PROBLEMS WITH EYE SIGHT

I was wondering has anyone else had issues with losing part of their sight, or having some type of eye issue. cause I recently within the last couple of months (since june) have had issues with seeing spots and having blurry vision, I've been to see two different doctors and having to have a cat scan on my brain to find out that it is swollen and pressing up against my optic nerves in my eyes. I was told by my doctors that it has something to due with being on prednisone for as long as I have been. Is anyone having this issue or can tell me what else I can do to get this problem resolved.

K

Yes, I've had that problem with Prednisone, mostly when I was on higher doses. I had blurred vision, but also had a large black spot in the corner of my vision for a few weeks. It just eventually went away.

I always get blurred vision when on prednisolone, even at lower doses.

With prednisone, yes. Without it (but with ITP), no.

Can I ask all who said they experienced blurry vision with prednisone the following questions:
How big a dose of prednisone caused the blurry vision?
How soon after starting this dose, did you have blurry vision?
How blurry was the vision? Could you drive safely, for example? Read?

Karen, my blurry vision started about the one month into the prednisone, I started on 75mg and the vision problem continued until I got down to about 15mg. Mine was really bad, couldn't read a book but that was a mixture of a manic brain and also blurry vision.
I didn't drive for a long time but that was more the foggy head thing, I couldn't think straight. I was a bit frightened of lack of judgement skills.

I remember going on 15mg pred and not being able to read the map on the tube train which is above the opposite seats, or read the times of the trains on the big boards in the railway station. I am shortsighted anyway and it just made it worse. I could still read books close up. It went when I came off the pred.

The effects of pred can hang around a long time in the body. They say that if you have surgery you should tell them if you have had pred in the last year. That's how long.

200 and above, for me. Didn't happen at lower doses.

Worse with solumedrol than prednisone.

Besides the blurry vision, prednisone can cause glaucoma and cataracts, so it wouldn't hurt to see an eye doctor from time to time. I've been told that the cataracts caused by prednisone don't really affect your vision, but glaucoma can be a big problem because you can't tell when it's happening.

Lily

I was on 60 mg's when it started....probably a few weeks into it. I struggled, but still drove and read (had to for work).

Karen,
I have blurry vision with any dose of prednisone and for a few weeks after coming off. I cant read, I got a kindle and now I can read that fine with a large font. I have trouble seeing the computer or tv. I drive but try not to drive at night when I can avoid that.
I did go to the eye dr and the prednisone changed my glasses prescription, but when I came off it I changed back to my old prescription.

ive stopped taking prednisone for long periods (its been months since i was on a high dose) yet i still have vision problems. dont know wether its to blame on itp or bad optomitrists. went to 2 diff eye drs and they said i dont have cataracts or stigmatism and came up with the same prescription.... so im forced to wear contacts/glasses i cant see well out of (and guess will have to continue to not see well because i dont know what else to do--too pricey going again!)

Wow--I knew glaucoma and cataracts could be connected to prednisone use, but didn't know about blurry vision. Thanks, all, for the info. When I first get up in the morning, my vision doesn't seem to me as clear as it becomes, but I don't think I'd describe it as blurry. I can read and drive. I need more light to read in the morning though.

I have had cataract surgery (unlike my splenectomy, the cataract surgery worked!), and it's interesting that the doctors can tell which cataracts are caused by prednisone. I've been on middling doses of pred most of the time since 2000, and I was sure that the pred had caused my cataracts, but the docs said I had very little pred damage. I just had "old age" cataracts!

I want to thank everyone for their comments on this topic because I thought that I was the only one having this issue with my eyes. I am still having issues I've been tested for my vision and for the cataracts and glaucoma and niether have showed up thank God, but its like someone is squeezing my eyes from behind, I've had a brain scan for them to tell me that my brain is swollen due to being on the prednisone for as long as I have but they cant really give me any other help, other than to do a spinal tap to releave the pressure from my brain, but even with that I have to do through a round of IVIG and platlette transfusions in order to get my count up high enough to do so currently standing at 24, yes just 24 not 24k or anything higher.

Need some help here cause it seems as though I'm losing it a little, and does anyone know about any doctors or anything I live in atlanta ga.:dry:

Don't worry, Morwood, 24 is just shorthand for 24k. What have you tried other than the steroids? Nobody should be on them very long if at all possible. And if you're getting brain swelling from it then it sounds like a good reason to stop. It also doesn't sound as though it's doing a whole lot of good to your platelets. A second opinion and a fresh start might give you the boost you need.

morwood, sorry can't help with the doctor, maybe someone is from your area can help. How long and what dose of pred are you on? Is there any chance you will be off it soon?

Hang in there you are probably not losing it, more like the prednisone making you feel pretty bad.

Here is a partial list of side effects, some eye-related. Have you looked into pseudotumor cerebri? A friend of mine had it from Prednisone.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); appetite loss; black, tarry stools; changes in menstrual periods; convulsions; depression; diarrhea; dizziness; exaggerated sense of well-being; fever; general body discomfort; headache; increased pressure in the eye; joint or muscle pain; mood swings; muscle weakness; personality changes; prolonged sore throat, cold, or fever; puffing of the face; severe nausea or vomiting; swelling of feet or legs; unusual weight gain; vomiting material that looks like coffee grounds; weakness; weight loss.

Neurological/Psychiatric

amnesia, anxiety, benign intracranial hypertension, convulsions, delirium, dementia (characterized by deficits in memory retention, attention, concentration, mental speed and efficiency, and occupational performance), depression, dizziness, EEG abnormalities, emotional instability and irritability, euphoria, hallucinations, headache, impaired cognition, incidence of severe psychiatric symptoms, increased intracranial pressure with papilledema (pseudotumor cerebri) usually following discontinuation of treatment, increased motor activity, insomnia, ischemic neuropathy, long-term memory loss, mania, mood swings, neuritis, neuropathy, paresthesia, personality changes, psychiatric disorders including steroid psychoses or aggravation of pre-existing psychiatric conditions, restlessness, schizophrenia, verbal memory loss, vertigo, withdrawn behavior.

Ophthalmic

blurred vision, cataracts (including posterior subcapsular cataracts), central serous chorioretinopathy, establishment of secondary bacterial, fungal and viral infections, exophthalmos, glaucoma, increased intraocular pressure, optic nerve damage, papilledema.


www.drugs.com/sfx/prednisone-side-effects.html

wow thank you for the information on this didnt know all of this was apart of taking this medication, i've been on it for the last 10 years but the dosage had changed and due to not having any health insurance its been hard to keep up with the medication.