A month or so back I posted that I had been diagnosed with and unusual eye problem, Superior Limbic Keratoconjunctivitis. I was prescribed a very expensive ointment and some eye drops. My ophthalmologist suggested that if this didn't cure the problem other methods were available. Unfortunately the, very expensive, ointment didn't work so it was back to the ophthalmologist for the alternative. The only reason I am posting this update is because when I went back he couldn't do anything else because my eye pressures had gone through the roof. Could this be down to the Pred perhaps or maybe even the PMR? So I have spent the last month trying to get the pressures down with yet another flavour of eye drops and have another appointment on Tuesday. Did I mention how expensive the original ointment was?
Unusual eye problem: A month or so back I posted... - PMRGCAuk
Unusual eye problem
Pred can increase occular pressures yes - but usually it takes some time. It is recommended that we get occular pressures checked at least annually. I've been on pred for over 12 years - and my pressures are still absolutely perfect - the last time I had them checked (last month) the opthalmologist said it was unlikely that they would rise now, they either do or don't and it shows early on.
Pred certainly can increase eye pressures-but as you reduce steroids the pressures do usually return to a more normal range .
Hopefully the additional drops will help as well - and what were the levels? Through the roof may describe them, but not very scientific 😊
32 mm Hg
That IS high! How quickly has that developed?
Around 4 months ago, when I was getting my driving glasses updated (don't actually "need" them , just more comfortable, especially at night), the optician found the pressures to be slightly high.
Did they not recommend drops then?
No. They were only very slightly high and I saw my ophthalmologist for the eye problem and he didn't think it was anything to worry about. However, he was "mightily surprised" with pressures on my next visit.
Agree with PMRpro…
Mine went up to 22…but fortunately reduced without any extra meds…
This sounds really unpleasant, so sorry for you. As the others have explained Prednisalone does or can increase the pressure within the eyeball.Why do you have to pay for the expensive ointment? Are you being treated privately? You have had a lot of eye trouble haven’t you? I have heard of your condition in connection with Thyroid disorders. I myself have had exopthalmic goitre with Graves’ disease. I am beginning to wonder if my year long Blepharitis symptoms could be something else. I have no redness but my eyelids are stuck together when I wake up and I get a really unpleasant bursting sensation in them sometimes. My eye pressures have been fine over the months and years. This doesn’t sound in any way familiar does it? As you say, your condition is rare.
On this occasion I did go privately but, thankfully, he did inform my GP so any subsequent requirement for the ointment, and or the drops I'm currently using, will be on the NHS. He really has been a good guy since the start with my gigantic (well quite big) floaters. You mention thyroid disorder. This brings me to another little problem I have now developed. My throat and upper chest (very upper) feel like I have just had a "wet" coughing fit but I haven't got a cough at all. My throat feels like it's got a lump in it and my voice goes a bit funny. Not all the time more prevalent after eating and especially in the evening. My first thought was Coved but no, no other symptoms and testing negative. My second was an upper respiratory infection that would sort itself out but, having done a little Google research, it could be linked to a thyroid disorder. Think I'll get it checked out as soon as I can.
In all the detail about what’s happening to u the words ‘my throat feels like there’s a lump in it’ resonated most with me. Do u ever have difficulty swallowing? These were the first signs, together with dreadful tiredness and weight gain despite same diet, that indicated under-active throid (another auto-immune disease) when I was 50. Luckily a blood test showed low Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid function (T4) below normal range. A prescription of levothyroxine sorted this in a few weeks and I was reborn! Until GCA many years later. Other underactive thyroid things I suffered from were hair loss ( I have no eyelashes or luckily for me, body hair!) and ‘gravelly’ voice. Look it up, ask for a blood test. The remedy is so simple and cheap as chips. Tho u do have to take levo forever after. And if u are also on prednisolone, timing of doses is important. 4 hours between, I think. Good luck.
Thanks for your reply Carriemetz. I have had a bit of trouble swallowing some foods for a few years really but nothing to speak of really. No real pain anywhere but perhaps a little sore throat but that's more uncomfortable than painful. I have had some weight gain, 4kg since starting Pred in May but now heavily reducing carbs in an effort to stem the tide. Luckily, I'm please to say that I am not suffering with any undue tiredness, certainly not during the day as I can work and do a bit of exercise and perhaps a few odd jobs without a problem. I do get a bit sleepy around 8pm after dinner though.
At a point when I was on a higher dose of Pred ( above 10 mgs) I remember a raw wheezy feeling in my chest. More troubling I got Oesophageal spasms occasionally. This was a frightening sensation. It was as if I had swallowed a sizeable pebble, it involved pain in the jaw as if it was being painfully unzipped. My husband called an ambulance with my first attack, they immediately tested me for a cardiac event and insisted on taking me to hospital, even though the symptom had worn off. All tests and subsequent tests have shown no heart problems. I think that these were effects of Prednisalone that can be very harsh on the digestive system. I no longer have these symptoms. I think a thyroid test is a great idea and definitely describe your symptoms to your main doctor. My oesophageal spasms were never confirmed with tests, they just seemed to fit my symptoms. I remain sensitive to acidic foods. Good luck. Apologies for all my questions, looking for answers currently.
I am on Levothyroxine for life. It sorted things out quickly and I haven’t been aware of it for over 30 years, just an annual blood test.
Crikey, my problem pales into insignificance compared to this. I can echo your "raw wheezy feeling in my chest" but no wheezing or coughing just the feeling that I should be. No difficulty breathing or real problem swallowing and no pain or fatigue. I will, of course, get it checked out but perhaps it's just another Pred present.
It is hard to know what to report sometimes. The side effects of the drugs we take are so weird and doctors are not really up on them. Best to be safe though.
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