Eyesight: Ive thought of something else... - Early CKD Support

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Eyesight

Betsysue2002 profile image
13 Replies

Ive thought of something else ... i'll be asking my kidney doc next month but im wondering now and thought id ask if anyone seems to be having some eyesight probs but having good sight scores.

Sometimes i feel like my sight is kind of "gray". Eye doc says sight is fine but i feel like maybe my brain is fuzzy ... sometimes outside, sometimes in.

So I wonder about glare ... and of course with kidney probs i blame anything odd on it.

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Betsysue2002 profile image
Betsysue2002
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Celtic profile image
Celtic

I have glare problems and occasional blurry vision but I do have glaucoma drops for optical hypertension and also the start of cataracts, so have blamed it on those rather than the CKD.

Keeping in mind that the two primary causes of CKD can be Hypertension and Diabetes then it's not unreasonable to have a causal link between the two. As we age many of us have sight issues beyond just needing eyeglasses. I've had AMD for 12 years and lost the central vision in my left eye. Back in the fall of 2016, I had cataract surgery in both eyes. While the cataract surgery helped my vision, I still have no central vision in my left eye, but I don't need glasses for most things.

My care team includes an optometrist for my vision and a retinal specialist for the AMD. While I can drive at night I choose not to after dark. The glare from the oncoming cars can be an issue for me so I made the decision not to drive at night. Both of my eye specialists have a full understanding of my other health issues and take that into account regarding any issue of medications or supplements.

If you don't include eye specialists as part of your care team, if for nothing else but annual exams then you should rethink that decision.

Celtic profile image
Celtic in reply to

Oh, snap! with opting not to drive at night with the problems that oncoming lights can present. There are apparently special night-time driving glasses available which might be worth a try.

With regard to your AMD, I have recently been told that I have early age-related MD and my ophthalmic surgeon said there are various foods/vitamins that can help - lutein for example. I recently had a very senior moment and managed to poke myself in the inside corner of my eye on the plastic tip of a clothes horse! Thought I’d got away with it but a couple of weeks later with flashes down the outside corner of my eye my ophthalmologist diagnosed vitreous detachment. Four weeks later it seems to have calmed down so I’m hopeful that it has improved.......the clothes horse has been removed! I see my eye consultant every few months not on the NHS but privately. I opted to go down this route about 10 years ago when I succumbed to a long-term inflammatory illness. One element of the illness put me at risk of irrecoverably losing my vision but got in with very high dose steroids in time and after 5-6 years treatment have been in remission for 5+ years. But I have stayed with my private ophthalmologist and he continues to check the optic nerve. The high pressure has suddenly become more of a problem and one possibility is that removing the cataracts can sometimes help. I seem to be gathering more and more health problems with each passing year but it’s better than the alternative!

draftee profile image
draftee in reply to

You are right Mr Kidney, As we age most of us develop some type of eye problem, I have macular pucker in my left eye and WMD in both eyes, The only treatment for that is to get medicine injected directly into your eyeball with a needle syringe. The medicine they use on me is called EYLEA, I get these injections about every 5 weeks, I don't look forward to getting that needle in my eye, It is not very pleasant and sometimes your eye is irritated after the injection but its not like I have a choice, I also take Ocuvite Multi Vitamins 2 capsules a day, It is $17.00 for a months supply so I mostly buy it with coupons when it is on sale.....

in reply to draftee

I had 4 similar shots about 5 years ago. They were successful in that they dissolved the scar tissue and that was a surprise to my retinal specialist but a good one. Since then, no expansion of vision loss and none appearing in my right eye. I had been taking the original AREDS pill until he called me and informed me of the new AREDS 2 and that I should finish my original ones and switch to those. I get them online through Amazon and they usually have a coupon available or you can try the Bausch and Lomb website. Again, for anyone with similar eye issues, consult your eye specialists before starting any supplement.

draftee profile image
draftee in reply to

I am glad those shots worked for you, I have been getting them now for over 2 years, I can not get a straight answer from my eye specialist about how long I have to continue to get them, The answer is always we will just have to wait and see how things look down the road, I have heard the cost is $2000.00 per injection and the Doctor receives $250.00 per each injection he gives and he runs his clinic like an assembly line, I seen him pull out of the parking lot one day and he drives a beautiful luxury convertible and he had the top down that day, As for myself, All I can say is I am thankful I have a good health insurance plan.....

in reply to draftee

At the time I had the shots I was still teaching and the insurance I had did cover the entire cost minus the co-pay. At each visit, before the shot, they took photos of the eye (retina) and the scar tissue and when it disappeared, he said I was done after the fourth one. His office was a two-hour drive from my home, but by the time I got home any ill-effects from the shot and/or the dilating were gone. I haven't missed an AREDS or AREDS 2 since then and no scar tissue or further AMD showing up so hang in there. Have you asked your doctor about the long-term likelihood of continuing with those shots? Is the doctor a Retinal Specialist or an Ophthalmologist?

draftee profile image
draftee in reply to

He is a Retinal Specialist, My Ophthalmologist is the one who referred me to him, I have had the cataract surgery plus the laser surgery where they use laser to make a small hole in the back of your eye to help relieve the pressure, Every time I go there they check my eye pressure, So far it has always been in the normal range, As a young man I spent some time in the Arctic, In the summertime the sun shines 24 hours a day, " Midnight sun " We always wore very dark sunglasses as the sun glistening off the Ice Cap and the white frozen snow can be very bright and hard on the eyes, Well being young and dumb I misplaced or forgot my dark glasses one day, I don't remember which, All I know was I was out there for a while in that glare and I had to go back inside, My eyes really bothered me for a while but I was told that no damage had occurred, I have told several eye Doctors about this and they agree no damage was done, Sometimes I wonder about that......

The supplement that my retinal specialist suggested is PreserVision AREDS 2. I take two every day and it so far has helped keep the AMD from developing in my right eye. The left eye hasn't gotten any worse and I'm pleased with that. Not driving at night is not an issue for me. I've seen something similar to the glasses you mentioned and brought it up to my optometrist and he thought it was a good idea to separate me from my money. I had planned to speak to my retinal specialist next month and see if he concurs.

lowraind profile image
lowraind

I think I need to chime in that the eye issue probably has more to do with aging than CKD, although swelling around the eyes is a symptom of CKD. I agree with Mr. Kidney, I choose not to drive at night.

orangecity41 profile image
orangecity41 in reply to lowraind

I agree about aging being a reason for eye issues. Have a couple of l eye issues due to aging. (Had cataract surgery 20 years ago and non aging reason). I use prescription drops for eye problems (timilol, OTC dry eye drops etc). It can be difficult driving at night due to aging eye conditions.

Betsysue2002 profile image
Betsysue2002

Ive bought a couple pair of sunglasses with yellow lenses and they seem to have helped ... make things much more clear. So maybe this time my problem isnt ckd ???

motolas profile image
motolas

Not sure about this, but did your ophthalmologist exclude cataracts. Do you see halo on lights at night which you call glare?

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