Getting Glasses When You Have ME-related Variable Eyesight

Have you developed problems with blurred or variable eyesight since falling ill with ME?

  • Yes

    Votes: 43 93.5%

  • No

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Not sure

    Votes: 2 4.3%

  • I've developed other eyesight issues

    Votes: 1 2.2%
  • Total voters
    46
Multifocals are working for me. I've had them for the last 3 script changes now. They only work until my eyes are too tired to focus, but that's not because of the multifocals.
 
@Stuart, thank you for the link to that article. It sounds fascinating. I was using 2 pairs of glasses before I switched to varifocals. I had mild ME and was still teaching part time, and found that forever switching glasses from distance to see the class, to reading to read my notes was a nightmare. As soon as I switched to varifocals the problem was solved. I was amazed how quickly I adjusted.

I have no idea whether my current problems with accommodation, unsteadiness when walking, difficulty focusing sometimes etc, are a natural result of my ME worsening or attributable to my glasses.

Does anyone know whether Dr James work was ever followed up?
This is a pretty big claim:

"I do not yet know how the ME virus causes abnormalities in 5HT transmission but it does inhibit its function," says Dr. James. By administering drugs to stimulate levels of 5HT together with treatment aimed at fighting postviral disease, Dr. James believes ME sufferers can be cured.
 
I've just googled Dr Ian James and found his obituary from 1998 which includes this:

''At the age of 31 he was appointed Consultant in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the Royal Free Hospital and subsequently became Reader. He made a study of the drug treatment of hypertension, depression and ME. His understanding of this tragic illness and his holistic management transformed many lives, as witnessed by the deluge of letters to his widow.''

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-dr-ian-james-1176614.html

I've now done a search in 'the other place' where it was discussed last year. It seems to be about using SSRI antidepressants. Mixed results, no proper clinical trials. Looks like another dead end.
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...-by-ssris-dr-james-dr-smith-dr-le-fanu.53069/
 
Wonko said:
I've got a similar problem, I got given varifocals the last time round and TBH they are pretty damn useless most of the time, for a lot of things I have to take them off to be able to read.
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I have progressive lenses and I hate them. Most of the time I don't bother wearing them unless I need them for distance or I'm going out. For reading I have readers. I'm at the point where I need glasses when I'm on the computer but computer glasses didn't work, and to be able to see with the progressives, I have to tilt my head at a strange angle and then I end up with neck ache. But if I don't wear my glasses and I'm on the computer for too long, it makes my headaches much worse.
 
Wonko said:
I will probably be asking for a home visit this time around, even tho it means I'm stuck with whomever they send for the duration.
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Trish said:
By the time I got around to having a home test last year and getting new ones there was still very little change.
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How does that work getting a home test? With all the different pieces of equipment they use these days for testing eyes I'm wondering how they do this. Or is it a mobile van that parks outside your home?
 
TigerLilea said:
How does that work getting a home test? With all the different pieces of equipment they use these days for testing eyes I'm wondering how they do this. Or is it a mobile van that parks outside your home?
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I have absolutely no idea, my friend had it done a few months ago, in her home, and said it was fine, but she lives in a bungalow, I'm on the 2nd/3rd floor lol
 
TigerLilea said:
How does that work getting a home test? With all the different pieces of equipment they use these days for testing eyes I'm wondering how they do this. Or is it a mobile van that parks outside your home?
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The optician and his assistant carried everything into my home. He used his tablet screen set up at the right distance for me to look at, and had a box full of the lenses to slot in to test. He used a hand held instrument to look in my eyes and had a simple way (which I can't remember) to test for glaucoma.

For choosing frames he and a nifty case that folded open to display lots of frames. It all worked just as in the consulting room. Didn't seem like he was missing anything out.

There would be no problem carrying everything upstairs, don't let that put you off.

When the glasses were ready his assistant delivered them and checked they were OK.
 
Trish said:
The optician and his assistant carried everything into my home. He used his tablet screen set up at the right distance for me to look at, and had a box full of the lenses to slot in to test. He used a hand held instrument to look in my eyes and had a simple way (which I can't remember) to test for glaucoma.

For choosing frames he and a nifty case that folded open to display lots of frames. It all worked just as in the consulting room. Didn't seem like he was missing anything out.

There would be no problem carrying everything upstairs, don't let that put you off.

When the glasses were ready his assistant delivered them and checked they were OK.
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Thanks for the explanation, Trish. I don't know if we have home service here in my part of Canada. So it isn't actually an optometrist who does the eye exam but an optician. Is it just a sight test you are given or are they checking for diseases also? Things like brain tumours? high blood pressure? macular degeneration? diabetes? peripheral vision? retinal detachment? My eye doc's office has two different rooms I have to go to for testing with different pieces of equipment before I actually see the doc for an eye exam and vision test.
 
TigerLilea said:
Thanks for the explanation, Trish. I don't know if we have home service here in my part of Canada. So it isn't actually an optometrist who does the eye exam but an optician. Is it just a sight test you are given or are they checking for diseases also? Things like brain tumours? high blood pressure? macular degeneration? diabetes? peripheral vision? retinal detachment? My eye doc's office has two different rooms I have to go to for testing with different pieces of equipment before I actually see the doc for an eye exam and vision test.
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I see various people before seeing the doc as well, if I remember correctly. I don't think they test for high blood pressure or brain tumours, but I know I have the former and take medication for it.
 
I can't answer your question as I'm not very clear about the different levels of optometrist, optician, etc. It may be different in the UK. They are not doctors, but they are trained to spot things that show up by looking at the retina, and they do glaucoma tests. They are not just testing lenses.
 
MeSci said:
I see various people before seeing the doc as well, if I remember correctly. I don't think they test for high blood pressure or brain tumours, but I know I have the former and take medication for it.
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I believe that these are things that they can actually see from looking at the back of the eyes.
 
Pickle said:
Another question: Does anyone get a crash from an eye test? Felt like I was dying afterwards and I had a killer migraine for 24 hours afterwards. All the flashing lights maybe?
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Yes - I detest them, and am "bad" for several days afterwards. This is the main reason I haven't had one for several years despite having major problems reading, or anything requiring clarity of vision within a few feet, with it often being impossible, the very thing my last pair of glasses were supposed to resolve.

Of particular dislike are the puffer machine, and the field of vision machine. I always have to have these redone at least once as they don't believe the results.

Even the basic lens test (number 1, or number 2 etc) causes problems due to the jiggling in my vision. I found the word for that in a previous post but have now forgotten it. * edit - that word is - Oscillopsia :)

Soon I will have no choice as the frames on these are now going :(
 
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Wonko said:
Yes - I detest them, and am "bad" for several days afterwards. This is the main reason I haven't had one for several years despite having major problems reading, or anything requiring clarity of vision within a few feet, with it often being impossible, the very thing my last pair of glasses were supposed to resolve.

Of particular dislike are the puffer machine, and the field of vision machine. I always have to have these redone at least once as they don't believe the results.

Even the basic lens test (number 1, or number 2 etc) causes problems due to the jiggling in my vision. I found the word for that in a previous post but have now forgotten it. * edit - that word is - Oscillopsia :)

Soon I will have no choice as the frames on these are now going :(
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Thanks! I haven't crashed this hard in over a year!
 
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