Hi there, I’m a 45 year old woman and started with visual distortion suddenly two weeks ago. Optician initially queried dry macular, but eye specialist has since looked at my photographs and says it’s CSR and will clear on its own. I’m looking to hear your CSR experiences and tips on how best to ride this out. Thanks! X
CSR - central serous retinopathy questions - Macular Society
CSR - central serous retinopathy questions
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CSRScotland
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Hi CSRScotland. I don't have CSR but I found this on the RNIB website, it will tell you a bit more about it and also, some others may be along eventually to share their experiences. Apparently, in most people it gets better on its own and doesn't cause any long term changes to vision but I'll let you read it for yourself. All the best. x
rnib.org.uk/eye-health/eye-...
Hi Springcrosd
Many thanks for taking the time to reply to me. Yes, I’ve been reading up lots on it thank you and I’ll check out your link.
Looking forward to hearing from people who’ve had/ have it.
Xxxxx
It might clear on its own or it might not. Hope you're one of the lucky ones. Mine took 7 years and 17 injections but got there in the end.
Wow Gavin I’m sorry to hear this. Was it one eye or both? And what effect did it have on your life? X
in reply to GavinM
Did your vision return to normal? I'm currently battling CSR and the "bubble" has moved right under my central vision. I'm terrified (37 y/o male)
CSRScotland in reply to
Hi Gavin, yes mine cleared a lot and I not notice slight distortion now with one eye closed and it doesn’t interfere with my day to day life now. I having my scans repeated next month though to check that nothing has changed and I check my amsler grid whenever I feel like there might have been a change. What soecislysts have you seen and when were you last checked by them? X
in reply to CSRScotland
Thank you for the quick reply. I've been seeing a specialist since August. Started Avastin treatment about three weeks ago - no change. Going in for my second injection in about two weeks. The "bubble" has moved to my central vision and the eye with the CSR is starting to get distorted and wavy.
CSRScotland in reply to
Hi Gavin gosh I’ve only just noticed how many typos I made in my message!.You seem to have made sense if what I was trying to say though! From when my distortionappeared it affected me really badly for 10 weeks before I felt it starting to improve. Now I’m almost 6 months on and it’s there but not affecting my ability to do anything. In the first ten weeks life was really difficult, so I can empathise with what you are experiencing. Have you had to give up work? Please get in touch with the macular society for some support, Becky normally jumps on here with a response and contact details so have a look around for how to best get in touch x
Gosh and I’ve also just realised you are not Gavin! I’m sorry, I’m not on the ball today! X
CSRScotland thanks for all of your replies on here. I have been battling CSR for about 10 years, 35 y/o male. It sounds as if you have had some success with treatments, what was successful for you? I have been hit with a laser in my right eye, which was good for me for about 3 years, then I relapsed from the laser, so more recently I have been receiving injections, but the doc now wants to hit me with the laser again. The laser concerns me because of scarring and permanent, irreversible damage. I've also now been diagnosed in my left eye, so I am concerned about the progressiveness of the disease. Any updates and insights are appreciated. Hope you're doing well.
Hi JGerI had my first instance of CSR in August 2020. I found working and driving and the headaches very debilitating for around 3 months and the symptoms started to clear. Apparently my eye photographs did not look any better though so I have since had two OCT scans 3 months apart but I have not yet had feedback on these.
I did not have any treatment but upped my leafy green intake immediately on diagnosis and am always looking at ways to increase my sleep!
From what I’ve read it seems more unusual to have it I both eyes, so I’m sorry this is happening to you. Have you tried de stressing your life as much as possible and avoiding triggers? From what I read these are the tactics that seem to prevent further episodes.
Are you managing to work and drive etc?
Take care
X
Thank you for responding so quickly. Sounds like your symptoms are not chronic, which is great. My symptoms are chronic, but they have been mostly minimized with the treatments I've received thus far, so driving, working, etc. have not been effected to this point. My concern is for the long-term future of my eye health, and if there are any treatment options that will work for me long-term. I am working on removing stress triggers from my life, but I am the prototypical case of CSR, Type A personality, high stress/testosterone. I will continue to seek treatment options. Thank you for your input. Take Care.
what is a chronic csr? like the fluid did not drain? I too just have csr for 4 months now, from my right eye, from then, I can see like a 50% tinted blue car glass on my vision, an oval shaped. unlike before when it started that its like a cloud on my vision.
Chronic CSR is more of a permanent symptom, so the fluid will drain, but then it will come back. Have you received ay treatment? rabanes
No treatment so far for 3 months now going on 4 months, only just a eye drops of NEVANAC. I will just go for a check up within this month to check for OCT if the fluid drain or not. But I still see this oval shape of gray. What about your case, did not resolve with the treatment of laser etc. JGer123 ?
I went back for a follow-up appointment one month after getting a micropulse laser in my left eye. Unfortunately, the micropulse didn't seem to be working yet, but the doctor wanted to let it go for another month to see if it might just need more time to take effect, because the micropulse laser in my right eye did work, and my initial follow-up appointment was two months after getting that laser. If my left eye doesn't show improvement at my next follow-up visit later this month, the doctor wants to administer photodynamic therapy to my left eye. How has the NEVANAC been working for you? rabanes
It did somehow shrink the blister but the fluid are not totally drain there are still remaining a small amount at my last OCT. it already at my 3 months a half. The doctor stop the nevanac, I was now given a spironolactone at 25mg 2x daily for a month and see if again the fluid will drain totally. Hoping it work. The doctor just told me just stay away from stress and sleep a lot. Hoping for you also will work the micropulse laser. crossing our finger. 😊😉🤞
I had 7 or 8 episodes of CSR between 2004-2013 in left eye. After the last, the dark circle in vision when covering right eye never went, though only apparent if I covered that eye so not disabling. Also noticed slight waviness to lines in left eye but again only when right eye covered. Mentioned it in routine high street optician eye test, but nothing said like I should get further looked at. 2019 had first bout of CNV in same eye. That lasted about a month. Thought may have been a one off, but then returned early 2020, though again improved after some weeks without treatment. Then this March back with a vengeance and didn't go. Moorfields aren't sure if related to CSR or macular degeneration. Had first Eyelea injection 3 weeks ago. On 14th day after, noticed big improvement. I suppose whether caused by CSR or CNV, the injection route is the same. Wish I had known back in 2004 where I was going to end up!
Hi I have chronic csr since 2008 I am funded for photo dynamic therapy unfortunately I am now registered partially sighted regards mandy
Hi Mandy
I’m sorry to hear this. Do you have any things that you do that makes it easier for you? I’m finding the headaches debilitating. I hope you are still managing to get out and about and enjoy life x
Hi yes I suffer with headaches plus distortion and have lost colour in the eye too. You learn to adapt hopefully y will be lucky and will rectify on it's own have u seen a specialist ?
No, the optician thought I’d be seen as an emergency as she thought it was dry AMD, however she sent the photos across to the hospital specialist who said it’s CSR and I should just review at opticians in three months x
Are the symptoms you gave, the same as when they first appeared or have they changed over time? X
My sight has got worse I can no longer drive try not to worry everyone is different
I know, I’m trying not to. I haven’t driven since I went to optician and gp which are really local, but I’ve no real need just now due to lockdown anyway x
Hi
I was told the same thing 4yrs ago, and it is true for most people. Unfortunately mine hasnt gone away and is considered chronic, but hasnt got any worse so I am still being monitored for now. It depends on the course it takes as to management. I was advised by Professor Downes at John Radcliffe to reduce stress levels through yoga etc. (she was adamant that stress can have a role in this) and wear sunglasses with a brown or orange lens in bright sunlight. Other than that I believe it's just wait and see. Hopefully you're one of the lucky ones.
Thank you Blue-green
Have you found the yoga useful? I wouldn’t be surprised if mine is stress related. Do you suffer in one eye or both? X
I have completely changed my life. Gave up work which was my main source of stress, and moved to a remote location in Scotland. I feel much better generally but the CSR is still there. That doesnt mean it wont make a difference to you though 🙂 x
And mine is only in my right eye. I was 46 when diagnosed but have been told that I've had previous episodes which weren't picked up.
Thank you, this is really interesting as I am 45 and although optician first diagnosed AMD, hospital didn’t see me but dismissed by looking at my photos sent by optician and age and said CSR. I am so far only in my left eye and am finding working at home on computer exhausting and headaches are really bad. Your lifestyle sounds lovely now! I am Scotland too x
I also had problems with using my pc at work too. I adjusted the font size and played around with the brightness and contrast. Have you looked into low vision aids like lighting at all? It might not be worth it if the csr does resolve though. I think on the whole amd won't be considered if you are under 50.
I did notice your scotland user name 🙂 We are in a beautiful peaceful area with minimal stress!
I’ve been really light sensitive for years so already have programmes on my pc to adjust screen brightness. I can see what I need to but just find it tiring and I feel my work is really slow and I get headaches quickly. I was a headachey/ migraine person anyway, so this is adding to it x
I also get a lot of headaches but stupidly have never considered the CSR as a cause. I also had a period of retinal migraines after diagnosis but these seem to have stopped for now. I dont know if there's any kind of link there. Maybe pain management is the only solution as a temporary measure until you know whether its acute or chronic. There is loads of information online but obviously you have to be selective with your choices. Some say stress is only suspected as a trigger whereas as I said previously I was informed by an expert that it most definitely is. And you have nothing to lose by trying to manage any stress 🙂 I hope I haven't given you any inaccurate information and wish you luck. Would you mind letting me know how you get on at all? Its helpful to speak to someone in the same situation, and I understand that it's less common in women x
Thank you fir taking the time to chat I really appreciate it. Yes ofcourse I’ll let you know how it goes, if I have any changes or when I get to the three month check I’ll let you know what’s said.
How do I know a retinol migraine from and ordinary migraine with visual aura?
Yes I don’t fit the 25-45 year old man on steroids criteria either! X
It differs from migraine with aura as it will only be in one eye at a time. I just looked on the nhs site and noticed this
'Possible complications of retinal migraine
There's a small risk that the reduced bloodflow may damage the thin layer at the back of the eye (the retina) and the blood vessels of the eye. This will be monitored in your follow-up appointments. Permanent vision loss is rare.'
I probably sound like the sort of donut who thinks they are a secret genius who has made a medical breakthrough the experts have overlooked, but it is interesting...
Haha true! The plot thickens....
Hi CSRS. Can’t be much help I’m afraid. I have dry in one eye and the other has gone wet. Two catAract ops as well but never heard of csrs before. However, since joining this site I realise how much I don’t know about eye conditions although I thought I did. However, really empathise with the worry of initial diagnosis. Really turns the world upside down. You seem pretty sure stressful lifestyle plays a part so follow gut instinct about what you need to change and do it. Take care of yourself.
Thank you Shimano
Yes, I need to re-evaluate that’s for sure!
Thank you for your response and support. I hope you’re doing well & enjoying life x
I hope your eyes get better on their own, for some people it stays with them, mine have been getting worse for 2 years but basically try to reduce any stress in your life and eat a good diet rich in veg! A suppliment like visionace max for that extra top up of nutrients might be a good idea too. Live healthy, low stress and cross the fingers and you should be good. All the very best of luck to you I hope it clears up.
Thanks CChap!
Today I have ordered myself a nutri bullet so I can get more kale and spinach into my day! The blender I have can’t cope with kale! Trying to eat and live healthy, thank you for the encouragement x
Excellent! Keep your chin up that's the spirit! I was 41 when first diagnosed and it sucks but we could all be worse off and there's plenty of people 6ft under that would gladly swap places with us. Enjoy that kale 
Thanks CChap!
Hi,
I had a similar CSR diagnosis and situation about 8/9 years ago when I was a similar age. Fortunately it did resolve itself within about 3 months, but 8 years later the visual distortion did recur and this time it was diagnosed and treated (successfully) as wet AMD. So my advice is be optimistic, it may be an acute case of CSR, but do remain vigilant and monitor your vision closely. Try and find an optician that can do regular OCT scans to check your retina health.
Good Luck
Thank you Mpatz,
I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I am certainly checking on the Amsler grid to see if I see more distortion. I find it hard though to decide if I feel I’m seeing more areas or if I’m just unwittingly moving my eye! I do think I gave a bit of a beige smudge now that I didn’t notice before. My distortion is at the lower left of my left eye x
Rosalyn-helplinePartner
Dear CSRScotland,
This is a link to information on our services:
macularsociety.org/support-...
In addition, we do have a relatively new Working Age and Young Peoples service (WAYP):
macularsociety.org/news/new...
facebook.com/groups/2516963...
This maybe useful for peer support.
Kind regards,
Macular Society Advice and Information Service
0300 3030 111
help@macularsociety.org
Many thanks Rosalyn
I appreciate this. I’ll take a look
Thank you x
Hi CSRScotland.
I have been diagnosed with CSR recently. I am male, 39, I don't really fit the criteria for cortisol use, stress or lack of sleep. Closest is type A personality.
Initially the optometrist could not see anything on the OCT but a retina specialist diagnosed it as CSR recently. I have been having the issues (one eye only) for about a year now.
For now I have been prescribed brofemac drops and I will see him again in 4 weeks (6 weeks since I saw him).
I was doing some other lab/blood tests and it came positive for HPylori. The retina specialist thought that it was believed that there is a correlation between the two before but that's not the case.
I'm just starting on a treatment for the Hpylori, was recommended by the family doctor, and who knows maybe it will help.
Do you have any other underlying health conditions? I have always been myopic but other than that, I am healthy.
Hi, many thanks for your reply. Sorry to hear that you are also suffering, and seem to have some other health issues into the bargain!
I’m otherwise reasonably healthy with no other conditions at the moment apart from anaemia which I haven’t been told is linked.
I have just been told to go back to the optician in 3 months from my initial diagnosis to see how things have/ haven’t changed,
I hope you get some answers soon too x
CSRScotland - this might not be relevant to you but it could be. I have had no health issues generally. Have never had anemic symptoms. But on my last blood work my ferritin levels were low (the iron storing capacity in the body). So I had more tests and tested positive for the Hpylori. It seems that Hpylori can also cause low iron levels.
it might be nothing but something you can consider...
Like you I have recently been diagnosed with CSR in my left eye. I am 63 and already knew I had dry AMD so the optician assumed the fluid picked up on a routine scan 3 weeks ago was wet AMD. At that stage it wasn’t affecting my eye sight but that suddenly changed with a dark spot at the centre of my vision and straight edges appearing wavy. A hospital visit last week gave me the diagnosis of CSR which was a relief instead of wet AMD. I’m going back for a further check up in 4 weeks.
Biggest problem for me initially was feeling nauseous. My GP has given me seasickness medication. I haven’t taken it as it has settled down but I have it in reserve. The hospital doctor said to keep taking Macushield. I have also increased green leafy vegetable intake. My glasses have reactolite lenses so darken to protect my eyes from UV. I haven’t had too many headaches but I am retired so can stop reading and rest my eyes when I need to.
I have found my brain is learning to ignore / correct my left eye and rely on my right. I was warned the fluid could move which may explain why my eye sight is fluctuating in my left eye. I think I have seen some improvement from the first couple of days - the shape of the blob / after image has changed, but it may just be my brain learning to accommodate it.
Like you I live in Scotland and I have been impressed by the smooth coordination between the optician and hospital.
Hi Sue
Many thanks for your reply. Sorry to hear that you also have dry AMD.
I am finding the headaches less overwhelming this week and suspect it is because my right eye has learnt to compensate. Some screen work is still really uncomfortable and I find my work very slow and I need to check it numerous times to ensure I’m not missing something. I prided myself on attention to detail, so I’m finding this difficult. If I didn’t have to work on screens things would be easy as my vision with both eyes open when looking at life rather than screens is okay. TV and reading ( Which I love!) are both okay in small doses although some days reading has been an absolute no go. I haven’t tried driving yet but think if weather and light conditions are okay and I’m staying local I might need to try.
I’m glad your treatment has been good, I’ll be keen to get my review appointment to see what has/ has not changed for me. The more I hear from people I feel that this episode is unlikely to be a one off.
Take care
X
I didn’t drive at all first week but have driven to the local shops carefully. Hospital doctor confirmed I was legal as long as I had one good eye but I wasn’t confident until my brain learnt to compensate. It wasn’t too bad but I don’t think I would want to drive after dark or go on a long journey.
I also love reading but find my ability varies day to day. I certainly need brighter lighting. TV has been ok. Spreadsheets are weird as I am more aware of distortion. Distant vision is less disturbing. Doctor said my eyesight wasn’t bad enough for them to give me an injection.
I did read that it can take 1 to 6 months to recover. Here’s hoping we are both on the shorter duration!
Yes fingers crossed! I invested in a nutribullet and have greatly increased my leafy greens intake! We already had brocolli most nights but I’m now having a green leafy smoothie for lunch too! X
What symptoms do you have with your dry AMD? X
hi CSRScotland , how's you csr now, what treatment did you done? much appreciated for you reply. I just have my csr last Feb. 2021.
Hi rabanes
I didn’t get any treatment and nor did I get feedback on my OCT scans it has been so frustrating. I was not seen as a priority by the hospital eye clinic so I’ve had no communication with them at all other than a diagnosis which was passed to me by the optician. No guidance or reassurance was provided. After three months the symptoms felt greatly improved to me but the optician said the eye looked exactly the same as it did when I first presented, so she sent me for the first OCT scan. She chased the hospital to provide feedback on the scan which we never got. She then sent me for a repeat OCT 3 months later so that she could send to hospital for them to compare the two. That was February and I have had no response at all.
Daily I now hardly notice any distortion at all, only occasional plus I’ve maybe been left with a small smudge but I hardly notice it.
It would be nice however to be seen at the hospital and get some kind of prognosis. Everything I know so far I have gleaned from here and the macular society. It’s frustrating.
That’s the long answer! But in short, no, I have not had any treatment.
Take care
X
Good that its improving. For me I have my 2 OCT already last feb. 2021, and this month, Yes, it did have improve it did flatten but still there are fluid left, and my right eye which was affected with CSR still can see a oval shape blurred gray color. Now, the Dr. gave me oral spironolactone, and he will see me again this June 28. But for the last feb. till May I used only drop as prescribed. Nevanac. Hope the fluid will reabsorbed.
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