Hi all...am starting this under a new thread to see if anyone can offer an explanation :?:
This morning when I put in my contact lenses, my right eye seemed blurred....thought I hadn't it in properly or had put the wrong lens in the wrong eye or some such daft thing, but all was in order :roll: .
As I was about to head to a friends father's funeral, I decided to give it a while to see if it would clear. Driving home, I realized that I could not read the reg on the car in front if I closed my left eye, so I headed straight to my optician as was worried it might be GCA developing :cry:
Now.....here is the REALLY bizarre thing. After examing my eyes and trying another lens, just in case I had a faulty one, the optician was about to despatch me to A&E and said I should take out the lens before going. I removed it....and could see perfectly :lol: Did the whole eye chart thing again, and much to both our surprizes my right eye is now a plus point 5 prescription ie long-sighted, whereas up until this morning I was minus 2.25
My optician has no idea why or how this has happened, or whether it will be permanent as she has never seen this scenario before. I have left a message with my rheumy to update him and see what he thinks as I have no idea if it is linked to the PMR, the steroids or something else...all very strange though :? . I have tried googling sudden changes in vision, but it is all about getting worse rather than better.
So over to all of you...have any of you experienced any sudden changes in vision?
I've heard of this happening with some of the graduated vision contact lenses and they thought it might be something to do with an effect on the lens in the eye from the pressure of the contact lens as it resolves when the lens isn't used - but how strange! I have noticed something going on so that I don't see as well with the two pairs of glasses I use (one for computer screen/reading, the other for distance and have linked it to my steroid dose being a bit lower - up it a bit and the vision is back to where I'm used to and I can swap from one pair to the other no bother again. I'm wondering if there is an element of GCA involved - not enough inflammation to cause the temporal arteritis symptoms but a bit further down the scale, if you see what I mean.
Do tell us what your docs think - and if it disappears again.
Hi everyone. Just been reading about eyes going blurry. I found that when I was reading a book, my eys seemed to water after a few minutes and then at other times, I couldn't read the print on the TV. So I went to Sp....savers and had an eye test. The optician said eyesight same as last visit but what was happening was the steroids were giving me \"dry eye\" and when they watered it was the gland that makes the moisture trying to work overtime. He prescribed some drops. Great, put them in , sat down later to read, great, could see great. Turned on the TV - could not see a thing. Now I just read with wet eyes and put up with it. Just thought knowing your eyes can be affected may help. bye Jean
I have worn glasses since I was 12 and contact lenses since I was 21 , so over 40 years now I have my eyes checked reguarly as my mother had Glaucoma and havent had any changes or dry eyes either
When I looked on Sudden Vision Improvement I could only find mentions of Glaucoma or Diabetes It makes a change for something to improve with PMR !!
Do let us know how things change I suppose your Optician will have to keep checking you re driving
I have days when I find it very difficult to keep things in focus, despite varifocals that were renewed in January (PMR diagnosed December). Isn't this usual?
At present I am struggling as I just seem to have got worse following two good weeks when I first started the steroids. It is complicated by my hypothyroidism as my thyroxine level had shot up before the PMR was diagnosed and I have had to reduce the dose several times to try to get it back to normal. As the thyroxine level comes down, I get more exhausted and achy, even though it is only just within normal levels now. The rheumy put my steroids up but I am still waiting to see the endocrinologist.
Is this how PMR should be? I am so exhausted now I can just get up from my chair and potter about a bit every now and then before sitting with eyes shut for a couple of hours. Pain in back and hip but not shoulders now. Signed off from work. Only 55 but feel much older.
Cathy...it is very early days for you, and I know I was very frustrated at the start (I was diagnosed in April last year at age 51)...but it DOES get easier :wink:. I am just back from a lovely evening out with some friends which I could not have managed 6 months ago :cry: . Everyone kept telling me how well I looked, yet inside I was panicking about the fact that my rheumy phoned me at 7pm to advise an urgent visit to an opthalmologist in the morning to see why my vision has changed so dramatically in my right eye :roll: ... will let you all know what they come up with........probably ANOTHER steroid side effect :wink:
By the way, if its of any help to those of us with shoulder pain in the mornings...I changed my pillows from a single memory foam one to two smaller softer ones on Monday night and found that I had hardly any aches this morning so the single pillow was probably too high...worth a try if any of you have the same problem
Snap Pauline - I couldn't get on with the memory foam pillow either and find my two softer ones just right. :zzz:
I do hope all is well with your eyes tomorrow.
I have had really strange events with my eyes over the last couple of years but then, of course, I do have GCA plus high eye pressure for which I am prescribed Glaucoma drops daily.
I see an ophthalmologist privately and even he has no explanation for me seemingly having worsening vision and being unable to read the chart on one visit whereas a few months later it appeared to have improved and I could read it far better! :?
At the outset of GCA and commencement of steroids, my eyes were most strange and I had difficulty focusing on the shelves in the supermarket - at that stage the rheumatologist told me the steroids were the culprit! :?
Although it's obviously important for PMR sufferers to be alert for any unusual problems with vision, I often think that as PMR causes inflammation in the muscles of the body then it could also arise in the muscles of the eyes. Similarly some sufferers complain of bladder weakness (urgency and stress incontinence) and here too the bladder is a muscle! :roll:
Once again, more questions than answers!
Do let us know how you get on tomorrow - we're really challenging these 'experts' aren't we. :lol:
You're very early into your PMR journey still and I do so sympathise with the exhaustion and discomfort you are feeling. Yes, sadly that is exactly how PMR is and although our experience has been to learn to pace ourselves and go with the flow I know that that advice is anything but easy to follow when you are feeling so low. I can well remember the days when I felt I couldn't put one foot in front of the other and couldn't get my brain into gear either. However, if I did nothing else I always tried to do a daily walk even if on some days I could only manage 5 minutes. And as if PMR isn't enough to cope with you also have the thyroid problem. Have you got a date for the endocrinologist yet? If not perhaps you can 'phone his secretary and explain how poorly you are and see whether this will get things moving. Meanwhile, hang in there and with any luck you will find that better days are not far away.
Cathy, I really hope you get the dosages of your various medications sorted soon. It's not great at all, but take heart from the experiences on this site - it does improve and you do begin to get your life back! Keep in touch,
Having been on steroids for just over 2 years I have been having blurred vision for at least the last 18 months.
I've worn glasses, bi focals, for donkey's years ( why donkey? They don't live extra long do they?). I had cataracts operated on 4 years ago and implants put in which improved my sight a lot but I still needed glasses. Just over a year ago I went to the optician and complained. Didn't help much - he changed the prescription slightly but in fact I found my older glasses better
So last month I thought I didn't want to waste 2 or 3 hundred pounds again and tried a new optician. Her view was that I was getting double vision slightly, in other words my eye muscles weren't working to focus my eyes! So that ties in with PMR. Also she queried whether my implants would need lasar treatment soonish as they might be starting to film over. So 2 possible causes. Haven't got my new specs yet but so hope it works - I couldn't read for long or identify birds in the garden etc :peace:
Promise of a bit of sun here later, yesterday was horrid, cold and grey yet again.
It is so difficult for you as it is so difficult to know what is causing the problem as I know Hypothyrodism is difficult to treat anyway and steroids are powerful drugs so the drugs are probably battling it out
A lot of us have tiredness with PMR This time last year I was coming out of a real blip and we had had that horrendous cold weather I wasnt doing much at all I was just doing as little at home as possible and all the things i had to do shopping, my horses were also done sparingly with a lot of rest in between Now 12 months later Im not my complete normal self as I am trying to be careful but i have started exercise again and have the energy to do the cupboard sorting etc at home when I am in and was clearing leaves out of ditches at my field last week !! That would have been unthinkable 12mths ago If I do feel tired I do rest and dont feel guilty about it I know Im feeling better as I know Im not reading as many books !!
You will get there but it might take you longer because of the 2 problems Try to find something to do thats not tiring I did find my friends were invaluable to pass the time resting with coffee and lunches and it gave me a boost and do try to get some fresh air if you can as it is very easy to get depressed
I hope the specialists can sort your medication out and you feel better soon
Green Granny
Donkeys years ?? they do live many years longer than horses so thats possbily why I wanted one but my husband said no as it would livemuch longer than us !! 30 is common and 50 is not unknown Horses you wouldnt be surprised if one died at 20 ish and 20 to 30 is most common so my one who is 33 is a real old timer !! Since she has been on her new herbs she ahs been dragging me off my feet when I bring her in at night !!
Couldnt get on here to reply last night Mrs O Do others get critical error sometimes ??
Well I am taking this Agnus Castus my horse is taking !!!! Not hers I add !!
After my chat in HollandnBarrett I am taking capsules I think I have been taking it for a month now and the night sweats have stopped !! As Ive said before menopause is long gone but I had been getting quite reg night sweats I had a chat with the assistant and she said she had been taking it for the menopause as its a hormone treatment
My horses problem Equine Cushings is caused by the Pituitry gland failing in old age and she developed a curly coat , sweated,( cold sweats) and was listless What the Vet prescibed for her ( pergolide ) a human drug stopped her eating made her stand in the corner of the field wouldnt come near us so I thought it was the end This herb has been fantastic within 3 weeks you could see her coat straightening day by day and she is now very very lively !!
I havent started galloping round the field and kicking up my heels yet but it has certainly helped the night sweats
I'm so pleased that your horse is fit and well again. Aren't animals a worry when they're not well? I'm off to the vet's with my dog in a few minutes, she is very down for power this morning, which is not like her at all, she's a very \"over the top\" border collie cross, she seems to have developed a slight cough too, so I'm keeping fingers crossed that it's nothing serious. She is 11 years old.
My daughter kindly :roll: :wink: offered to mind her friends 2 pet RATS for a few days.....lovely things in some folks eyes :lol: but although I am not that keen, I am more worried that our cat might view them as an extra meal :!:
I spent hours in our local eye hospital yesterday and ended up leaving without being seen as after a 3 hour wait, I was going to have at least another 3 hours and was totally exhausted...am paying for it today as I ache all over.
Strangely, my eye went blurry again late yesterday afternoon, so I phoned my optician and she told me to try putting the lens in again...hey presto...it worked and I am back to being short-sighted again :roll: :o
I was at my GP this morning for a routine ESR and CRP check, so he got me an appointment with a private opthalmologist for tomorrow morning..so maybe she will be able to offer some explanation. The sight is fairly normal today, but gets a bit hazy at times so it obviously needs further investigation.....anyone want to give odds on it being \"THE STEROIDS\" :lol:
Granny Moss...thank you for the lovely poem....I know it is a cats nature to chase birds, but hate it when our one does it
When I checked into this thread I went straight to p2 - and all there was was mollycoo's post about going to the vet. I wondered if a decision had been made that vets were more to be trusted than GPs!! :lol: :roll: :wink: Then I went back and found the truth - preferred the idea of going to the vet I think!
thank you all for your good wishes. Not too bad news at the vet's. After a thorough examination, he said she had a rather high temperature, indicating infection of some kind. He looked in her mouth (not easy, a very strong dog) and said she had a sore throat. He gave her an antibiotic injection, and we're going back again tomorrow morning. I was worried in case it was heart trouble starting. He said she had a very slight irregular heartbeat, but nothing unusual for an 11 and a half year old dog, and it may settle down when the infection is under control.
Haven't been \"walkies\" today, she doesn't seem up to it, but hopefully will get out with her tomorrow.
Never thought of mentioning the PMR Eileen, who knows he may have been able to help!!!!