Glaucoma & dry eye

[abbygirl]

Karjade,
My appointment went well..my pressure was 17 which my doc thinks is OK. I only have high pressure in my left eye due to several complicated eye surgeries. I use Timoptic in Occudose which is BAK free...insist that you have a preservative free drop!!! My eye doctor had never heard of this drop that I am on until I TOLD him about it!! This seems to be one of the few drops that I can tolerate because the other types cause anterior eye inflammation for me. He wants to see me back to get a good look at my retinas (I am very nearsighted) and look at my optic nerve.
I also got a sample of a drop called Systane Balance which has an oil component to it which is supposed to be good for those with MGB. So far, I am liking it!!

[Karjade]

Abbygirl
I am sure that is what I need BAK free. Rebecca put something about benzalkonium chloride which is a preservative and is toxic to the cornea in glaucoma drops. She said to ask for preservative free or milder preservative. She thinks it is terrible that people are using BAK on a daily basis in the glaucoma drops - this is bad stuff. I have written this down and will take it to the Glaucoma Specialist when I see her. Both my glaucoma drops contain BAK so no wonder I am suffering. It has been very hot today and my eyes have been bad - not sure what to do with myself. I am sure that these drops have taken the surface of my eyes and I am now suffering with allergies to the pollens from the grass and trees. I have had Systane with and without preservatives but I need something thicker and more lubricating but I hope it works for you. We just have to keep trying everything - there must be something out there which works for me.

[Rebecca Petris]

Unfortunately it is occasionally the case that the BAK-free glaucoma eyedrops currently available may not always control one's eye pressures sufficiently... I know of a few people stuck in that situation - but hopefully these will be fewer and fewer as more BAK-free options come available. But as abbygirl mentions, far too often the glaucoma doctors are just plain not aware of the OVERWHELMING amount of literature showing the toxic effects of chronic use of BAK (including this recent one about the vicious cycle people get into with BAK), or of the BAK-free options that ARE available. Sometimes it's up to us to educate them.

[Karjade]

So where do I go from here? I received a copy of a letter to my doctor from a Registrar I saw four weeks ago and it said I had to continue with the day time drops Azopt because Zylatan at night is not keeping the pressure down. My eyes are bad enough without taking Azopt and I am scared now not to take it - I feel like my life is over! Sorry to be such a depressive but I am having a bad day today with my eyes and I just can't cope anymore. Nothing is working - no ointments or drops. I am still waiting to see a Glaucoma Specialist which will probably not to until June.

[abbygirl]

Karjade..Hang in there!! It WILL get better. I have been there and it is no fun but you will find the best mix for you. I have found that I must keep my eyes moist at all times...sometimes I need drops every hour and sometimes I can go for half a day without. The KEY is to make sure your eyes are well lubricated before you put the Azopt drop in. Use whatever drop works for you and I find if I use my lubricating drop and then a cold rice baggie my eye begins to feel better..wait 15 minutes after the drop and then use your Azopt. Make sure you use your finger to hold the puncta closed so that the drop is not lost and/or gets in your system. Wait another 15 minutes and instill your lubricating drops again. Try this!! If my eyes are really dry I will use the rice baggie longer and/or use more drops.

[Karjade]

Thanks abbygirl - I will try. I thought once I stopped the daytime drops my eyes would get better but they haven't - have the glaucoma drops damaged the film in the eye permanantly or will it repair itself? If my eyes do not get better in the next couple of weeks without the drops I will re-start the daytime drops because the pressure will probably have gone up by then. I will try the cold rice bags. Thank you again for your support xx

[abbygirl]

Karjade- I doubt that you have really damaged the film on your eyes permanently...are you taking one drop?? Am or PM?? When do you have your pressure checked again? Take this time to really baby your eyes to get them back into tip-top shape. This might take awhile (as in weeks/months) depending on how dry you are. At one time, I was taking 4 or 5 different drops (all with BAK) PLUS an oral (Diamox) and my eyes were in sad shape..they are MUCH better now and I am down to the one BAK-free drop.

The oral pressure medication (Diamox) really worked to get my pressure down and it gave me a break from the numerous drops. It is usually given as a last resort but it let my eye heal.

[eye_allergy-kids]

anybody have any clue for this link

http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/zithromax

[Karjade]

Abbygirl I am just taking Xylatan glaucoma drops at night. My eye pressure was 16/17 last week so the Consultant I saw privately told me to leave the daytime drops alone until I see a Glaucoma Specialist (privately again) in June. However, I did see someone 4 weeks ago as an emergency and he wrote to my doctor saying I had to continue with the daytime drop but I decided to stay off them as the Consultant said until June and then I will know if the pressure has gone up. I am having an HRT scan and field vision test on the 1st June so it makes sense to see the Specialist after this date. I have been using Celluvisc eye drops today plus Hylo Forte - I am trying to get some small wheat bags to keep in the fridge to cool the burning down. I have tried to relax a bit today because I know it is not doing me any good keep getting in a state. I seem to be having a good couple of hours and then not so good but I am really trying not to panic. I have never heard of Diamox but it sounds good if it can get the pressure down without taking the drops for a while - I wonder if we have it over here. I will certainly ask about it and also about laser treatment when I see the Specialist. I think I need to stop the drops altogether to let my eyes heal because they are so sore and stinging everytime I put the glaucoma drops in. Did you get any side effects from this medication?

[abbygirl]

Karjade- you are lucky you can use Xylatan..it is supposed to be one of the best drops to lower pressure. I think your plan is a good one and I like Celluvisc too.

Diamox does have side effects..some of them not so pleasant. It is a diuretic so you drink and urinate alot plus it alters the taste of some foods. It was a lifesaver for me and I was on it for 7 months!! My pressure would spike into the 40's so the Diamox was really necessary in my case. Just take one day at a time and it will work out!!

[Karjade]

Just ordered some wheat eye bags off the internet - I hope these work for me. Had a better day today - it has been two weeks since I have had the daytime drops and one Registrar from the hospital told me it takes three weeks for the drops to completely get out of your system. I will then know if it is the drops making my eyes dry and if the pressure has gone up. I can tolerate Xylatan on its own but when I had to take Azopt twice a day as well this is when I started to have problems with my dry eyes. I will mention all this to the Glaucoma specialist when I go.

[littlemermaid]

Karjade,
http://www.medicines.org.uk/..glaucoma
Just in case you've not found preservative-free glaucoma eyedrops yet, there's a contact for current info here http://www.glaucoma-association.com/...-shortage.html.

[Karjade]

Thank you littlemermaid - I will research this website. I am having good days and bad days - the pollen is certainly affecting my eyes as well. My eyes are stinging most of the time and it is driving me mad. I am not sure if it is the dry eyes or pollen - have you any suggestions for stinging eyes?

[littlemermaid]

Hello Karjade, I think we're all using normal saline eyedrops and wraparound sunglasses/goggles, especially walking the dogs. That's what LM does - she walks dogs for pocket money, tree pollen is particularly bad this year in our Chiltern beechwood/grassland combo. Are you still waiting on this glaucoma consultant for PF eyedrops? Please consider jumping the queue by calling it 'drug reaction to eyedrops' (phone or email the glaucoma consultant secretary) if it's getting worse (hug)

[Karjade]

I am still waiting to see a Glaucoma Specialist (privately). The other consultant I saw said he was going to write to her but I have not heard anything yet. I have HRT eye scan to check the optic nerve at Eye Department on the 1 June so I will wait until I have had that and then I will chase it up. It is three weeks since I had the daytime glaucoma drops but it has not made a lot of difference - I am still on Xylatan at night so I suppose these drops are keeping the eyes dry. I am not coping very well with it all and still want someone to wave a magic wand and make it all go away!! I am definitely going to discuss preservative free glaucoma drops with her when I get my appointment but Rebecca did write that they may not work sufficienly well enough to bring down the pressure. I have printed off about preservative free drops from the website you sent me details of and will take it with me. I just don't know what else to do.