I've been taking Prednisolone for PMR since Oct 2021. Started at 15mg now on 3mg. In that time my eyesight has changed from being longsighted to short sighted. Previously I needed glasses to read but could see my golf ball land 200yards away without glasses. It appears I now have cataracts and that is what has affected my vision. I know most of us end up with cataracts which can be removed. I'm near the driving limit.
I have read that long term use of steroids can cause cataracts. At my recent eye test I did mention my PMR but the optician dismissed the effect of steroids saying that it would not alter a prescription.
My eye sight is very blurry even watching the TV let alone trying to follow my golf ball!
If I were to cataract removal at this point would my continued use of steroids affect my new lenses?
Any advice appreciated.
Written by
Glasgow55
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
The link to the FAQs is in a box at the top of every thread immediately below the post.
Once the cataracts are removed and an artificial lens inserted, proper cataracts cannot form again. There is a common complication where tissue grows across the new lens but it is removed in seconds with a simple laser treatment.
I think I might speak to a different optician - they are wrong. If you have cataracts already, very common at our ages anyway, they sometimes progress very quickly under the influence of pred. Not always - I have only got a minor cataract after 16 years on pred and it isn't really affecting my vision. PMR can affect your prescription - it can affect all muscles and so can pred once you start it, blurry vision is a common side effect. Both can also result in dry eyes - do your eyes water a lot? Normal viscous tears aren't produced so the body produces copious thin watery tears to try to keep the surface of the eye healthy. Using eye drops can make a massive difference. I would go so far as to suggest your optician may see you as a cash cow, needing frequent changes of spec. My prescription changes frequently in the early days - SnazzyD had a similar problem - and we both just shifted our specs up and down our noses to fit what we needed that day. Far cheaper and less bother!!!
Others with more 'optical' knowledge will be along shortly.
I've been on prednisolone for 5½yrs now and although my ability to see when reading or driving has changed minimally over that time, I have developed cataracts in both eyes. (Cataracts can be a consequence of taking steroids.) They're only at a very early stage but nevertheless I don't drive in the dark on unlit country roads anymore, as the headlights of on-coming cars now gives a 'starburst' effect on the windscreen, and I can't see the road properly. My optician says this is most certainly due to the cataracts. In every other respect, my vision is very good and unaffected.
I developed cataracts suddenly while on steroids in that they appeared in the 6 months between eye tests. I was getting pressure checks every 3 months but that wasn’t relevant to cataracts. After that they stopped and didn’t get worse. I am at a stage where they are not bad enough to warrant doing apparently, even though night driving is unpleasant.
My focussing however, was a real bother and was an ever shifting sand. I found in going from one depth of field to another my focus was slow to catch up. My optician said that steroids affect the muscles in the eye which would change with dose. Indeed dose change did make a difference. Even 4 years after stopping Pred, my eyes are less reactive than they were. However, we might stop Pred but we can’t stop ageing 🙄.
Nothing much to add… I had cataract replaced in 2014 when still on 9mg [started at 80mg for GCA]- had another 2 years on Pred. Now, 10 years later still fine.
I am shortsighted and wear contact lenses most of the time but also have back-up varifocal glasses. Since having GCA earlier this year and taking pred, my eyesight has kept changing. My varifocal glasses which were new in January became totally useless but are expensive to change frequently if your prescription keeps changing. My optician said the changes were due to worsening cataracts and referred me for a cataract op. consultation. The consultant however said that although I did have cataracts my vision was actually good with the right prescription and left me feeling I did not need the op yet. So my decision has been to rely on contact lenses, not glasses, for optimal vision, especially when driving. Contact lenses can be changed frequently so I have varying strengths. This may be an option for you? However if your CORRECTED vision is borderline for driving you may need the cataract op. Hope this helps..
Steroids have number of effects on the eyes as mentioned above. There is also the possibility of developing unrelated eye disorders eg mac degen. My cataracts were operated before I was diagnosed: I have recently had a change of glasses because my astigmatism and acuity have altered, new prescription much improved my vision much to the chagrin of my opthalmo who said it wouldnt make any difference( on 13mgs), she wont commit as to why. Optician should have known about steroid induced cataract. ?? Find someone better since follow up and 6 monthly pressure checks are very important.
Can I express the hope that everyone here who has been diagnosed with cataracts and is driving on the public roads declares that diagnosis to DVLA, as required by law in the UK.
Re Badger1919 reply, if can still pass the eyesight test to read number plate it’s a okay… and if you can’t then the optician/optometrist should tell you to contact DVLA, in fact they be well do that.
You don't need to tell the DVLA about cataracts unless they affect your ability to drive:
You meet the visual standards
You can still drive if you have cataracts in one or both eyes as long as you meet the visual standards for driving. These standards include being able to read a number plate from 20 meters away, having no double vision, and having a normal field of vision in at least one eye.
You don't meet the visual standards
If you don't meet the visual standards, you should tell the DVLA and your insurers as soon as possible. You can use form V1V to report your condition. You can download the form from the GOV.UK website, or order it by phone or post.
You have an increased sensitivity to glare
You should tell the DVLA if you have cataracts and are more sensitive to glare. Glare can make it harder to pass the number plate test, even if your cataracts don't seem to be affecting your vision.
If you don't tell the DVLA about a condition that could affect your ability to drive, you could be fined up to £1,000 and prosecuted if you have an accident.
I have been on Prednisolone for two years and my eyes got bad very quickly. Like you the tv was very blurred and I was getting to the limit for driving. The optician referred me and I have had both cataracts removed this year. Once you have the new lenses they will not deteriorate. You should definitely go to a different optician and ask to be referred particularly for cataract removal.
My mistake, for which I apologise! It's Glaucoma that is required notification. I've had both Cataracts (now dealt with by implants) and Glaucoma, ( still under treatment), and I have just had to have a field of vision test (Specsavers seem to have the UK monopoly for this) and then wait nearly 3 months to before got my license renewed. It's been a frustrating process.
The FoV test specified by DVLA looks at both eyes at once. According to the guy who did mine, you have six goes at it, with or without glasses at your choice. You are presented with the 120 flashing dots, and can only fail 2 of the 120. It took me all six goes to pass!
My optometrist kept telling me my cataracts were okay and it would be years before I needed them done. When my eyes started bothering me so much I suspected GCA, the Ophthalmologist I saw at the emergency eye clinic said the cataracts needed doing. I asked about being "ripe" enough and he said no such thing. He referred me for surgery which was done last Spring and the difference was amazing. I only need readers now, where I had tri-focals before. I did have glasses made with a clear top lens and a reading lens in the bottom and they are transitions (go darker outside). I got tired of switching glasses on and off. Distance vision is spot on. You will not regret it. I still have dry eyes though, and use drops daily.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
PMR - HOW LONG?
Cataracts and Prednisone
PMR and CBD Oils
Outdoor swimming, pred, cataracts and tinted goggles!
How do steroids actually work on PMR? 
