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Vision

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tyler04178
tyler04178

I've been experiencing some vision problems for the past 7 months and the only thing wrong my neurologist and doctors can find is iron deficiency anemia. I'm not losing blood from anywhere I've been checked a few times for it. But it's a weird coincidence that these vision problems have come about at the same time as the anemia. I am a bit confused by it as well as my doctor but has anybody ever experienced vision problems with anemia.? Any advice or input would be so greatly appreciated.

Symptoms:

- vision- blurry intermediately, spotty with spots that come and go all the time. Best way I can explain this is if somebody has taken a picture with the flash on in front of your face in the after images of that flash is kind of what I'm seeing. Also Shadow vision like overlapping over everything I see. Halos and glare.

Fatigue- I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 2 months ago and have been using a CPAP every night and I'm still tired constantly. Mostly I'm tired after reading or doing any kind of activity.

Balance- sometimes I feel slightly off-balance and kind of dizzy.

Anxiety and depression- I have constant anxiety and I am severely depressed and this has been for about 6 months. This is very constant and I think it ties in with my vision problems I'm having alot.

Any input or ideas or even comments would be greatly appreciated thank you in advance.

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • sally_14743
    sally_14743 tyler04178

    Posted

    Hi 

    what were your blood test results ferritin and your hb? 

    They will give an idea if your symptoms are related to anaemia or to anxiety.. 

    • tyler04178
      tyler04178 sally_14743

      Posted

      hi Sally thank you for replying I do have some blood work that has been done here and it is the following

      Hemoglobin 13.5 normal range 14 through 18

      Hematocrit 40.4 normal range 42 through 52

      Mean crepuscular hemoglobin 26.9 normal range 27 through 31

      Iron 33 normal range 67 through 100

      Creatinine .67 normal range .70 through 1.30

      Csf total protein is elevated 47 normal range under 44

      These are from 10/18/17 and it was repeated on 12/2/17 and all I know is the anemia is worse don't have the specifics about it.

  • sally_14743
    sally_14743 tyler04178

    Posted

    Hi your haemaglobin is quite good .. and if this were lower it would give you symptoms lightheaded, palpitations, pounding heart breathlessness etc 

    your iron is lower than the normal range but not low ..mine has been 4 in the past now 9.. 

    yourgp may be correct and you may be experiencing anxiety symptoms ..

    my hb is 10 my iron 9 

    i have breathlessness climbing stairs but that’s all when my iron was 6 I was bad pounding heart, palpitations breathlessness etc .. 

    the iron tablets do work if u tolerate them 

    if u don’t there is iron infusion which is good but I don’t think they would give you as your iron levels are not low enough ..

    Hope that helps 

    sally

    • tyler04178
      tyler04178 sally_14743

      Posted

      Thank you I appreciate the advice. I'm going to ask my doctor what my more recent levels are. Hopefully it is anxiety related. I know that anxiety and depression can manifest into physical symptoms but of course to the person experiencing it, the fact that anxiety causing it just sounds impossible. I've dealt with anxiety enough to know it can cause many very real symptoms and even though it seem impossible and unimaginable that it could cause these vision problems, it very well could be. I'm seeing a hematologist Tuesday because there's no explanation for the low iron/anemia and the fact the recent test are worse despite the iron tablets so hopefully they can confirm everything.

  • sally_14743
    sally_14743 tyler04178

    Posted

    It’s good you are being seen by a haematologist. I am sure once they discover why your iron levels are dropping your anxiety will reduce .. your dizziness could be related to the underlying cause of your iron lowering ... the reality is doctors will investigate all the obvious blood losses and then work down the list the whole process is extremely stressful each result you become stressed over .. but whatever your eventual cause is you will deal with it .. anxiety is fear of the unknown . The reality when it happens we cope with it’s there .... so hang in there try not to fear the worst .. you will look back and all your symptoms etc will make sense . For now you have to leave it to the experts ..and them .. let us know how you get on ..ps I know what causes my anaemia and yet I still become anxious over it.. our bodies not doing what they should is not nice ..
  • audra86673
    audra86673 tyler04178

    Posted

    Have you had your B-12 level checked? Your symptoms sound much like low B-12. Even ranges that are within normal can cause deficiency symptoms because the normal lab ranges are too low. Iron, folate and B-12 all work and play off each other. Are you a vegetarian/vegan? If so, that in itself can cause low B-12. Many times low B-12 is an absorption issue, not a blood loss issue. If your Dr. has not checked your B-12 and folic acid I would get them checked. If either show an issue, they will perform more blood tests to try and figure out where the absorption issue is stemming from.  
    • tyler04178
      tyler04178 audra86673

      Posted

      You know what I don't think my B12 or folic acid levels have been checked. I may be wrong but I've never seen it in my paper work and they've never mentioned it at all. the Whole Health Care system in Maine is just horrible it's really bad. so I would not be surprised if there's many things that need to be checked that haven't been. Actually I'm sure there's things that haven't been checked because they still don't have a diagnosis. All they can tell me is it's anxiety. Well of course I have anxiety my vision is daily distorted and obstructed I think anybody would have anxiety over that especially when an opthamologist and a neurologist can't figure it out.

  • audra86673
    audra86673 tyler04178

    Posted

    I hear you! When I first went into my Dr. with fatigue, sleep disturbances, shortness of breath, hair falling out and feeling anxious he pulled out a questionnaire right in the middle of my conversation. It was an anxiety/depression questionnaire! After I filled it out and had only circled "0's" and "1's" ( 0 being none and 5 being all the time) he said , "huh! I thought it would be higher than this." I couldn't believe it! I've been totally healthy (physically and mentally) up to that point and go in with symptoms and the first thing he does is relate it to anxiety!? And while having shortness of breath and not knowing why, was causing some anxiety ( feeling of suffocation will do that to you! ) it certainly wasn't anything extreme or that should have been his first possible diagnosis for me! He did order a blood test... a lipid panel... and nothing else! I hadn't had any blood work done since I was in my early 30's and pregnant ( I'm 49 now). I had to ask for my iron levels and B-12 and thyroid and several other things to be tested. He agreed but told me insurance wouldn't cover some of the tests I was wanting, so I just paid for them myself! Turns out my iron, ferritin, RBC and HCT were all low and my hemoglobin was 1/10 of a % off of being lab range low and my B-12 was low (234) but within normal lab range. I pushed for more B-12 testing ( folic acid, homocysteine and MMA testing) as I want to see if I have an absorption issue before I start supplementing.  I want to make sure I can absorb it properly. I'm waiting for those results. I had to have a "let's get on the same page" chat with him and I expressed my desire to be proactive and help myself stay out of a diseased state. He agreed, but I still feel like I'm having to drive the bus on many accounts. It's annoying that some dr's don't take an individualized approach to each patient and aren't more proactive trying to keep patients in an optimal state of health instead of just riding it out and dismissing the patients with more vague or less pathological symptoms as a state of anxiety or just aging. I hope you're able to find out what is causing your symptoms and get relief! It's awful when you don't feel well and don't know why. 

    • tyler04178
      tyler04178 audra86673

      Posted

      Isn't it crazy how doctors do this I wonder how many people have actually died because doctors push their symptoms off as anxiety. a lot of my family including myself has issues with generalized anxiety disorder and I know all about it and I've been dealing with it since I was a child. But never have I heard of anxiety causing the issues I'm having with vision and most of the other symptoms. I'm not naive and I know for a fact that the anxiety maximizes my symptoms it makes them a lot worse than they are but bottom line is it is not the anxiety causing these symptoms. I just wish doctors would understand that

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