Extreme Light Sensitivity After Cataract Surgery.
Posted , 19 users are following.
Right after having cataract surgery about six months ago everything was super bright - Artificial lighting in stores almost seems like it's burning and sometimes makes me dizzy. It's almost like I can't think, it's messing with my brain. At times it is intolerable. By the end of the day the collective eyestrain has my eyes mostly shut and I've learned to live in as dark of an environment as possible. Even sunlight coming through a window can be problematic. I also get the flickering at times that other people and myself have posted about.
I had a concussion from a blow above my eye about three years ago. I'm 'only' 58 and that is what started the cataracts, but Dr. May, a neuro-opthamologist, did not think there was link to my current issues.
I've seen lots of specialists, including Dr Randall Olsen at the John Moran Eye clinic in Salt Lake City. I can't recommend Dr Olsen highly enough, I don't think anyone is more qualified. He said my brain is working about 10 times harder than normal trying to adjust to the new light coming in and that out of the 3 million plus cataract surgeries done last year, there would only be 10 to 20 people, if that, with this condition. No doctor has more than a patients like this, so no study has been done. That diagnosis has since been confirmed by two really good specialists.
Dr Olsen is the only one who has given a good scientific explanation of what is causing the flickering, dizzyness and eyestrain. I should have had a tape recorder on, most of it went over my head and it was much better info than I could find on the internet, despite a ton of research.
The cure is exposure, hiding in the dark prevents recovery. The time frame for improvement may be 2-3 years. I gather those who did not expose themselves to more light did not recover. So, I've got the lights on 😃
There is no name for this that I know of, but that doesn't make it any less real.
I am wondering about the recovery time frames of any other similarly afflicted victims that may have also come to this forum?
1 like, 41 replies
PA06 MikeMess
Posted
Hello MikeMess and others, I am at 4 months since surgery and have light 'reflections (dysphotopsia) in both eyes, flickering (mainly in the morning) and have not gone any way towards getting used to the light. I don't hide from it, but that's not helpin. I have to use a computer 7.5 hours per day mininum for my job, and despite using the nightlight with an orange filter, to take out the blue light, it's just as hard to work all day. At times I have to shut my eyes to get some relief. Even reading a book can be hard. I will have a checkup next month (5 months since surgery) but the original ophthalmologist and the one I saw for a second opinion both expressed satisfaction with the state of my eyes and didn't even respond when I told them about the problems. I am in France and it seems that they don't know much about these things here - all the information I have gleaned came from the 'net. I hope you're situation is better now - please do update us.
MikeMess PA06
Posted
Hi, PA06. I feel your pain. I had no improvement until at least 6 or 7 months from surgery and that was only after I started exposing myself to flourescent indoor lights. It's been almost 2 years since I've read a book. Things have gotten better, but in the last few weeks some of the flickering has returned and after I got the YAG procedure in my right eye a few months ago I get nasty light streaks at night.
Per the flickering, I found that at the beginning I could not stay in stores more than a minute or so before getting almost frozen in place by lights and nauseous. A very odd feeling.
I've been told the condition I have happens in less than 1 out of 200,000 cataract surgeries, so it's likely you will not find a local eye doctor who has ever heard of it before. They will just look at your eyes and tell you they can't see anything wrong. I had to go the doctor who invented the word 'dysphotopsia' to get a firm diagnosis, but he is not seeing patients any more.
Please stay in touch and let me know how you are doing. I was told that if I continued hiding out in the dark, the condition would never improve.
pamela041963 MikeMess
Posted
I am an RN who on 2/8/22(right eye) and 2/22/22 (left eye)had surgeries on both eyes for both cataracts and glaucoma. My worst eye was my right eye. I actually have lost most of my vision in my right eye prior to surgery and that was following a regimen of Simbrinza and Rocklatan for glaucoma. I expected to return to work on 2/28/22 but continue to be out of work and am about to lose my job. The biggest reason is due to extreme light sensitivity but also see great big halos around every light. It's hard to look at a computer screen and even my phone screen but the worst is outside. I have been unable to wear glasses for countless years due to having a "vasovagal" response whenever I try to wear any kind of glasses. So I have always wore contacts for this reason. My problem now is that I am so extremely light sensitive and cannot even wear sunglasses. So I am unable to drive and my work is about 30 minutes away. I have an appointment scheduled for a second opinion but could not get in until June 23rd, 2022. I am looking for some help/answers to help me get back to my normal self! Also, on top of that I paid $1200 for each eye to have a multifocal contact and my left eye(which is really the only eye I really have vision in at this point), is only picking up near vision so they have prescribed me a contact now for my far vision. Any help would be appreciated!
RonAKA pamela041963
Posted
It would seem to me that you need to see an ophthalmologist that specializes in these kind of vision issues. Did you mean to say that you paid $1200 for each eye to get a multifocal IOL? SIf so seeing halos around lights is likely due to having a MF IOL, as that is pretty standard. With your glaucoma issues I am surprised that they would put a MF IOL in though.
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About all I know is that some post surgery drops can aggravate glaucoma, but I would expect you are all done those now. And, there are over the counter Vuity eye drops available now that constrict the pupils. If with your conditions you are able to try them, they may help some.
Sue.An2 pamela041963
Posted
so sorry for all these issues. All of us here ate patients like you and although we have gone through cataract surgeries and exchange info and read up we are just lay people with no professional training. If your surgeon won't investigate further into your issues perhaps seeing another specialist would produce some answers.
I am rather surprised a multifocal lens was recommended given your other vision issues.
Hoping you get relief and fine someone to help.
Iguana MikeMess
Posted
Hi Mike,
Your message from two years ago sounds so much like what I have been experiencing over the past year. Last September I had cataract surgery, both eyes, procedure done a week apart. I am still dealing with light sensitivity, glare, and dizziness. The dizziness is more like my equilibrium is off. It feels like my brain and eyes are not working together. I have tried several different pairs of sunglasses for photophobia, received some relief but not enough. Initially I couldn't even look out the window as the light was blinding. Now I can go outside with sunglasses, but I still have the glare, and dizziness.
I have seen several ophthalmologists, neuro- ophthalmologist, and cornea specialist. They told me that my brain is not adapting to the multifocal lens. I heard about Dr. Randall Olsen from the John Moran Eye Clinic. I am sorry that he wasn't able to help you. Please tell me how you are doing now and thank you for sharing your story as it gives me hope that maybe in the years ahead my condition will get better. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
jimluck MikeMess
Edited
Maybe ask whether a lens exchange, swapping in IC-8s for your current IOLs would help. The IC-8 has only a 1.3 mm opening to allow in light. Compare to a constricted pupil -- normally 2 to 4 mm.
The usual purpose is to give great depth of focus -- and that's why I want it -- but a side effect is less light reaching the retina. In your case, reducing the light would be the goal, and great depth of focus would be a side benefit. Like any IOL, it's intended to stay in for life.
It has just been approved in the US, so it is not yet well known, but if you went to one of the 21 clinics involved in the US clinical trial, they would have experience. There were 2 in Utah, 1 in Colorado, a few in California, for example. Full list here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03633695
On-label use if implantation in only 1 eye, but there are lots of cases described in the literature of bilateral implantation of the IC-8 with high patient satisfaction. See https://www.healio.com/news/ophthalmology/20200226/bilateral-ic8-implantation-viable-strategy-for-presbyopic-patients
I hope you get relief.
Jim
Iguana MikeMess
Posted
Hi Jim,
Thank you for replying and providing information regarding the IC-8 lens. This is not an option as I had the YAG procedure, recommended by my ophthalmologist, done about three months after cataract surgery. Every doctor that I have spoken to since has indicated that a lens exchange is not possible after YAG.
I have also tried Vuity, a prescription eye drop used to treat age-related blurry near vision (presbyopia) in adults. It is similar to Pilocarpine, with less side effects. It did not however work for me. My symptoms did not get any better, the Vuity caused headaches. After reading Mike's message about Dr. Randal Olsen, I placed a call to the John Moran Eye Clinic. I was told they do not offer teleconference calls; I reside in NY and Dr. Olsen is currently not taking new patients.
So I am not sure how to proceed or who to see next. Maybe I just wait and hope that as the years go by my brain adapts to these lenses. I expose my eyes to light every day, but the dizziness persists.
Thank you again for trying to help me, I so greatly appreciate it.
mark35378 MikeMess
Posted
For Mike regarding light sensitivity,
have not seen an update online.
Wondering how you are doing now that it has been 2 years, any improvement?
I am currently suffering the same symptoms in Alaska.
Would be good to confer with you on what I am trying for medications and other therapy.
MikeMess
Posted
Hi. Sorry it has taken me so long to reply back to this thread. Of the original symptoms, I really have only the fluttering in one eye. However, I have a host of new issues - Double vision in my left eye, one image is lighter and above the 'real' one and is becoming more separate from it, leading to blurred vision in that eye. I also see streaks coming from light sources in both eyes and they 'jiggle' quite a bit, so it's very distracting, especially at night. There are also major starbursts around lights. I can drive at night, but it's marginal at best.
When I had the light sensitivity it was so bad even a sliver of light was painful. And, I couldn't spend more than a minute or two inside stores before getting too dizzy, sometimes almost feeling like I was frozen in place. I never got a real good explanation for all of this, and to make matters worse, I'm allergic to something in the dilation drops, so no doctor really wants to see me since they can't dilate my eyes. Any as long as I have 20/20 vision, they think the surgery was successful. I don't get dizzy anymore, if that's any comfort, but the light show, which really started after the YAGs, looks like it's here to stay.
I know none of this is comforting, again the only good advice I got was to stop hiding in the dark as it was preventing neuroadaptation.