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Posted 6/4/2015 11:45 AM (GMT 0)
Since onset of dx I have developed many eye floaters and have had a small cataract appear about 10 yrs ago ... Is this all UC related or could they be Asacol side effects or just coincidence?
Posted 6/4/2015 12:31 PM (GMT 0)
Have you been on pred a lot in the past? Prednisone can cause eye issues, especially if used repeatedly or long term. I have never been on pred but I was on steroid enemas for a long time. It affected my vision still the same. I was almost to the point of wearing bifocals at the age of 35. But once I stopped them, my long distance vision corrected itself.
Posted 6/4/2015 12:38 PM (GMT 0)
I am 53 and have many floaters and Last year i had catarack surgery on both eyes. I was on pred for about a year, and i really think this progressed because of it. I am sure down the line i would of developed them anyway, but i think this brought them on early
Posted 6/4/2015 1:59 PM (GMT 0)
I get floaters often, mostly when I am flaring, but I have had them my whole life. They are annoying but every ophthalmologist I have visited says they aren't anything to worry about since there is no eye inflammation associated with mine.
Posted 6/4/2015 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
Per Mayo web site:

"Most eye floaters are caused by age-related changes that occur as the jelly-like substance (vitreous) inside your eyes becomes more liquid. Microscopic fibers within the vitreous tend to clump and can cast tiny shadows on your retina, which appear to you as floaters."

They are pretty common as you age. No reason to think they are related to UC.

I have a huge floater in one eye, right in the middle of my field of vision. I noticed it a lot when it first appeared, but now my brain has adapted to it to the point where I rarely even notice it anymore. (Once they form, they never go away on their own. You just get used to them.)
Posted 6/4/2015 9:08 PM (GMT 0)
I'm pretty sure it can be UC related as they told me in the hospital I may have vison problems and i should go to an ophthalmologist on a regular basis
Posted 6/4/2015 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
Minimal steroid usage - 5 days low doses of prednisone (prior to UC dx) and 2 treatments of cortenemas (which by the way, exasperated my bleeding)
Posted 6/5/2015 1:12 AM (GMT 0)
I'm not sure that anyone could ever tell you for sure if there's a relationship or not, but they're so common with age (both floaters and cataracts) anyway that it would be hard to pin down.

I never knew this before, but I just looked at WebMD, and this is listed under things that can be associated with floaters:

"Vitreous and retinal inflammation caused by viral infections, fungal infections, or auto-immune inflammation"

http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/benign-eye-floaters?page=2

So who knows?
Posted 6/5/2015 11:16 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks DavisD
Just one more unexplained side effect of having an autoimmune issue I suppose. The human body is so complex and medical science is lagging behind on these autoimmune responses. Lucky us!
Posted 6/5/2015 12:49 PM (GMT 0)
I have had floaters since I was 14 years old. Has nothing to do with UC imo.
Posted 6/5/2015 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with Andrina. I didn't get UC until a couple years ago but have had floaters since my late teens. My eye dr at the time told me it's just a normal part of the aging process (not something an 18 year old wants to hear lol). Cataracts are very common too. Not sure I see any relation to UC.
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