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Benzos and deteriorating vision


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I just posted a response on a benzo headache thread I started a few days ago, where one of the responses mentioned deteriorated vision as one of his withdrawal symptoms. I thought I'd start a new thread to see if this is a common problem.

 

I've had that problem for a few years, started about the time I first took benzos. I'm nearsighted and have worn glasses since my early teens, getting a new prescription every few years. No problems until about 3 years ago (about when I started benzos) when my optometrist couldn't give me lenses that I could see clearly with. He redid the glasses several times then finally referred me to a College of Optometry in a nearby city. The head guy there had no luck either and told me that he couldn't prescribe anything better than what I was wearing. He seemd puzzled. Since then my eyes have got worse, and I can't read or watch TV for more than a few minutes before I get bad eyestrain.

 

I read on this board somewhere that a buddie was told by her optometrist to not bother getting an eye exam until she'd been off benzos for two years.

 

I'd be very interested to hear if anyone else has had eye problems from benzos or benzo withdrawal? And if they improved afterwards.

 

Nov

 

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I wore reading glasses only. Then benzo withdrawal started.....got new glasses, much stronger, had to wear them all the time. Now I am 6 months off and can't wear the new glasses at all. My vision is totally back to normal. I wear my old reading glasses when I am reading a long time. I don't even need them when I'm working on the computer anymore.
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yes, benzo related eye problems.  i have them as well.  i have only been off benzos' for 8 days but i know it's benzo related.  took 1.5mg about 10 years ago for a year and half and noticed the eyesite change then. my eyesite is affected when i start taking benzos' and thru the w/d as well, apparently.  when i used them 10 years ago and stopped it wasn't a hard w/d and i don't remember how long it took my eyesite to come back.  i think it was a long time tho, i vaguely remember but i do remember it came back.  this time i was taking a lot more xanax and i expect my eyesite will be this way for a while.  it's really bad but i can deal with it with 2 different pair of glasses.  1 to c far and reading glasses.  i think, in w/d you have "windows" of normal eyesite as well.

 

michele

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[6e...]

When it comes to vision.. my story is a bit different..

I have always been Nearsighted, which I can't see faraway.. Farsighted is when you can't see up close, ppl get those confused sometimes.. the Astigmatism is what causes the blurriness.. everyone has a little bit of Astigmatism, but some of us (Normally off Benzo's) have it more than others..

I wear a concave lens which is a (Negative) -7.25, that's strong.. that's only the sphere too..

With glasses you have a Sphere, Cylinder, and an Axis...

Here's the way it works... in optometry... for example... if someone needs a -3.75... then they would see the way a 20/20 acuity (Normal person/ Non-Benzo) would see out of a pair of convex +3.75 glasses (Only the sphere)... Reading Glasses from a store don't have a Cylinder or an Axis, only RX glasses do. You can only buy a pair of reading glasses as is, a convex lens, which magnifies everything.

So it's like this...

+3.75-3.75= 0... BUT in the Optometry world... (acuity) 20/20 plugged in there...

+3.75-3.75= 20/20 ... note: along with the cylinder, which is always an integer... also with the Axis... 20/20 is the focus they go for..

You have Concave, which is for Nearsightedness and a Convex is for Farsightedness..

Concave = -

Convex = +

Cylinder always = -

Axis = x

Sometimes there is a prism.. which most optometrists' don't even bother with..

so on...

 

Now in my case.. my vision has stayed somewhat the same, some blur.. but then again with a -7.25 (sphere)... I don't know much difference 'cause my eyes are so blurry it's ridiculous.

I have noticed a bit of a problem seeing close up, BUT I did with my glasses on before any Benzo, a (-) concave lens will do that anyway 8 of 10, as it sometimes sets up a scenario as to how a farsighted person would see..

Just like a (+) convex will sometimes set up a scenario to where the person can't see faraway in their glasses, but up close..

 

In my case I haven't noticed a lot of vision changes because of my extreme Nearsightedness + the Astigmatism...

I have noticed a sandy feeling in them at times..

Oh, Benzo's and other meds can effect the eyes.. no doubt..

I had pinkeye once, but I don't know if it was from the Klonopin I was on at the time..

 

S#

 

 

 

 

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I've held off having a vision exam until I was at least 6 months free because I knew that benzos were affecting my vision.

 

I'll be seeing the doc later this month. ;)

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Have no clue if this is benzo related but when I started taking K my eyesight went from 20/20 to I don't know what in 6 months. After seeing eye doctors I was referred to a specialist in cornea problems , I have a thinned cornea in each eye in the center part which only hard contact lenses can get me seeing 20/50.

 

I have no clue if it's the benzos but pretty ironic that my eyes went in 6 months after taken k for 2 years.

 

Eye doctors have studied this and the only thing they say causes it is people with high stress. Hhmmmmm. Wonder if all those people were on a benzo? Hmmm.

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I have had sooooo many vision problems...even when I was on Xanax my eyes were bloodshot...blurry......and very weak....I have know been Xanax free for almost 17 months and they still are blurry....weak.....itchy....painful....dry and still are bloodshot....the bloodshot is not as bad as it was a few months ago but about three to four times a week they will just get super bloodshot....oh and they are very swollen and on top and underneath my skin is bruised looking....also my eyelids feel very puffy lots of  like they have little water balloons inside of the skin. I feel also that they burn alot...my eyes and the surrounding skin like someone is jabbing me with needles or bees are stinging me....very irritated. My eyes have really been at there worst through this whole journey. Also I strain a lot...I wear reading glass but still things are way off...I also wear sunglasses even when I am in the house because it feels better to have my eyes protected it is a weird thing I know but having the glasses around them makes them not feel as weak...go figure welcome to the world of withdrawal!!!!!!
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I also forgot to add that sometimes it feels as though spiders are walking around inside themy eyelids...very strange feeling.
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[6e...]

In my case my eyesight is so bad from the Nearsightedness and Astigmatism... I can't tell...

 

Though I get a sandy feeling in them...

So, I do think the Benzo's have indeed done that.

 

S#

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wow, i can't believe the number of eye problems from benzos'.  it should be on the warning label.  i always wondered why it wasn't.
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[6e...]

wow, i can't believe the number of eye problems from benzos'.  it should be on the warning label.  i always wondered why it wasn't.

 

I agree!

 

Y'know the optometrist asks you, "Are you on any Medication?"... as soon as I said "Valium"... they're like yeah well.. that can cause blurriness... they know more than the MD's! I was once going to be an Optometrist, studying Physics.. led me to that option.. as I studied different lens, and I decided not to be... BUT yeah I agree with you, there should be at least 100+ labels on the bottle.

 

S#

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I agree halfshelly...it should be posted on the warnings....but they hide a lot of things that they don't think the consumers should know!!!!!! Take care :)
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So strange i have perfect vision...And in month 5 i noticed everything is blurry and i couldnt see clear ..Now it seems to have repaired its self i see good again.. :) jenny
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i never knew that my vision problem was  related to xanax.  i had my suspicions, of course.  as far as i'm concerned this is irrefutable proof. 

 

yesterday, day 9 i saw a bit of improvement in my vision.  i hope that it comes back.  i don't care when just that it will.  and i really feel like doing something about the label.  i don't know what but something.  i'm going to ask my pdoc what i have to do to get the label changed.  why not?  that should be on the label.  look at all the people on this site who didn't know that was side effect.  they are running around to optomitrists? and wasting money and time.  most of the time when you get the eye exam they don't find anything wrong bc you are taking the exam under perfect conditions.  there is enough light and no distractions so you to see more clearly but in the real world you can't see.  so the benzo user leaves either with glasses that they won't need when they discontinue the meds or scratching their head.  i can guarantee that when most people read there is a chance that your vision may be compromised by taking this medication that most people will opt for something else.  if they do start with a benzo and see how bad their vision becomes they will probably stop taking it much sooner.  yeah, this should be on the label.  i'm fired up now but i have to remember to ask the pdoc..... ::)

 

M

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[6e...]

The doc never told me that Benzo's could cause blurriness, but the Optometrist certainly did...

I asked him all about it.. of course I told him what lenses I needed. I told him that the Cylindrical lens needs to be adjusted.

SO, he basically agreed... after that was done, the blurriness went away, but I assume after I'm off the Valium give or take 3 months or less...

I will not need such a strong Cylindrical lens... sometimes you have to tell the doc's what to do.. not nec. the Optometrist, but the PCP...

 

S#

 

lol... strange we know more about Benzo's than they do... AND WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW IS HURTING THEM!

 

I just leave it at that.

People perceive things... sometimes they don't understand, so why even bother explaining... Doc's are one of those ppl...

 

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Amen to that, last doctor I went to didn't even really let me talk. Just asked me questions that I was supposed to answer "yes or no" to regarding my anxiety symptoms.  As soon as I started explaining in depth.. he would tell me to just please answer yes or no. Which made me feel like the computer he was on was just going to compute a disorder and medication based on my answers.  If that is the case I could easily be a doctor...

 

During my taper my vision was blurry, not to the point of needing any glasses or anything... but 2 months after my last dose of K in Dec. 09, my eyes just kept burning and that was horrible.  I was scared that I permanently damaged my eyes or something by being on benzos.. but luckily that cleared up.  Having my vision or hearing distorted greatly bothered me.

 

As for warning labels... compared to some symptoms they already do list, I don't think blurred vision would not be much of a deterrent  :(

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I hesitate to say this, but most GP doctors are nearly worthless.

 

There, I said it.

 

Most of the time they would rather throw pills at your problems than actually find solutions. Many times I have had a regular doc write prescription after prescription to try to resolve an issue. I would end up going back three or four times spending time and money on office visits and scrips, only to eventually see a specialist who diagnosed me in ten minutes and then gave me the RIGHT prescription which solved my problem within a day. I liked my last doctor, but in retrospect it was only because she took the time to listen to me instead of herding me out the door like a head of cattle. Unfortunately being a good listener doesn't necessarily make you a good doctor.

 

The scary thing is that these pill pushers are giving out benzo's the same way they give out antibiotics, and they have little regard for the long term ramifications of getting people to take these drugs.

 

Also.... for a class of drugs to have been out for nearly 40 years to NOT have a warning on the label that they can cause vision impairment is inexcusable. I can't believe these doctors and drug companies are still able to get away with this.

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Floridaguy you are to ally right about these doctors prescribing these meds. I live in north Florida and when I  was going through a CT and didn't know what was wrong with me all the doctors kept telling me it wasn't the meds that I had a serious illness and possibly a rare disease. They kept testing me for everything, kept trying to put me on more meds for the symptoms. And every time I would question if it was the valuim or the oxy they would say, " absolutely not we hand these out all the time and no one has problems with them."

 

No wonder the state of Florida has such a huge problem with pill mills.

 

Petra

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And every time I would question if it was the valuim or the oxy they would say, " absolutely not we hand these out all the time and no one has problems with them."

 

I have to wonder just how many people are able to come off of these meds without any issues. I'm sure my last doc continues to think these meds are fine because even if she were still practicing I wouldn't be going back to her anyway.

 

Like I told my mom, "doctors put me in this position, I'm not going back to let them try to throw more pills at me".

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I started a similar thread because I did not see this one.  I also had no idea that vision could get this bad.  I am walking around seriously impaired.  If only the eye doc would have given me the new script instead of having to wait, I would feel a lot better.  I wouldn't even mind paying.  The weather is getting nicer and my son wants to play catch.  I hate having to say no because of this.  The not driving is rough, but my boy means the world to me.

 

Good to know I'm not the only one out there.

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  • 1 year later...
My vision isn't blurry so much as it is splotchy and textured like I'm looking at a textured wall :(Anybody have these vision problems? I'm scared.
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