What does optic neuritis "feel" like?

[ShirleyTemple]

I am skeptical i am experiencing optic neuritis, i plan to get seen by an ophthalmologist. But what has been bothersome if you read my other thread is the visual symptoms i have been feeling.

*They are flashing lights when my eyes are closed (occurs at night). Becoming less frequent now.
*Another visual disturbance, for which now i know the term for it. Called Phosphene. I can only describe it as when i sway my view across a light source (whether direct or indirect), it has a light lag.
*Last symptom are floaters.

From research studies i have read on O.N, there is pain in eye area in reported 90% of cases. Mainly one eye is affected with visual blindness, partial or complete. Another majority also report having color acuity loss (as in they can't see colors like red as well).

I have none of these symptoms. No pain, i'm wearing red right now which i can see perfectly, and no blindness. My visual disturbances are almost never associated with a headache.

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Would this be a very atypical version of O.N? I do not think it is retinal detachment because
1) it happens immensely quick and worsens in matter of hours
2) i would probably be blind 2 years ago as it was my first ever occurrence.
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What has been your O.N experience and what do you think about the visual disturbance i have been experiencing?

[ShirleyTemple]

Anyone?

No one knows how their O.N felt?

[ElliotB]

It seems that you have self diagnosed yourself. But perhaps you should give a medical expert who has years of specialized training a shot at a diagnosis for you. When are you seeing your ophthalmologist?

[NHE]

When I had optic neuritis, there was a slight feeling of pressure in my eye. However, a better question might be "what did it look like?" Looking through the affected eye was like wearing a pair of glasses that had one lens which was permanently fogged over (like what you get after opening the door of the dishwasher when it's hot). After this initially cleared up, my eye would still fog over if I got too hot (either a hot shower or being outside on a hot day). This sensitivity to heat lasted for about 9-12 months afterwards. Colors were also less intense in the affected eye, but I don't notice that so much any more (it's been 16 years).

[ShirleyTemple]

I went to a Opth~ last time i had those wierd sensations because i was afraid, and to rule out retinal detachment. She said i have floaters, but no visible tearing and to "watch and wait"

If it were that, i would be blind a few days later. But it never happened and that was 2 years ago.

Now my GP, thinks it may be Ocular Migraines or O.N, because rarely they can present different than common O.N. So i am going to see and Opth~ after my MRI

[euphoniaa]

I went to a Opth~ last time i had those wierd sensations because i was afraid, and to rule out retinal detachment. She said i have floaters, but no visible tearing and to "watch and wait"

If it were that, i would be blind a few days later. But it never happened and that was 2 years ago.

Now my GP, thinks it may be Ocular Migraines or O.N, because rarely they can present different than common O.N. So i am going to see and Opth~ after my MRI

Although I've never been diagnosed with ON, I have plenty of other eye conditions, like Ocular Migraines, a wild, short, painless, psychedelic experience that is completely unrelated to MS...like most of my other medical conditions. Mine are rare (about once a year), but I just had one a few days ago. And floaters are extremely common in the general population.

My Ocular Migraines exhibit the classic elements, which gave my docs an instant diagnosis: They always start with tiny, sparkling lights in the center of my vision, which gradually expand into a half circle of bright, neon colored, ZIG-ZAG flashing lights that keep spreading out until they swirl out of sight in about 20-30 minutes. If that's what you've been experiencing, that's the likely diagnosis for you too, although, of course, it's most important to verify it with your doctors.

Although my first Ocular Migraine was scary (6 years ago), my ophthalmologist says that he and his wife both get them, so as long as I get the exact same presentation every time, relax, sit back and enjoy the light show.

Here's a link to info from Mayo Clinic, and a quote:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-cond ... Q-20058113

A migraine aura that affects your vision is common. Visual symptoms are short lasting. A migraine aura involving your vision will affect both eyes, and you may see:

•Flashes of light
•Zigzagging patterns
•Blind spots
•Shimmering spots or stars

These symptoms can temporarily interfere with certain activities, such as reading or driving, but the condition usually isn't considered serious

[DiaDeLosRavens]

I am dealing with it right so here's what I am experiencing.

About two weeks ago I started feeling there was a bruise behind my right eye. If I look up, down or most painful is to the outside it feels like applying pressure to a severe bruise.

My vision itself started decreasing about 3 days after the bruised feeling started. Everything is a little blurry and there is a dark "haze" which over the past week has begun encompassing a larger area of my vision and getting darker, going from about a 10% opacity to about 40% right now. I am able to see and recognize red but when I look at the color tests for red green color blindness there has absolutely been a drop off. I have almost no peripheral vision in that eye plus I get some halo effects on light, double vision is a bit of an issue and if I close my eyes I see pinpoint light and what I can only describe as a dark green monochromatic ty dye type "backdrop". Everyday I am experiencing a little more decrease... it's supposed to even out at somepoint and as an artist entering my busy season, I'm hoping that point comes sooner rather than later.

[cwphelan15]

Hi Shirley Temple

When I experienced Optic Neuritis I couldn't see out of 1 eye at all. It didn't hurt at all I just could only see a big black spot when I looked out of that eye only. My vision was odd and that's when I shut each eye separately and found that the left eye was effected. I went to the eye doctor and got it checked out. It has gone away now and I haven't had that symptom again.

Hope this helps a bit.

[GlendaMH]

I see this is an old post, but I wanted to answer because my ON (optic neuritis) was very different from some descriptions above. My ON started on Christmas Day 2004. It felt like a migraine in my eyeball. I wanted to pluck my eyeball from my head. As an RN, I didn't know what is was other than an inflamed optic nerve, but MS isn't covered in great detail and the eye is covered even less. (The optic nerve is covered as part of neuro checks mainly.) Six days later, I was driving to work and happened to obscure the vision in my right eye with a large cup. There was a huge grey spot in the center of my vision in my left eye. I was promptly treated with intravenous steroids per the accepted practice. Almost a year to the day, ON returned with a viciousness, as did other symptoms, and the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.