MCAS makes eye(s) suddenly blurry

[Sherlock]

A blogger is reviewing Afrin's Occam book and quotes him:

The second most common eye-related complaint I’ve encountered is brief, unprovoked episodes (typically a minute or two, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer) of loss of visual focus. This virtually always affects both eyes at the same time.

http://www.mastcelldisease.com/never-bet-against-occam-the-mcas-bible-in-review-part-five/

I've been having that for years, in the morning, but for me was almost always only in one eye. It's as if a film suddenly is over the pupil.

I'd never associated that with MCAS, but there it is.

 

[Moof]

Yes, I often have it too. Feels like when I used to wear mascara and removed it with baby oil. I hadn't linked it with MCAS either!

 

[lafarfelue]

Makes me wonder if I should push for an MCAS assessment next. I had just put my bouts of blurred vision down to general fatigue and dysautonomic issues.

 

[Sherlock]

Apparently, some allergy sufferers have the inside lining of their eyelids slough off. This seems like the same thing. The inside of the eyelid has many of... you guessed it, mast cells.


But come to think of it, there are times of instant onset. I cannot read the computer screen with that eye at that time. A few minutes later, it suddenly goes away. That's as described by Afrin above.

But I've also had lots of days where my eyes are blurry for many hours. The blurriness is not as bad at those times, either. I can read the computer screen, but barely, with a lot of squinting. That seems to have a different cause.

 

[Gingergrrl]

Have any of you tried Zaditor eye drops (which is Ketotefin in an eye drop form)? It helps the eyes with inflammation and allergies from MCAS. I use it 2x/day and it's OTC and not a prescription (at least in the US).

 

[Hope4]

Have any of you tried Zaditor eye drops (which is Ketotefin in an eye drop form)? It helps the eyes with inflammation and allergies from MCAS. I use it 2x/day and it's OTC and not a prescription (at least in the US).

http://www.zaditor.com/antihistamine-eye-drops.shtml#aboutzed

I just looked up the Zaditor eye drops. Here are the inactive ingredients:

Inactive ingredients
benzalkonium chloride 0.01%, glycerol, purified water, sodium hydroxide, and/or hydrochloric acid
-----

Sodium hydroxide is lye. Lye, as in drain cleaner, or for making soap. It is the most caustic alkali there is. Why would that be put in eye drops?


Benzalkonium chloride is an anti-microbial. Here is a Safety data sheet for it:

https://www.fishersci.com/shop/msds...AC263820010&vendorId=VN00032119&storeId=10652

I hope the amount in the eye drops is quite minimal.

 

[Gingergrrl]

Sodium hydroxide is lye. Lye, as in drain cleaner, or for making soap. It is the most caustic alkali there is. Why would that be put in eye drops?

I had no idea and that is very strange! I still use the Ketotefin eye drops (Zaditor) 2x/day and have not had any problems with them. But if anyone is sensitive to the inactive ingredients, I definitely would not use them.

 

[MCASMike]

I too have blurry vision sometimes, rarely in both eyes, always or almost always in the morning, and it lasts a couple minutes. I have yet to be diagnosed with MCAS but have nearly all the symptoms, including osteoporosis in my mid 30s, orthostatic hypotension, rashes that come and go quickly, chronic sinus issues (mostly post-nasal drip), foggy/groggy feeling that can last for weeks, loss of balance, etc. I began taking loratidine, aspiring, D3, etc. about a month ago and have gotten a lot of relief. My eyes would also get very dry during the night, and can tear up uncontrollably for several minuts, but thet Zatidor seems to really help (the tears used to really burn but I started eating honey a few months back, not knowing about MCAS, and that really helped with stopping the burning, but not the tearing). I also get a tiny bit of blood in the nose, usually left side, when I sit up in the mornings. From what I understand, this is due to heparin buildup in that area during the night.