Prednisolone eye drops: hi all. I was... - British Heart Fou...

British Heart Foundation

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Prednisolone eye drops

MyHF profile image
MyHF
5 Replies

hi all. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with these eye drops? Iv recently been diagnosed with acute anterior uveitis which I think has come from an injury at work. I have been prescribed 2 lots of eye drops as I was told if left untreated I could lose my sight.

since starting the eye drops I have felt sick and almost short of breath, just not myself. Both eye drops say in the leaflet that heart patients can’t have them. I called my gp who told me they are unlikely to cause problems like this and he thinks it’s possibly just anxiety!

anyone ever had anything similar?

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MyHF
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5 Replies
Blearyeyed profile image
Blearyeyed

I think I would double check with your Cardiologist via a helpline and the Opthalmologist.I had Anterior Uveitis about five years ago ( part of a different health condition) at that point I was suffering with heart symptoms but had not yet been diagnosed.

I had more palpitations and breathlessness throughout the treatment as well as increased insomnia even though the specialist assured me that these symptoms couldn't be linked to the drops because very little of the steroid entered the body as a whole. I have since discovered that isn't as correct as he would have it appear.

I had to take steroids for another condition a year after and the same side effects occurred.

If you are getting side effects relating to your heart you need to get these checked and they need to see if there is an alternative to them. Obviously, it is scary becausecyou don't want your eyesight to be impaired either.

AlfredV profile image
AlfredV

I've had lots of steroid eye drops over the years without issues. At one point I was using them every waking hour for 2 weeks straight. I do have problems with a broad spectrum of eye drops but prednisone/prednisolone has been okay.

While docs say not much enters your body it's not actually true. Any drug placed in your eye gets a free and fast pass into the bloodstream. That said, steroid eye drops are extremely dilute compared to oral steroids so the systemic effect should be very minimal.

What I would hope your eye doc has pointed out is that steroid drops can cause a large rise in eye pressures which can lead to glaucoma. If you're on the drops for more than a handful of days, then frequent eye pressure tests would be a good idea.

mooan profile image
mooan

I have been taking 2 drops every day ,in the left eye since 2004,I have been diagnosed with triple vessel disease in 2019 have 2 stents ,doctors uale to preform open heart surgery due to allergenic.Have never had a problem

CRTD profile image
CRTD

my mother had an irregular heart beat which was caused by them.

MyHF profile image
MyHF

thanks for the replies. So an update is having seen a gp today he still doesn’t believe the eye drops are the blame for the way I’m feeling. He has sent me for a full blood check and also an ecg so will see how it all goes.

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