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Posted 12/7/2011 10:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all

has anyone else have eye problems> i am afraid if i cant find another lld i may end up blind. i was legally blind in 2007, luckly it came back, symptoms improved without antibiotics it too, a year.

 

Posted 12/8/2011 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah. Blurry vision (astigmatism), increasing near-sightedness, styes, red/itchy/irritated eyes, dry eyes, blepharitis, eye allergies...and I blame Lyme for most or all of these things. The styes finally disappeared after 2 years of antibiotics...The other eye symptoms seem to flare when I'm herxing.
Posted 12/8/2011 4:21 AM (GMT 0)
I never even though that my astigmatism could be part of the Lyme.....I'm near-sighted and my vision has been getting steadily worse, though I don't know if that's just a normal progression...I get very blurry vision and a lot of times it's REALLY hard for me to focus my eyes - kind of weird. Like if I'm watching TV my eyes focus to the side of the TV and it takes a lot of effort just to move them back to the TV.

I've also had a serious increase in floaters (which...I still don't fully understand what they are!) since starting my Lyme treatment. I rushed myself to an eye doctor last year thinking I had a visceral tear because of the floaters and flashes of light...but everything came back fine, as always.

It's always so hard to tell what's being caused by Lyme and what's not. Hang in there, and please find a doctor!!
Posted 12/8/2011 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
Bartonella can cause all kinds of issues with the eyes, although Lyme is usually associated with the floaters and flashes of light. Have you been evaluated for a Bart infection?
Posted 12/8/2011 7:42 PM (GMT 0)
I was seeing white flying dots earlier and occasional blurry vision this year before I started treatment for Lyme. A few weeks after I started antibiotics, I have been having more problems with blurry vision, one of my eyes in particular. I had a vision check before the antibiotics, and everything was fine, but will be going back for another appointment to hopefully figure out if something has changed.
Posted 12/8/2011 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
yup...my eye doc hates me.....i could see fine when i was looking through his machine...but never could see good through my glasses or contacts....i got diagnosed with cornea erosion...and he tried to diagnose me with sdjourns... then right out of the blue he found the muscles in my right eye had become "lazy"....my right eye sees double and always sensitive to light......i dont know though if your eyesight comes back with treatment...i sure hope it does...
Posted 12/9/2011 4:00 AM (GMT 0)
i have an appointment with my primary on monday. i want to ask him to test me for Bartonella and all the other lyme bugs. hope he will. i spent 2002 legally blind and couldnt open my eyes even for a second during the day. i became a moon watcher. then it left as suddenly as it came. i have had optic neuritis, floaters, sharp stabbing pains, double vision, blurry vision, blind in one eye for a while, tunnel vision, the background blends in with the forground, orange spots, irritable eyes, dry eye, photophobia and cant drive at night due to the stabbing lights and halos.
Fun, fun fun, its a good thing i love dogs. LOL
Posted 12/9/2011 4:08 AM (GMT 0)
haha letgo.."good thing i love dogs"
Posted 12/9/2011 10:48 PM (GMT 0)
I had an eye appt. today. The doctor said my eyes look really healthy. He didn't see lyme in them at all. I found that my continuous blurry vision in one eye was due to my other eye changing in prescription (it's only been 5 months since my last appt.), which the doctor said was not from Lyme. He said the times when I have very blurry vision in an eye is most likely from ocular migraines. It sounds like whatever is going on with my eyes is different from what you're experiencing.
Posted 12/10/2011 6:15 PM (GMT 0)
Bartonella can cause a lot of eye issues. Have you been evaluated for a Bart infection?
Posted 12/10/2011 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
Are you talking to me Traveler? I haven't been tested for any co-infections yet. I mentioned getting tested to my doctor, but she wasn't crazy about the idea for some reason, though I can't remember why. I tested negative on every single band of the Western Blot (local lab test) before I started treatment. I plan to get tested through Igenex in January, so I will have to reevaluate whether to add other tests in with that too.
Posted 12/10/2011 8:23 PM (GMT 0)
LOL! Scarlet Grace!! I'll talk to anyone that will listen!!! *rolling on the floor laughing*

ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) supports the same thoughts as the CDC on testing - it's not supposed to be used for diagnostic purposes, only to confirm an infection. A Bartonella infection does cause a lot of different symptoms with the eyes, but there is a whole list that goes along with it.

I like to use this site for symptoms lists as it's really easy to read and understand for those suffering with some cognitive issues:
www.drjoneskids.com/

You would be doing yourself a favor to learn these symptoms, as that's how the top Lyme Docs diagnose - by symptoms.

OF course if you have any question or concerns, we are right here!!
Posted 12/10/2011 9:44 PM (GMT 0)
i have not been tested for bartonella. i have an appointment on monday with primary. maybe i will get lucky and he will test. any suggestions?thaks
Posted 12/10/2011 10:29 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Letgo,
I wouldn't count on your Primary doc being willing to test you for this, unless s/he has a very open mind concerning tick-borne infections.

My suggestion is if you have a printer or can get to a printer, print out Dr. Joseph Burrascano's "Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease". This covers the more common co-infections as well, and take it to your Primary Doc. Of course s/he will need time to read through it, but it would help him/her to understand what you are dealing with and how to best help you as your primary care giver.

If you don't have access to a printer(or even if you do!), suggest that your doc go to one of these sites to earn continuing education credits for learning about Lyme:
www.ilads.org/lyme_programs/lyme_training.html

And here's another one;

www.turnthecorner.org/content/physicians-training-program

Hope this helps some!
Posted 12/11/2011 1:50 AM (GMT 0)
Traveler- (sorry for the hijack Letgo)

Wow, thank you for the link. I've had a number of the things on the Bartonella list, but thankfully none that were life threatening. My doctor has me taking Doxcy and Zithro. right now, which were both on the list for treatment. Thanks for the link.

Letgo-

I hope your appointment goes well. There is always a chance your primary could be Lyme literate. The doctor I'm seeing is not an official Lyme specialist, but she is still someone that treats a lot of Lyme patients. So you never know.

If this doctor doesn't work out, what about calling around to different doctor offices in your area and asking the receptionists whether any of the doctors treat Lyme? If the doctors (even primary docs) are Lyme Literate, than the receptionists will know whether or not they set a lot of appointments for Lyme and that would be your key to whether or not it's worth setting up an appointment with them. For example, the receptionist at the office I go to told me (after I had already been going there) that the doctor does new Lyme consults one specific day and time each week, so that she sees a lot of new Lyme patients.

I hope Monday goes well for you!
Posted 12/11/2011 7:16 AM (GMT 0)
thanks everyone.
Posted 12/11/2011 11:52 AM (GMT 0)
I also have had a lot of problems with my eyes lately. I have always had poor vision and a lazy eye that luckily I can control and it only happens (without control) when I am completely exhausted. That has been happening more lately.

I also have blurry vision that I can tell is not due to my contacts/glasses because it only lasts for short periods of time. I also have really dry eyes like I have a fever.

I'm not on any treatment right now, but I noticed my eye symptoms started to get worse when I was in week 3 of 4 weeks of doxycycline.
Posted 12/11/2011 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Summer,
When abx area started and then shortly after you have a worsening of symptoms or some new symptoms show up, it's generally a 'herx' that is going on. A 'herx' is a healing crisis - this happens because the abx kill off the bacteria which creates more toxins. If your body is already full of toxins, this additional amount will create a 'healing crisis' - which just means that your body can't heal well until you remove some of those toxins.

You can find a wonderful post all about detoxing when you have TBI's (Tick-borne infections) in the "New to Lyme?" thread that stays at the top of the forum. It's the second post down. None of it is hard or expensive either! Don't forget that you should also be dry skin brushing and drinking plenty of water as well! We usually suggest that everyone drink water with a bit of lemon in it, as it helps to keep the body in an alkaline state which is more unwelcoming for the bacteria.

about your symptoms, have you been evaluated for a Bartonella infection?
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