An ophthalmologist can not "see" ON is gone. The big "joke" in ophthalmology is when the patient say "I can't see anything and the Ophthalmologist say neither can I, Must be ON."
If the ON occurs right behind the eye (retrobulbar), it may pale the optic disk. If the ON is deep in the brain, vision can be effected, but examination with an ophthalmoscope or slit lamp may be unremarkable. VEP can detect the damage, and there are some other tests, but your typical ophthalmologist doesn't do them. Best to talk to your neurologist. My ON could not be seen, and the optometrist sent me to a neuro- ophthalmologist who wasn't sure, so he treated it. After treatment, they did a VEP that showed the damage and he diagnosed it as ON.
Bob
It sounds like the same bout of ON. The steroids were successful at keeping the inflammation down and once it wore off, the ON flared again. It took me months before the ON finally went away. I remember also having some pain when I went back to see the opthalmologist when he said my optic disc looked fine. He suggested an over the counter pain reliever, but this is after he carefully examined my eye and saw that the ON was gone.
Call your opthalmologist or neuro tell let them know of your eye pain. He or she may want to see you again.
Sorry to hear what you are going through at least your sight came back. I went for 2 treatments of the IV Solu-Medrol and had a central line place for a process called plasma phrisyis.Which I still have the pain but I was told I would never regain sight in my rt. eye ever.