I just had my eyes checked for a new prescription for glasses and was told I had Narrow angles which he recommended I have Laser Iridotomy surgery ( basically the laser puts a whole in my eye for the fluids to drain ). I have been on Ibrutinib for 8 months now with just mild reactions such as heartburn, nails. What I was wondering if the Ibrutinib could've contributed to this build up of pressure in my eyes and if anyone else has had their eyes change while on Ibrutinib.
I don't like to use having CLL and taking Ibrutinib as an excuse for maybe just something that my increasing years might be the cause.
Thanks, Jack
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rcusher
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I don't pretend to have an answer re: Ibrutinib, but here is a list of other meds that may be contraindicated. I do not see steroids listed, but they can cause build up of pressure because of fluid retention.
Thanks for the link but other than taking Ibrutinib I don't take anything else. The only condition that might apply to me is being old but I don't consider 72 as old.
I'm sorry that I can't offer any advice on Ibrutinib, but I did want to mention that I had this exact surgery done for the same reason a few months ago. In my case the doctor said it was just age, and it was a very common thing to have done. In my experience it was a fairly easy procedure, certainly much easier than I had been anticipating, but it's been my way lately to get a bit anxious before any first time procedure.
The doctor did just one eye first, and the second eye he did about two weeks later. Each eye only took about 10 to 15 minutes at the most, and there was some mild discomfort for a few moments during each procedure. As far as recovery went, I needed to use steroid eye drops in each eye for about a week after each one was done, and that was all.
While your question was about eyes, you do mention heartburn and nails.
In case you're interested, 2 forkfuls of kimchee (or sauerkraut), eaten as soon as heartburn develops, will make it quickly go away. I often put some on my salad because I happen to love it.
As for nails, you can read many entries on this site about taking biotin to help improve nail strength. Be aware that it can take a year or more for the nails to grow out, so patience is required.
I had the procedure done just before my cataract surgery.
My doctor called it Narrow Angle Glaucoma, and described it as a pressure imbalance in the fluid in the front of my eye / in front of the lens vs. the rear part of the eye. It is detected with a Visual Field Test:
Does not puncture your eyeball. It creates a hole in the outer edge of the iris, leading to an opening of the angle in the majority of cases. After the angle is widened from the procedure, the TM is exposed and fluid outflow is enhanced.
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The actual procedure takes less than 5 minutes, and the laser is active for about 1 second. There is no pain or discomfort-I just recall a zapping sound- and that may have been created for effect, as I would expect a laser to be completely silent.
My mother has glaucoma, and I was having problems with night vision from cataracts and dry cornea causing blurry visions some days, and my glaucoma pressure measurement was borderline in the past.
So I went for a full optho workup at Weill Cornell Medicine NY Presbyterian.
The visual field test is used routinely at WCM, and the optho doc wanted to clear that problem before the cataract surgery.
After the Laser Iridotomy I had absolutely no side effects and my overall glaucoma pressure has been in the middle range instead of borderline high.
So it was all positive for me. I have no eye issues remaining. (I was on Ibrutinib at the time, but now on Venetoclax- the dry eyes issue was treated with non prescription drops during Ibrutinib, but no treatment needed now).
Jack the very first Ibrutinib pill I took made my eyes go crazy after the first hour. Then my vision started getting blurry. I found out that I had bleeding behind both eyes. It seems to have cleared up.
I had it done for narrow angle glaucoma...minor procedure and I was fine. A year or two later I needed cataract surgery and it helped put my eye pressure problem to rest indefinitely. No sign of CLL being involved at all; mine is indolent, no treatment.
I had to have the iridotomy procedure for both of my eyes. It is to prevent pressure buildup which could, if the pressure built up too high, cause you to lose sight. This happened to my father and it was not a pretty thing. When the ophthalmologist suggested it to me he was about to try and convince me and I said he need not bother as my dad had suffered from slight loss due to pressure buildup and that I would get it done soonest. The build up happened in one day at a summer cottage and the local small hospital had no opthamologist on staff and by the time he reached the city the damage was done. It is not related to CLL. Both my brother and sister have had iridotomies. it is about eye angles and predisposition to glaucoma as far as I know. neither my brother nor my sister has CLL. My advice is get it done and don’t risk your eyesight.
I had that happen a few years ago. I don’t know if it had anything to do with my cll. I was only getting ivig at that time. Eye Dr said steroids and cold meds could cause it. It definitely wast ibrutinib because I am about to start taking it for the first time.
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