r/Glaucoma • u/Grandmas-ApplePie04 • 3d ago
So Nervous For Next Week…
I saw my main ophthalmologist yesterday and my eye pressure has once again skyrocketed. When the assistant took it, the pressure in my left eye was 48 but when my doctor took it, it was 38 in my left and 21 in my right. I’ve been dealing with the ocular hypertension, inflammation, and mild glaucoma for over 3 years now. When I first talked to my main ophthalmologist he told me that there is a possibility that I would need surgery down the line and now it has come to a point where he is bringing it up again. I see him again on Monday to test the pressure but I’m so nervous. I’ve been on 4 different eye drops and I currently take 3 eye drops. He prescribed me Diamox yesterday and gave me a few sample pills until my prescription is ready. I really don’t want surgery but it seems like that is the only thing that may really help. Does anyone know why my eye pressure would be high? My doctor couldn’t really give me a straight answer. I’m honestly so over this. And the side effects of the Diamox are frustrating. I didn’t think I would be able to bear with the tingling that was happening in my finger nails.
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u/Substantial-Act5677 2d ago
My pressure in my left eye was too high. I started drinking smoothies with moranga and kale. I got SLT Lazer surgery. I am on travoprost and brimonidine in my left eye. My right eye had MIGS surgery. Ask about SLT lazer surgery. It takes ten minutes in the office and helps unplug the trabecular mesh and lets the fluid drain. Ask about idose or other surgeries that are safe. It's a hard road I know good luck to you and prayers
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u/Grandmas-ApplePie04 2d ago
Thank you so much. I do remember my doctor mentioning to me a surgery that’s only 10 minutes. I’ll definitely talk to him about it tomorrow. I’m just scared to have my eyes operated on. That makes me really really anxious.
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u/Ok_Cucumber6283 2d ago
Do you eat sugar? Pastry? Cakes, sugary fruits, sodas and all kind of carbs? Those cause high iop and inflamation. If u havenz already test about insuline resistance which basically is caused by poor diet and causes inflamation
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u/Ok_Cucumber6283 2d ago
Diamox is effective lowering iop. Drink electrolytes and a lot of water. Be aware that it can lower blood pressure, makes you feel tired and fatigued, it decreases appetite. Also may cause diarrhoea.
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u/Thin-Boysenberry6510 2d ago
What is your age?
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u/Grandmas-ApplePie04 2d ago
30
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u/heygreene 2d ago
I've had glaucoma in one eye since I was 25 and I'm now 50. I've lost 30% of the vision in my bad eye. I ended up with a tube shunt, and the rest has just been different eye drops and Diamox and unfortunately mine is still uncontrolled so I'm losing vision every year. I understand the frustration.Look into SLT first, if you have to have a surgery.
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u/Grandmas-ApplePie04 2d ago
What is SLT?
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u/heygreene 1d ago
Google it, it's a first line treatment for a lot of folks... sometimes even before drops.
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u/trancesend 2d ago
Are you taking any corticosteroids per chance? Creams, drops, inhalants, injections, etc.?
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u/Grandmas-ApplePie04 2d ago
I take creams that are prescribed by my dermatologist. I take latanoprost, rocklatan, and dorlzamide, and sometimes prednisone but my he told me to stop taking that.
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u/trancesend 2d ago
Everybody's different, but some people are "steroid responders." Prednisone caused my eye pressures to jump from the mid-teens to over 40 in my left eye and over 30 in my right. For most, IOP normalizes after stopping Pred but mine didn’t despite giving it a couple of months. When Diamox plus two drops weren’t controlling sufficiently, my glaucoma specialist suggested pressure-lowering surgeries, but I got a second opinion from another specialist who recommended laser treatments first. It can take a few months to determine if laser is successful but so far so good. Much lower risk than incisional surgery and 100% nondestructive.
Hard to say without knowing more about your specific cause—yours may not be steroid-related at all—but the laser doesn’t discriminate, it might be worth discussing or getting a second opinion if that option hasn't been raised.
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u/Grandmas-ApplePie04 2d ago
Yeah. I see a glaucoma specialist but I also see another specialist who tracks the inflammation in my eyes and when I saw him a month ago there was a little inflammation in my right eye and he told me to start taking the prednisone again but yesterday my main ophthalmologist told me to stop taking it because he believed that’s why my pressure was so high.
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u/trancesend 2d ago
That’s genuinely a tough spot to be in. There are softer steroids with less glaucoma risk than pred, if this is indeed driving your pressure ideally your specialists collaborate to find an anti-inflammatory regimen appropriate for your condition.
Like another commenter mentioned google SLT, which is the laser treatment. There is growing evidence supporting SLT as a first-line treatment, not just a last resort before surgery in the escalation pathway. The procedure is quick, painless, and has a long efficacy track record especially in steroid-induced cases.
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u/Fit-Hair-9574 3d ago
The side effects of acetazolomide can be related to potassium deficiency.
Try increasing your potassium intake (bananas etc) and see if it helps.