conditions.

So, get thee to the ophthalmologist!

[CougarMama]

I agree with redwings and Alicious. Get to an opthamologist to be sure but ON can effect both eyes (and usually MS effects both sides to varying degrees.) However, ATTACKS do not typically occur at the same

[spoiledbrat]

Not at the same time, as the other have mentioned. I did get it is both eyes before one was healed. I am blind and can only see shadows now. They saw lesions from my having ON, but never said to what degree.