I have had problems with deteriorating eyesight in recent years, especially during dark winter evenings. Lately, it seems worse.
I can't paint in the winter. If I do, the next day I find that the colours are not as I saw them the night before. When I went for an eye-test, the optician said that this was due to yellowing of the lenses - a pre-cataract condition. So along with new glasses, I got a pair of prescription sunglasses because protection from sunshine can help slow down the effects of this condition.
I now find that I am differentiating between needles for self-injecting by size rather than colour. I use the green for drawing up and the blue for injecting. They are starting to look very similar to me, even during the day.
When leafing through a research paper today, Pernicious Anaemia and B12 Deficiency (2016)*, I found under the heading Presentation, the third point was "yellow-blue blindness can occur".
I had never noticed this being a listed symptom before.
Does anyone recognise this (or have had it recognised) as one of their symptoms ?
Is it worth a second opinion from another optician ?
If my vitamins and minerals are out of balance/low then I get all sorts of problems seeing clearly. I'm very sensitive to colours and have had colour distortions too.
At the moment my guts are bad again and I've vertical double vision. It's not too bad for most things but all cars look like they've got front fog lights on as well as their main driving lights. I quite often have horizontal double vision (so cars look like they've got a row of four lights across the front) but I can usually semi correct that by squinting.
The last time I went to the opticians he used an orange filter to make things clearer for me but if I try to move about with coloured lenses it brings on a migraine and would make me sick if I persisted.
It makes sense really - our optical nerves are significant nerves and as B12 is so important to nerves it's bound to have an effect.
Thank you for added insights - really interesting. I was particularly thinking of you when I wrote my comment and so was very grateful for your response.
Same here - the tinnitus is another barometer thing for my guts - as they get worse the noise gets louder and then my vision gets worse and then my tongue swells and splits, and so on. All a bit "unwanted"!
I was doing really well and just needed a couple more days of antibiotics to finish off the bad bugs... But last week could only get to speak to the incompetent GPs at my surgery (most are good/very good/excellent/phenomenal, but it's the luck of the draw) who don't understand antibiotic resistance.
They prevented me from having the essential treatment I needed to finish the course properly so everything has gone wrong again and additionally I now have every chance of having bugs with resistance to the only remaining standard antibiotic that was working.... with hopefully years ahead of me and the very high probability of getting the SIBO every 6 - 9 months... Oh joy!
She's OK though - she'll still work, get paid lots more than I ever will, won't suffer, etc! 👀 Like so many people here.
It's great to hear from you and thank you for your kindness and support!
I really think that continuity of care is vital to anyone with complex chronic conditions.
My lovely GP left during covid , another highly-regarded GP there left around the same time - I think they are both now working in rapid diagnosis teams in hospitals.
A daunting prospect having to start all over again, over the phone, with someone I don't know at all . Or perhaps the GP I met once -who got my NHS injections stopped completely (no thanks ).
I have now managed to avoid contacting them for anything for two years.
Luckily, am still seeing Oral Medicine consultants, who bravely kept going throughout covid and beyond with face-to-face appointments.
So have had appointments, a nasendoscopy, saliva duct examinations and x-ray, a blood test - and currently seeking a salivary haptocorrin test (if such a thing exists).
I've had to deal with new 'management ' and new gps.The chosen one still there but has less clout and I think will retire soon,as very part time after deciding not to make a bid for the practice with her husband .
Can be daunting but a fresh look might be good for you .
Your eyes a 'new' symptom they can refer you for?
Not easy .
We all like continuity and familiarity.
Continuity saves so much time with a doctor
Doesn't seem to exist now 😕
Had to see a different dentist .
Im sticking with him now
Seen by chance at last 'emergency ' appt.
He said of course b12 deficiency affects your mouth and teeth !
Hope you take the plunge as a long wait even after referral made .
I went to H&B last week and was trying to read the vitamin/mineral content on various labels - just couldn't. Not because my very expensive glasses were letting me down. The lighting was just wrong (for me) - glaring spotights so either blinding light, reflection off glossy labels or pools of darkness.
Partner had no such problems, so does feel a bit B12-ish.
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