It wasn't the weather.

hilary1617

First time at the rodeo.
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Jan 6, 2014
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Since this Spring, my allergies have been out of control. I assumed it was due to the rainy weather, maybe additional mold in the air.

My eyes would run ALL day long - whenever they were open. I purchased Zaditor drops, and they helped a bit, but not entirely. I was getting dizzy, which I attributed to vertigo from allergies impacting my ears (then I also went on blood thinners which exacerbated the dizziness - at which point I just stopped driving for the safety of everyone on the road).

With all the rain, the world was getting darker too. Cloudy skies and seemingly moonless nights became the norm.

Darn weather. My eyes weren't happy. The runny eyes made it hard to see anything, even to distinguish colors. I asked Charles to buy brighter light bulbs. I abandoned my relatively new transitions bifocal glasses, which weren't helping me read anyway and were contributing to dizziness. I was annoyed with my favorite restaurants for their dim lighting that made it hard to read the menus, let alone the checks. Then, I needed my son to hold my arm walking home from a concert down the block because it was so dark I couldn't see the ground in front of me despite the street lights.

Mind you, I've been absolutely slammed since Thanksgiving of last year with crazy family, health and work circumstances. It's been so stressful, I developed a case of acne so bad that I avoided going out.

I'll confess. I'd been so busy that I didn't get my vitamins tested for way too long. I developed a terrible Vitamin A deficiency and didn't even recognize the symptoms.

Full stop, I HAD LITERALLY BEEN GOING BLIND.

Fortunately, I finally figured it out and managed to restore my vision before the blindness became permanent. All it took was about a week of supplementing dry A at higher levels.

Please learn from my mistake and don't ever let life get in the way of testing. Also, please remember that runny eyes and progressive loss of vision and acne are red flags for Vitamin A.
 
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SO glad you are on top of this!! Thanks for helping others with this info.

And, as of a couple of weeks ago, the Vitamin A injections were still not available. So we need to DIY on getting those supplements in.



[EACH PERSON IS UNIQUE, NO ONE SHOULD ASSUME THAT WHAT I DO IS WHAT THEY SHOULD DO:
Last test, my Vit A was very good, at 66.9 (Reference Range: 22.0-69.5 ug/dL), but I need to take two to three 25,000 IU capsules daily to keep it there.

My Vit D was down to 30.6, technically within range (Reference Range: 30.0-100.0 ng/mL), but close enough to bottoming out to get the (actually horrible, so it had better work) Vit D injection. (Insurance covers it, so it was just a decision between my doctor, my wallet and me.) And that was in spite of 150,000 IU daily.

Calcium was mid-range and so was PTH. But PTT was a tad high, so I upped my Vit K.

Such a balancing act.]
 
I am so glad you caught it in time and can see!
i am glad you figured it out before permanent damage was done. I am so paranoid about my eyes.
Thank you for posting your story. Who knows how many people you have helped!
SO glad you are on top of this!! Thanks for helping others with this info.

Thanks everyone. Lesson learned on my end and the world has become amazingly vibrant. There are so many colors! Hopefully this reminder / cautionary talke helps others to make better choices.
 
Glad you fixed this and thank you for posting!
Thanks so much! Such a wild difference. It had gotten to the point that it was as if I had been wearing super thick and dark sunglasses at all times and now they have been removed to reveal a technicolor world.
 
My Vit D was down to 30.6, technically within range (Reference Range: 30.0-100.0 ng/mL), but close enough to bottoming out to get the (actually horrible, so it had better work) Vit D injection. (Insurance covers it, so it was just a decision between my doctor, my wallet and me.) And that was in spite of 150,000 IU daily.
Are you taking them at different times? If your doc and wallet disagree with your wanting the injections maybe add another dose.
 
Are you taking them at different times? If your doc and wallet disagree with your wanting the injections maybe add another dose.
I take them throughout the day. But sometimes I’m not as careful spacing the A and D as I am w/the calcium. Maybe I should be. Thanks.

Doc was good...I got the injection...and my wallet can handle it if I need it. (I think they cost about $100 each.). But the companies that made both A and D were decimated in the Puerto Rican disasters. He has a NEW D, but it’s water based, the injection is 10ccs and takes FOREVER. And then it hurts for a good week.
 
Thanks! I'm so grateful that it didn't become permanent. I was definitely on a dangerous path.

Although I’m sure we are confident that you could master all the challenges that blindness can cause..you really do have enough going on in your life, Ms Sandwich Generation.
 
hilary1617 OMG THANK GOODNESS IT WAS SOMETHING SMALL. Unfortunately, i have been through the same thing with vitamin A. I literally couldn't see. Checking vitamin levels is so important. I had cracks in the corner of my mouth that i couldn't get to heal no matter what i used. I walked into dr. Keshishian office and he looked at me and said you see those sores those are from b deficiency. He said Up your b complex. I tell this story to say we still need to be checked out by a dr who knows the ds so that they can look us over. I never would have attributed those cracks in the corner of my mouth to a vitamin deficiency
 
hilary1617 OMG THANK GOODNESS IT WAS SOMETHING SMALL. Unfortunately, i have been through the same thing with vitamin A. I literally couldn't see. Checking vitamin levels is so important. I had cracks in the corner of my mouth that i couldn't get to heal no matter what i used. I walked into dr. Keshishian office and he looked at me and said you see those sores those are from b deficiency. He said Up your b complex. I tell this story to say we still need to be checked out by a dr who knows the ds so that they can look us over. I never would have attributed those cracks in the corner of my mouth to a vitamin deficiency
Truth. We need to check our vitamin levels regularly. We also need doctors who are experts. So glad you have Dr. K in your corner. :)
 

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