eyes and Pred

[mullochs]

I was diagnosed with PMR 12/22 starting on 15mg Pred. Currently at 11mg on my weaning progress having had too many stresses physical & mental to go faster over the last few months. One flare successfully dealt with by increasing by 5mg for 10 days.

I have had swollen eyelids from the beginning accompanied by a black almost complete ring around my eyes which seems to increase/decrease according to how well I am doing - ie. not overdoing. More recently I have developed deep bags under my eyes just to add to the Pred induced deformities..

I have become aware that my distant vision is failing so checked again with an Opthalmologist who found -1.5 change in prescription and said this is a known effect of long term steroid . Apparently the prescription will continue to change through the weaning process but not necessarily in the right direction? So - back to glasses after 10+ years of 20/20 vision thanks to lens replacement - galling.

This week my lids have become red, more swollen and a lump - not unlike a big zit - has developed on my left lid. Vision blurry but today left eye is considerably reduced. None of this is responding to topical treatments.

Blephritis info online mentions the possibility of ulcers which can cause sight loss.

I have sent photos to the GP who might be able to see me today??

Do any of you wonderful, ever patient, people have any experience of this situation?? I imagine that it will be PMR/Steroid induced and not something the GP will be familiar with.

Thank you!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Sounds very like blepharitis that has also caused a stye - the pred does tend to make you more susceptible to the bacterial infection but they can both appear in their own right.

verywellhealth.com/blephari....

Warm compresses and scrupulous eye hygiene will help but it does take time. The GP may offer a decent antibiotic eye drop/ointment.

Some of us found the change in prescription didn't need long term pred - early days it varied from day to day and my husband's distance sight changed with age as well, no pred to blame. The variation I dealt with by moving my specs up and down my nose - I'd had to give up with contact lenses when PMR started accompanied by a violent reaction to a change in the lens solution ingredients and dailies were also not a viable option when I swam almost every day! So I hear your annoyance!

[SnazzyD]

My eyes’ focussing was all over the place, changing with dose. There was no point adjusting my specs prescription but I’m happy to say that low dose Pred improved things and some months after my Pred stopped my glasses worked again. 3 years later I’ve had to increase my prescription to gain better short sight but that’s just ageing.

My steroid induced cataracts have improved which I didn’t know was possible. They developed quickly over 6 months and then didn’t get worse from then on. I don’t know if I’m pleased or not because they are not bad enough to warrant surgery but night driving isn’t pleasant.

Pred does make you more susceptible to your own bacteria getting more of a foothold than they should. This effect decreases with dose. My healthy husband gets these eye blebs a few times a year if he doesn’t keep up the routine mentioned by PMRPro but I never did, even when on Pred.

[Toffeeboyblue]

I have been on pred for 18 months and have suffered with blepharitis in the past. About 2 years ago I developed a zit like lump on my upper right eyelid. At two annual eye tests at opticians- was told it was a cyst and to squeeze it out after hot compress etc. This had no effect. My daughter persuaded me to have it checked by GP who referred me to dermatologist- basal cell carcinoma! Two x day surgery visits and it has been cut out and eyelid reconstructed.

Don’t want to be alarmist but best get it checked.

[Merryfield in reply to Toffeeboyblue]

Holy cow! Thank goodness for your daughtrr suggesting you have it checked. I would have dismissed it as a stye. 😳

[mullochs in reply to Toffeeboyblue]

Thank you for that warning - I do have several SCC nearby which I haven’t used Fluoracil on yet because one is too close to my eye - and haven’t felt well enough to deal with the Fluoricil topical effects on the others including a BCC on my forehead. I suppose I need to address it now.

The Minor Eye Clinic Opthalmologist I saw yesterday found infection at the back of my upper eyelid which she connected with the external lump. Gel antibiotics 4x day for 7 days. If not improved quickly to contact the eye hospital but it does hurt less today and sight not so blurry…

Thank you all for sharing your experiences - so helpful and informative - knowledge is power - as is often said. It is only the support of this forum which gives me the strength to deal with the GP/NHS and all its current problems/shortcomings.

[krillemy]

I have swollen eye surroundings and my focus also fluctuates with my PMR symptoms. More PMR - more difficult to focus when I read. Therefore higher dosage of pred. helps my eyesight.