I have had some vision changes since being on prednisone. Almost from day one my vision can get unclear off and on thru out the day. I have blamed it on the pred. but i wonder if it is a symptom of PMR?, Lately my vision is unclear late day , almost every day now.
I find if I move closer to the TV it clears, it will even clear without my glasses which I wear for distance vision. Why would my vision clear without my glasses, it doesn't make sense. It really doesn't seem like it is GCA. I don't have the jaw pain or severe headache or the head tenderness. My dr. said because I am already on pred., I probably won't get GCA. It is making me very unsettled. It seems to have gotten worse after my last bout of covid 3 weeks ago.
I have tried all sorts of eye drops but it doesn't change anything.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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Linny3
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Pred does cause vision issues with some people, not sure what dose you are on at the moment.
As for comment -"My dr. said because I am already on pred., I probably won't get GCA." - not always true, depends what dose you are on.
If it were me, I'd be getting an eye appointment with optometrist/ophthalmologist just to make sure what's going on..surprised your doctor didn't suggest that.
I am on 17mg of pred. having trouble decreasing the dose. I have been on that dose for about 4 months. I am in my 7th year of pmr and mostly been on 15 mg for that time.
I missed that bit about not getting GCA because you are already on pred - wishful thinking! There are several people on the forum who developed GCA having been on pred for some time. It will only stop the symptoms if the dose is high enough - it doesn't stop the disorder developing, only manages the inflammation. Like you mopping up the puddle from the dripping tap so it never makes a flood.
Pred monkeyed around with my focus, particularly changing from one depth of field to another. My glasses prescription kept changing throughout my Pred journey. My optician said it wasn’t worth trying to keep up by changing my glasses unless I wanted to spend a lot of money or need them for driving. I also found salt made a difference and yes, time of day was a factor too.
On the rare occasions when I ingested more salt than I’d like, apart from puffiness around the eyes, it did seem that my eyes were less responsive the next day. I assume it has some to do with the effect on the jelly in the eye, but that was my assumption.
With both untreated PMR and when on pred in the early years I found I had very variable focussing. Some of it was due to dry eye-syndrome which often leads to blurry vision and "tired" eyes. I didn't look to change my glasses - I am very short-sighted and I just moved the frames up and down my nose and that worked well enough. It is made worse when you are watching a screen because we forget to blink as much and our eyes get even drier. That all affects our focussing - probably why you can see better closer to the TV
That is a perfect description of my experience. My eyes are checked regularly by an ophthalmologist who is familiar with my condition and the potential warning signs and issues to be aware of and I was experiencing some mild blurry vision, mainly in a morning. When driving it would feel like my eyes were having to work harder to stay in focus. Short distance vision remained reasonably unaffected and I was given eye drops to counteract dry eyes. They worked straight away and helped alleviate the gritty, sore, tired, achey feeling I'd also get.
When they were at their most uncomfortable I would have to stop watching TV or reading for a while.
exactly same for me. Do we put it down to pred. causing the dry eye?For a couple of days now I have been using an eye lid cleaner and then eye drops multiple times a day and I think it is working. I have had a couple of evenings with pretty clear vision.
Definitely suggest thorough investigation with optician. My vision varies a lot to the point I think I have the wrong glasses on! Often blurry with dry eye and worse when very tired. Optician now thinks may be a muscle issue In the eye affecting use of varifocals. Dry eye and blurriness part of pred although dry eye may have started before. Screen work Def does us no favours. Need to ensure we keep changing what we are looking, near and far.
Pred definitely caused what I would call hazy vision which seems to be more noticeable on the periphery. I had to give up playing piano for the choir because of this. I started at 60 mg and am now down to 2.5 and the vision is much better now.
Got problems with mine at the moment. Going to be sent an appointment with the opthamologist when with a bit of luck I might find out what's happening and / or what needs to be done.
That is an interesting question, as of the moment I don't know, other than there is a general problem and a definite problem with my right eye and until I see the ophthalmologist I won't find out. I'm pretty sure it's not a GCA problem but that is something I'm keeping a careful "eye" on.
Sorry Linny3 being a bit thick there. I guess it's just a general deterioration in both but right right eye particularly, but seems to a fairly quick deterioration. No flashing lights or floaters and eye pressures good at 10 and 15.
I was interested to see Linny's post. I was just looking up blurred vision last night. What I found was interesting, because I've been wondering on occasion if I have been misdiagnosed. What I found last night was the Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms are amazingly similar to PMR in many instances. I found it especially interesting because it can be caused by an autoimmune disease, proton pump inhibitors (which I've taken for years), includes vision disturbances, and causes sores on the tongue which I've been experiencing lately and wondering about. Anyone have any experience with this?
At a recent opthalmologist visit I told the doctor that in the evening when reading or using the laptop, I notice that my sight becomes blurred. He said that the tear film is breaking up and to use propylene glycol 0.6 % drops.
Hi Linny3. My eyes have been blurry, too. I have almost stopped reading (as in settling down with a book) and even watching television is difficult, particularly later in the day.
I have seen my optician who performed a full eye test (and I only had one in November, shortly before my PMG diagnosis the following month) and apparently there is no problem with my sight..... only there is!
The 'blurriness' comes and goes, worse on some days than others and I am unable to find any correlation between the sight and food or other possible factors.
It was very interesting to read of your problem as now I feed it is not all in my imagination!
No it is not your imagination. Mine has gotten so much worse in the last few months. Only changes are; have had covid 2 times since early Dec.
Have not been able to decrease the high amount of pred. I was given in the hospital. Been on 17mg for 2 months. It was quite the struggle to get from 20mg to 17mg.
I also am losing my hair at a rapid rate and that is new for me. Thinking it is the larger amount of pred.
You've received some great responses and I hope they help. Just wanted to add, as a GCA-er on Pred, my neuro-op said, 'there will be good days and some not so good, keep your eyes lubricated and give them a rest.' I've found that to be true so I use Systane to moisten my eyes 4-5 times a day as well as two prescription drops. If I am on the computer I often switch the strength of my glasses, none of the are prescription, and that helps too. 💕
I'v been having drops for dry eyes for years, pre GCA/PMR but after having an eye test and getting new glasses and being told my cataracts wouldn't be a worry for years, 12 months om pred my eyes kept going blurry so had a visit to the optician who said my cataracts had developed so quickly and my eye pressure had gone up (my Dr said that wasn't high!) It was suggested on here it maybe high for me.The optician said I was obviously a steroid responder and suggested a glaucoma clinic referral, before that even came I was seeing rainbows around lights so had an emergency appointment and it was all go from there, have had one cataract op. but now they have given me one good eye it seems getting the next one done may not be so quick in these days of covid. So now I only see rainbows from one eye but wouldn't drive at night. And won't be happy till I can get prescription glasses and can see the tele guide on my little tele without getting up and walking over to it. Maybe having two new eyes I won't need glasses.
That sure is a lot to happen in a short time. I was told the same thing. I have a very small cataract and not worry about it. My app't can't come soon enough.Good Luck
I can share this with you....my mother (and I'm 81) had hers done when she was in her mid-sixties and after glasses all her life, she didn't need them after surgery of her cataracts. She was so used to glasses covering her 'dark circles' she wore glasses with clear glass! Oh! woman, vanity is thy name..that was my Mom. 💕
I had a smile about your mum, bless her. Well I sure have the rings under my eyes, more so after having had a face like a football and now getting back to normalish. Actually after having the reactolite for as long as I can remember I am having trouble with the beautiful sunshine we are having and even have to wear sunglasses in the conservatory. Plus i can't believe how many twigs etc end up in my eyes when I'm pruning and things. Even get dust from the rarely used vacuum. So bring on the glasses.
Pred can make you more sensitive to light - never mind the cataract op having done it! I almost always use sunglasses - and having contact lens years ago was so nice being able to get ordinary sunglasses rather than having to have prescription ones, I dream of the cataracts she identified last check up after 12 years of pred getting to need removal - and being able to ditch the specs at last!
Thanks, my eyes just feel so strange and I'm convinced they will never feel normal without glasses, though with one good eye and one useless not exactly normal, just have to hope they can give me the second cataract removal in these sad times. They are going through the consideration process. One good eye should be enough it seems. Even more distressed when they insist they sent me an appointment for a bone density scan in Nov. which I didn't take up, so now I have to wait my turn. I have never had one and been begging for one so why wouldn't I take it up or contact them if i couldn't make it!
I got a tax statement in March. To be paid by the 31st Jan. Sent out in NOVEMBER! So I must pay the interest - that won't be the same as the interest my savings manage to accrue will it?
I hear you! Since I'm unable to get prescriptiton glasses, I simply went to Walmart for inexpensive frames, clear glass with a grey tint. I wear them all the time unless I want to see print (otherwise they are enough) and I pull out 300+ usually. The Association for the Blind in Maine (I can see enough to get me in trouble) gave me a pair of dark blue glasses that wrap around the temple, I found these 'where else?' that are similar. amazon.com/Calabria-Large-S... leave these in our vehicle and they are great!!! Twigs in the eye is not good but keep gardening.💕
I also get vision changes since being on prednisolone. In the morning, after I have taken my tablets, I get slightly blurred vision. This lasts all day so that reading is a struggle. (I am short-sighted and don’t need reading glasses). In the evening, in bed with a rather dim bedside lamp, I can read without any trouble at all.
I had my eyes checked and they were fine, possibly a bit dry, so I have eye drops to lubricate them which I use when I remember. They don’t make any difference at all.
I’ve just resigned myself to it being a side-effect of pred.
It is all so hard to deal with. Anything with the eyes is just so scary. Mine have changed since I had covid. So, between pred and covid it is a hard battle to overcome.Good Luck thanks for the reply
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