posted
I woke up two days ago with a major sudden increase in floaters in my one eye, so much so that it makes it very hard to focus clearly now. In the same eye, I noticed a crescent shaped sliver of light on the periphery, which seems to come and go. This came a few days after recovering from what I guessed was a virus with symptoms of a high fever, headache, aching, and congestion for 4-5 days. I've noticed a gradual increase of floaters since I got Lyme Disease now over a year ago, but this sudden drastic change has me scared. Tonight I had a sharp pain shoot through that eye. Couldn't reach my Lyme literate doctor today to find out what to do, but when I brought up the issue of more floaters in my 2nd last visit, he didn't respond. Any suggestions? Thank you much!
Posts: 40 | From Cincinnati, Ohio | Registered: Sep 2006
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CaliforniaLyme
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posted
My floaters got so thick it was like peering through thick soup!!!!!!!!!!
All went away with IV Rocephin*!)*)!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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map1131
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Pam, Read It Is Lyme Time You Knew by Lucy Barnes. Go down to the paragraph about eye care. Highlight that part and take to your eye doctor for a complete exam. This will fall under medical care insurance due to illness.
Some years I was seeing my eye doc 3-4 times a year, because my vision would change so often and at one point they dx macular degeneration going on.
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6478 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Those are the symptoms I had last weekend, due to a collapsed vitreous gel in the back of one eye. I suggest you go to an opthamologist right away to make sure you don't have a retinal tear, which can be repaired within one or two days. Call the office and at least speak to the nurse. I was pleased that the opthamologists at my HMO in Seattle knew about Lyme, but they couldn't tell me if the disease caused the eye condition.
Posts: 22 | From seattle | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
Thanks to you all who responded to my concern about sudden increase of floaters. A number of you hit the nail on the head; I apparently had my vitrious membrane detach from the retina, and it looks like I may have a retinal tear, for which I'm seeing a retinal specialist Monday.
I'd like to know if this could have anything at all to do with Lyme Disease? It seems like my floaters were increasing gradually before this, since the LD started.
I also wonder about Sarah's comment, that IV Rocephin cleared up the floaters. My eye doctor didn't think that was possible. Could we hear more?
posted
Friend-I'm glad you're seeing an opthamologist on Monday. I don't know about Lyme causing a retinal tear. But floaters can be caused by inflammation in the eye. It's called uveitis and Lyme does cause it.
I found a citation on Lyme and uveitis. Your opthamologist may give you steroid eye drops to control the inflammation if that's what is causing the floaters.
My eye symptoms started with floaters and I was immediately given prednisone. It knocked out the floaters but was the wrong thing to give me. The steroid eye drops treat the problem and if given properly very little gets into the system.
Best wishes in getting this under control!
Intermediate uveitis and Lyme borreliosis.
Breeveld J, Rothova A, Kuiper H. Department of Ophthalmology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. A case of chronic intermediate uveitis and associated classic snowbanking (pars planitis) with severe cystoid macular oedema probably due to Lyme borreliosis is reported. Despite a disease duration of 10 years the patient's ocular symptoms and visual acuity responded promptly to intravenous ceftriaxone treatment. This case demonstrates that periodic reevaluation of patients with intermediate uveitis is necessary to obtain a specific diagnosis which may include Lyme borreliosis. The etiology of uveitis: the role of infections with special reference to Lyme borreliosis. Mikkila H, Seppala I, Leirisalo-Repo M, Immonen I, Karma A.
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Helsinki, Finland. PURPOSE: To assess the distribution of different uveitis entities and to evaluate their associations with infections, especially Lyme borreliosis. METHODS: During a one-year period 160 consecutive uveitis patients were evaluated in a university clinic. Selected tests were performed depending on the medical history of the patient and the clinical picture of the ocular inflammation. RESULTS: Uveitis was classified into selected entities for 74.4% of the patients. A direct infection was suggested to be linked with uveitis in 23 patients (14.4%). Lyme borreliosis, toxoplasmosis, and herpetic infections were the most frequently seen, in seven patients (4.3%) each. All patients with Lyme uveitis had manifestations of the posterior segment of the eye, such as vitritis, retinal vasculitis, neuroretinitis, chorioretinitis, or optic neuropathy. CONCLUSION: Infections are an important cause of uveitis in a university clinic. Lyme borreliosis is a newly recognised uveitis entity which should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of intermediate or posterior uveitis in areas endemic for Lyme borreliosis
-------------------- sunnymalibu Posts: 192 | From california | Registered: Jul 2006
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CaliforniaLyme
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posted
It did!!!!!!
I had lots and lots of them pre-IV and none now- none for 6+ years-!!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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CaliforniaLyme
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posted
There are many causes of floaters and only a few are permanent the way you posted- as someone else posted uveitis can cause floaters and is fully reversible- and uveitis can be caused by Lyme- and infection itself can do it-
Inflammation in the eye is ONE cause of floaters-and certainly 9 months of IV Rocepihn addressed my inflammation issues-
here is from CDC on floaters- Facts About Floaters
Floaters are little "cobwebs" or specks that float about in your field of vision. They are small, dark, shadowy shapes that can look like spots, thread-like strands, or squiggly lines. They move as your eyes move and seem to dart away when you try to look at them directly. They do not follow your eye movements precisely, and usually drift when your eyes stop moving.
In most cases, floaters are part of the natural aging process and simply an annoyance. They can be distracting at first, but eventually tend to "settle" at the bottom of the eye, becoming less bothersome. They usually settle below the line of sight and do not go away completely. Most people have floaters and learn to ignore them; they are usually not noticed until they become numerous or more prominent. Floaters can become apparent when looking at something bright, such as white paper or a blue sky.
Floaters occur when the vitreous, a gel-like substance that fills about 80 percent of the eye and helps it maintain a round shape, slowly shrinks. As the vitreous shrinks, it becomes somewhat stringy, and the strands can cast tiny shadows on the retina. These are floaters.
Floaters are more likely to develop as we age and are more common in people who are very nearsighted, have diabetes, or who have had a cataract operation. There are other, more serious causes of floaters, including
infection,
inflammation (uveitis),
hemorrhaging,
retinal tears,
and injury to the eye.
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
That is amazing, that the IV Rocephin eliminated the floaters. Have you heard of other cases of this? I'd love to spread this news to all the eye doctors I've ever asked about them who have said there is no way! It would be good to have some other references, to build my case!
The reply above referred to inflammation of the vitreous, uveitis, as being connected with Lyme. I don't know if that could cause a detachment of the vitreous membrane or not.
Would be nice to know of any opthamologists who really understand the effect of LD on vision. My Lyme literate doctor won't prescribe IV abx for me. Says I'm not bad off enough, basically.
CaliforniaLyme
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posted
It is not amazing at all- I am amazed you have such an ignorant eye doctor!! Bill L in our local group was almost blind from uveitis caused by Lyme which went away with treatment- his eye doctor was not the least bit amazed- it is not uncommon with inflammatory diseases-
p.s. I will PM you his & his wifes email so you can contact him to confirm- his wife is a Lymie too and a real sweetie*)!!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
Friend PAM, thank you for keeping us updated. I was worried about you. Please let us know what happens.
Sunny, thanks for the interesting info, which I will pass on to my llmd, outside my HMO, that doesn't believe I have Lyme.
And thank you to Sarah for giving me hope that my eyesight might improve. The floaters and flashes of light are very annoying when added to my daily dizziness, fatigue, et al. I love to read, and am in fact a fiction writer, so the vision problems are frustrating.
Kate
Posts: 22 | From seattle | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
CaliforniaLyme-you're so lucky that you had a doctor who treated you with IV rocephin and had such good success with your eye problmes.
Mine started in 1979 and I was treated with oral steroids and steroid eye drops. I've had 22 eye surgeries and am blind in one eye. I have glaucoma valves in both eyes, one is tied off and I'm off to Memphis this Sat. to have the valve in my good eye revised for the third time.
I'm sure you know that any surgical complications on your only good eye can be devestating. I'm scared to death!
One doctor in Calif. did a third cornea transplant on my bad eye and cut the cornea smaller than the iris (to try to prevent it from rejecting). Unfortunately the cornea rejected anyway and the sclera grew over part of my iris so one eye looks smaller than the other.
Unfortunately insurance won't pay for cosmetic contact lenses, and I need a fourth cornea transplant so I have to wear tinted glasses all the time for cosmetic reasons. It stinks!
If you have any contacts of any eye doctors who are LL and/or people who have these problems I would love to be able to contact them. Thank you so much!
Best wishes!
P.S. I tried to PM you but your mailbox is full.
-------------------- sunnymalibu Posts: 192 | From california | Registered: Jul 2006
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CaliforniaLyme
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I just saw this- I don't know people who have those same problems- I am so so sorry!!! I go to an opthalmologist who just sees a bunch of us but I don't think I would call him Lyme literate by any means- he is not especially interested he just noticed we all have extremely dry eyes!!!
BOY you have been through A LOT!!! Cornea transplants and everything- wow!!!!!!
Take care, Sincerely, Me p.s. I cleaned out my mbox!!! A little anyway*)!!! Thank you!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
Not sure if this is relevant to this discussion here, but would like to mention that all my eye problems -- floaters, eye muscle pain, sensitivity to light and blurry focus -- disappeared immediately when I started drinking mangosteen juice.
And these results have been consistent for a year now. Whenever I have tested stopping it, I start to get symptoms back.
The mangosteen fruit has strong anti-oxidants in it which counteract inflammation. There are lots of different brands and companies. I like Ultra mangosteen because it also has 70 minerals and vitamins added to it. It's a powerful juice. If you do it, drink a lot of water with it too.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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