Has anyone suddenly found they need glasses?

General General TN & GPN (Old Site)
1

I have for at least a year been complaining of blurred sight, my dr didn’t want to do anything - as usual - so I went to an ophthalmologist and had my eyes checked. It turns out I have gone from exceedingly good sight to having an astigmatism.

I was speaking to a friend who had been on Gabapentin (I am on Carbamazepine) and she had had a similar experience, which had normalised after ceasing the meds She seems to think that it’s the drugs effect on the nervous system may belinked to the induced astigmatism - but I don’t know.

Has anyone else here had the same issue? Does everyone else need glasses?

2

I've never heard of sudden astigmatism as a side effect of medication. According to RxList.com and reports I've heard from multiple people, blurred or double vision is somewhat more common with Gabapentin and Carbamazepine, particularly with children, though still not prevalent.

3

Ask your pharmacist…!

4

I think age is what took my perfect vision.I took a lot of Carbamazepine and it affected me plenty,but not with vision.

5

I was also suffering from dual vision bcos of tegretol…

6

Yes, I suddenly needed reading glasses. It was not a gradual fading of my vision. Through the day my eyes get blurry on and off, but I am not on the anti-seizure meds, and it might have more to do with one of my other illnesses instead of TN, I really don't know.

7

This is really weird…my eyesight has been going downhill fast since age 40, I just turned 50. When I am in the shower without glasses I can not read the words shampoo or conditioner on the bottles without putting my glasses back on, yet the day after my first big Tn attack, two weeks ago, I can suddenly see the words clear as a bell. I told Neuro who thought was very interesting and possibly the steroid I was given took away inflammation which may be on or near my optical nerve. I need to get a good Opthamogist now.

Could the Tn be doing something to the optic nerve for you?

8

My vision got markedly worse 3 weeks before my TN began over 4 years ago. I wore glasses beforehand just for reading but suddenly started wearing them all the time and couldn't stand to be without them as my eyes got so dry too. Since then I have had two changes in stronger glasses as well, but that could be age related as well as I just turned 51.