Cataract surgery symptoms and conditions

I have used Nasonex for about two years. Last spring, I developed vision problems which I didn't attribute to the Nasonex. In the fall, I was diagnosed with a cataract and glaucoma in my left eye.
I did not have any known risk factors and take very few medicines, so I believe the Nasonex caused the cataract and glaucoma. The first eye doctor never mentioned that the Nasonex could be causing my eye problems so I continued to take it until recently when I discovered it was probably to blame. I am now facing cataract surgery and the new eye doctor I went to told me I have the eye of someone 20 years older.

I'm sitting here in tears reading all of your posts because I've also been on prednisone and have horrible side effects. I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in my lungs in June of 2002 and, after starting at 60 mg/day then, I have been on 20 mg/day for years now. The very first posting that I read mentioned problems with the femur bone. Besides all of the other problems associated with this devastating drug, in December, 2007, I broke a bone in my left foot with no known cause for it. Then I started experiencing pain standing or walking in my left leg and was diagnosed with a fractured femur bone and after several months of trying to get it to heal (including an ultrasonic bone healing system), it just kept getting worse until an orthopedic surgeon recommended that I have a 16 inch rod put into my leg which I did and it ended up to be one of the worst decisions that I have ever made. After experiencing all of the prednisone side effects for almost seven years including depression, severe fatigue, weight gain, moon face, thin skin, cataract surgery on both eyes, hump on my back, mood swings, etc., the pain and suffering that were caused by that operation brought me to seriously consider suicide. I was also diagnosed with chemical neuropathy in both of my legs also which makes my legs so weak that I have to crawl up any steps and have trouble just standing. I actually have an appointment for this evening to have an x-ray done to see what is wrong with my knees and did not realize that this also is yet another side effect. I never make it through the night without waking up in pain and getting a pain pill and then getting up in the morning is almost unbearable with that "burning" pain. I am now on Cymbalta for depression, Xanax for anxiety, Percocet for pain, and of course 20 mg of Prednisone. I was told that I would have to remain on Prednisone for the rest of my life because of the lung scarring and COPD. After reading all of your comments, I have decided that I would rather put up with any breathing problems (and I don't even know how slight they may be at this point) than to remain on the Prednisone. I have tried weaning off several times but get so fatigued that I can't move and that's dropping one mg every week. I'm affected by the decrease but it gets out of hand when I get to 14 mg and I get so frustrated and depressed at not being able to do anything that I just go back up to the 20 mg/day. If you have been able to wean off of it, would you please let me know how you did it and what you had to go through? I'm 65 years old now but I have two wonderful granddaughters (ages 4 and 6) who I can't do any normal "Grammy" things with anymore at this point and I have to change this condition for them and for me. Obviously, the doctors don't recognize the severity of the drug because they just keep prescribing it and out of a regular doctor, an oncologist, an orthopedic surgeon and a neurologist, they can't seem to get together to come up with a solution. I have to say that I haven't considered suicide lately but I do wish that I would just die and be out of this pain. My family and definitely my granddaughters and wanting to see them grow up are the only things that keep me going. There are probably things that I'm forgetting but I'm sure that one of you have covered it in our posting. Although my family is so supportive, no one and I really mean not one of them, realizes knows what we all go through because of this drug. How could they know that something that is supposed to help you could cause these problems? My life is a living hell, all because a pulmonary doctor prescribed prednisone seven years ago and I trusted him to only do what was right without informing me of what was to come. I more than sympathasize with all of you. I sincerely appreciate the time that you took to post to this site and so thankful to know now that this knee pain is not something new that I have but another side effect of the prednisone. I wouldn't have known that if it wasn't for this site because I'd be willing to bet that after I would have had this x-ray done, one of my doctors would have just prescribed another medication to take. Please feel free to contact me directly with any comments or especially any help that you can give me. I know that all of you are going through the same thing so if I can do anything for you, even just listen and understand, please contact me also. Sometimes that's the only thing that people can do is to listen and someone who is in the same situation can always understand. I'm here for anyone who needs a hug for the day.

Doctors in denial: Numbness in hands and loss of dexterity due to Carpel Tunnel, not damage to Ulner Nerve, diminished vision - need cataract surgery, loss of balance- need brain scan. Urinary problems- need Flowmax, or whatever it is. Do they fail to link Levaquin to these and many other symptoms? My father has been in hospital for over two weeks due to this drug. Has been given one drug after another. Who knows what side effects they will have. Found faxes my father sent to his doc. Symptoms seemed to appear within two weeks of taking 7 day course, 500 mg. Vision diminished , balance problems, loss of appetite , swollen feet and ankles, dry mouth. urination problems, pain in calfs, hardly able to walk, numbness in hands........ On and on. Becoming human cash register for docs. Tell everyone at hospital the underlying problem was created by Levaquin. Now wears wrist tag saying allergic to Levaquin. This is becoming a fiasco. How do you get this out of your system?

I am a 44 year old male. I was on Advair for 7 years. I had Cataract surgery at 42 in both eyes. I was just diagnosed with Osteoporosis in my lumbar spine and osteopenia in my legs. Has anyone has these side effects? And has anyone been able to prove a link to Advair and these side effects? Please email me at ****** and thank you in advance.

I'm posting for my father as he's not into computers. He went to the hospital for COPD - emphysema and he was on Prednisone for 10 days that he was there followed by 3 weeks of tapering it off. I didn't listen to his complaints and now I feel bad, it seems that his blurred vision and teeth and gum pain are serious, and a couple of his teeth have basically fallen out. Does anyone know if the vision problems were permanent? Obviously it's too late for his teeth...

Anyone know of a class action suit? I was on Advair for 4 years for mild asthma (very occasional problems with exercise), at the advice of my allergist. While I was still on it, I was diagnosed with osteopenia, and episcleritis (occasional flare up, now gone since I quit). However, after 1 yr off Advair, I have just been diagnosed with a cataract at 54. I questioned my doctor about the osteoporosis, she poo pooed it. My cataract is advancing very rapidly. I would like to know if I can get some compensation to help with cataract surgery!!!!

I have been on Xalatan for 7 months. At first the only side effects were red eyes and a burning sensation. After 4 months my visual acuity dropped dramatically. After 6 months cataract suddenly developed in both eyes. I stopped taking the drug and will soon have cataract surgery.
Xalatan should be forbidden! I don't understand how these drops ever got permission to be given to patients!
Please, don't take this drug. It destroys your eyesight!!!

I was prescribed Avelox for diverticulitis. I have been taking it for 6 days. After taking it I feel nausea, light-headed and shaky. I have not left the house in 3 days. I have 2 pills left but I am not going to take them. I had cataract surgery in one eye 5 months ago - turned out great. Now, however, I feel blurry in that eye, plus trouble focusing. I don't know if it is a reaction to the medication but will see my eye doctor. I sure hope it does not do damage to the eyes as well. I read all the postings here and no one said anything about their eye vision. I have to go to a CAT scan for the diverticulitis but won't go until the nausea goes away as I have to drink 2 bottles of medication for the CAT. I will add this medication to the other medications that I cannot take. I am so sorry I did not know about it sooner - but will not take it again that is for sure. I just hope that the side effects that this medication has caused will go away soon!!!

I am a 66 year old male being treated for giant cell arteritis and have been on prednisone for one year and ten days. The disease and its treatment with prednisone has completely reordered my life. My doctor told me that I dodged the big bullet but there would be more. He was right. The 60 mg dose of prednisone I started with was both a life and eye saver. Three months later I was down to 40 mg and I was starting to sleep more than the two - four hours per night that allowed me to all kinds of things done which the increased adrenlin made possible.

Unfortunately, the prednisone made control of my blood sugar nearly impossible even with maximum dosages of metformin and avandia. I was soon forced to add injections of insulin to my daily regime. As I gradually reduced the amount of prednisone I gained some measure of control but was not able to start decreasing the amounts of insulin I was taking until I had dropped down below 20 mg. Now that I am down to 5mg I'm off the insulin and two weeks ago I took my last metformin tab.

Prednisone accelerated the growth of cataracts in both of my eyes. I was taking the prednizone with the hope it would drive the arteritis into remission and I would avoid going blind. And I was blinded anyway by the cataracts. Fortunately the cataract surgery I had in May and June better than restored my sight. I now only need glasses for reading. I was thrilled and could even see myself going back to work at least on a part time basis. No such luck.

After telling my doctor how great it was to be able to read again I mentioned that I thought I had a groin pull because I had been experiencing pain in my groin area and the top of my right thigh just above the knee. That got his attention and he said it might be related to the prednisone. He sent me for a MRI of both hips. The results were not good. I was diagnosed with avascular necrosis in both femur bones with some deterioration of the right femoral ball. A month later I had core decompression surgery of the right femur. The surgeon told me that we had caught it early and this surgery had a 50/50 chance of restimulating the venus blood path that fatty deposits caused by the prednisone had closed off causing the bone to die. Unfortunately, it now looks that it didn't work for me and I have additional micro fractures of the ball joint that weren't there when he operated. My left hip isn't far behind and I now have enough pain in both hips even with the anti inflamatory medicine I'm taking to make it difficult for me to walk to the mail box or negotiate stairs.

I hope that I'll be able to wean myself off the prednisone entirely, but for those folks that are putting up with all the most common side effects, getting down to and below 5 mg per day will seriously reduce if not eliminate the effect they have on you. That includes the fat face and turkey neck, and the thin skin that shows vividly every bump and bleeds profusly with the slightest abrasion that more often than not you can't recall the incident that caused it. The giant cell (also known as templar) arteritis disease I developed was devastating to me and really put me down for the count. I lost 30 of my obese pounds in the first two weeks of symptoms I had with this disease. Even though I was over weight, I was very active and got lots of exercise doing my own lawn work ( 1 acre lot) with a walk behind mower and lots of leaves to rake. Within two months after diagnosis I had managed to work my way up to a two mile walk everday. After 3 months I was walking between 15 and 20 miles every week. Now, as I said, I'm lucky to walk to the end of my driveway to get the mail.

Prednisone is not a miricle drug. It is a terrible medicine with terrible side effects that has been arround for a very long time. Unfortunately, it is the only medicine available to successfully treat a wide range of autoimmune diseases that have no cure and would be absolutely unbearable without it.

I must add my recent experience with Prednisone to this forum:

I have been suffering from constant lower back pain and a torn shoulder injury (rotator cuff) for the last several years. A week ago I got a slight case of Poison Ivy. My doctor gave me Prednisone - starting at 60 mgs. a day, tapering down to 10 over 12 days. I was unsure as to whether I wanted to be on a steroid , especially after reading some of the testimonies here at this forum. But I went ahead and took it. I must say this has been one of the most amazing experiences for me.
Not only did my Poison Ivy immediately begin to go away, but lo and behold, practically ALL my back pain and shoulder pain went away. I also found myself with this amazing positive mental attitude. I began to get up and enjoy my job everyday (normally I am somewhat depressed and stressed out). It was such a major change for the better - I feel like I have been living the resurrection!! Yet I know it is only due to absence of pain and increased energy brought on by the Prednisone. I feel like a happier, younger version of myself. Prednisone has even helped me sleep better! So, evidently, for some people, prednisone is a wonder-drug.
I did note a very slight manic edge at times, but never unmanageable and always very positive. As soon as I decrease the dose, the pain and inflammation in my back and shoulder starts to return. What a shame that this drug causes osteoporosis and other long-term affects. I wish I could stay on it forever!!

Notice--if you know anyone Blind that takes the Drugs-Actos or Avandia-Please spread the word
THESE DRUGS CAN CAUSE YOU TO GO BLIND
In Jan 2000 I was prescribed 15 mil per day Actos-in a few months it was raised to 25 mil per day-in Oct 01 it was raised to 35 mil-in Aug 01 I had a light stroke in NOV 01-vision got very blurry.
My Dr sent me to a Dr of Ophthalmology, Tulsa, OK-the Dr stated, we can fix this, you got to me in time. We started Lasers, 3 treatments in left eye & one treatment in right eye, vision got worse. Now I had Cystoids Macular Edema. Shots in the eyes 2 in right & 4 in left of Kenalog.
About July 03 my medication was changed from Actos to Avandia. Since Kenalog can worsen cataracts, I had cataract surgery on left eye Dec 24th 03-it was wonderful I could hardly waite to get right eye done. Jan 04 we done cataract surgery on right eye--My vision was 20-20-BUT-only for a few days!! The swelling had come back.
On Jan 6th of this year I was watching the local evening news-they stated the F D A has put out a warning on the drug Avandia-in research, Actos & Avandia have some of the same ingredients --Could my problem be the medication?
I stopped taking Avandia on Jan 7th-I watch my blood sugar well & it is better since I stopped taking Avandia All the things that were being done to my eyes was all in vain as the drug was causing such swelling.
My vision is getting better by the day since I stopped taking, Avandia. Now my problem is all the lasers, shots & work that has been done to my eyes in trying to fix a problem I did not have.
Pat ***
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I had the coughing and the vomiting and could not sleep all night. I got blurred vision and my vision in general has been a problem. I had cataract surgery but the cataract started right after I started the lisinopril, I do feel that there is a relationship to the pill. No one in my family has cataracts and I am the youngest in my immediate family. Please let me know if this has happened to anyone else?

I have several as I was on prednizone for about 8 years almost every day..Im 54 and have had cataract surgery on both eyes at the ages of 42 and 46. I have swelling of the genitals that tend to stay with me for weeks at a time,tremendous muscle aches, as well as tiny sores that appear randomly on my body and hurt terribly.Ive had the thinning of the skin due to steroid cream use, its been and still is a constant thing with me. I still have the terrible itching and watering of the eczema that leads to these areas eventually bleeding. I would appreciate any help with finding a specialist that deals with steroid side effects.. Thanks ! Jeff

Prescribed after cataract surgery, injection into eye, developed large sore bumps from eye down check to under jawline. Problem has persisted for four months.

My mother, age 89, was diagnosed with high blood pressure after cataract surgery. At the 6 month check-up the ophthalmologist found flame hemorrhages and hypertensive vessels on the back of the eyeball indicating the presence of HBP. The internist found her BP 190/90. She started taking Metoprolol 100 mg twice a day and Lisinopril 20 mg once a day. After 2 week the BP had only lowered to 160/80 so the lisinopril was increased to 40 mg per day. She now is lethargic, lost her appetite, lost 16 lbs, slightly nauseous, confused (particularly after taking the Lisinopril) and headaches. For the last 3 days she has had diarrhea pretty bad and has taken to her bed. We can't determine which of the medications is to blame. Anyone else experience these symptoms?

My mother, age 89, was diagnosed with high blood pressure after cataract surgery. At the 6 month check-up the opthomologist found flame hemorrhages and hypertensive vessels on the back of the eyeball. The internist found her BP 190/90. She started taking Metoprolol 100 mg twice a day and Lisinopril 20 mg once a day . The BP went to 160/80 in 2 weeks so the lisinopril was increased to 40 mg per day. She is now is lethargic, lost her appetite, lost 16 lbs, slightly nauseous, confused (particularly ater taking the Lisinopril), bad headaches. For the last 3 days she has had diarrhea pretty bad. and taken to her bed. We can't figure out which of the medications is to blame. Anyone else experience these symptoms?

This is a follow-up to my posting of Jan.05/03. I have just had cataract surgery. I understand that this can be a side effect of Seroquel along with many other nasty ones. However I do realize people do tend to get cataracts as they age, but I had no evidence of cataracts forming before Seroquel, so who knows??
I have now lost 40 lbs., since being off Seroquel, am still coping without taking another med for hearing voices which continue & continue & continued.
My abdomen is no longer bloated and making me look like I am 9 months pregnant. I feel more like I have my life back in spite of hearing voices as I feel more motivated to do things around the house.