Hi just got back from opticians , haven't been for two years, felt my sight was getting a bit bad, thought I looked good no wrinkles !! Boy was I surprised my sight had detirated so much, and I have a cataract in one eye ,not too bad don't need it done just yet, but what surprised me was he said this was because of steroids? I haven't heard of this before my rhumy hadn't said anything just to watch out for signs of GCA and boy those wrinkles!!!!!!!
Eye test: Hi just got back from opticians , haven't... - PMRGCAuk
Eye test
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Lynnray
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I am sorry you seem to have one the dreaded effects of pred..the cataracts. I was reading something the other day that said you don't have to wait until they are "ripe". If you feel they are impacting your enjoyment of life you can get them seen to as it were.
I got new glasses having not had my vision tested for..ashamed to say....10 years. I ended up having to deep clean my kitchen as I hadn't realised the edges were so dog effected. I had fewer wrinkles before them too.🌻
Lynnray in reply to
Thankyou ,optician said the nhs will only do when realy bad, but good old hubby is happy to do privately but I'm not worried at present as not affecting me ! The wrinkles now thank god for moon face stretches those wrinkles away😏😏😏😏
My ophthalmologist told me last week my cataracts could now be done (in around 4months) because the NHS has recently changed its policy. She said they don't like leaving them longer now because they get more complicated to deal with. And fortunately she's written on my notes that a consultant would do it, not a trainee, as I only have one good eye...😉
If you think you can see better with new glasses, wait until you have your cataracts removed! I just had my second cataract removed last week. My new vision is wonderful and I love it. Everything is so light and bright even on an overcast gloomy day.
On the other hand, I can now see those weird wrinkles on my forehead and the dog hair all over the house, and my hair is so much grayer than I thought. I stopped coloring my hair a few years ago, but I didn't realize that my bad vision had wiped out a lot of the gray and made my hair look a lot browner than it is. Still it's an incredible thing to get your youthful vision back again!
I think I will carry on living in my rose covered world,
Gray hair no way a lovley silver colour!!!!
You are so right. I just looked in the mirror and thought "silver" instead of "gray" and it made me feel a lot better!
It does! On occasion I've caught sight of myself when light has been shining on my head and I think, wow, what stunning hair! 
Too bad the rest of me doesn't match. Once upon a time in our community there was a beautiful older woman with upright, regal figure, and the most gorgeous white hair. Our grey or white hair is a sign of wisdom and maturity. 
in reply to judyb100
Judy, just wrote the story of my Mum after her cataracts! 👵🏻👵
DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer
Actually I think it does mention the possibility of cataracts in the Pred paperwork, and most on here are aware of it.
Rheumy probably didn’t want to tell you the down side of Pred either. No great shakes anyway once you get to the operation, very quick, painless and easy - it’s the deterioration up to then.
I'm probably due for some new glasses. Should I consider 'transition lenses/photochromic lenses? Would that help with not getting cataracts?
Some opticians say so. But not all people on pred get cataracts - after 9 years on pred I'm still living in hope...
if it is pred. causing the cataracts then nothing you can do except go off of the pred. and that probably is not going to happen.
PMRproAmbassador
Every patient on steroids should have eye checks regularly - especially in the first few years. Steroids can cause cataracts in some people and also raise the eye pressures which can be dangerous to vision.
I had them checked when first diagnosed (May, 2017) so it's been a year. Should I have them checked more than once a year?
I have mine checked every 6 months ,They suggested it with some of my medication .The thing is its better safe than sorry and the optician spotted my PMR in the first place after something like 2 years of nightmare with doctors who just kept ignoring it . So eye test to me ,is a check just to make me feel that little bit more confident I am covering all the options .
Thank you! I’ll get my appointment made.
Once a year is recommended here in Italy - that is by the eye department at the hospital. Most opticians here can't measure pressures - just provide the new prescription and sell you frames. Rarely, for some people the cataracts can deteriorate very quickly - within months - but once a year is probably enough providing if you do have cataracts and you feel they have suddenly got work you don't ignore the fact.
There used to be an annual NHS-funded test available for patients on pred but it was changed a few years ago to 2-yearly. But the test only costs about £10 so is worth the cost - especially since the eye test itself can identify several illnesses.
I had my eyes checked last week,cataracts have got much worse,she wants to see me in couple of months.She asked about medication when I mentioned steroids she said that's why then..She said to always wear proper UVA/UVB sunglasses in the sun.
I had my eyes tested yesterday after 2 years but now I'm over 70 I'll have an annual check. I've got a cataract just starting in one eye but I wasn't too surprised. My younger brother had cataracts done two or three years back and both my parents had them, probably when they were around 80 though so I've expected to have them sooner or later.
My Dr. said if you live long enough everyone will get cataracts. Oh Joy!
I had always been told that I had the beginnings of cataracts but it was unlikely that they would get noticeably worse. However, I did notice after being on prednisolone for about 18 months or so that my vision was getting worse. It didn't occur to me that it would be because of cataracts - I just thought it was probably due to aging. However when I had an eye test recently it turned out that the cataracts had increased considerably and the optician recommended referring me for cataract removal. I was so surprised as I had assumed they wouldn't increase but the optician said steroids could have caused the increase. I've been referred now but apparently it takes some time before an appointment comes up. It is a bit difficult reading and even the computer screen is a bit difficult to read! However, it's not too bad and I can cope with it!
Coincidentally I had a checkup today with my eye specialist. It has been 10 months since I saw him prior to my temporal biopsy and I knew my eyes have deteriorated considerably in that time. Even new glasses haven’t helped. I have been on prednisone all that time and you guessed it, and as I suspected, cataracts both eyes. He is not removing them yet because he’s more worried about the build up of pressure forming behind the eyes so I have drops for 6 weeks then another checkup. He is in no doubt that it is pred that has caused it as I had no signs of it, or cataracts at my visit 12 months ago. Damn you prednisone, you have helped my PMR and GCA but you’re leaving your legacy all over me. You took my hair, now my eyes, but I will beat you yet! 🤬
My sight has deteriorated too since having PMR, particularly in my left eye which was the good one. I was very silly three years ago, when I had the opportunity to have a cataract removed, because I was given the option, and I backed out. Am very squeamish and get claustrophobic, and visualised myself stopping it, mid op. I understand now , from the Optician that you’re not given the option now. In fact there is a 6 month waiting list, and you’re sent away if they’re not bad enough. I have an appointment once yearly, but had another recently due to double vision. My doctor has since booked me an appointment next week, at the local hospital. It seems the sudden deterioration in my left eye is due to steroids, as possibly the double vision.
A friend has just had both cataracts removed.She said it's the best thing ever,no more short sightedness or glasses.She said it wasn't painful really, so quick and easy.I used to work in a specialist eye hospital years ago and at that time it was overnight stay and GA.,now it's done in clinic.
My MIL was admitted for cataract surgery the same day my mother went for a triple bypass. My MIL made more fuss to my husband than mum did to anybody! And OH told her so!
I so wish I had cataracts - but after 9 years on pred it is unlikely I fear. No glasses - I'd feel as if I'd won the lottery ...
Me too! Exact same thing! Been on pred 11/2 Years, currently at 5-4 1/2 dsns. Before pred, only wore reading glasses. Now I’ve got cataracts both eyes, clogged oil glands, corneal edema, dry eye syndrome, etc. eye doc said he sees these across the board with autoimmune diseases, said it’s not the pred; it’s genetic as it goes hand in hand with all autoimmune illnesses. I respectfully disagree.
Not only cataracts but eye pressure can be affected also. Mine was fine til 6 mos ago.
1 yr on pred. and my eye sight is having pred related problems with eye pressure one of them.
Sadly yes another side effect, mine haven’t really changed in 3 years & not in any urgent need of doing!
When my Mum went for her six week check after she’d had her cataracts done, the surgeon asked how she was & she told him she was very upset as the surgery had caused her hair to go grey! 👵🏻 he kindly explained that everything has a yellowish tinge with cataracts 👵 so her hair had been like that for a while! Bless!
Mrs N 💅🏼
I've been on Pred since Nov 17 and my eyesight has definitely deteriorated over the same period . i went to my regular optician (Specsavers) and they spotted what turned out to be Map-Dot-Fingerprint Dystrophy possibly unrelated to PMR or Pred ? The eye doctor told me there's nothing to do about this condition and sent me back to the optician for new glasses. Between the eyetest , a new prescription and the glasses being made ( 2 weeks), my prescription had changed again so the new glasses were no good !. Specsavers have been very helpful and professional throughout. We decided to wait a month and retest my eyes to see if the prescription had stabilised . (Specsavers offered to make me a free pair of reading glasses for the interim ) My impression is that I do have good and bad days with morning eyesight. I'm squinting a bit typing this : I'd say I'm on a bad day ! i don't think it's worth me having new glasses made until my eyes settle down ....
Try moving the existing ones up and down your nose - it has worked for me the entire time I've been on pred! It isn't perfect obviously but it helps...
I went to the eye doc yesterday... too! first time in 19 months. And needed a new prescription but she said my existing cataract is still there.. but the prednisone has NOT yet made it worse. I am afraid to get the new glasses..I see too may wrinkles as it is! haha. And she knew all about PMR and GCA and said ...you must NOT be saying I am at 9.5 and will go down 1mg a month and then be finished. You must perhaps hope for that and it may happen but it may be longer. You must listen to your body and trust how it feels you want to have the prednisone working for you not you working for it." I liked all that. Eye doctors should be our rheumatologists. haha
Pred gave me raised eye pressure, but the drops every night are doing the job. On the downside ,my husband has to have a cataract removed , hes on the waiting list, and so far this is 78 weeks !!!!!!!!
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