[elle]

Hi all- Has anyone here personally experienced optic neuritis? Is it always blindness? How long does it last? Is there treatment for it, or just more "wait and see"?

I keep getting blurry spots in my vision that go away after a few hours and I am not sure if this is something I should call my doc about, since they will probably be gone by the time I get to his office Since I am undx'd I want to make sure stuff like this gets recorded, but if it can wait till my next appointment, that would be great. Thanks!

[SallyC]

Hi Elle,

I suggest that you make an appointment with an Opthmologist, who is aware of MS. An Optho can even DX MS, if he sees it in your exam.

IVSM (steroids) can be very helpful in stopping an attack of ON. I only had it once during an exacerbation, had IVSM, and haven't had any problems with ON, since 1991.

Are you having other symptoms or just ON?

Hope you feel better soon.

[stickman]

when I had a problem with on there was some swelling in back of the eye rods. you should get it checked out. are you losing some color vision also?
or having any pain in that eye. the eye doc will look into the back of your eye to see if there is problem. steroids sometime relive but not always help dependes on the case. your ms doc should be notified. before I knew about my possible ms the idiot eye doc said about my on '' we don't know know what is making this happen, but it will get better" he really said that. my vision did get better though after about 18mo. I lost color vision and had double vision also.

[elle]

Thanks guys!

Sally- I am having other issues, that's the only reason I was concerned about ON. Otherwise, I would just blame it on bad eyesight. It would really suck though if I woke up one day and *poof* no vision. That seems to be how my symptoms work- I have little warning signs, then it hits me for real and it sucks. I have an appt on the 30th with a new neuro. Until then, I am just under the care of my GP.

stickman- I get blurry spots that I can't blink away, double vision so badly I can't read print, new headaches (like behind my eyeballs, when I look to the sides and pain in the back of my head) and some weird color changes that I can't really describe.

It all seems worse when I am tired (of course) and it only lasts a couple hours at a time. I will set an appt with an opthomologist though- cause if it's really just my eyes going boggy for "normal" reasons, I guess I should get that fixed too... Should find out what my insurance coverage for vision is. I haven't been to an eye doc in forever it seems like. They always just want to put glasses on you!

[stickman]

I know what your going though. been there dun that same thing too. mine did get better though I don't have any good answers for you though. check with your new nero about it don't let them drop it. from the things I've read it does get better mostly. my pain was like a 6 on a 1 to 10 scale. steriods seemed to keep down the swealing some but arn't the answer,? rest relax. is about it. I used mj. to keep down the pain and let me sleep. don't spend money on new glasses yet your eyes will change back and forth some. the worst part is the waiting.

[Sandshoe]

Originally Posted by elle

Thanks guys!


I get blurry spots that I can't blink away, double vision so badly I can't read print, new headaches (like behind my eyeballs, when I look to the sides and pain in the back of my head) and some weird color changes that I can't really describe.

Glad Braintalk is back! I have the same problems at the moment. I was tested four years ago on a visual evoked potentials but came up fine. I have been having these problems for a while now, much the same as you have said, but not so much of the double vision, a little only. I see an opthamologist next week, I have had a CT scan for anything obvious but no results as yet! He has back peddled on the MRI, which I would have liked to have, but generally my neuro is finally sitting up and taking notice! I was unsure, still unsure if this is ON. Seems odd enough and a common enough problem in MS. I am pleased I have an appointment with the opthamologist, just to see what, if anything is going on!

I think this is worth following up with your neuro.

Natalie

[SallyC]

For some reason, a Neuro doesn't always send you to an Opthomologist. Maybe because they think they have all the answers, but I have seen cases where the Optho, upon seeing ON, will also see demylinization and will then DX MS.

Elle, when you talk about them pushing glasses, you're most likely talking about a Optomotrist. An Op is not an MD, an Optho is, and some are NeuroOpthomoligists. Big difference.

[elle]

SallyC: Well, they always want to put ME in glasses! lol I have been in and out of glasses since I was 8 years old. My rx's just change so frequently that almost as soon as they get the lenses in, my vision has changed and the "new" glasses give me headaches. There's an actual medical term for this, and I can't think of what it is. It runs in my family though. Last time I went (when I was about 14) they wanted to put me in bi-focals- I said no way, I wouldn't wear them. As a kid, I always went to an opthomologist, because of ll the quirky vision things that are in our family. BTW, I LOVE your little dancing pumpkins! Too cute!

[Lynn]

ON was the one of my first recorded symptoms. One day I notice that I was not reading a clock correctly (it was 11.00 am and I thought it said 1.00 pm). Within a few days, my vision had sort of 'greyed out' and it felt like I was trying to see through fog.

Within a week, I had really blurry sight, and huge fields of blindness in my vision. At this stage, I didn't even imagine MS (although my coordination, bladder and balance were affected - then I started getting numbness in my fingers and feet and was falling asleep all the time).

I went to an optometrist a few weeks later, and she prescribed glasses for me - but they didn't do much at all.

I knew nothing about MS, and I kept expecting that I would just wake up the next day with everything working. I figured it was stress - I had just lost my mother.

It took six months to clear completely, and my vision still gets blurry with fatigue and heat.

But, that's enough about me, if I were you I would let my neuro know - so it can be documented. Apparently, the ocular nerve is the only one that they can see from outside the body. If you are waiting on a Dx, you would be wise to see someone.

Hope it gets better for you soon

Lyn

[SallyC]

Hi Lyn, your experience with ON, sounds exactly like mine, right down to the fog. My first big exacerbation was way back in 1974. I didn't have ON then, but my 2nd big attack, after a glorious 18 yr remission, was in 1992, and that one started with ON.

My Mother was also dying, she died in 1993. Maybe there is something scientific to this phenominum, about Mothers and MS. My Mom didn't have MS, but my Daughter does.

I didn't have any lasting effects from the ON, but did have to get new glasses. They are on my face, in my Avatar..LOL. that Pic was taken in 2000, I was 60 and 35lbs lighter.

Hugs,