I don't think steroids have the effect of "averting further damage", bearygood, at least when it comes to ON:

"There is no definitive evidence that treatment with steroids produces a more complete recovery than that which would have happened without treatment."

".... there may be inflammation and/or demyelination of the optic nerve that occurs without affecting visual function so that the person is not aware of any changes. In these subclinical cases, visual evoked potential (VEP) testing is still able to demonstrate evidence of lesions or damaged areas along the optic pathways. It is for this reason that VEPs are often used as part of the diagnostic workup; a positive finding can provide evidence of a second demyelinating event even in the absence of visual symptoms."

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/abo...tis/index.aspx

Also, relapses only very rarely result in permanent damage anyway:

http://mrbrunches.lefora.com/2008/09...sult-in/page1/

Beary, I just had a VEP test last week, as they want a "baseline" for damage going forward. They could see the damaged nerve just by looking with the drops and magnifying equipment, but apparently the VEP will give them a better "measure" of nerve damage.

I am going for a visual field test in a few weeks too (had one in Dec as well) but it was a digital one that apparently doesn't tell them as much as the older manual type. I don't really know what that means, but they wouldn't accept the results from my Optomotrist, and I have to have another. From what I gathered though, that test determines if we have loss in peripheral vision, doesn't it? That's what it seemed to indicate by having to hit the button when I spotted the bright lights in my vision.

Leggz, I have no idea why the steroids "appear" to have stirred up your ON, but I'm wondering if it was just coincidence. Maybe that was the next thing that was going to pop up anyway, and the timing just coincided.

I'm glad you are done the steroids, and hope you get to feeling better in the next week or two.

Cherie