SLT Laser

[Bonniecat7]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if you would mind sharing your experiences of SLT laser?

I have had side effects with two types of drops (Monoprost gave me heavy pigmentation around my eyes and one of them was starting to appear sunken. I'm trying not to be vein about this but I'm only 43!)

The next ones I tried (drozolomide) felt like I was putting hot acid into my eyes they stung so badly!

I am now awaiting SLT but in the mean time have been put onto Azopt drops which, apart from giving me a bitter taste in my mouth, don't seem to be causing any problems so far. So now I wondering if I would be better off sticking to the drops instead. Are they less risky that the SLT?

My opthalmologist has been really bad at giving me any information (I can literally ask her the same question twice and she'll give two conflicting answers!) I honestly think she didn't know what to do with me when the Latanoprost didn't suit me, she was looking up things on her computer to give me like she had never prescribed anything else!

I'm hoping that the people at the clinic for the SLT will be a bit more helpful.

Thanks in advance,

Charlie

[JanD236]

I had SLT in my late 40s but 6 months later my pressure returned to a higher level (it’s over 10 years ago now so I can’t remember the figures). My consultant suggested we do the SLT again but I decided to seek a second opinion which I did at Moorfields.

The Moorfields consultant said that SLT only lasts for 6 months to a maximum of 5 years and that at my relatively young age the procedure would have to be repeated too many times in my lifetime and my eye wouldn’t be able to withstand that. Therefore they didn’t feel SLT was the right treatment for me. Whether that was because it’s effects had only lasted 6 months I don’t know.

Moorfields suggested treating the glaucoma much more aggressively (on the basis that the results have to last a lot longer due to my younger age) and switched me onto different drops but after 2 or 3 different regimes decided on a trabeculectomy for my worst eye and Cosopt and Monopost drops for the other. So far this has been a successful strategy.

I do have dark circles around the eye in which I take the drops and that eye looks different as a result, especially compared to the slightly smaller looking eye that had the trab which had half the pressure. I don’t like it but feel I have no choice.

My mum became allergic to Cosopt and it was intolerable for her to take it so I’m hoping that doesn’t happen.

[Hidden in reply to JanD236]

How is everything with your vision after all you have been through x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Have you got open angle x

[JanD236 in reply to Hidden]

Yes open angle and my vision has been stable since the trab and Cosopt/monopost regime.

[designguy]

I've had SLT twice now, the first time lasted about 3 years and I recently had it done for the second time. I have open-angle in both eyes but interestingly only needed the SLT in my left eye which is my worst. It lowered pressures in both eyes by over 10 points. It does sting and ache for awhile afterwards but is fine the next day. I just took 2 advil in the afternoon after the surgery.

Three years ago my doctor had me try new drops (Rhopressa) which initially worked great but I turned out to be allergic to them. Right now I take two drops that are preservative-free (Cosopft and Travastan) and am doing well. I don't have any side-affects from those or the dark circles you mention.

The other issue I have is dry eyes at night so I put a drop of food-grade Castor Oil in each eye before bedtime that helps with it.

[Hidden]

Hi I'm sorry to hear of your experiences and the lack of information your consultant is giving you. Is your consultant an actual glaucoma specialist? I only ask as when I finally saw an opthalmologist on NHS he was a really lovely man and did explain everything very well but he told me he was a general opthalmologist and he felt I needed a glaucoma specialist. The consultant I now see specialises in glaucoma and I had been seeing him anyway at his private practice whilst on NHS waiting list.

I hope the staff at clinic are indeed more helpful, I'm sure they will be and good luck with SLT.

[Bonniecat7 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Witchie346,I don't know if she is a glaucoma specialist. I'm guessing not because she seemed baffled by what to do when I wanted to try something different to the monoprost. She said most people with Glaucoma are old so don't care about the dark circles! And then when I was persistent asking if there was anything else we could try she started looking things up on the computer.

Now that I have been referred to another clinic for the SLT I'm hoping they'll be more helpful.

The Azopt that she eventually prescribed to take whilst waiting for the SLT appointment to come through doesn't seem to be causing me any problems, so now I'm in a dilemma whether to just stay on them instead. I have no idea if they are working to reduce the pressure though as I haven't had them tested since.

[Hidden in reply to Bonniecat7]

Bonniecat7 your consultant certainly seems less than ideal and lacking in basic people skills. The one positive thing she has done is refer you to clinic for SLT. I've had my pressures taken at every eye appointment so I would assume they will take yours at the clinic. Being prescribed a new eye drop and worrying if it's actually lowering pressures is natural, it's always my concern between appointments. You could try and get an appointment with your optician, explain your situation new eye drops, not knowing if it's lowering pressures etc. Mine is very approachable and even gave me a field test during first lockdown.

I don't have dark circles under my eye,mine are red instead, on both upper and lower eye area, as a result of Ganfort. I was very self conscious at first but then I guess I just got used to the vampire look !!! I did actually find a great eye cream that works for me, Liz Earle Instant Brightening . It definitely minimises the redness of my eye area.

Take care.

[valfrance]

Hello Bonniecat7, sorry to hear your are not getting the right help. I live in France and the service here is very quick in terms of seeing specialists and procedures. I am 63 and I had a pressure problem for 2 years, the highest at the end being 28 in each eye. I was just using lantaprost 1 drop each night. I know what you mean by drugs and their effects. I was then given azarga (brinzolamide/timolol) along with the lantaprost. This gave me severe anxiety and I did not eat for 2 weeks only liquid food. I take alphagan, i don't like that either it makes me tired. My 2nd opthalmogist after 1 month of using alphagan wanted me to go back onto to azarga as my pressure wasn't decreasing enough. I then went to see immediately another opthalmogist who specialises in glaucoma. (this was 4 weeks after my diagnosis of glaucoma no longer just IOP. She immediately said as I wasn't getting along with the azaga to try SLT as for the majority of patients it does decrease the pressure. SLT - The following week I got it. That was March 1 and March 8.

that was 3 weeks ago, both eyes done 1 week apart as it may be bleary. Its nothing to be frightened of, its just a weird feeling when she puts in the lens to keep your eye open. There is no noise or anything it lasts about 5 minutes. I had a bleary eye for about an hour and i did not get an infection. I now have to wait 5/6 weeks to see if it has worked mid April 2021. I am to carry on with the 2 medications until i see her next. My doctor is hoping i can go onto 1 medication, hopefully just the lantaprost. That would be wonderful as I do not want to go on to a beta blocker (azarga again).

I would recommend natural supplements that I have done research on to help your macular.

LUTEINE/ZEAXANTHINE

PYCNOGENOL

BLUEBERRIES

MAGNESIUM

I don't know if they work, however I am taking them as a precaution for my sight.

Hope this helps, and fingers crossed for all of us.. Valfrance