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Anyone else get recurrent eye bleeds?

Messages
8
Hi.
I've got yer another bleed into the white of my eye. They happen from time to time (once every 6 months or so), even before I formally had me/cfs. I worry if small blood vessels in my eyes can burst and bleed, that it could happen in my brain as well. I also get spontaneous bleeds in tiny blood vessels in the joints of my hands or wrists. I'll have a painful burning sensation, look down, and see the blood pushing up under the skin. It's possible that I have injured the fingers/wrist inadvertently, but often I can point to no activity which would cause this.

I'm just wondering if this is somehow connected to my me/cfs, or a completely different process.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.
 

Crux

Senior Member
Messages
1,441
Location
USA
I found that my eye hemorrhages were from low copper.
Many me/cfs patients here have had low copper, but I've not seen anyone report bleeding into the eye.
 

lenora

Senior Member
Messages
4,913
Hi.....I have severe allergies in addition to a host of other problems. At least 3-4 times/yr. I have eye "bleed" problems b/c of easily broken vessels in the eye. A good sneeze is enough to set one off. It takes longer for them to clear now, but they are fairly common.

I have no idea if copper deficiency leads to them or not, but pollen certainly does. Also, I'm very fair so I don't know if our coloring makes us more susceptible or not. Always a question, isn't there? Yours, Lenora.
 

Crux

Senior Member
Messages
1,441
Location
USA
@Cfscny - I think you should have your eyes checked. Bleeding in the eye is one of the symptoms of macular degeneration. Though I think macular degeneration is usually age-related occurring most commonly in those over 50.

My neighbor was diagnosed with AMD, the doc prescribed a daily supplement with 80 mg. zinc and 2 mg. copper.
She became exhausted from taking it.

Unfortunately docs aren't always well informed.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,334
Location
Southern California
My neighbor was diagnosed with AMD, the doc prescribed a daily supplement with 80 mg. zinc and 2 mg. copper.
She became exhausted from taking it.

Unfortunately docs aren't always well informed.
Right, they're not always well-informed, but I still think it would be worth getting checked out. I don't know why your neighbor got exhausted from the zinc and copper supplement. It might be possible something else made her exhausted or it could have been the zinc or the copper, or something else in the supplement as well. Or he may have given her a drug of some kind as well? There are some drugs they're using now which they didn't 20 years ago. One is Avastin (used with chemotherapy) which can cause extremely serious ("side") effects.

If any doctor prescribed any drug for treatment of MD (or for any other reason), I think we all need to do our own research and decide whether or not to take it. ,

My mom had AMD - the wet kind - and she would get periodic bleeds. The doctor would periodically stop the bleeds, I guess using a laser. I know she took a lot of supplements. But this was 20 years ago and I don't think she was on any drugs for treatment - definitely not Avastin! She had smoked for much of her life and smoking is a major risk factor for AMD.
 

Springbok1988

Senior Member
Messages
155
I’ve had retinal hemorrhaging occur several times a year since the onset of my ME 13 years ago, when I was 20. It causes blind spots in my vision that take a week to a month to heal. It’s different than your situation but still is bleeding of the eye. Doctors never figured out the cause but they also never tried very hard. None of my doctors ever have.
 

lenora

Senior Member
Messages
4,913
Thanks for the info@Crux. I'll definitely check into the copper shortage, especially with the link to histamines.

That's the only problem with vitamins, supplements and herbs...keeping everything within the proper ratio. It would be nice to get rid of at least some of these allergies....and perhaps the eye bleeds will lessen also. Yours, Lenora.
 
Messages
8
I want to qualify: my issue is not with AMD or retinal detachment. It is not about the retina in the back of the eye. It is about the front of the whites of the eye. A vein or capillary bursts for some unknown reason. Yes, sneezing, heavy lifting, vomiting can all cause it, and it's possible that I did it when moving an air conditioner. But it didn't show at that time, so...?

I have gone to an eye doctor several times when this bleeding occurs. More than one eye dr, in fact. They all say it's not a problem unless it happens "all the time." Because of that, I'm more concerned that it has to do with the health or fragility of my small veins/capillaries (everywhere, not just in my eyes) than the health of my eye.

I did once have retinal detachment, and again, eye dr said not to worry, just check in again in a month or so. (which I did). It "resolved " with no loss of vision.

I found one - but only one - article suggesting eye bleeds might be predictive of strokes in the future. Again, I think this is related to the bleeds in my fingers and wrists, which also happen spontaneously.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm looking into the suggestions. Seems like my diet has plentry of Copper in it (nuts being one source), although maybe I'm having absorption problems...
 

lenora

Senior Member
Messages
4,913
I haven't checked, but trust that you can get copper on its own. I'll start out taking it every few days and see what that accomplishes. I'm sure that I'm not getting too much zinc.

I didn't realize (nor didn't remember) that all mammals accumulate iron in their organs. I do see an opthamologist once/yr. I had cataracts removed probably 6 years ago now. Didn't make any difference one way or the other. Still, they have to be done at a certain time as the eyes require it. (Called being ripe.)

My husband, age 77, still hasn't had his cataracts removed because his eyes aren't ready for the operation(s). Still, he has other problems....age!! Interesting about iron though.

Lucky neighbor to have her energy back. Yours, Lenora.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,334
Location
Southern California
My neighbor promptly stopped the supplement and her exhaustion stopped. She became the energetic person as she was.
I'm really glad your neighbor figured out the problem! The solution is not always clear-cut - e.g., some people when they start taking B12 or methylfolate may start feeling worse, but the actual problem might be potassium deficiency induced by the B12 or folate, which they actually need. So they can experience refeeding syndrome when taking something they need.

Anyways, it's sounds like you've been doing a lot of research about eye issues! :thumbsup:
 
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Crux

Senior Member
Messages
1,441
Location
USA
@Mary,

Well thanks, I'll just say that bloody eyes are a motivator!

In my neighbor's case, I strongly suspect she too has a copper deficiency. She has deadly allergies among other things. not me/cfs though
Her mother had hemochromatosis, but she's had anemia. unpredictable