Optic Neuritis Question

Anyone else had the experience of seeing "through steam" sometimes? It's never been dense enough to obstruct my vision in any way, but in bright light or sun light especially it's really obvious.  As though someone is running a hot shower right next to me. Except my vision isn't "blurred" in any way-- everything is still crisp/clearly delineated.
Thanks!

Sadie

[COBOB]

I have a central scotoma that fuzzes up the central vision in my right eye.  That is on top of the vertical double vision "ghosts".  Always worse in low light like driving at night,

There are several types of scotomas.  Look at a picture of a scotoma simulation at:

http://www.lookfordiagnosis.com/mesh_info.php?term=Scotoma&lang=1

It happened after the Optic Neuritis March of 2010.

[jumpinjiminy]

My blurring is clearing up now on prednisone, but things are still hazy/smoky. For instance, while cooking the other night, when I left the room and came back I asked my husband if something was burning. He said he didn't see any smoke. I still don't know if I steamed up the house or if it was my visual problem brewing, but it was likely the visual problem.

I saw an neuro-opthal today. She ordered a VER, noted my pupils respond to light differently and said it could be a migraine, optic migraine or optic nerve damage. But at this point, she doesn't think it's optic neuritis as much as some other inflammatory process going on - for now. She wishes she could have gotten a visual field test during the blurring spell. If it happens in the future, now I have a good doc to test for it and can get in right away.

We will get it sorted out soon. Her feeling was optic neuritis more often affects color vision than acuity. I hope this helps.

It's a good idea to be seen and get on the list as a patient in case it happens again. Trust me. I had an appointment with her in November (it was a month's wait the first time). By the time my appointment rolled around, my vision cleared up and they told me not to come in, so I canceled. Now I'm kicking myself for it, because lo and behold, a few weeks later it started coming back. Only this time it kept me from driving for a week over the holidays while my treating doc was out and the neuro mishandled the situation by insisting I back off of the steroids. I had to drop down and wait with messed up vision until my doc came back and bumped up the dose again.

They were able to get me in this time right away because of the acute episode and high steroid doses needed to control it, but I still had to wait four days and by then my vision was almost cleared up. Next time . . .

[sadie405]

Thanks for the responses, guys!

Bob-- I tried the link and couldn't get through, but it would be useful to find examples for the neuro opth before I see him.

Jumpin-- I understand kicking oneself about cancelling an appointment for lack of symptoms, only to have them come on tenfold. Had an opportunity to get in with the neuro opth a lot sooner in December but decided not to as insurance was changing with the new year anyway and I was leaving town and symptoms had been better. Fast forward a few days later and everything is going "3-D" again-- a vase of flowers seemed to "pop" out of the wall, in low light situations I started getting dark ovals over the brightest areas across my visual field... ugh!

[MomofTwo83]

I definitely have had periods of when it seems like I was looking through smoke!  I had asked my husband before and he said he didn't see any smoke.  
I have been struggling with a diagnosis of MS for almost a year now.  Not long compared to others, but very frustrating.  I went to a new PCP and she diagnosed me with MS, but also said she doesn't know much about the disease and referred me back to a neurologist I had seen last year who did an MRI.  
I had shingles 2 years ago on my face and thought that my eye problems since then were due to that, but now that the question of MS has come up I have an eye appointment schedules for the 10th.  We'll see how that goes.