Eye Bleeds

Hi Angela,

I must admit that this was a very annoying side effect that I too suffered when I was taking Glivec. The only way I found to deal with it..rather than stop it happening... was to bathe my eye/s in HyperCal solution. This is a homeopathic remedy which is very effective in healing cuts and wounds no matter where they are... also it stops infections from bacteria taking hold.

You can find it online or you can call Ainsworths Homeopathic Pharmacy in London and they will send it to you by next day post. Ask for the mother tincture and then use 2-4 drops diluted in warm water to bathe the affected eye/s ... you can use this quite safely and as many times as you need to. It also makes a great gargle for sore throat.

You can also dilute some sea salt in warm water and use that as an eye wash... this can be very effective too.

Hope this is of some help. Eye bleeds are a common side effect but are not an indication that there is anything seriously wrong with your eyes.

Sandy, have you ever heard the explanation for WHY these eye bleeds occur - I've had a couple in six months. If we knew why, perhaps we could take some preventative measure. As a yoga teacher who was always on her head!!! I now feel quite wary about putting that pressure into my head, so risking bleeds.

And it does feel as if there is generally more pressure than there ever was before... so this is probably to do with the extra water retention around the eye orbits. Do you think diuretics might help?

Always like the prevention route rather than cure...

Thanks for being here, as always!

Beth

Hi Sheila,

Thank you very much for your reply.  I've told my Consultants in the past, I've also had my eye's checked out by Moofields in London and they are fine.  So no problems there. So please don't worry about me.

Yes I would like to know what is happening in my body for this to happen and also the build up of pain above my eyebrow. I play a lot of sport but there is no pattern.  Why?  Is it the bending (looking down) whilst cleaning the stairs for instance? Or is it from lifting heaving items, putting strain on ones body? Obviously there is some kind of weakness. Is it muscular?   I would love know the answer. Or maybe no one really knows the answer!!!!!

Angela

Hi Angela and Beth,

I used to have a sharp pricking-like pain just before I noticed an eye bleed - and I assume that was from the blood vessel bursting.

As long as you have regular eye tests to rule out increased pressure in the eye (which can be a symptom of Glaucoma - a condition that is caused by inefficient fluid release which then causes increased of pressure in the eye which then damages to the optic nerve- it is treatable but should be screened for) and your blood pressure is also OK then I am sure you are doing all the right things. Eye bleeds seem to be a side effect of IM.... and maybe other TKI's?.....and might be to do with the increase in fluid that imatinib causes as Beth has suggested in her post.

Beth- I am wary of using diuretics because they might affect the balance of sodium and potassium levels and might also put more pressure on the kidneys. This is why I always drink a lot of water ( 1.5 litres a day) and use HyperCal as an eye bath to counter any kind of irritation or infection as although I no longer need to take imatinib, I wear contact lenses and find infections can happen easily even though I wear daily disposable lenses)

Sandy

singing over zelously in our choir's concert this weekend, another burst blood vessel in the left eye!!! Fourth time cince dx in NOv 09. Looks very dramatic (especally with the stage spotlights shining on one!), doesn't hurt and I believe is not serious.

Hi Tony,

in that case I suggest you get your eyes checked by a good optician if you have not already done so. Otherwise the light disturbance could be a symptom of 'silent migraine' which I sometimes suffer from. Again this is not something that is normally treated by main stream doctors but more likely by 'alternative' practitioners.

However I would first check out that there is not something identifiably wrong...  by your Optician.... then if you do not get a diagnosis you could try your GP.... then go on from there. 

Hope this is helpful

Sandy

Hello,

I had a lot of eye bleeds when I was on glivec, now I changed to Sprycel they are gone. No problems like puffy eyes or bleedings.

I look like a horror queen with the eyebleeds.

Gr. Jolanda

Bleeding in the white of the eye. That's what I've had - and I think that's what the majority of CML'ers have experienced.

hi neel my husband is having bleeding in the retina what did you do or how did you get the bleeding to stop