Changing Vision in a PF Patient, and What Can Help

Dear Kim, Thank you for sharing this with us. I too have noticed that my vision in my right eye has become increasingly blurry over the last year. I was diagnosed with IPF 2 years ago and have been on Esbriet for about 6 months. Esbriet seems to be helping me cough less and etc. But, the blurred vision worries me. I will go to my eye Doctor and see what he says. Thank you for sharing and for helping us all along our way. Best Regards, Dana

Very interesting and informative. I appreciate any news on PF because so few people in my town have ever heard of it.
Thank you- I feel connected.

Hello Kim. I found this very interesting. Thank you.
I take Mycophenolate (2500 mg per day) and Prednisone (low dose, 5 mg per day) plus other meds.
I notice blurring at times. I've asked my doctor and my eye doctor but I have good vision and no eye disease was found.
I mostly have no problem but it is hard to read the tv screen and printed page is easy with good lighting but if it isn't well lit then I can't make out the letters. And when I might be a little tired and have to drive to pick up my kid from work, etc, things are a little blurry.
This week my eye have been itchy.
I am trying to limit my 'screen time' to see how that helps.
I use eye drops when it is too bothersome but I wonder if I should just try using them daily to see if it helps.
I am currently not using supplemental oxygen as I rarely drop below 90%.

Thanks for this! I am 66 male diagnosed in 2014, taking Esbriet for 2+ years now. Am experiencing blurred vision and I was wondering what was going on. I also have Gerd. I will bring this up to my eye doctor next visit soon. I do have dry eyes that they discovered and told me to be using lubricant drops. Now I'm gonna be paying more attention to all of this, thanks

Very informative.Thank you for sharing.

Hi Kim, I have problems with blurry vision. I made an appointment to see my eye doctor to find out about my sight problems. I will let you know what he says. I am talking Esbriet and it is about one year ago when I began the medication. Thanks for your support. Dave

I was diagnosed with IPF in December, 2012. I was taking Prednisone and Flonase for my allergies. My vision got so bad I needed additional lite and a magnifying glass to read - Cataracts. I had them removed in the summer of 2015. I received the gift of a single lung transplant in March of 2016 at BWH. While I was in recovery I noticed problems with my vision particularly in my left eye. It was like looking through a shear drape. After a couple of months of recovery I went back to my eye doctor who told me the pressure in my left eye was serious. Glaucoma. I went through two operations on my left eye and I am in the process of waiting for my vision to return.

Hi, I am 62 & have had IPF for 2 yrs, have had GERD for several years. I've worn glasses most of my life. Only use O2 on exertion at 1-2 liters. Last year I was told by the Ophthalmologist, I had what could turn into dry eye syndrome & for now to use tears,but if it worsened to come in & he would check again. About 12 years ago I had 2 torn Retina. My mom also had IPF & was diagnosed with Fuchs Syndrome, she did not wear O2 at .

My IPF was first diagnosed because of "floaters" in my right eye. My ophthamologist suspected sarcoidosis and wanted to prescribe prednisone to reduce inflammation and diminish the floaters. But first I had to be checked to insure I did not have TB. My primary care doctor became involved; X-rays, CT scan, visit with a pulmonologist followed. Rapidly thereafter a lung biopsy confirmed IPF. My floaters still persist; at times they are less bothersome. In the past heavy doses of prednisone improved my vision, but at the cost of increased eye pressure and the risk of glaucoma. I recently had cataract surgery in both eyes; my opthamologist claimed the surgery might reduce the floaters. It has not. I too have dry eyes and am ocasionally taking zaditor, which helps somewhat.

Thanks so much. I have been whining about my eyes to no avail. The impact of oxygen makes a lot of sense, as do your suggestion for alleviating the symptoms.

Hi Kim
Can you say any more about GERD and blurred vision in particular, what is the assumed mechanism? I have IPF and I am on Ofev. I also have Laryngo Pharyngeal Reflux (LPR) which I am about to have investigated. I take lansoprazole but I am considering having Lynx reflux management system fitted. Could this help my eyesight?

Hello
I have experienced the same as above. Dry eyes and now some burryi vision in the mornings. I have been told I have Sojgrens disease and ANA. Diagnosed fibrosis in 2014 when I had pneumonia.
No, doctors do not really understand this disease. It pays to do your own research.
So thankful for this site.

I also am having vision problems. I was diagnosed with IPF in Nov 2013 and have been taking Esbreit since the middle of 2014. Esbreit has helped me. My eye doctor had to look up Esbreit to see what it was. Now I don't feel like I am "nuts" when I can't make out faces at the grocery store and other public places. Thank you for the information.

Thanks for this article on vision blurring in COPD patients.

I take care of my aged mother who is a COPD patient since 2013. She has started complaining of vision blurring off late. I will discuss this with her Doctor very soon.

Articles in this forum are very very informative and helpful.

Thanks to all publishers

I can totally relate to your findings, I was 51 years when diagnosed with IPF, I have been on steroids on and off for past 7 years, when I was first diagnosed, and on espirit for 5 years, one of first patients in Ireland to try it out,
I have been on treatment for dry eyes, and have problems with sinus, I attend opticians regular and have noticed how bad my eyes have got, but was putting this down to age rather than IPF, so find this very interesting.
Thank you for sharing.

Kim, thank you so much for this information. It makes so much sense.
I use systane ultra, I'm going to try your refresh. I have dry eye, cataracts, macular. Whew! And that's only my eyes!
Love and blessings to you.

FINALLY!!!! Let me say again-- FINALLY!!! I am getting so very tired of doctors asking me why I'm on oxygen. I tell them "IPF, then say Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis". They blink, nod and go on like I have no disease.
I have been on oxygen since Feb 2013. Been on OFEV almost that long. For the past year at least, my vision gets very blurry in the evenings and night. I'm on and off prednisone all the time. The eye doctor did find small cataracts, but nothing other than normal quick eye exam. Perhaps I should take this article to him.
I wish there was a center where ALL the doctors (specialists) knew all about IPF!!!!!

Thanks for your info. I have IPF and also have dry eyes . Did not know that the two were connected. I use natural tears every morning. I use oxygen at night.

I have IPF for about 18 months now. Just had basic cataract surgery to both eyes. I had forgotten how vivid colors were! I also have rheumatoid arthritis and take hydroxychloroquine 200 mg two a day. I am warned by my rheumatologist to make sure I tell my eye doctor about taking this medication because it can affect the eyes.

My husband was just diagnosed with IPF in early July, 2017. His had already progressed to require him to have 7 ltrs of oxygen 24 hrs. Since the first couple of weeks at home he began complaining of blurred vision. He has been to our local eye doctor to only saw some vision loss in one eye and not enought to warrant a new pres. He was on Esbriet but gave it up because he couldn't eat, began losing weight, just felt awful all of the time. He only took it for about 9 weeks. Of course, he takes 20mg of Prednisone daily, and other meds he has always taken but he suspicioned the Esbriet had done something to his vision. Now he wants to see an eye specialist he saw about a year ago. He has already had both catarats removed. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

This article just what i needed. My eyes in the past year and a half have caused me so much trouble last year i was in my back yard looking at a hole we had dug to install a new dry well when i suddenly lost complete vision.
My eyes have been dry for many years nothing seemed to help of course when i lost my vision even though it was probably less than a minute but was one of the most terrifying things ever. Anyway with several health problems i went to my GP immediately. My doctor got me into my eye doctor within an hour she told me my corneas have been seriously damaged from years of dry eye with nothing helping. My eye doctor gave me some samples of a new drug called Xiindra within 48 hours i couldn't believe how much i could see i just didn't realize how bad my vision had become. About six months later i was diagnosed with IPF=Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis for those that don't know. The people and their families know it is a terminal disease unless you can get a double lung transplant due to other health problems i am not eligible for a transplant and i am okay with that this disease is so miserable sometimes i just want it to be over with but most of the time i want to spend as much time with my family as i can then without notice BAM sick as can be and just miserable
My eyes now always always always drive me crazy! I went from perfect actually 20/10 in my right eye and 20/15 better than what is considered excellent as a pilot vision is everything well flying is a thing of the past like most other things i do not have the strength or energy to do much anymore.
I am very grateful to the author of this article it has brought me some comfort knowing its not just me even though i wouldn't wish this disease on anyone for any reason! Thank you Kim for writing this am so grateful!

Hi my name is Cindy, I get sudden blurred vision and it doesn't last for long. kind of scary cause I cant see anything while that happens. I had lung surgery and have mild scaring. no real answer yet they are watching me close to see if I have pf.