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Nightblindness

cgilsing

By cgilsing
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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cgilsing Enthusiast
cgilsing
Posted

So, I was reading around on the internet and came across nightblindness as a symptom of celiac disease. Maybe I just overlooked that one before, but at that point I realized - Oh yeah, I don't have trouble seeing at night anymore!! :lol: I used to be terrible! I was total white knuckles at night! :lol: My friends hated going on road trips with me becaue I would refuse to drive after dark. It just dawned on me that I dont have a problem driving at night anymore :rolleyes: Does anybody else have some wierd symptom like that, that they just realized one day was gone?? Share your story!

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Guhlia Rising Star
Guhlia
Posted

My balance has improved quite a bit. I can fire up and down the bleachers at the racetrack without a problem now. I don't get cold as easily, especially in my extremities. I see much better at night. My ADD is significantly improved. In general, my taste has improved. I used to think everything lacked flavor. Now I am able to appreciate more subtle flavors. It's as though when my villi healed, my taste buds did too. I pee more. Hmmm... I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of anything else atypical.

BTW, Ian is just getting cuter and cuter!!! (that is his name, isn't it?

lorka150 Collaborator
lorka150
Posted
Open Original Shared Link << I posted that the other day - sort of similar to your question!
tiredofdoctors Enthusiast
tiredofdoctors
Posted

Nightblindness can be caused by antigliadin antibodies destroying the perkinje cells in the retinas of your eyes. You can also develop colorblindness by this happening, as well. Ask my retinal opthmalogist! Who knew???????

Nantzie Collaborator
Nantzie
Posted

Slurred speech because of my tongue swelling. The last few months, by the end of the day my tongue was swollen enough that I was having a hard time reading my daughter's books at bedtime. I'd basically be biting the sides of my tongue as I was speaking. Scary... (shudder)

Sensitivity to light. I used to HAVE to wear sunglasses or I'd squint so hard it would really bug me, and I'd get a headache from it. Now, I prefer sunglasses, but I don't have to have them at all.

The only way I ever got bugged with driving at night was just the glare of the lights. ESPECIALLY if it was raining. The reflections and glare of the lights off the wet pavement would drive me nuts the same way the sensitivity to light/sunglasses thing would. But much worse. We'll have to see if that has changed once the rains start here. I'm thinking it might at least be better.

I read your other post Lorka. How odd that must have been! I had an eye exam recently and was surprised that my prescription hadn't gotten worse, which it always had. My prescription is 20/425, which is what I had last time. Usually I go up in 25 degree increments every time I go in. So not being up at 20/450 was a bit of a surprise. I thought that I was just taking it too far to think that it might be my going gluten-free had anything to do with it. Guess it's totally possible...

Tonight my husband said that he caught sight of himself in the mirror and he's starting to really look like his dad.

I told him it's the gluten.

:lol::lol::lol:

I crack me up.

;)

Nancy

hehe...

Guest nini
Guest nini
Posted

my whole family has nightblindness... I hadn't noticed if mine had improved or not because I don't really drive at night! LOL! hmmmmm maybe I should give it a try! The nightblindness had gotten so bad I just don't go anywhere after dark anymore.

as far as other weird symptoms that have disappeared, I just recently noticed that I no longer have to wear anti perspirant! I used to get terrible BO to the point where I started buying MEN'S anti perspirant/deoderant! The women's kind wasn't strong enough. Recently I ran out of it and went a few days before I got to the store to get more and noticed I really didn't have the stinky BO anymore! How weird is that?

queenofhearts Explorer
queenofhearts
Posted

I still have quite a bit of light sensitivity, along with mild night-blindness. I would LOVE it if these symptoms would go away once I've been gluten-free for longer!

Bright light has also always been my number one migraine trigger... I'm absolutely phobic about road glare ever since getting a blinding aura while driving on the highway with my then-3-year-old kids in the back seat. That terrifying incident was 16 years ago-- ever since, I refuse to get behind the wheel of a car without polarized sunglasses.

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cgilsing Enthusiast
cgilsing
Posted
  • Author
My balance has improved quite a bit. I can fire up and down the bleachers at the racetrack without a problem now. I don't get cold as easily, especially in my extremities. I see much better at night. My ADD is significantly improved. In general, my taste has improved. I used to think everything lacked flavor. Now I am able to appreciate more subtle flavors. It's as though when my villi healed, my taste buds did too. I pee more. Hmmm... I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of anything else atypical.

BTW, Ian is just getting cuter and cuter!!! (that is his name, isn't it?

I was never officially diagnosed as ADD, but I'm sure that is what my problem was! At the time that I was diagnosed I had this blow off job where all that was required of me was to talk to customers and fill out a form. I can't believe they never fired me because I couldn't pay attention well enough to do that task! I would try so hard to listen to people, but my mind couldn't stay focused that long. To this day I'm embarassed when I run into people I used to work with at that place....they have to think I'm a total idiot! <_<

Ian is our little cutie :D He had just gotten one of those exersize saucers the day I took my new avitar pic.....he was one excited baby! :lol:

The only way I ever got bugged with driving at night was just the glare of the lights. ESPECIALLY if it was raining. The reflections and glare of the lights off the wet pavement would drive me nuts the same way the sensitivity to light/sunglasses thing would. But much worse. We'll have to see if that has changed once the rains start here. I'm thinking it might at least be better.

I'm the same way with the rain! I still freak out when I'm driving and it rains! I think at this point it's more that I'm conditioned to be scared than a visual problem, but I'm having trouble shaking that fear! And raining at night.....forget it I'm pulling over!! :rolleyes:

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
So, I was reading around on the internet and came across nightblindness as a symptom of celiac disease. Maybe I just overlooked that one before, but at that point I realized - Oh yeah, I don't have trouble seeing at night anymore!! :lol: I used to be terrible! I was total white knuckles at night! :lol: My friends hated going on road trips with me becaue I would refuse to drive after dark. It just dawned on me that I dont have a problem driving at night anymore :rolleyes: Does anybody else have some wierd symptom like that, that they just realized one day was gone?? Share your story!

I never realized there was a connection to my vision problems and the celiac. My nightblindness got so bad I was afraid to drive anywhere after sunset. This came on very suddenly. I was also extremely light sensitive and that for me was also a migraine trigger. I can go outside now without shades but still don't drive at night. When I complained to my eye doctor prediagnosis about my vision problems the jerk told me I needed to 'get off drugs' and my vision would improve. Bear in mind I was taking about 6 prescriptions at the time but the doc ignored that and accused me of using illegeal drugs instead. I cryed for days. I only went back once more, after the celiac diagnosis to tell him about it and let him know how much his assumption hurt.

mythreesuns Contributor
mythreesuns
Posted

This is all very interesting to me.....

I have long been known as a fast driver, always in the fast lane and passing whenever possible. However, when I drive at night, I'm like a lil' old granny with hands firmly at 10 and 2! I have such a hard time seeing the road at night, and if lights are coming at me, forget it!

I also am very sensitive to sunlight. I actually HATE sunny days, and sun glare is a known migraine enhancer for me. The sun makes me bone-numbingly tired.

I also have tons of other "weird" things going on, like the cold hands and feet, Reynaud's, etc.

I'm still too new into being gluten-free (about 6 wks) to know if it improves, but I'll be sure to let you know!

jcc Rookie
jcc
Posted

I've had night blindness forever. I avoid night driving because of it...I really can't see! I also have to have lights on in the house always, and really bright light for reading.

My daughter had major light sensitivity before going gluten free. She said her eyes HURT from the light, and we had to sit in the dark and slowly let her eyes adjust to daylight each morning. Same thing when she'd come out of the school at the end of the day. I know that happens to people, but it was extreme for her. This slowly disappeared after going gluten free. Some five years later...not an issue.

Light sensitivity is a symptom of zinc deficiency, too. And I think night blindness is highly associated with vitamin A deficiency.

When I was B12 deficient, I had a lot of additional floaters present. Being very nearsighted, I've had some my entire life. However, they got really, really bad...like I was always looking through a lake sample under a microscope. That has improved a little, but not much.

Cara

bluejeangirl Contributor
bluejeangirl
Posted
I never realized there was a connection to my vision problems and the celiac. My nightblindness got so bad I was afraid to drive anywhere after sunset. This came on very suddenly. I was also extremely light sensitive and that for me was also a migraine trigger. I can go outside now without shades but still don't drive at night. When I complained to my eye doctor prediagnosis about my vision problems the jerk told me I needed to 'get off drugs' and my vision would improve. Bear in mind I was taking about 6 prescriptions at the time but the doc ignored that and accused me of using illegeal drugs instead. I cryed for days. I only went back once more, after the celiac diagnosis to tell him about it and let him know how much his assumption hurt.

I can't believe how rude that doctor was. It never fails to amaze me.

I have had night-blindness for years now. I first noticed it when we got to the movie theater late and the movie had started. I was with my husband and I thought like him we could whisk down the aisle and spot two seats with the glare of the movie screen. Well he could, but I stood paralyzed because I couldn't see to walk. He had to come back up the aisle to get me.

I have night lights to naviagate me to the bathroom at night.

Oh yeah I hate bright lights. The worse......a fresh coat of snow on a bright sunny morning and the glare of the melting ice. Ouch.

Gail

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
When I was B12 deficient, I had a lot of additional floaters present. Being very nearsighted, I've had some my entire life. However, they got really, really bad...like I was always looking through a lake sample under a microscope. That has improved a little, but not much.

Cara

Until you mentioned this I hadn't even thought about it but I haven't had a floater now in a couple years! I used to get them all the time from childhood on. Hmmmm I also realized the other day I don't tap my leg constantly any more when sitting. I heard 'can't you sit still so much as a kid :D So many strange little things that change, makes ya wonder.

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