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Vision deterioration
On week 37/48, 1b, 50 yr. old male, on 135mcg.Pegasys/weekly and 1000mg. ribavirin/daily. For the past 3 to 4 months, my close up vision has become worse and worse. About 4 yrs. ago I got 1.25 magnification reading glasses that were fine for me before tx. Distance vision is good. I'm going to an ophthamologist in a couple days. I know I'm 50 and it was time for reading glasses anyway a couple years ago and that was fine, but the recent rapid decline of my close up vision has me concerned. Just in case this eye doc knows nothing about Hep C tx side effects, I'd like an opinion from my fellow Hep C tx lab rats. Three questions please; is this happening to others on tx, what causes it, and does it resolve after tx? As always, Thanks to all.
This is a classic B-12 deficiency which can only be corrected through B-12 shots. You probably have pernicious anema.
Hi!
I've been on Interferon twice now: the last time I went into remision. Just want you all to know that my doctors told me that since I have "chronic CMV" )cytomegliovirus) THAT can affect ones vision., as it has mine. Good luck to all of you!
I've been on Interferon twice now: the last time I went into remision. Just want you all to know that my doctors told me that since I have "chronic CMV" )cytomegliovirus) THAT can affect ones vision., as it has mine. Good luck to all of you!
Hello, Larry,
I'm so sorry you had bad news in November. Enjoy that H-D. We started tx together, but I was on the 12-months plan; I recently finished, and am now just doing time. Hope to get a good 3-months-post test... then the 6 and the 12...
My close vision is very deficient; I get blurry fast. I'm in a rare position: had cataract surgery in my right eye shortly before tx, and the left is "ready to go when I am." The colors I see with my two eyes are very different (my poor brain!). However, the right eye is great for distance, and the left is ok for reading, given good light. (my poor brain!) I did get drug-store reading glasses for my right eye and knocked out the left lens... that helps some. Much of my work involves reading, either papers or on the computer; and I have to budget my reading time. Three weeks post tx, I see no change in that.
However, I now feel much more secure when I'm driving; things don't jump out at me so much.
Sometimes I wear those amber glasses; they help to see the road details (edges, lines, etc.) in bad weather and poor light.
Larry, good luck with your decisions. Hopefully the tx helped your liver reverse some of the damage!
Best,
Maj Neni
I'm so sorry you had bad news in November. Enjoy that H-D. We started tx together, but I was on the 12-months plan; I recently finished, and am now just doing time. Hope to get a good 3-months-post test... then the 6 and the 12...
My close vision is very deficient; I get blurry fast. I'm in a rare position: had cataract surgery in my right eye shortly before tx, and the left is "ready to go when I am." The colors I see with my two eyes are very different (my poor brain!). However, the right eye is great for distance, and the left is ok for reading, given good light. (my poor brain!) I did get drug-store reading glasses for my right eye and knocked out the left lens... that helps some. Much of my work involves reading, either papers or on the computer; and I have to budget my reading time. Three weeks post tx, I see no change in that.
However, I now feel much more secure when I'm driving; things don't jump out at me so much.
Sometimes I wear those amber glasses; they help to see the road details (edges, lines, etc.) in bad weather and poor light.
Larry, good luck with your decisions. Hopefully the tx helped your liver reverse some of the damage!
Best,
Maj Neni
Incredible similarity!!! I'm 51 yrs old, geno 1, on very similar dose as you and started to need reading glasses about 3 yrs ago, 1.25 too. Find I need them more when I am tired and towards the end of the day, my only other vision prob so far and I inject #6 tomorrow, is that I have been finding driving at night to be much more difficult than pre tx. Also badly lit rooms seem more difficult than before and I find myself reaching for my specs more often as a result.
I'm 52. did 6 months tx ended 8-1-03. I have a vertical imbalance that is corrected by prisms in my glasses. This began getting worse the year before I started tx and continued on tx. 2 1/2 clicks if that means anything. After tx they sent me to a opthalmologist because I would continually wake up with dry and bloodshot eyes. I was also experiencing light sensitivity and car lights at night seemed almost blinding. Discovered the hep c was back in November and I was contemplating another bout of tx, but the opthalmologist seems to think I have some retinopathy in my left eye and wants me to hold off til I see a specialist. I do not know if any of these conditions are related to the hep c or the tx. But I have no doubt that Hep C and/or treatment tends to make many pre-existing conditions worse. I've been really pissed off about the tx not taking the first time and the alternatives I seem left with. I bought a Harley Wide Glide last week because the most fun I had in the last 2 years was riding my brother's Heritage soft tail 2 summers ago, and I've run out of patience feeling like I've had to put my life on hold. Peace!
Thank you all for your comments. I'm not sure if it's good or bad that many others are experiencing visual disturbances as well. willing, actually shot #37 tonite, so about 12 more weeks to go for me. Glad to see you are still lurking! revenire, actually my hearing seems more sensitive too, for example the TV, alarm clock, doorbell, voices etc. seem awfully loud to me, also sunlight and artificial light seem definitely brighter and I squint a lot. downthisroad, how've you been? You know, at this juncture I'm not really excited at all. Certainly looking forward to the end of tx and a more normal routine, but I've got 12 more weeks of tx to go, and then a year later I can hopefully read "NEGATIVE" on my PCR lab reports. Then I will be content.
I'm just wondering since it seems for the most part we are in our 40's and up...could it be that the eyesight going downhill is just age related and we wouldn't be questioning it having anything to do with hep c or tx if we weren't going through this?I went to eye dr before starting tx and 20/20 but have had reading glasses now for about 4 years. And I do sometimes at night all the sudden have bluriness and it freaks me out. I'm wondering if it could be though more so in evening when our eyes are just tired?
Had 20/20 vision at outset of treatment. Irritating blurry vision developed about a month into the treatment, and kind of came and went. Went away altogether after treatment was over and done with.
I am 48 yrs. old, and have been wearing reading glasses for about 2 ys. I am now 3 months post tx. and my eyes are getting worse. I'm going to get me some stronger reading glasses @ WalMart...18.00. Hope your vision gets better. Cindee
The meds can affect your eyes and changes should be checked by either an Optometrist or Ophthalmologist. For those lucky enough to make it past 40 without glasses, unless you luck out you'll join the rest of us who have presbyopia. This literally translates as old eyes and they'll tell you 40 is when most start needing a reading correction on top of whatever their distance correction is. If you don't need glasses for distance, than reading glasses will do for near tasks, but if you are on the computer a lot, or do more of your work at arms lenght, ask your eye care provider about room distance/ computer lenses.
Kim
Kim
I was wondering about you the other day knowing that you and I are almost within the same week of treatment. Doesn't hardly seem possible that we will both soon be done with these medications, huh? I'm 40/48, oh my gawd, I mean 41/48 this Sunday.
The vision deal with me comes and goes. I am 45 female and luckily I've never had to wear glasses as a child or ever had to have glasses or corrected vision as an adult.
On about my 4 months of treatment, my vision really went haywire on me. Some days it would be really clear and other days, so blurry. I was squinting (how do you spell that) the whole day through. I went to the Optomoligist (how do you spell this too) and was given a prescription for glasses. The dr. at my exam said that it was very unusual that my vision had deteriorated so quickly within about a year. I had 2 pair of glasses made in August and wear my glasses almost everyday now.
I've heard that the meds can do a real trick on your eyesight. Wonder if our eyesight will come back clearer after all this medication is out of our system. Anyone know about this?
Are you getting excited Raheem, to be finished with all of this and turn a new page over in your life - hepC free? I know I am and getting really anxious to get to the finish line. I may have to do another 6 - 8 week extension with the meds after my 48 but I've accepted that and will do that and pray that I can keep this virus out of my life, forever!!
The vision deal with me comes and goes. I am 45 female and luckily I've never had to wear glasses as a child or ever had to have glasses or corrected vision as an adult.
On about my 4 months of treatment, my vision really went haywire on me. Some days it would be really clear and other days, so blurry. I was squinting (how do you spell that) the whole day through. I went to the Optomoligist (how do you spell this too) and was given a prescription for glasses. The dr. at my exam said that it was very unusual that my vision had deteriorated so quickly within about a year. I had 2 pair of glasses made in August and wear my glasses almost everyday now.
I've heard that the meds can do a real trick on your eyesight. Wonder if our eyesight will come back clearer after all this medication is out of our system. Anyone know about this?
Are you getting excited Raheem, to be finished with all of this and turn a new page over in your life - hepC free? I know I am and getting really anxious to get to the finish line. I may have to do another 6 - 8 week extension with the meds after my 48 but I've accepted that and will do that and pray that I can keep this virus out of my life, forever!!
I have floaters...big floaters. It's hard to tell sometimes if I have blurry vision or the Crab Nebula of floaters. I've been to the Optometrist 3 times and the ophthalmologist once since I started tx. Everything checks out okay with just a one-notch change in distance vision. I'm 57 years old, I think, and getting paranoid about my vision.
My eyes were also constantly runny for a while, but that's cleared up.
I''d keep an eye on it. Hee hee
rudy
My eyes were also constantly runny for a while, but that's cleared up.
I''d keep an eye on it. Hee hee
rudy
I had pretty good vision pre-tx but I did notice a subtle change in it as tx went on. My close-up vision changed, as yours did. I also notice a slight change in hearing, not a loss per se, just different. Since I've reduced the peginterferon and stopped the ribavarin I've noticed an improvement in both areas and I'm getting a hell of a lot more energy than I did on full dose tx.
Let me know what the eye doctor finds out. I am interested. I hope you're doing well (as well as one can do on this stuff) otherwise.
Take care,
Scott
Let me know what the eye doctor finds out. I am interested. I hope you're doing well (as well as one can do on this stuff) otherwise.
Take care,
Scott
Raheem,
I have the same problem with blurred vision from time to time,It's worse on some days than others. I have some cotton wool spots which can be potentially vision threatening retinal problem caused by interferon and I know that all vision problems need to be investigated and monitered by an opthalmologist on this stuff. good luck
I have the same problem with blurred vision from time to time,It's worse on some days than others. I have some cotton wool spots which can be potentially vision threatening retinal problem caused by interferon and I know that all vision problems need to be investigated and monitered by an opthalmologist on this stuff. good luck
hey Raheem, closing in on the final 10 heh?. My experience has been (a) no need for glasses before tx (b) blurry vision led to both types by the end of tx (c) better but not resolved 1 month post. The fact that the problem drifts in and out is giving me some encouragement that it'll clear up with time and I'm planning on another ophthalmologist check about 6 months post.
I get po'd by the "well you're about due for this now" disimissal of a lot of combo tx collateral damage. Yeah, I know I'm aging, but I sure aged faster (eyes, memory/focus, arthritis, periodontal) during the last year than during the previous 5-10.
I get po'd by the "well you're about due for this now" disimissal of a lot of combo tx collateral damage. Yeah, I know I'm aging, but I sure aged faster (eyes, memory/focus, arthritis, periodontal) during the last year than during the previous 5-10.
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