Black Hole in vision

[minnie76]

Hi guys,

How many of you have had a "black hole" in their vision?
It didn't last long at all.

Been in limbo since 2012, I have lesions, but nothing that my MS neuro is too worried about. Original MRI was performed due to ear pain/tinnitus and dizziness


In Oct 2013, my vision went blurry but only for a day, also had mild pain behind my right eye. This is the same eye that I've had severe pain that lasted 3-4 days. That type of pain has happened 3 times (last time was summer of 2012)

My colour saturation between both eyes are a little off.

I just came back from seeing a Neuro-Ophthalmologist, I also told him that last week I had a "black hole" in my right vision. I couldn't see through the darkness but it wasn't big enough to cause severe visual loss...only lasted a couple seconds.

He said the black hole is not normal at all.

He is sending me to do a VEP test and a Visual Field test, to detect any signs of optic neuritis.

Has anyone ever had mild eye issues, to then have a severe case of ON?

thx

Minnie76

[MSer102]

My first episode of ON was very mild and cleared up completely. Every one after that has been severe. I have several black holes in my vision, both eyes. They are all large and all permanent.

[football-mom]

I have gray spots from time to time, but never black. Usually they are small enough where I can see around them if I have to, but I mostly just shut that eye for a few minutes because that makes the sight return faster (within a couple minutes rather than half an hour).

[MSW1963]

My ON was repeated frequently over a few years. Other than a 'pale optic nerve', I have recovered with no permenant vision loss. I have huge floaters that make reading difficult, affect my vision, but I'm really not sure if it's in any way related or residual effects of ON. I always forget to ask my MS doc about it.

If you are not currently dx'd with MS, it is important to document if it is ON, and also if your ON requires treatment.

Hope it clears soon and never returns.

[Alicious]

Black holes? None like that. I have a defect in my visual field and I thought it was a place I had no vision. It turns out I simply need so much light to see in that spot that I rarely see from it. The spot is static, though, it does not come and go.

MSW1963, I have an incredible number of floaters that also impact my vision. Mine are from vitreal detachment, although I've always had some floaters anyhow. My understanding is that it's a separate issue, not something that ON damage would cause. (Basically, the vitreous, the jelly sac of the eye, detaches from the retina with age in most people. It's completely normal, but it can cause a *lot* of floaters for however long it takes to complete detaching. I'm at a year+ currently.)

I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV, so take that possibility for what it is worth.

[MSer102]

I've had floaters since I was a child and my ophthalmologists over the years have assured me that floaters have absolutely nothing to do with optic neuritis.

And a black hole that lasts only a couple of seconds is absolutely not optic neuritis.

It sounds like the neuro-ophthalmologist is being thorough in looking for evidence of what might have caused the momentary blackout. And, based on a limboland status, it looks like he ordered a VEP to see if anything shows up that might move you out of limbo into an MS diagnosis.

And my permanent holes in vision aren't actually "black". They're sort of a gray nothingness, but not black.

[Cat Mom]

I only have 1 eye left with sight due to repeated inflammation and ON (since 2005) so its permanent.

Ive never needed glasses in 48 years. The good eye can read the eye chart to the bottom line, if the blind eye is completely covered and I'm in the right light. I'm only telling you all this good stuff because of the "games" the sighted eye plays with me!

I get "the pixilated donut" (peripheral pixilated with clear vision in the centre), "the gray hole" (centre is grayed out, peripheral is clear), "the bad photocopy" (streaks of blur and gray, especially when reading), etc.

It used to send me into a state of panic but not anymore. If I hang in there, it will go away, or switch to another optical illusion, then go away!

I hope your VEP gives you some answers, I know how terrifying it is, especially when it first happens, and I really hope it's not MS. Please keep us posted.

Jen

[minnie76]

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies!

I have tons of floaters, however this was very different. I could see around the black hole, just not through it.
I think the fact I've had previous pain in the same eye for 3-4days...plus the blurry vision...plus the fact that I have lesions he wants to be 100% sure before saying it was ON.

He said the black hole is not normal, so I'm happy that he's testing me.

He did say that he has had patients that did not lose vision but had ON with pain only.



Got a call and I'm doing the VEP on Jan 30th!!!

Wish me luck!

p.s. How do any of you differentiate the difference between eye pain from possible ON, to Migraines, to TN

Sometimes I have pain behind the eye, sometimes zapping sharp pain around the eye, pressure behind the eye and pain that goes from forehead though eye to end at my cheek.

I suffer from TN and Migraines...and now possible ON???

How do we ever know the source of the pain?

Thx
Minnie76

[hdwhit753]

It still seems "cool" to me

I have a permanent (well, it's been permanent for 7+ years) "black hole" in the "southwest quadrant of my left eye.

Even though it causes me some problems from time to time, I still find it "cool" that I close my right eye, hold my index finger at arm's length, look straight ahead and if I move my index finger to just the right spot, it completely disappears!

Make sure to tell your doctor about it so that he/she can make sure it's caused by nerve damage and not a treatable problem with the structure of your eye - no point surrendering any of your vision if you don't have to - that wouldn't be "cool".