cataracts

[Yellow-dog]

I had a routine eye test yesterday and apparently I now have cataracts. Another side effect of steroids. Bah.

Sorry , just needed a moan.

[SnazzyD]

Fraid so, but they are unpredictable. Mine developed over 6 months from nothing to a mild form and then didn’t progress. How bad are they?

I came across your last post to the weight loss forum and wanted to add that with Pred diet is a different case to usual. Healthy eating alone often leads to disappointment because one becomes seriously sensitive to carbs. It is dose dependant usually but we often have to strictly cut out sugars, pasta, potatoes, bread, rice and flours but not fats. Eventually, the Pred effect of increasing your blood sugar reduces with the dose and along with it the risk of diabetes too.

[Yellow-dog in reply to SnazzyD]

They are brand new,can’t be bad as the optician is leaving it a year before next check up. I know it’s not the end of the world but in the moment just felt like one more thing was added to my basket of problems.

Re dieting, I’ve started again with the focus on carbs, hopefully this will be more successful.

[PipandDots in reply to SnazzyD]

Hi

I’m 2 months off Pred and wondered how long it takes for your elevated glucose to return to normal? Any idea (I’m still keeping carbs very low)😀

[SnazzyD in reply to PipandDots]

Do you mean yours is above normal still?

[PipandDots in reply to SnazzyD]

Yes it’s still around 7

[SnazzyD in reply to PipandDots]

Perhaps you need to be checked in case you have developed diabetes or insulin resistance.

Saying that I found that I was still quite susceptible to carbs many months after Pred stopped.

[Koalajane]

a lot of people get cataracts who aren’t on pred. My 40 year old daughter has them. I had cataract ops on both my eyes and wow. My distance sight is greatly improved. I always had to pay to have my lenses thinned down and now can see so well without my glasses, just need reading glasses.

It is a simple 15 minute op and well worth it. I remember saying to my husband, why don’t they just put new lenses in people who wear glasses!

I don’t feel that this is a major problem

[Sillydogsmum in reply to Koalajane]

Couldn't agree more........ one friend with pancreatic cancer. Another with liver mets after 15 years with bone mets due to Breast Ca..........cataract no big deal. Operated cataract x2 myself.

[SheffieldJane]

I was diagnosed with them about 6 years ago. They are apparently insignificant now, my optician has bigger ones himself. Oddly it is not an operation that scares me. I have heard too many stories of improved eyesight and no need for glasses. I was planning to pay extra for bespoke ones to this end.

[Yellow-dog in reply to SheffieldJane]

I do find the idea quite scary. But improved eyesight would be good, thanks for the reassurance .

[piglette]

I reckon most people get cataracts as they get older. In the past people did not seem to worry about them as much as they do know. I was told I have cataracts by the optician, but I would not have known. I don’t need anything done at the moment though.

[Gaz227]

how much pred are you on , and how long have you been on steriods ?

[Daffodilia]

The procedure is very straightforward and like a miracle once done - Good Luck

[Yellow-dog in reply to Daffodilia]

Thankyou, it’s helpful to hear from someone who has had the procedure .

[Daffodilia in reply to Yellow-dog]

Had both eyes done - no pain - it is ok

[Hulotsholiday]

I had surgery last year for steroid induced cataract on one eye; awaiting appointment for the other eye. Pre op I was terrified to the extent of speaking to GP as BP was through the roof at preop assessment and they said they wouldn’t operate if it remained high. It was just fear! GP gave me three Diazapan to use if needed on day of surgery, but I ended up not taking any. The op took minutes, literally around 10 mins for the actual surgery and it was nothing like I expected ( and feared). Totally pain free, no needles and sight was excellent next day. I’ll be a lot better next time and I hope this gives you some reassurance.

As for the other stuff with pred; over some years I’ve learned to accept that there’s no point getting worked up about it. There are no other options and life without pred and all the PMR pain is unbearable. I’m thankful I have nothing worse. Good luck.

[Yellow-dog in reply to Hulotsholiday]

Thankyou so much for this reassuring reply. I was horrified at the idea of eye surgery, this has helped a lot.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Yellow-dog]

I had mine done in 2014 and I was a bit apprehensive -not of procedure itself but of outcome if things went wrong.

I had already lost other eye to GCA.. so it was a bit of do or die attitude.

As others have said, nothing to worry about- quick, easy and painless.

Having had my eyes poked and prodded for 2 years following loss of sight, that side of things wasn’t an issue

[Yellow-dog in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks DorsetLady. I’m feeling much better about this now.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Yellow-dog]

Good..

[Pixix]

My optician says virtually everybody has them as they get older. The only difference is 5hat some get bad enough to need the surgery, some don’t! My husband had both done, so simple, so quick, no problems.

[whitefishbay]

Once the cataracts are ready to be sorted it is not a big deal (as far as my experience goes at Moorfields London). It was great to be able to see long distance again. Before my cataract op it was really tricky to drive in the dark winter mornings. Best of luck.

[Missus835]

Hi Yellow-dog. My optician told me not to worry about mine. She said you have years. My eyes were constantly irritated; went to our eye clinic here in Halifax and the Ophthalmologist said you need your cataracts done. There is no such thing as "ripe". Just had the second one done last week. Easy peasy operation. Only 15 mins. Vision is now amazingly clear. Reading with cheap readers. Need nothing for distance. These were caused mainly by Pred with a little older age sprinkled in. Cheer up m'dear.

[Yellow-dog in reply to Missus835]

Thankyou , I will, I’m feeling better already!

[Louisepenygraig]

I was developing cataracts before I was on pred and they didn't seem to develop any faster after I started so it might not be as a result of pred. I had both my eyes done around Christmas time and, as others have said, the operation itself didn't take long and it was painless, it was much more pleasant than going to the dentist. In some ways I quite enjoyed it as it was interesting!

[Yellow-dog in reply to Louisepenygraig]

Not sure I’m going to enjoy it ( if I even have to have the op) , but I’m feeling better about the situation now!

[proactive]

I developed cataracts as well. They were starting pre PMR, but Prednisone sped them up. I had both eyes done (one month apart). The eye surgeon said I would be offered a mild anti anxiety sedative prior to surgery. He said when it was his turn to have cataract surgery he planned to take the sedative as it helps you relax and stay still. the surgery was quick and painless and I do not need glasses for reading or driving now. I followed the instructions to the letter for the many eye drops pre and post surgery adn couldn't be happier with the result.

[Yellow-dog in reply to proactive]

That’s useful to know re sedatives. Thankyou.

[cema]

Hope you are all sorted out now Yellow-dog

I had steroids too, for RA.

For anyone else due for a cataract op:

I had both eyes done a few years ago. Main thing is not to bend over, lift anything heavy or rush about for a month or so. I have astigmatism so will always need glasses, but 1st eye done, patch on it which had airholes - I could see clearly through the airholes, for the first time in my life. 2nd eye, 1st eye was OK, no patch, wow, I could see clearly without glasses after over 60 years.

I do need glasses for driving and for for reading and using the laptop. Visiting optician now because not very mobile. The astigmatism will stay, short sight better but there is a limit to the strengths of replacement lenses, they may not be exactly corrective for your eyes. So one eye is slightly more short sighted, hence glasses prescribed, to balance things out. But now NHS lenses which weigh a lot less than my previous strong glasses.

Plus side years ago, reading before age 5 because I could hold a book close to my nose to see the print, but no way to see the blackboard ( in1957), so always sat at the front of class. Everything outside was blurred!

cema

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to cema]

Same here - can still read without specs! Blackboard - what blackboard???

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

I think that was similar to my comment when I first went to A&E re sight loss. The nurse said cover your good eye and read the chart on the wall.. my reply ‘if I cover good eye, I can’t see the flaming wall let alone the chart!’.. and that was before I’d taken 80mg Pred dose…😳

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

Did she react as if you were kidding?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

Not quite what she did actually other than look slightly nonplussed… and wandered away… Probably thinking get me away from this mad woman [mind you that’s not a totally unknown reaction!]

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

Yes - familiar with that too ...

[Gaycreasey]

worry not yellow dog. I had both eyes done at the same time - marvellous!! No pain either during or after the op but the sharpness and clarity of my vision was mind blowing. However my husband was not so enamoured as it meant I could see all the little bits that need doing in the house. ‘Have you seen that skirting board!’

[Yellow-dog in reply to Gaycreasey]

That’s great! Thankyou very much for your reply, it’s cheered me up.

[ChrisBeeLoop]

I had age related cataracts and had both operated on last autumn. It is quick, easy, pain free and you don’t see the knife. They use something to hold your eyelids open but I never felt them put it on or take it off. Ten minutes in theatre and almost perfect vision afterwards. You can opt for general all purpose vision lenses which probably means you will need low magnification ready readers, or different lenses in different eyes.