Cataracts

[G1K2]

Has anybody had cataracts due to thyroid issues. I had one removed in my right eye removed four years ago. Now I have to have one in my left eye removed. When I had the first one done I didn’t know about my thyroid issues. Would be grateful if anyone could let me know. Thanks

[RedApple Administrator]

G1K2, Despite some opticians dismissing my claim, I still believe that long term untreated thyroid disease caused permanent damage to my eyesight. Which eventually resulted in cataracts. This article seems to back up my thinking.

Hypothyroidism and How it Affects Your Eyes aaeyes.net/part-two-hypothy...

[G1K2 in reply to RedApple]

Hello RedApple. I am convinced too that this is the reason for my cataracts. I have dry eyes and watery eyes and the eye where the cataract was removed still hurts. Thank you for telling me of your experiences with your eyes and thank you for the link. I will have a read. Your experience helps me as I feel so unwell and this is traumatic to go through again. Thanks again.

[DippyDame]

No idea....but I've had cataracts removed from both eyes and a vitrectomy on my left eye. I'm hypothyroid.

It's almost a joke in my family that if any health issue arises, "Mum says, Must be low cellular T3".

Eye problems are more common with hyperthyroidism.

Good luck for the op....anaesthetic drops are now much easier than the eye injection I first had!

Sorry, unlikely the answer you hoped for.

[G1K2 in reply to DippyDame]

Hello DippyDame. I had an eye injection and I had sedation but it was agony. Do they all use eye drops now. Thank you for telling me about your eyes. It really makes me feel less alone.

[DippyDame in reply to G1K2]

My op was done privately but I beleve the NHS use drops now too.

I didn't feel a thing. Recovery took some time but that's par for the course

I think you might be pleasantly surprised this time around

Try not to worry.

[G1K2 in reply to DippyDame]

I am going privately because I can’t see much and I want to be sedated. I hope they use drops now because I can still feel that eye injection. I hope I have a better experience. I hope like you say I will be pleasantly surprised this time around. I will try not to worry. Thanks for your encouragement to me, really appreciate it.

[Framboise in reply to G1K2]

I've just seen that you're going privately this time and I want to say that I think you'll have a better experience. You'll also be able to choose which lens you have and opt for toric if you have astigmatism. I chose Eyhance Toric and can now see without needing any glasses or contacts as they are lightly graduated for intermediate to distance, but are not multi-focals, which my surgeon said caused problems for some. I cannot recommend my surgeon enough, and if you have not yet chosen one and are in the South East I can PM you his details.

[MoonCowgirl in reply to Framboise]

hi would love to receive the details of your surgeon please. Thank you.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to MoonCowgirl]

Please do NOT post names of surgeons (or other doctors) on the forum.

Send such information by Private Message.

[MoonCowgirl in reply to helvella]

Only a good surgeon!

[G1K2 in reply to MoonCowgirl]

That’s what we both need MoonCowgirl. It is better to get one recommended but that is difficult unless you know someone. I am terrified after the last time was so traumatic and my eye hasn’t recovered. Hope you find a good surgeon. Take Care.

[G1K2 in reply to MoonCowgirl]

Hi MoonCowgirl. You don’t want the name of the surgeon who did my first cataract and I have only just got in touch with this new one I have chosen. Which surgeon did you mean.

[G1K2 in reply to MoonCowgirl]

Sorry MoonCowgirl. I have just seen that you were talking to Framboise. Ignore my message. I can’t see well at the moment,

[Framboise in reply to MoonCowgirl]

Just sent by PM

[G1K2 in reply to Framboise]

I went privately last time and there was no discussion of what type of lens. The treatment I had was appalling. I am in the South East. Could you PM me with your surgeons name please as I don’t know who to go to to be safe. Thank you Framboise.

[Framboise in reply to G1K2]

Just sent by PM

[AquaAuraAmethyst in reply to G1K2]

NHS will give you a general anaesthetic if you ask for it, however you will have to wait to see the correct surgeon. My husband had cataracts removed in both eyes, he got them as a result of Covid infection (went blind overnight, literally) and had a general by request both times.

[G1K2 in reply to AquaAuraAmethyst]

Hello AquaAuraAmethyst. Thanks for replying. I am so sorry about what your poor husband went through after Covid. I hope he is better now. That must have been terrifying for him. It is so so frightening when it concerns the eyes. Take care.

[AquaAuraAmethyst in reply to G1K2]

Thank you. Yes it was terrifying, I had Covid at the same time and had to recover pretty darn quick to look after him! He has a needle phobia (which doesn't help if he works in a hospital, but he's in IT so it's not so bad) and he told them he was having a GA if it was available. He had to wait a little longer for the first op, but it was worth the wait. I hope you can arrange something similar for yourself. (I too have cataracts forming and I'm definitely going to have a GA!)

[G1K2 in reply to AquaAuraAmethyst]

A general anaesthetic sounds a good idea. The sedation I had last time was useless as I felt that injection certainly. I am pleased your husband is okay now. There aren’t many needles in hospital in IT. I am so pleased I am more informed now this time around. Thank you.

[DippyDame in reply to G1K2]

Good , going private means you have more choice so can opt for a needle free procedure.

The thought of an eye injecion freaked me out too!

I'm sure this time will be fine

[G1K2 in reply to DippyDame]

Thanks DippyDame. I went private last time but knew nothing about te procedure. No body is going near my other eye with a needle for sure. Thanks for replying. Take Care.

[nightingale-56 in reply to G1K2]

Hi   G1K2 , I am currently on the list for a sedated cataract operation on my right eye at our local NHS Hospital. I had my left eye done rather quickly in early 2020 as I had quick onset Glaucoma in my left eye and that cataract was then done. As my glasses cannot be updated because there is now too much discrepancy between my eyes, I am now having the right eye done. Good luck with your op.

I am now hypo after a sub-total thyroidectomy for Graves in January 1978, while 14 weeks pregnant.

[G1K2 in reply to nightingale-56]

Hello nightingale-56. You are in the same situation as me then. Did they inject you in the eye the first time or was it drops. Thanks for your good wishes for my operation. I hope your surgery goes well too. Take care. Thanks for replying.

[nightingale-56 in reply to G1K2]

I was sedated the first time also, and at the same Hospital. Their Eye Department is really good, but not so for their Endo Department. They said it would be one or two months and I was only referred in August, so expecting it any time soon. So Yes, I am much in the same boat as you and hope your op goes well too. I was only on a day Ward for about 1/2 a day for the last Eye op.

[G1K2 in reply to nightingale-56]

I hope your Endo appointment comes through soon and they are as good as the eye department. Thanks. I just want a good lens and drops not an injection. Best Wishes for your eye operation and Endo appointment.

[Agitator23 in reply to DippyDame]

I have also had a vitrectomy (left eye!) with no reason found and cataracts in both eyes.

[Goldengirl01]

I have cataracts but I don’t know whether it’s connected to thyroid. I have eyes tested every year and am told I have cataracts but don’t need anything done yet. I also have Sjogrens and need reading glasses as I can’t read a thing without them, I also feel like there is something rough in the left eye under the eyelid but each time I’m tested they can’t see anything, maybe I need an eye specialist to look at it.

[G1K2 in reply to Goldengirl01]

Hello Goldengirl01. Thanks for your reply. I was tested for Sjogrens but they said I didn’t have that. I had no trouble with my eyes until I had my cataract done. I went into the hospital with no pain and have had pain in that eye ever since. I am terrified of having the other eye done in case the same thing happens. I appreciate you sharing about your eyes. Thanks

[Framboise]

I've had posterior vitreous detachments in both eyes which I'm convinced were caused by lowering my NDT dose on two separate occasions, as they each happened within weeks. I've also had cataracts but thought them relatively normal for my age, although they could have been exacerbated by taking hydrocortisone for a while.

As for your problems during and after the cataract surgery - I had private cataract surgery in July 2022, the second eye nine days after the first. I didn't have sedation, just whatever numbing and anaesthetising eye drops they use. I asked for extra support under my neck as I get dizzy very easily, and was given a cold pack to rest my neck on, and I said I didn't like darkness so they gave me a transparent shield over my face instead of a black one. I couldn't see what was going on but everything was at least light. I was terrified but it went well and I'm so pleased to be able to see properly again.

Afterwards I had eye drops for about a month I think and could see properly immediately after the surgery. I had no pain. I suggest that you talk to the surgeon, or someone prior to the next surgery, and ask about the drops instead of the injections and anything to make you more comfortable during the surgery. Also, if you are on Facebook, there is an excellent group called Cataract Surgery Support Group, whose admin and members are a wealth of knowledge and calmness.

[G1K2 in reply to Framboise]

Hello Framboise. Thank you for your reply. You have been through a lot with your eyes. Thank you for sharing it with me. What I want to make sure is they numb my eyes with drops as the injection was agony and I couldn’t say anything because I was sedated but still felt that injection. I am glad your cataract surgeries went well and that you were treated well. I wasn’t and the treatment was awful. I am going to a different private hospital. The surgeon who did my cataract is also at this hospital but I am seeing a lady surgeon who knows about thyroid eye disease which I don’t know if I have or not. It also says that she uses modern methods for cataracts so hopefully this will be drops and not an eye injection. My optometrist said they use eye drops now so I must have picked the wrong surgeon last time. I have also had an inflamed optic nerve which the optometrist sent me to the emergency eye hospital. I had double vision but the hospital said it wasn’t inflamed after a lot of eye tests. I am so depressed and have never in my life felt as unwell as I do now.

[Framboise in reply to G1K2]

Your previous cataract treatment sounds awful, I'm so sorry! My husband had cataract surgery about 6 years ago and he didn't have an injection into the eyes, just the same as me, a numbing capsule in the lower eyelid and then drops. This is just a thought, and you may hate the idea, but if you get a good surgeon next time and really trust them, you could ask for that first lens to be replaced as you've said elsewhere that you can't see well through it. I know that's possible. Also, if you're on Facebook, the group I mentioned has discussions and answers for every possible scenario and people who've been through every experience. I asked a lot of questions and found it very helpful.

[G1K2 in reply to Framboise]

Hello Framboise. I am pleased you and your husband didn’t have an eye injection. I didn’t know you could have a lens replaced. Thank you for your private message. Take Care.

[Agitator23 in reply to Framboise]

I also have had posterior vitreous detachment in both eyes, plus vitrectomy and cataracts. None of which has been explained. I'm sure it's been put down to aging but all came on really quickly late 40s/early 50s.

[G1K2 in reply to Agitator23]

I am really sorry that you are going through so much. There is a link with thyroid issues and problems with the eyes. I read some link that someone had posted on the forum years ago and it said so. I didn’t know about all these things. It said there were 300 symptoms with thyroid issues. It is such an uphill battle. You take care. Thanks for replying.

[Star13]

I’m on both T4 and T3 with Hashimotos and Sjogrens . I’ve got cataracts which have just got to the stage where they need to be done. My right eye is worse than my left so will be done first. I have my pre-op appointment tomorrow.

I don’t believe my thyroid has caused my cataracts as I lived abroad. I think they are age related as my husband also has them and will be getting his done soon.

I’m going private and will be using the surgeon who has looked after my eyes since my stroke and who operated with lasers when I had raised pressures. He’s very thorough and I’ve every confidence in him. In any case my 84 year step mother has just had both eyes done without any issues so I can’t really be a baby!

I think you will be fine this time too - they don’t use injections anymore!

[G1K2 in reply to Star13]

Hello Star13. Thank you for replying. I only had my cataract surgery four years ago. Do you know when they stopped using the injection. I can’t see properly out of the eye and I am worried that the injection has does damage. It has never stopped hurting since the surgery so that is why I am so terrified about having the second one done. My optic nerve got inflamed and I worry that he has done some damage to that. I hope your pre-op appointment goes well tomorrow. I am sorry that you had a stroke. Thank you for sharing your story with me. Take Care of yourself.

[Star13 in reply to G1K2]

You must reinforce you want “no-needle” surgery, so that they don’t use any at any point during the surgery. If your surgeon doesn’t agree, find one that will! Good Luck too!😊

[G1K2 in reply to Star13]

I will definitely make sure that I have no needle in my other eye Star13. Thanks for your reply. Take Care

[Amethist]

another word of caution, my friends relative had cataract surgery and was asked if he would mind a junior doctor doing his eyes. He agreed but it was a huge mistake and nearly cost his sight.

[G1K2 in reply to Amethist]

Hello Amethist. That is terrible. I had a Consultant but he is Chinese with very bad English and I couldn’t understand what he was saying and I didn’t know he would put a needle into my eye. Thank you for your kind concern.

[Carole-J]

I have had cataracts in both of my eyes removed. I have underactive thyroid but I haven't been told that the cataracts were due to that.

[G1K2 in reply to Carole-J]

Hello Carole-J. Thanks for posting about your cataracts. Take care.

[sharonlow]

Hi

I had cataracts in my 30s in both eyes im now in my 60s. Had thyroid symptoms back then, but my bloods were “ok”. Did get from surgeon that’s unusual but no further investigations

[G1K2 in reply to sharonlow]

Hi Sharonlow. Thanks for replying. The thing is you can have thyroid issues for decades before it is diagnosed. I definitely did. I am now nearly 66 and was unwell in 1994 when I was struck down with severe back pain which I had every test imaginable but no reason could be found. I was in my 30s then. They didn’t test the thyroid then because they were told not to so I guess a lot of us were missed and treated for other things. Then they were told to test for it. Take Care.

[SimbaT]

Had PVD in both eyes over an 18 month period, 6 in each eye and completely out of the blue. I was 50, the surgeon could only say he thought it might be down to Laser eye surgery I’d had done 12 years previously. During this period I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. I have very cloudy vision still and suspect I will develop cataracts. Interesting to know this could be the reason.

[G1K2 in reply to SimbaT]

Hello SimbaT. I read that there is a link to eye problems and hypothyroidism on a link on an old post. Sorry you have been through so much and thanks for replying. I am sorry that you have cloudy vision. Take care of yourself.

[SimbaT in reply to G1K2]

Thank you. You too. Hope the next operation goes well

[G1K2 in reply to SimbaT]

Thank you SimbaT. All the best.

[Divine1990]

HiI had cataracts in both eyes removed earlier this year (approx 8 weeks apart). Described as just at ' beginning stage' So I probably wouldn't have to have them removed for another 15 years! Despite ordering new glasses my night vision remained a problem so I went back to the Opticians who referred me to have my cataracts removed. They were removed via NHS referral but at a private clinic. I had a choice of 3 locations.

From referral to operation only a matter of weeks. For removal under a general anesthetic would have been approximately 15 months (so I was told), as carried out in hospital.

Surgery carried out by Consultant Ophthalmologist, drops used and was painless. All staff extremely helpful and excellent aftercare.

I didn't really make the link with Hashimoto's always thought it was more to do with old age. Although my friend who has hypothyroidism had her cataracts removed in her early 50s. She has also probably been under treated for many years.

[G1K2 in reply to Divine1990]

Hello Divine1990. Thank you for your reply. I am pleased you had such a good experience with your cataracts. That was excellent treatment. I have never been able to see to read very well through the lens he put in. I expect he used a cheap one or I have something else wrong with my eye like a lot of these other lovely ladies have had. I am more knowledgeable this time around. Take care.

[polldoll88]

Hi , I had cataracts removed due to cloudy sight. Right eye 6 weeks ago and its fabulous. no needles ..drops were used . Did not feel a thing. Procedure took 15 minutes. Then given drops to use for 4 weeks. I go for left eye to be done in three days . It has given me back clear sight and I am very grateful to NHS . I have never had a test on Thyroid . Just wanted to say I have a very positive experience.

[G1K2 in reply to polldoll88]

Hello polldoll88 Thank you for replying. I am pleased you had a good experience. It looks like they are using drops now which is good. I know there will be plenty of people that don’t have thyroid problems that have cataracts. Hope your next operation is okay. I am sure it will be. Take Care.

[Choosychops]

So sorry to hear about your eye problems and I hope your surgery goes welI. I work for an opticians and dispense glasses but am not a qualified optometrist and I am hypothyroid. Fortunately I do not suffer with any eye problems but I would recommend that if you can wear good sunglasses in sunlight or Zeiss lenses that are clear but offer full UV protection. This is one of the best ways to protect your eyes.

[G1K2 in reply to Choosychops]

Hello Choosychops for taking the time to reply with all your knowledge.

I will look at the sunglasses that you recommend. Thank you for that good advice. That is kind of you. Thank you for saying you hope the surgery goes well. Take Care.