Was it oral steroids, or IV steroids that they prescribed? Optic neuritis responds better to IV steroids, but it doesn't always help, and it's not an instant fix. It takes time for the inflammation on the optic nerve to back off.

Steroids can lessen the time that it takes for a flare to back off, but it doesn't have any effect on the final outcome of the flare. Sometimes the flares do damage that can't be fixed by the steroids. But, everything that I've ever read about optic neuritis is that it usually tends to recover. With or without steroids. Just takes longer without it.

I've had optic neuritis a few times, and it takes awhile for it to recover without steroids. (took me a year the first time without the steroids). The second time, with IV steroids, it took about two months. The last time I had optic neuritis, I had IV steroids again, and it took probably five months for it to get as close to normal as I could.

Whenever I've had steroids for optic neuritis, it's always been IVSM. I don't have any experience with using oral steroids for optic neuritis.

MS has been trying to teach me patience, and I absolutely HATE to wait for things. I still have no patience for waiting out a flare.