Eye Problems?

[Mother of Jibril]

Today I went to the eye doctor. There's an opthamology school at the university where I teach... what great (and extremely thorough) care they provide! I wish more of my doctors were like that

Anyway... I've been having problems with dry eyes for several years, especially since I had LASIX surgery in 2000 (I was severely nearsighted). Any kind of blowing air... wind, fans, air conditioners... drives me crazy. Winter is the worst. Over the last few weeks, however, I've noticed that my eyes have been especially dry and I've had a recurring pink blotch next to my left iris. Lots of visible blood vessels in the whites of my eyes.

So... they confirmed that yes, I do have rather dry eyes (!) and gave me a prescription for Restasis. We'll see how it works. They also said that for someone who had LASIX I have pretty high pressure in my eyes. It's not out of range, but they're going to watch me for signs of glaucoma. Apparently, my retinas also have enlarged blood vessels. Ugh. I'm only 32 years old.

I wonder how much of this is gluten related? I've read that Sjogren's often clusters with celiac disease and autoimmune thyroid disorders. How about glaucoma and other kinds of inflammation?

[dilettantesteph]

I haven't been to the eye doctor since I stopped eating gluten but I go next week. Blowing air also bothered me. I didn't notice if it stopped bothering me when my eyes improved upon eating gluten, but I haven't been noticing it bothering me recently. I also had high pressure and they were watching me for glaucoma. I'll find out next week if that is still the case. What I do know is that before I needed glasses to see and now I see better without the glasses than I did before with the glasses. I had bad astigmatism and one eye was much worse than the other for nearsightedness. I haven't gotten the official word from the doctor yet, but I can read the newspaper without glasses now. I didn't notice the changes until after 4-5 months gluten free. At first I thought my vision was becoming blurry. It was just that I always wore my glasses and I didn't need them anymore. My vision was blurry with the glasses, but without them I could see better. Finally one morning before I put the glasses on, I noticed that I could see without them. It continued to improve for some time. It was an unexpected outcome! I will be interested to find out what the eye doctor has to say about it.

[Gemini]

Today I went to the eye doctor. There's an opthamology school at the university where I teach... what great (and extremely thorough) care they provide! I wish more of my doctors were like that

Anyway... I've been having problems with dry eyes for several years, especially since I had LASIX surgery in 2000 (I was severely nearsighted). Any kind of blowing air... wind, fans, air conditioners... drives me crazy. Winter is the worst. Over the last few weeks, however, I've noticed that my eyes have been especially dry and I've had a recurring pink blotch next to my left iris. Lots of visible blood vessels in the whites of my eyes.

So... they confirmed that yes, I do have rather dry eyes (!) and gave me a prescription for Restasis. We'll see how it works. They also said that for someone who had LASIX I have pretty high pressure in my eyes. It's not out of range, but they're going to watch me for signs of glaucoma. Apparently, my retinas also have enlarged blood vessels. Ugh. I'm only 32 years old.

I wonder how much of this is gluten related? I've read that Sjogren's often clusters with celiac disease and autoimmune thyroid disorders. How about glaucoma and other kinds of inflammation?

I have both Celiac and Sjogren's Syndrome and from what you have described, I would guess you have Sjogren's also. It's not the same as dry eyes due to aging (which wouldn't be your problem at 32) but dry to the point of painful. I am also using Restasis and it works very well so that should help you. Another big help is using an eye gel at night when you go to sleep. It's thicker than an eye drop and should be used right before you go to sleep. These 2 combined eye drops have really helped my eyes feel better. Before I knew I had Sjogren's, my eyes were a mess and so dry, they hurt. Since going gluten-free and using the above mentioned eye care, things have improved dramatically but it is still there and dependent on what the weather does, as allegies affect them also. You cannot cure Sjogren's by going gluten-free but you can improve symptoms with good care.

For people with Sjogren's, having LASIX will make things worse. I know you didn't know about Sjogren's before you had it done but doctors should NEVER do any kind of laser treatment for the eyes if there is any hint of dry eye. Lasers will dry your eyes out badly and can make it worse permanently, if you have any eye issues. Normal moisture will return for those with normal eyes but with dry eye, there is no way to make up for the lost moisture unless you do so topically. I think if you add the eye gel use in with the Restasis, you'll notice a big improvement but take care not to let anyone do any more laser work on or near your eyes again.

Restasis is cyclosporin so any inflammation should be reduced....it's good stuff and has been a life saver for me. There is also a blood test that can be done to see if you have Sjogren's but I think it also can go like Celiac blood work goes....not everyone will trigger the antibody. However, your description of the level of dryness you have screams of Sjogren's.

Good luck and I hope your eyes feel better....I know that pain!

[Mother of Jibril]

Another big help is using an eye gel at night when you go to sleep. It's thicker than an eye drop and should be used right before you go to sleep.

For people with Sjogren's, having LASIX will make things worse. I know you didn't know about Sjogren's before you had it done but doctors should NEVER do any kind of laser treatment for the eyes if there is any hint of dry eye. Lasers will dry your eyes out badly and can make it worse permanently, if you have any eye issues.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I have been thinking about Sjogren's... but I guess I didn't know how "bad" was bad. Do you need a prescription for the eye gel?

I wish my thyroid condition had been discovered a LONG time ago. I was having symptoms (hair loss, heavy periods, extremely low blood pressure) as a teenager, but nobody thought to check. Oh well. I guess that's common with a lot of autoimmune disorders. For a few years I was thrilled about the results from my eye surgery... my vision was SO bad. I couldn't even see the biggest E on the eye chart without glasses. But... after my last baby was born I had to get glasses again. My right eye was still 20/20, but my left eye was 20/60. And now I'm using eye drops. Sigh. Thank goodness I live in a humid place! I spent a semester in Mali when I was in college... the desert climate and blowing sand was really hard on my eyes.

The dry skin on my face and scalp is getting a lot better now that I'm gluten-free and taking thyroid hormones. I was surprised that my eyes took a turn for the worse. The pink blotches are new.

[Gemini]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I have been thinking about Sjogren's... but I guess I didn't know how "bad" was bad. Do you need a prescription for the eye gel?

I wish my thyroid condition had been discovered a LONG time ago. I was having symptoms (hair loss, heavy periods, extremely low blood pressure) as a teenager, but nobody thought to check. Oh well. I guess that's common with a lot of autoimmune disorders. For a few years I was thrilled about the results from my eye surgery... my vision was SO bad. I couldn't even see the biggest E on the eye chart without glasses. But... after my last baby was born I had to get glasses again. My right eye was still 20/20, but my left eye was 20/60. And now I'm using eye drops. Sigh. Thank goodness I live in a humid place! I spent a semester in Mali when I was in college... the desert climate and blowing sand was really hard on my eyes.

The dry skin on my face and scalp is getting a lot better now that I'm gluten-free and taking thyroid hormones. I was surprised that my eyes took a turn for the worse. The pink blotches are new.

I know how you feel....I have Hashimoto's, Sjogren's, Reynaud's Syndrome......BUT, it could be worse! The eye problems are my worst issue because you just don't realize how important moist eyeballs are until you lose them. I know how tempting it is to LASIX them if your eyesight is really bad. My sister was legally blind (without her glasses) before LASIX but she has Sjogrens also and her eyes are getting worse. However, she does not take as good care of hers as I do mine. You may notice your eyes will get worse, eyesight-wise, because of Sjogrens alone. Dry eye will change the shape of your eyeball and that will worsen your vision. I am 49 years old and have the older person thing going on with my eyes anyway but the Sjogrens makes it even worse. I cannot read or see anything small anymore without my glasses so I know what legally blind sort of feels like. In the past 4 years, my eyesight has gone downhill but you make do with what you have. I just try and keep them moistened...I'm always putting something in them!

The eye gel is not a Rx and most eye care companies have their own version of it. Go to a drugstore and look at the gels. I use whatever is on sale from the better brands because they are not cheap. There is also an ointment, which is even thicker.....sort of the same consistency as an antibiotic ointment but I have been resisting using that just yet. It kind of skeeves me to put ointment in my eye but I may have to graduate to that at some point. The gel should be used about 10-15 minutes after the Restasis and it is very cooling. Goes into the eye like an eye drop....it's just a bit thicker. My eyes are much better using both these things and they were BAD before. You know it isn't good when the opthamologist looks scared after looking into your eyes!

As far as the pink blotches are concerned, it's most likely from your eyes being very dry and irritated. It could also be allergy aggravation. If I am exposed to high mold counts, my eyes will turn brick red within minutes. I look like a hell hound! This has gotten better with the Restasis and gel. I have to say the Restasis

has done wonders. I am usually against using medication but this time it was well worth it. I would recommend good opthalmic care because you do NOT want to lose your eye sight later in life. Everything else has done much better with the gluten-free diet but the eye thing you have to be careful with. I think you will like the Restasis!

[1grnthmb]

I had recurring Iritis since I was 14 years old. Basically I would get the infection about every 4-5 years and it would take about 1-2 years to clear up. I have not had a single infection since I went gluten free. When I was diagnosed I was at the time being treated for an Iritis infection. When I told the ophthalmologist that I had been diagnosed with Celiac Disease he commented "That explains every thing." I have also worn glass since I was 10 and my eyes have slowly gotten worse. On the poll I labeled my self as both near sighted and far sighted because I can not see anything closer then six feet without bifocals (graduated) and I can not see anything past fifteen feet with out it going blurry. When I first got glass my mom said when we walked out of the doctors office the first thing I said was, look there are leaves on that tree. I need to replace my glasses at least once a year because my eyesight changes in that short of a time. Unfortunately my insurance only covers glasses and an exam every two years. I do have dry eyes but my insurance will not cover the medication so I use over the counter drops. They do not work near as good as the samples I get from the doctor.

[curlyfries]

Any kind of blowing air... wind, fans, air conditioners... drives me crazy. Winter is the worst.

This is problematic for me, also. I am on Restasis and I love it. All the over-the-counter drops and gels make my eyes burn, but Restasis doesn't. The dryness has gotten much better for me in the last couple of months, so I have not had to use the drops nearly as much. I don't know if gluten-free is the reason for this or not. I was never tested for Sjogren's.

When I first got glass my mom said when we walked out of the doctors office the first thing I said was, look there are leaves on that tree.

Me, too!!!!!

[Mother of Jibril]

So... after a few a days, I can say that the eye drops are GOOD. Ahhhh... I didn't realize just how bad my eyes were feeling! I also picked up some gel yesterday. Thanks for that tip

And... I remembered another potential reason for my dry eyes... ocular rosacea (which happens in 50-60% of people with rosacea). Some people get dilated blood vessels (telangiectasias) on their cheeks and nose, but you can also get them on your eyes. Check out this image on Wikipedia:

Open Original Shared Link

My irises are brown, but otherwise that's exactly what my eyes look like! We'll see what my doctor says when I go back in two months.

[cressy75]

I started suffering with an eye problem called palinopsia (seeing trails) about a year ago along wiht the rest of my food/chemical sensitivities and fibromyalgia, also have blurred vision and excessive floaters. don't know if these are related to gluten but the doctors are well baffled.

[darlindeb25]

I've been having problems with dry eyes for several years, especially since I had LASIX surgery in 2000 (I was severely nearsighted). Any kind of blowing air... wind, fans, air conditioners... drives me crazy. Winter is the worst. Over the last few weeks, however, I've noticed that my eyes have been especially dry

My eyes are very dry, and blowing air, fans, air conditioners all drive me crazy too. When winter comes, the dry air from having the heat on is an irratant too. I too have the blood veins in my eyes, yet my doctor tells me it's just hormonal. He will not admit it could be auto-immune, possible allergies, but probably hormonal because of my age. I am 53, went through menopause years ago, last cycle at age 49, started menopause around 42, and I had a total hysterectomy over 1 yr ago, and I do not have any other hormonal issues...I hardly think it's hormonal. I too have Raynauds, have had it for years. I honestly do not think many doctors realize what intolerance's do to the body. They really have very little knowledge about nutrition.

The only thing he has given me for dry eyes is Systane. They have a new product out, Systane Ultra, and it is much better. A rep gave me a sample to try and it works pretty well.

My optometrist is also my boss.