eyesight and tx? add any other questions pls

[layla]

This is probably a dumb question but can tx affect your eyesight? My eyes have gone wacky just in the last few days. My visions is very blurred but only badly in one eye. The other slightly. I feel ok and they don't hurt except they are dry as usual since tx. I'm not sure if I should call the hep doc, the eye doc or if it's just tx and I should just deal with it like another sx. Is this common?

Willing, great info you sent on the other post. Thanks so much. I had such brain fog last night I had to wait to comprehend any of it this morning. Hubby caught me staring at the dinner table just standing there holding steak knives. For the life of me I couldn't remember where they went. (and like I care) lol. Its' better today. Wonder what brings that on? LL

[Babycakes1]

.

[SoFla]

Hi everyone,

With only 8 weeks of 48 wk treatment, Doc wants to take me off
due to telling him that the night before, I experienced a hole
in my vision (both eyes) for a couple of seconds.  

Anybody out there have similar symptoms, and I'm just talking about dry eyes, and subtle change of near and far sited vision.  These
are of no concern, but the hole in the center vision the doc said, can lead to blindness.  He said that a hepatologist he knows in New York had 2 patients that went blind after experiencing similar
symptoms.

Neither of them just had that flash more than 1 time, but he stated
that post the symptoms, the blindess came upon them very quickly.
One of the patients regained his vision, but the 2nd on remained bind even after 4 surgeries.   My vision was only effected this one time......Anyone else??

WHeew!!!!

Does anyone else out there know of similar experiences?
we don't want to give up with only 8 more shots left, cleared
the virus before at least the 12 weeks.

I was also requested by Dr. Obrien at UVM, to bring in a vial of pegysus to be sent back to Roche for testing. It had also been noted by myself as well as others using Pegasys, that the effect of the medicationthey have appeared quite a bit stronger than from we first started in January.  He said this shouldn't be the case, and proceeded to tell me of the fake pegysus and procrit..etc that has been seen on the market.  Various pharmacists take out the active medicine and fill it with crappy frillers.
The most recent bootleg procrit was found inside the patient containing hi levels of ecoli....

Sound familar?


Anyway all comments, experiences and thoughts a very much welcome, so as we research along, you can help us make the decision by adding your knowledge and experiences.

Hope you all joy, lots of smiles, and HEALTH!!!!
Davis

[SoFla]

Hi Everyone,

I took my 41st shot the other day and saw a hole in my vision and much nausha...

Told my doctor and now he wants to take me off treatment with only 8 shots left...

Any help desperately needed.


Sofla....

[SoFla]

Hi everyone,

With only 8 weeks of 48 wk treatment, Doc wants to take me off
due to telling him that the night before, I experienced a hole
in my vision (both eyes) for a couple of seconds.  

Anybody out there have similar symptoms, and I'm just talking about dry eyes, and subtle change of near and far sited vision.  These
are of no concern, but the hole in the center vision the doc said, can lead to blindness.  He said that a hepatologist he knows in New York had 2 patients that went blind after experiencing similar
symptoms.

Neither of them just had that flash more than 1 time, but he stated
that post the symptoms, the blindess came upon them very quickly.
One of the patients regained his vision, but the 2nd on remained bind even after 4 surgeries.   My vision was only effected this one time......Anyone else??

WHeew!!!!

Does anyone else out there know of similar experiences?
we don't want to give up with only 8 more shots left, cleared
the virus before at least the 12 weeks.

I was also requested by Dr. Obrien at UVM, to bring in a vial of pegysus to be sent back to Roche for testing. It had also been noted by myself as well as others using Pegasys, that the effect of the medicationthey have appeared quite a bit stronger than from we first started in January.  He said this shouldn't be the case, and proceeded to tell me of the fake pegysus and procrit..etc that has been seen on the market.  Various pharmacists take out the active medicine and fill it with crappy frillers.
The most recent bootleg procrit was found inside the patient containing hi levels of ecoli....

Sound familar?


Anyway all comments, experiences and thoughts a very much welcome, so as we research along, you can help us make the decision by adding your knowledge and experiences.

Hope you all joy, lots of smiles, and HEALTH!!!!
Davis

[layla]

Weird about your lashes. I've read quit a few other post where people have had eye lash curling or hair growth but thinning hair on their head. Very strange. It's good to hear people say it goes away after tx. LL

[raheem]

I noticed rather quickly after starting tx that lights seemed brighter. Dimmer switches and sunglasses seem to take care of it.  Although turning 50 I don't expect improving vision, my sight is fine except I use 1.25 reading glasses I got a couple yrs. ago long before tx.

[Jim55]

Tx can give you cotton eye and other sides like spots. The damndest thing happened to me during Tx. My eye lashes uncurled and stuck straight down in front of my eyes so everything looked blurry. I even thought of getting one of those eye lash curler thingys to get them out of the way but never did. The eye doc said that I was far-sighted and needed glasses but I had my doubts so I never had the Rx for them filled. It took about 10 weeks after Tx ended for them to curl back up And now my sight is normal again. Thank God for small favors.

Get Well!

[Galen]

I've been a hairdresser for almost 30 years and work with a lot of cancer patients.  We have a separate area next to the salon where we sell wigs and breast prosthetics.
In my experience, if the hair is going to fall out, it will regardless of what you do.  The brand of shampoos/conditioners you are refering to is Nioxin and they can make you hair feel thicker but nothing can deal with the underlying reason that the hair may fall out (not everyone's does, you know).  The active ingredidient of the line is Saw Palmetto which supposedly reduces the production of DHT on your scalp.  However DHT is not the reason we lose hair on tx. The reason your hair thins, the skin thins, and so do your nails is that interferon interferes with your bodies production of epithelial cells. These cells line all our organs including the skin and hair follicles.  When you stop the interferon, your hair should come back with two exceptions.  If your hair comes out on clumps producing bald spots it may not come back completely(this is alopecia areata).  Also if the hair loss is due to natural aging (called androgenetic alopecia) it won't come back.

[sugie]

On TX and hair falling out. Gonna try the Nexium but wondering,,my hair is thick, heavy and past shoulders. Would less be fallin' out if it was shorter or does it matter?????????

[whybabe]

I had floaters in my right eye while on TX.  Once TX ended it went away.  I have read that many docs require an eye exam per-TX... mine didn't.  HAd an eye exam about 5 months post TX and my eyesight had gotten any worse. However, I think the TX made my teeth softer???? I had two molers crack and fall out while on TX.  Doc said it wasn't a side.  Yea right...  Oh well...life is good post TX!  What's a few teeth?
God Bless!
Deb

[MajNeni]

I just read a pamphlet about dry eyes.  It described the tear layer on the eye surface as having 3 "layers":
first, a mucus layer, lubricating and protecting your eye surface
second. a water later to keep the eye moist
third, a thin film of oil to keep the water from evaporating

That's pretty sophisticated, and you can see why dry eyes get so uncomfortable. Dry eyes can make your vision blurry; and it's easier to get scratches/abrasions on your cornea.  That would also disturb vision.  And do your eyes feel gritty, sandy?  Yep, dry eyes.

Washing around the eyelids and gently massaging toward where the two little holes are, at the inner corners, where the tears drain... that might help too.  Or a warm, damp towel resting on your eyes for a short time.

Dry eyes goes with dry skin, etc. and all the other side effects.
Artificial tears help a lot.  If the cheaper ones sting, switch to preservative free Tears Naturale.

Maj Neni

[MajNeni]

Have you seen "Fried Green Tomatoes" with Cathy Bates?  If not, I recommend it.  There is a great parking lot scene...  MN

[mofo]

I had some small vessels burst in one eye, while on treatment. It was easily repaired, by lazer, afterwards

[meandhepc]

I was in the Walmart parking lot the other day and saw 2 women yelling and cussing each other, hands and arms flying,  were you one of them ??   :)

[MajNeni]

Dear Galen,
you earned some karma points by not committing manslaughter that day.  It would be such a bummer to successfully complete tx and end up at Starke!  Of course, there were mitigating circumstances... you might have gotten off easy, with all those eyewitnesses of like mind...  
MN

[Galen]

Majmeni,I LOVED that scene.  "I'm older and have better insurance"!
Meandhepc, I gave up on Walmart.  I can't stand the parking lot there.  At the one near me, they've blocked off half of it for a construction project.  EVERYONE there is PO'd!

[harley dude]

If you were a 6'6" linebacker, you wouldn't have needed an automatic. -- HD

[layla]

That scene in the parking was great. I've felt the same way driving often Galen and it's bad because I'm in sales and really drive a lot in and around many cities. Shoot, I'm scare of myself when I'm having a bad riba day.
Now I have to deal with insurance to see the eye doc. Does it ever stop? I have to get a referral to get it paid for more than once a year but I guess with the HCV it shouldn't be a problem. The docs office will get back to me with it. My husband just got a new job so there will surely be some complications with changing insurance. Since he was laid off we currently get cobra. Again thanks for all the info. It's amazing all the sx you can get on this stuff. Luckily I found this site. LL

[ner]

Go to the eye doctor immediately! Do not wait. Do not see a family doc. See a Neuro/Ophthalmologist if possible. I had the same symptoms, waited 5 days to see a doc. Now I have permanent vision loss. My optic nerve is damaged and I have a 40% loss of peripheal vision. I stopped treatment for a year and the vision never improved. PLEASE, do yourself a favor and RUN, don't walk to a respected Neuro/Ophthalmologist. Hopefully, your problem is not severe, but you need to find out ASAP!

[Galen]

In my own defense, the bozo was blocking the only exit to get out of the parking lot because he was talking on the phone.  I couldn't get past him because 8 cars stacked up behind me.  That is probably the maddest I've been since I started last October.  Everyone was honking their horns and th a..h... just gave everyone the finger and sat there.  I still say he is lucky I'm not a 6'6" linebacker with an automatic!  Anyway......I feel much better now ;-)

[willing]

I had to get glasses a couple of months into tx because a stigmatism  that had never bothered me before started to act up. The glasses haven't really helped since I can never find them. Now when I can't read I just stop - it's all part of life in these misty, fog-bound isles. I have no idea what brings on the fog - lately the three days or so after my shot have been getting harder to take.

I noticed the following quote in the pegasys insert:
"Week 48 mean trough concentrations(16 ng/ml; range 4 to 28) at 168 hours post-dose are approximately 2-fold higher than week 1 mean trough concentrations ( 8ng/ml; range 0 to 15). Steady-state serum levels are reached within 5 to 8 weeks of once-weekly dosing. The peak to trough ratio at week 48 is approximately 2.0". Not quite sure what to make of it, but it sounds to me like the low-water line  on the reservoir keeps ebbing up as tx goes on. We're getting saturated and those good trough days with a low concentration are gone for a while.. Maybe that's why Galen can't be trusted in a parking lot with a handgun anymore..

ps there was a good thread on vision problems a while back - several people found "artificial tears" to be a big help for dry eyes.

[Galen]

I'm glad you are seeing an eye doc.  I was having minor problems with my eyes a few months ago and my GI sent me to a retinal specialist.  He told me that, while it is a rare side effect, interferon can cause retinal hemoraging, so anyone who has unusual problems during tx should be checked out.  I was ok but just thrilled to be told that I have a small cataract!

[layla]

Thanks very much for the info. It feels better to know I'm not nuts (well not in regards to this anyway lol)I will call the eye doc now and have him cosult with the hep doc if needed. Fortunately I had an eye exam just before tx and everything was great then so there is a comparison. I am sure it's not the same now.  I have noticed the light sensativity but didn't relate it to tx. It'll be nice to have this all "go away" after tx. Once again thanks. LL

[TravisB]

My eyesight was adversely affected by TX especially at close distances.  Also I became very light sensitive and actually considered buying some lightly tinted sunglasses to wear indoors.  Being outdoors without sunglasses was almost impossible.  Within two months of completing TX my eyes returned to normal.  I hope the same is true for you. Travis