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double vision and Graves

Hi everyone,
My husband found out he has graves about 2 years ago.  At that time he didnt have any problems.  The doctor discovered that he had graves because she ran some blood test on him, The blood test were because of a viral infection that he got on the base of his spine that was causing him some back pain.  She told us that he needed to take the radiation pill right away.  The next week he went to the hospital took the pill went home with a script for synthoid.  After about six months of changing his dose every couple of week, thing were still fine, (He felt fine).
About six months ago he started having trouble (burning, itching, watering and some pain) with his eyes.  Not knowing why he went to the eye doctor who told him that because of his graves his eyes were getting weeker and they would prescribe him stronger glasses.   That of course didnt help, his eye kept getting worse then he started to have double vision.  He went back to the eye doctor who prescrbe prisms in his lenses.  Great work wonderfully for about two months.  Then he started with the double vision again, went back to the eye doctor who then told him that he could get prism strong enough to fix his doulbe vision.  After many trip back to the eye doctor $35.00 each time, the doctor prescribed prednisione 60mg daily about three days ago.  He thinks this might be helping a little bit, he still cant see to work(he's a welder) drive, or even watch T.V.  He seems to get grumpier by the minute. Which I understand, do like, but understand.  Ok, Now that I have told you our whole long story.  My question is has anyone out there gotten rid of double vision with Prednisone.  It seems like all the posts I have read says it didnt help.  Help my husband needs his vision back and need to go back to work and get a paycheck.  
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710534 tn?1264352757
hi there i have graves and i would love if somebody could tell me a bit more about this disease i look awfull my eyes look like tjhey are going to fall out  i feel very depressed dont want to do any thing.


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Avatar universal
Ive just recently joined this group. I have had TED now for 13 months. When I first got TED I had large doses of steroids to help the swelling. It worked well for me to stop the progression...I had a sever and aggressive case of it...but it does not stop the double vision. I have achieved remission in Aug but still have issues with the double vision. I highly recommend the prednisone for the swelling but do know it has side effects. For driving, working or watching TV I use an eye patch. The problem with the double vision happens when your using both eyes together. If you block one off...and it dosnt matter which one...your eyesight is good. The whole TED process can take up to 5 years to resolve itself. Once you become stable you can look into corrective surgeries. Until then use lots of artifical tears, sleep with your head elevated, avoid wind and sunshine, get lots of rest and take supplements that aid in reducing the swelling. Omega3 is very good for that. I take 2400mg a day and it really helps.
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635711 tn?1267836461
There has to be an Ophthalmologist in your state that you can see.  ASk your doctor about that kind of eye doctor.  I should have mentioned that before...sorry.

There are different kinds of eye doctors.  I see one to check my eye sight another to repair my eyes and yet another for my caterac.
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Avatar universal
Girls thanks for the info.  You both sound very informed.  I live in Nebraska, so my husbands eye doctor doesnt think that there are and occuloplastic surgeons in the state.  He is going to check around, but he want the give the Predisone some time to work first. It been about a week now (no change in the double vision yet).  very fustrating.
I guess like everyone else,  We will practice patience.   Thanks again
Helpful - 0
176557 tn?1222890311
There is some evidence that prednisone will work to shrink the tissue behind the eye that is causing the double vision.  However, I'm not sure how widely used it is.  I didn't have that treatment.  Instead, once my eyes "stabilized" (meaning stopped changing, not that they got better), I had orbital decompression surgery.  I was lucky not to have double vision, but I had all the other symptoms.

Graves Eye Disease is an autoimmune disease that is related to Graves Thyroid Disease, but you can have one without the other.  About 5% of people with the thyroid disease develop the eye disease which is caused by different antibodies than the ones that cause Graves.  The antibodies work on the muscles and tissue behind the eyes, causing a fatty like substance to be deposited in the muscles.  The buildup of fat causes the eyes to bulge out since the rest of the eye is surrounded by the bony orbit and out is the only direction it can move easily.  The deposit of fat also causes the double vision, either by throwing the eyes out of alignment or by impeding the action of the eye muscles that move the eyes.

I am very sorry your husband has developed this.  There is no cure for the disease, just a lot of waiting involved for things to stop changing, then for the surgery to heal.  Occuloplastic Surgeons usually are the ones to perform the decompression surgery and the eyelid surgery that often follows.  Sometimes surgery is also done to correct double vision (strabismus) as part of the process.  I have not heard of the three surgeries ever being done at once, they are almost always done as separate events.

I always said God gave me Graves Eye Disease to learn patience since I never had kids.  It is hard to be patient when your eyes hurt or you can't see.  I wish you both the best.
Helpful - 0
635711 tn?1267836461
By the way my eye doctor had me see an Oculoplastic's  eye surgeon as I had Thyroid eye disease (TED).  That looks like what you may have also.  My eyesight didn't get worse it was just the double vision.
Helpful - 0
635711 tn?1267836461
I had double vision for almost a year.  I never took any meds for it, but wore prisims.  When my eyes were stable (also bulgy ,watery and itchy) I had decompression surgery.  it took a few weeks to get my eyes settled again.  But no more double vision, bulgy eyes.  It has been 4 years now and still no double vision.  I actually only use reading glass's that are not very strong, which I have been wearing for almost 4 yrs.  
I don't understand how meds would work.  I know with my one eye saw up and one down.  They had to be adjusted kind of like they do headlights of a car.  That is how my doctor discribed it to me.
Seeing double will drive you crazy.  Sometimes I would just wear a patch on one eye.  That worked for me. "Alaway" eye drops stopped the itch for up to 12 hours for me.  But lubricating drops work very well.
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