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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Glaucoma / October 2003Cataracts and Glaucoma
I had a check up Friday and I'm glad to say that my IOP was back to 14 (it had gone up slightly about a month ago to 15), which is good. But I needed a new prescription for my glasses since my eye sight has worsened. It's been getting worse for a while so it's nice to have new lenses. Not being able to focus on anything was getting frustrating. But what concerns me is that my cataracts have worsened a little, requiring me to need rather bright light to read comfortably. Does anyone know if there is a connection between glaucoma and cataracts? Or is it that I just have the bad luck to have both? Larry Hello, I have been lurking around here for some time and I would like to take this message as an opportunity to contribute something to the group. I was born with cataracts in both eyes. From the time I was born until 2 years of age, I had 8 eye surgeries, 5 in the left eye and 3 in the right eye. The problem was so severe in my left eye that the doctors were forced to remove it; I have been wearing a prosthesis (as well as glasses) since I have memory. I no longer have cataracts in my right eye, but I have always had glaucoma. Apparently, this was caused by the cataracts or perhaps as a consequence of the surgeries, who knows. I am not a doctor so I obviously can't comment on your case, I just know that in my case there is a link between the 2. dhg > I had a check up Friday and I'm glad to say that my IOP was back to 14 > (it had gone up slightly about a month ago to 15), which is good. But I [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > is it that I just have the bad luck to have both? > Larry dhg, Welcome to the newsgroup. I'm glad you've joined the rest of us, to coin a politically correct term, "IOP challenged". :-) You situation is very interesting. I've never heard of someone being born with cataracts. What treatments are they using to control your pressure if I may ask? Larry > Hello, > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] >>is it that I just have the bad luck to have both? >>Larry > dhg, > Welcome to the newsgroup. I'm glad you've joined the rest of us, to coin [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > pressure if I may ask? > Larry Well, it's a long story: I will try to be as brief as possible. From age 2 until the late 90's (I was born in '75) I was on many different drops an pills. Then my pressure started going up, up and up no matter how many drops and pills I was on. At this time I was taking Alphagan, Betagan, Xalatan, and Neptazane, some drops 3 times per day. The doctor decided to make a little incision in my eye to relieve the pressure. That didn't help much because a few months later my pressure was up again. The doctor then put a drainage tube in my eye. Unfortunately, the tube worked too well. When the doctor removed my bandage 24 hours after surgery, I could not see anything. The doctor took my pressure and told me that it had gone down to 0. The doctor explained to me that due to the lack of pressure, the back part of my eye (I think?) was touching my retina. The doctor then operated on me again, he put a little stitch on the tube or around the tube in order to close it up a little. Then he added some liquid in order to try to get the back part of my eye not to touch my retina. Eventually, my pressure went up to 12 or 13 and I began to see again, granted, my eyesight is not as good as before, but I can at least see. For the past couple of years, my pressure has been holding steady within the range of 12 to 19 (according to my doc, between 10 and 20 is good). I am now taking Betagan 0.5% twice a day and Neptazane 25 mg twice a day. My doctor is now seeing me every four months so I am due for a check up in early December. The last time I went for a check up, my pressure was 18 which was slightly better than the 19 I had four months earlier. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! The d in dhg is for Dan so I will sign as such from now on. Dan >My doctor is now seeing me every four months so I am due for a check up in early >December. It is incredible to me that a young man who has only one eye, and that one seriously afflicted, is being checked so infrequently. Perhaps you can find an optometrist with a Goldman tonometer for in-between pressure checks. If that shunt stops working you don't want to wait four months to find out about it. An HRT every so often would also be a good idea. John I respectfully disagree. If the doctor feels every four months is enough, it's enough. Lar has a life to live, and it shouldn't be bent out of shape any more than necessary. If a problem arises he can call the doc and make an earlier appointment. But he shouldn't think of himself and act as a handicapped person. I speak as a person who was born with one working lung, and one of the most difficult things for me was to forget about it and just live my life as if every cold was not a life-threatening event. After all, most of us only have two eyes, which isn't so many! As long as Lar doesn't start treating his ophthalmologist visits casually, let's hope his vision will be okay. Don Singleton > >My doctor is now seeing me every four months so I am due for a check up in early > >December. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > John Uh, I'm sorry to be picky but I'm sure you meant Dan (dhg) of course not Lar (that's me). Not to take anything away from what you wrote. I agree with your advice. Larry > I respectfully disagree. If the doctor feels every four months is enough, it's > enough. Lar has a life to live, and it shouldn't be bent out of shape any more than [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >> >>John Sorry Lar -- you're right of course. > Uh, I'm sorry to be picky but I'm sure you meant Dan (dhg) of course not > Lar (that's me). Not to take anything away from what you wrote. I agree [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > >> > >>John No problem. > Sorry Lar -- you're right of course. > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >>>> >>>>John >I respectfully disagree. If the doctor feels every four months is enough, it's >enough. Lar has a life to live, and it shouldn't be bent out of shape any more than [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >> >> John --------------------------------------------- >If the doctor feels every four months is enough, it's >enough. It's more likely that the HMO feels it's enough. But then, rationing is the necessary corollary to third-party payment. >If a problem arises he can call the doc and make an earlier appointment. A large slow pressure rise will be symptomless. >I speak as a >person who was born with one working lung, Sorry. But more to the point, between 8-month checkups one of my eyes went from 20 to 48 mm, with the cup-to-disk ratio going from 0.5 to 0.9. John I developed a cataract in my right eye just about the time that my pressure in both eyes was at 22. A change in prescription lenses helped for a time but I opted for cataract removal this past spring because it was getting worse and all turned out more than I hoped for. I can do without my glasses unless I am driving and my eye pressure after the procedure dropped and stabilized at 17 as of my last visit. I believe my cataract was not due to the high pressure but a coincidence. I am glad I got it behind me and can concentrate on keeping my pressure within range. BTW I am 60. If your eye doctor gives you the option of removing the cataract because you are ready to do it and it interferes with your vision, go for it. ron >I had a check up Friday and I'm glad to say that my IOP was back to 14 >(it had gone up slightly about a month ago to 15), which is good. But I [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >is it that I just have the bad luck to have both? >Larry |
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