Eyes

[j-e-a-n]

Hi everyone. Getting to the stage again when I am feeling very sorry for myself. Been bad tempered and quite upset this last few days. I am at the stage now where I can hardly see because my eyes are watering most of the time and of course my eyesight has changed anyway. I can't bear to put my head down or turn my head sideways as my eyes feel like they are going to burst. I am going to make an appointment today with the optician.I am still on 35 mgs of pred. Have tried 3 times to come down but have had 3 head colds, one after the other, the last one being a killer, not just for me but also for my husband, so had to go go back to my present dose. Have got some two and a half preds from my GP so will try that when I feel ready, rather than a drop of 5. Just feel that life is not worth living at the moment. Our builders have finished now apart from hanging the doors after the carpets are fitted. The painting being done as I write. If that was all there was to it I would probably say that this time next week I would be feeling better, but EVERYTHING we have is in boxes at the moment, so a momentous job there before we can call our house our own. Sorry for the moaning - feel a tiny bit better for writing it down.

[Kay60]

Jean i dont know very much about GCA i have PMR and i am sure Pro or DL will reply shortly

However reading this site daily i would say that you need to go to A&E ASAP

you cant mess about with your eyes

hope all goes well

Kay

[j-e-a-n in reply to Kay60]

Thank you Kay. I could see, still have the vision, it is just that the watering stops me seeing properly.

[olive2709]

Could paint be part of running eyes I find even low smell gets to me ,drops from chemist helped HYPROMELLOSE got from boots as pred also gave me problems. Big hug

[j-e-a-n in reply to olive2709]

Thank you Olive.In my case I have had the runny eyes for weeks, and the painting was only started yesterday. Will see what the optician suggests

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi jean,

No wonder you're feeling down - so much going on, both around you and with you!

I've had watery eyes for a long time, way before GCA raised its ugly head, there are lots of different drops you can use, some better than others. Have you spoken to doctor about? If you keep the ducts in your eyes clear it does help a little, they get blocked. Use little drop of baby shampoo on sift pad to cleanse along from inner corner to outer - with eyes closed, trying to massage corner at same time. Or you can use a cloth soaked in warm water and wrung out on your closed eyes for 5 mins or so, again massage the corner. Use 2 or 3 times a week.

Good idea to try and reduce by 2.5mg rather than 5mg, but don't consider until you have got rid of colds, and the house staight - that's enough stress without adding to it by trying to reduce as well.

Have you been to opticians lately, could be raised pressures in your eyes, better get it checked for glaucoma or anything else as soon as you can. As Kay says you can't mess about with your eyes. I guess your eyesight has changed due to cataracts, unfortunately that's a waiting game, but you will get there eventually!

Hope you soon feel better, and keep us updated re your eyes.

[j-e-a-n in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you Dorset Lady. I am going to call in with the optician today to make an appointment. I have not been since I was diagnosed in September 2015. I will try the other things you suggest as well

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to j-e-a-n]

Good, let us know how you get on at opticians. He/she might have some suggestions about your watery eyes as well.

[j-e-a-n in reply to DorsetLady]

Hi Dorset Lady.

I am going to use Viscotears and also try the other things you suggested.

It won't be long until I have a Rheumy appointment, so unles they get worse I will wait until I see him as then I wouldn't have to wait but could go straight to the Optical dept at the hospital for an examination.

Thank you for all your help

Jean

[Hidden]

Hi Jean,

Paradoxically sometimes watery eyes can actually mean that your eyes are very dry. There is an auto immune disease called Sjorgens syndrome which can go hand in hand with other auto inflammatory disorders. It might be worthwhile mentioning it to the optician.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The watering is almost certainly due to dry eyes! I know...

Your eyes aren't producing the right quality of tears to lubricate the surface of the eye (they should be thick, viscous) and so they try to make up by quantity - which means you have lots of tears that don't do much except spill out and drive you mad. It is all the worse in cold weather and even worse in wind. It happened to me for some time a few years ago.

If you have specs it helps, wrap around sunglasses are even better. You can get viscous eye drops or artificial tears from the chemist or an optician. My favourite was liposomal eye spray from Clarimist - expensive but effective - which you spray onto your closed eyes, there are others but you can't get them prescribed, you can get the tubes of stuff on prescription though.

That's in the meantime - but you MUST get your eye pressures checked just in case. Pred raises the pressure in the eyes, like in glaucoma. Pressure alone isn't too much of a problem but if the other bits of glaucoma start it can be. There are eye drops for that too.

I now see that DL had already said most of this - as has Keyes. Three in a row...

[Rose54]

Hi

I don't have GCA but PMR I have blurred vision and was concerned so attended optician yesterday despite having eye test in June last year my prescription did not need to be changed then ,

However I was so pleased I went the pressure was checked ,and all the other test also had pictures taken by new machine just installed . No glaucoma or anything to worry about .Came away a satisfied customers scan of my eyes in my hand and informed I need to attend yearly while on preds .

hope you get on as well

Rose

[Patricia157]

Hello Jean

Sorry to hear you are having eye problems.

Just wanted to say that you can get 1 mg Pred tablets from your doctor as well as the two and a half and 5mg ones which helps when reducing slowly. Also I purchased a pill cutter from well known chemist which helps.

Best wishes and I hope you get your eyes sorted quickly.