Does anyone have eye problems because of neuropathy?

@terid, It's good to hear that you have a referral to a neuro-ophthalmologist and I'm hoping you get some answers at your upcoming appointment. @SusanEllen66, @jimhd, @rwinney, @fue have posted in other discussions about polyneuropathy and vision problems and may have some thoughts or experience to share with you.

How soon is your appointment with the neuro-ophthalmologist?

Thanks! I have not been able to make an appointment yet because the office said they didn't get the referral yet. It has been 2 weeks since my doctor sent it over. I hope to make it soon. Thanks for the information!

I have an appointment Monday. My vision has become blurry and my distance is worse. But I don't think she's a neuro. My regular ophthalmologist couldn't see me until March. He's said in the past that some of my vision issues, specifically double vision, could be neuropathy related.

On the other hand, the recent changes could be side effects of Topamax, which I'm titrating off because, once again, another medication that doesn't help my pain. So what else is new, right?

Jim

Hi @terid, hope you're ok. I have had a lot of facial twitching, so far unnoticeable to others. When I have an eye test I pay for an OCT so the opticians can compare. I am unsure if it is affecting my vision yet but I swear it is in my facial nerves. Hope you get some answers.

My Opthamologist did a lot of testing on my optic nerve about 5 years ago. So I have a baseline should my optic nerve be affected by my neuropathy down the road. She also annually monitors any changes in my eyes.

@johnbishop hi John, I have had temporary loss of sight in one eye because the nerves underneath my scalp are inflamed. It is not from Polyneuropathy.
I have Occipital Neuralgia which is due to my head and neck being misaligned.

I do have double vision and it’s getting worse. I don’t know what the cause of that is. My ophthalmologist just said my sight is getting worse. He said no glasses because, according to him since I had multi-focal lenses implanted during cataract surgery, in both eyes I can not wear prescription glasses.
I didn’t know that was a possible problem.

Hi @SusanEllen66, Sorry to hear your vision is getting worse. What you describe sounds a lot like Giant Cell Arteritis.
"GCA can affect your eyesight, causing sudden vision loss or double vision. Blindness caused by GCA generally happens first in one eye, but can also happen in the other eye if the condition is not treated. That is why it is extremely important to be checked by an ophthalmologist right away if you have these symptoms."
--- What Is Giant Cell Arteritis?: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-giant-cell-arteritis

Have you ever been tested to see if you have Giant Cell Arteritis?

I was just diagnosed with GCA and taking a high dose of prednisone. I don’t know your age but it primarily affects older Caucasian women. I had sudden loss of vision in one eye as the only symptom plus some jaw issues. It was diagnosed through multiple blood tests, MRI, and artery biopsies. It is serious and you need to be seen by an ophthalmologist immediately to at least rule out this autoimmune disease. Be aggressive about getting an appointment; have the referral resent; and keep calling. In today’s world of medicine you have to be your own best advocate.

Anyone else have experiences with treatment of GCA? Vision loss that returned?t

What is an OCT?

An optical CT. Or an optical coherence tomography. It is done at the Opticians and takes images of inside or behind your eyes. I think it cost about £13. It's very useful for comparison.