Eye appointment checked out good.

[Gatorchief]

My eye appointment showed no problems with my eyes. The focus problems I was having was mostly related to hazy spots on the lenses’s they implanted during cataract surgery. The Dr explained that this happens often within a year or two after the surgery. He used a laser to remove the hazy spots in the lenses’s and the focus was greatly Improved as soon as my eyes recovered from the dilation solution. He doesn’t think that GCA , if I have it hasn’t damaged my eyes as they are healthy and 20/20 per the examination.

I’m now on my second day at 15 mg of prednisone from 20mg the last 7 days. So far symptoms are mild and have not changed from the 20 mg dose. My most concerning questions are;

I have been on prednisone 15mg for 12 weeks now with no tapering down yet. Will my system become addicted to a dose of 15mg to be pain free?

Will my adrenals be harder and take longer to function again due to the delay in tapering and length of time being over 7 mg dose?

Are prednisone side effects more likely to manifest the longer it’s used?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Good news about eyes…

And don’t see why there is a reason for you not to be able to taper successfully and get the adrenals working again.

[Gatorchief in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you, I’m thinking of starting to taper after 4 more days at 15mg. All I have is 10 and 5mg scored pills so I’ll have to cut a half of a 5mg pill in half hopefully getting 1.25mg and start at approximately 13.75mgs for 4 weeks until I can get some 1mg pills from my PC on the 30th of this month’s appointment.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The most common adverse effect post cataract surgery - posterior capsular opacification (PCO)! At least it is easy to sort,

eyewiki.org/Cataract_Surger....

1 - shouldn't do. Used to be at least 2 months on the starting dose before tapering - seemed to make the onward journey easier to be honest!

2 - long way from there, worry about that when you are down to 7mg or less. It is said adrenal recovery takes 1 month for every month you were on pred - up to 8-12 months where it stabilises, We think it can take longer than a year in some people - others just taper down no bother, But to be honest, waiting for the PMR to die down and fizzle out is the main factor.

[Gatorchief in reply to PMRpro]

Again the Ophthalmologist really didn’t cover lens moving, retina detachment, infections and all before the surgery. The consent form probably mention some things but at 5:00 AM surgery prep for 6:30 go, it’s hard to read that 600 page from. I know, no excuse, but with so many people getting the surgery everyone thinks it’s pretty a routine operation with few problems. Hopefully my eyes will be fine. I think I’ll wait till the 30th and see what my PC Dr has in mind?