[Brett Alan Cramer]

Re: Eye sight ?

by Brett Alan Cramer on Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:19 pm

Suzierose:
I greatly appreciate your comments in response to my questions about the loss of sight in my right eye. As you suggest, I plan to follow up with my opthamologist and my onc. The immunohistochemistry test sounds interesting, never new such a test existed, but then again I am learning something everyday when it comes to multiple myeloma, chemotherapy and all they both entail.

I'll let you know if and when I find out anything of substance.

suzierose wrote:
> Hi Bob,
>
> You write:
> "The opthamologist told me I did not have cataracts or
> glaucoma,...snip..After doing some research on Revlimid and dex he could
> not come up with any real evidence that either was the cause"
>
> This is peculiar.
>
> Dexamethasone has a well known increased risk of causing both cataracts or
> glaucoma, which I noted you did not have according to the opthamologist.
> Additionally, blurred vision is a side effect of dexamethasone..well known
> as well. Steroids cause water gain/edema and if that edema is within
> retinal nerve it can cause vision changes.
> Also, viagra. levitra and cialis also can cause retinal damage.
>
> If I were you I would continue to get monthly glaucoma check ups as the
> increase in pressure can occur rapidly/suddenly.
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2807493
>
> Now, that a brain tumor has been ruled out. You may want to consider
> discussing your vision field changes with your multiple myeloma specialist.
> He/she may want to order an immunohistochemistry test to test for
> antiretinal antibodies which could be attacking an optic nerve and are the
> culprit for the loss of vision you are experiencing
>
> Wishing you all the best.

[Kathryn]

Re: Eye sight ?

by Kathryn on Wed Mar 28, 2012 2:04 pm

This is very interesting, because I had a large tear on my right eye which was corrected. This was in the summer of 2010, I think, and I was dx'd with multiple myeloma in Dec. of 2010. No explanation was given re: the retinal tear, but now I'm wondering if it had something to do with multiple myeloma, because I'd already felt pain in my back and was trying to find the reason, so it (multiple myeloma) was already there. I also had had an atypical hernia in my stomach region in 2006. I developed more hernias and had more surgery for the 2 hernias in January of this year. My hernia surgeon thinks it was connected to the multiple myeloma; somehow it made the lining of my stomach weaker. Now if that's true, I'm very afraid that my retina on either eye could tear again. My eyesight is fairly much what you'd expect for a 57 y/o, need reading glasses, and am beginning to sometimes use glasses to watch TV, but socially don't wear/need them.
Kathryn