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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Glaucoma / October 2003Pressure over 45ppm
I diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes a couple years ago. Symptom was seeing halos around light and I still see them. I am taking , Xalatan, and Alphagan twice a day every day of my life. I have been on Timolol, Betoptic, and every other drop out there and also have had a laser puncture of my right eye. Went into the Dr a few weeks ago and I had run out of Cosopt and my pressure went to 48ppm in three days just using the Alphagan and Xalatan. Can someone help me here? Im scared......I live out in the desert and have seriously questionable healthcare but no money to move anywhere else. Anyone know of any trials, new drops, surgery that could help me? I already am totally blind in the right eye anyway from a retinal hemhorrage and have lost peripheral in both eyes because of these spikes. Im living at a moderate poverty income level or lower and am having difficulties paying for these copays on my many medications. Are there any organizations out there? Trials on new procedures? Even with the three drops my right pressure is still 23. Lowest it has gone is 19. If anyone has any wisdom I would be very appreciative Your general location might help in case somebody knows your geographical area. But it seems likely that the sort of help you need is more likely to be available in a teaching hospital center in a major city than in a desert community. Best of luck to you. Don Singleton > I diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes a couple years ago. Symptom > was seeing halos around light and I still see them. I am taking , [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > three drops my right pressure is still 23. Lowest it has gone is 19. > If anyone has any wisdom I would be very appreciative I wish I had something positive to offer you that could help but I'm at a loss. I'm not a doctor. All I can say is that you're in my thoughts. While my IOP problems isn't anything like yours (I'm lucky to have good results from my drops and I've had little damage except what can be compensated with eyeglasses) I'm more than happy to offer a sympathetic "ear". Feel free to e-mail me directly anytime if you want. Larry > I diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes a couple years ago. Symptom > was seeing halos around light and I still see them. I am taking , [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > three drops my right pressure is still 23. Lowest it has gone is 19. > If anyone has any wisdom I would be very appreciative > I diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes a couple years ago. Symptom > was seeing halos around light and I still see them. I am taking , [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > three drops my right pressure is still 23. Lowest it has gone is 19. > If anyone has any wisdom I would be very appreciative It sounds like you probably need glaucoma surgery to prevent these very high pressure spikes that are killing off your optic nerve. There are no new and exciting drops or pills out there that will work better than what you're on already. Either a trabeculectomy (drainage flap made in the wall of the eye) or a tube shunt (a tube placed in the front chamber of the eye) would probably work just fine...you might not even need drops anymore. If money is a serious issue, you should apply for medicaid...this does cover the cost of surgery. BUT, my best suggestion is for you to pick up and move. You need the care of a glaucoma specialist in a city somewhere...it doesn't have to be in a large city with a teaching hospital, but at least a small city with a few glaucoma specialists. Staying where you are could very well lead to blindness in your one remaining eye...I would save every penny I could and relocate pronto! Good luck to you. Sincerely, Rick Cohn, MD Glaucoma Specialist Winter Park, FL > > I diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes a couple years ago. Symptom > > was seeing halos around light and I still see them. I am taking , [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > Glaucoma Specialist > Winter Park, FL * I would second Dr. Cohn's thoughtful advice. I underwent trabeculectomy surgery about four years ago. I had used every drop known to science over a period of thirty years. (I was diagnosed at the age of 39 (1970) -- I'm now 72.) Since the trab surgery, I have regular pressures around 16 - 17 with ***NO*** drops at all. And my central visual acuity is 20:20 in each eye (small one-diopter correction). Get yourself to a good ophthalmologist and get the trab surgery. Do this as quickly as you can. Good luck and keep us posted. earle * I am an engineer and not a health-care professional. * The astigmatism I have caused Halo's around lights a long time before I had glaucoma . |
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