Steroids and eyes

Has, or is anyone experiencing blurry eyes that are on high strength steroids? Approx half an hour after taking my eyes seem different, it wears off towards the evening.

[Hidden]

Even at 15mg, albeit with diabetes, I got blurred vision. It's a common side effect but don't let that make you leave it if it carries on. 🌻

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It is very common with higher doses of pred I think.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Similar for me. I already had middle distance specs for the computer - and I just moved them up and down my nose for most things of that sort. Distance didn't change much - close I just take my specs off!

[jinasc]

Just to add to you knowledge:

If you wear glasses, change to re-actolite rapide lens. Pred+sunshine = cataracts or quicker growth with existing ones.

Did you really say it took all day to clear .................if so, how about taking your pred early.............ie whatever time you wake up after 2am. Always with something to eat, perhaps a yoghurt or a slice of bread...............worth a try.

[Hidden in reply to jinasc]

I've been talking my steroids at the same time since I first started on 15 mg back in Dec 2019 and now to 40 mg at 8:30 am just after brekkie....the Omeprazaole when I first get up then at 10 am Adcal-D3. nd again Adcal-D3 after evening meal.....with a few supplements after lunch. Weird how drug play up other parts of our anatomy. No weight gain yet, blood sugar so far is spot on, but blood pressure high, but does lower through the course of the day...when it's high I know it's anxiety causing it...never ever suffered high BP. When my last blood test came back it said on the form was I taking Biotin as that can affect results. Yes I do and have been for years. When I mentioned this to my GP and Rheumy they both said that's rubbish....so what do the Labs know !!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

fda.gov/medical-devices/saf...

labtestsonline.org/news/fda...

I have never been impressed with the average medic's grasp of lab testing of any sort!!

[jinasc]

Ah I thought as much..............it takes about an hour for the pred, a bit longer for enteric coated.

I had GCA and knowing no better at the beginning I took mine when I woke up. I found out it took me at least an hour to getsome get up and go.

1) I was told try try this and we published it in a booklet, when you wake up, eat something and a cuppa, go back to bed for at least one hour, then warm shower. It helped and still does.

2) However as we learned more by talking to other patients and setting up PMRGCAUK, we or I should say I (who knew nothing) , learned from some medics, but mainly from PMRpro that your adrenal glands start to produce next day cortisol around 2am ready for getting up and go -so we tried it and it works.

3) Then some of us tried splitting the dose.

The reason for this is what works for one does not necessarily work for another........so you try and find out which one works for you.

Remember this is not a race. it is learning how to manage an illness that comes when it wants and goes when it wants. Until we find cause and then cure, we have to learn how to manage it.

Knowledge is power and always listen to your body..........it knows you, in fact it is you.

Stay safe.

[SnazzyD]

Yes, Pred really monkeyed about with my focus and it varied so much I couldn’t get glasses that worked 100% of the time ever until I was on very low doses.

[123mossie]

Yes I’m noticing difficulty focussing & slightly blurry vision, my cataract has advanced a bit too. New glasses helped a bit. I’ve been in 15mgm for 3 months, not managed to drop down as yet.

[Spanky2019]

Yes. Blurry vision at 80 mg for gca nearly a year ago, and still have blurry vision at 10 mg. Also have a lot of floaters which I didnt have before. Hard to know what causes what. But still grateful for prednisone. Take care!

[Hidden]

Me too I have floaters. Now wondering how much longer I'll have to take 40 mg and whats the tapering situation. I'll have to Google it.

[Peptink in reply to Hidden]

You will find a lot of valuable information on here, specifically dealing with tapering.

[Snowy12]

Hi yes blurred vision and now I have slight cataracts definitely one of the side effects

[Skysey]

I have experienced blurred vision in my right eye especially on waking and after a shower in the morning.

I get up, shower, eat breakfast and then take my meds. I am on 40 mgs of pred plus all the accompanying meds.

I have new prescription glasses and reactolite sunglasses and I am sure these will help. Does anyone who has GCA wear contact lenses? I used to but have suspended my contract as I am concerned contact lenses will be a problem now. My neuroopthalmologist said to wear glasses for the time being. He is very good and I have confidence in him.

[singingloud]

I’ve had blurred vision since the beginning of my first dose of prednisone. My doctor put me on 80ml to start. Since then I changed doctor for a compassionate Physician Assistant and down to 13.5ml and could see nothing clearly. I’ve now had cataract surgery on both eyes and my vision is up and down from day to day. I had to be take off the pressure drops because it was causing more irritation then good. My eyes are constantly red and sometimes with large broken vessels even now after surgery. I use artificial tears in my eyes up to six times a day.

I’m trying to be better at wearing my readers when using my phone and computer.

I must be so sensitive to prednisone for my eyes. But hopefully it will get better.

We all react differently to it.

Rest your eyes and do what you can to keep them healthy.

[Mahnahvu]

The last four months, whilst tapering from 60mg to my current dose of 20mg, my eyes have been irritated and sometimes difficult to focus. Also, my glasses don't fit the same on my new moon face. Pred causes increased pressure in the eyes. Combine that with the developing moon face bloating and fat redistribution, and it clogged up the tear drainage ducts. So my eyes have been watery the whole time.

Fortunately, I've noticed that at 20mg, the eyes are not as irritated and I am optimistic that I'll be back to normal at some point.

[MarkWin]

Although I am over 3 years on from gca diagnosis, the pred started to blur my eyes, didn't know what it was and went to my optician. In his stock questions about general eye health through the check, he suddenly asked if I was on prednisolone as a known side effect was increased pressures and liability to speed up cataracts. My pressures, which he tested fortnightly escalated rapidly, and within weeks were up at 40, was emergency referred to local eye clinic, and put on Ganfort till I am off pred altogether. Pressures have reduced and stayed 14-19 for most of last 18 months, so happy about that. Cataracts came on really quickly and within a year, I had both eyes 'done'. My scrip for lenses has changed about 0.25 for reading, but I do wear sunglasses more, and a peaked hat (as much to keep rain off my glasses as reduce glare!). I am now over the worry stage as I know what's going on (great optician) and all seems manageable. Do talk to your optician about drugs, doses, get pressures checked, but it is all manageable again, just not very comforting when through the big risk of eyesight loss from gca to have such a curveball. You might need to press eye clinics to help more, but friendly optician was fantastic startpoint😊