Glaucoma drops

[Karjade]

I take glaucoma drops three times a day at 9.00 am 3.00 pm and 9.00 pm. Is the last drop too late as I go to bed about 11.30 pm? Also, for all the members who take three drops a day do you press on the corner of your eye after you have put the drop in and for how long. Do you put the drops in one eye at a time? In other words, how are you putting your drops in?

[Jennymary]

Having used drops for 40yrs, after opening the bottle, assuming it's the same drop for both eyes pop them in, wipe eyes, do up bottle and carry on with my day, if you are putting 2 different drops into one or both eyes the general rule is after putting the first one in, put the next one in 5 minutes later, hope this helps

[Karjade in reply to Jennymary]

This is what I did at the beginning but then I read the leaflet and now press on the corner of my eye for two minutes but I really think I am taking the last drop too early! Does your pressure come down with the way you do it?

[Jennymary in reply to Karjade]

They've been stable for the last few years, so I'm doing something right 😊

[Karjade in reply to Jennymary]

That’s really good news. I am sort of doing it right but the consultant is not happy with my pressure so I had to have laser treatment!

[Pete_uk]

Hi karjade

For the glaucoma drops I take 3 times a day, I try and space them out as equally as I can i.e 8hrs apart. These are the drops I take just before bed and when I wake up typically.

After every separate medicine I take I press in the corner of my eye for 1 to 2 mins. This is supposed to prevent the medicine entering the body so much via tear ducts and keeps the medicine longer where it needs to be (being absorbed by the eye).

Thanks

Pete

[Karjade in reply to Pete_uk]

You are definitely doing it correctly. I take them six hours apart so I will increase to eight hours now. The only thing I am doing right is pressing on the corner of my eye only because it says to do this on the leaflet. I have never been told how to do it correctly!

[Stairs10 in reply to Karjade]

Hi I think that it is quite common that we are prescribed eye drops but not told how to use them properly especially in terms of the timing, the spaces between different drops and the pressing on the inner corner of the eye. The IGA did a workshop at my local hospital some years ago and the session on how to put in the eye drops was really popular!

[Karjade in reply to Stairs10]

Hi. You are quite right about not being taught how and when to put your glaucoma drops in. I would welcome a course on how to do it correctly but never been offered one by our eye department. For example, I have to lie down to put my drops in as I find it impossible to stand up and do it. I will definitely mention this when I see my Consultant again. Thank you xx

[Sunshine8888]

Hi Karjade I take drops with times a day, three of the drops I have to put in both eyes and place fingers at corner of eyes. I honestly didn’t know I had to do this until I joined this site a couple of weeks ago and looked at the really helpful videos! Neither the hospital or pharmacy had explained the correct way to take the drops. Must admit I do both eyes at the same time maybe I should be doing them separately? Anyway one med it says for one minute, the other med it says for two minutes.

Also it wasn’t until again I watched videos here that I realised why dry eye drops are so important. It had honestly never been explained to me in twenty years! Maybe it’s because I haven’t asked the right questions at my appointments however it’s difficult to know exactly what you need to ask when you don’t know if you understand what I mean.

Again this site is amazing, I found a list of suggested questions and will go armed next time. Hope this helps x

[Karjade in reply to Sunshine8888]

I also was never told how to put the drops in either. I have always taken the last drop at 9.00 pm which I realise now is too early. I will have to rearrange my times. Thank you for your reply.

[Sufitzy]

I have just started drops a month ago. I take only one but the consultant said to do it literally as I go to bed. The instruction leaflet says to press the corner of your eye for approx 1 minute .

[Karjade in reply to Sufitzy]

I realise now that I am taking the last drop too early. I have never been told anything except just to take them three times a day!

[Sufitzy]

Always best to check , give you hosp a call.

I hope you are doing ok. I think it’s so helpful to have a place like this to connect. I really haven’t processed everything yet myself but seeing. Other posts make me feel like there are other people facing the same worries and I have somewhere to turn to.

[Karjade in reply to Sufitzy]

Thank you and good luck to you xxx

[Minety]

My understanding is that pressing the corner of the eye closes the tear duct which stops the eye drops from leaving the eye and getting to the throat which can result in a nasty taste

[Karjade in reply to Minety]

I do press in the corner s of my eye for ten minutes because the leaflet says to do this but I have never been told by my consultant. I was not sure what times to take the drops as I think the last drop at 9.00 pm is perhaps too early. I will ask my consultant when I go back in August. Thank you for your reply.