Optic Neuritis - Multiple Sclerosis Message Board

kdel · 04-27-2007, 07:22 AM

Can someone who has this symptom please explain it to me? I know the optic nerve gets inflamed(?) but what are your symptoms and how long do they last? I have been told I have this but without any testing, just going by my symptoms. I am going to a neurologist soon because I have many other symptoms besides this but just wondering if the symptoms really fit and how long does an episode usually last? Thanks all, Kara

Lynda73 · 04-27-2007, 08:14 AM

My second attack of MS was with Optic Neuritis. I woke up one morning with a small black dot in my left eye. When I moved my eye the dot would follow. I left for the DR. and by time I reached him (1 hour away) I had lost all vision in that eye. What is happening is that in my case my immune system was attacking the optic nerve which is part of the central nervous system. The attack was so quick that my 20/20 vision is now non existant in that eye. The damage to the optic nerve was very bad. Get it checked out quickly.

Bearygood · 04-27-2007, 08:55 AM

Hi, kdel. My one experience is different from Lynda's but seems to be typical of other cases (did a lot of research when I started getting symptoms). For me it started with pain in the eye, more pronounced with movement up/down and/or right/left. Then a feeling of "filminess" progresses into blurred vision. Honestly, I had no ideas what was happening and how much i couldn't see until I went to the eye doctor! I thought I would be leaving with prescription for eye drips and was quite shocked to have a neuro-ophthalmologist referral in hand instead.

This is all approximate but I would say from the onset to its peak was about 7 days, plateaued at the same level for another week to 10 days or so and then started (slowly) to reverse. I'm going through all this right now -- it's been just about a month in total. I still have a ways to go in terms of visual field, acuity and color/contrast (my neuro-opth said that's often the last thing to come back) but it has gotten VASTLY better. Enough improvement to make me optimistic that it will return to 100% normal or at least close to it.

Here's the thing though -- the neuro-ophthalmologist I'm using is the second one I saw. By that time there was already some improvement in the visual field to think I was on the right track so that she left the decision to use steroids up to me. However, she said that if I had come to see her right away, she would have firmly suggested that I go on them (IV for 3 days followed by oral). Since time had passed we made a deal to wait another 5 days -- saw her Wednesday and it had greatly improved again so I'm continuing to ride it out without them. However, as many people on here can tell you (and so did my n-o, vision normally comes back faster when you follow the steroid course). Might even be a better chance of getting more complete restoration. With this in mind, I have to agree with Lynda -- get it checked out NOW. I'm not sure you should skip the ophthalmologist step. The first one I saw was very laissez-faire. He said it would go away by itself but never mentioned the possibility of treatment. As it turns out he was right but I feel more lucky than I feel that he was wise. Obviously, I'm not seeing him anymore!

Good luck to you -- let us know what happens and please do get it checked out now!

kdel · 04-27-2007, 02:03 PM

Thanks for replying. In my case I suddenly lose peripheral vision. ( do see wavy things but nothing else) then I get numbness in face that moves down side of my body along with sudden muscle weakness followed by what feels like little shocks of pain in arm and leg, somtimes torso and face. My vision will come back anywhere from about 20 min. to hours but it is not clear. It will stay blurry for days with intermintent attacks like I described above. It's very scary and I have an appt. with neuro on the 15th of may. The last time was last Monday and I still have the numbness in my face. Also part of my right foot and lower leg have had some numbness that varies in intensity but never goes away(couple of years now) but noone seems to care too much!

Bearygood · 04-27-2007, 02:15 PM

This is certainly different from the experiences cited below but from other posts I've seen it seems that ON can affect people differently. Do you think it might be a good idea to call the neurologist with whom your appointment is NOW, tell them that your vision is part of the problem and ask if you should see an ophthalmologist or neuro-ophthalmologist now, before your May appointment? If you do that and they feel it's wise, I'm sure they'll be able to give you a referral to someone on your insurance plan. Please keep us posted and good luck!