Eyedrops & breastfeeding

[Simmo101]

Hello!

I have a 3 week old baby and my consultant told me to completely come off my eyedrops so I can breastfeed, they now feel like I need to go on them again with funny pulling sensation and headaches. Has anyone every breastfed on medication? I'm taking timoptol 0.5% and brinzolomide.

Thanks in advance

[Jennymary]

Not able to offer advice about the eye drops, just sending congratulations on the birth of your baby x

[Simmo101 in reply to Jennymary]

Thank you 🙂

[Hidden]

Hi congratulations on your lovely new baby, I'm afraid my breastfeeding days are long gone but I think you should contact your consultant and explain to him about your headaches and the pulling sensation and see what his advice is. X

[nat10]

Congratulations, also think you should contact consultant or midwife for advice.

[BilateralBongo]

Congratulations on your new baby!I was breastfeeding last year when I needed to go on dorzolomide and predforte to control the pressure. In your situation I would contact your consultant to explain your symptoms of headaches and a pulling sensation.

All the best

[Rachel_GlaucomaUK Partner]

Many congratulations on the arrival of your little one. Here at Glaucoma UK we have a helpline team who can give advice, guidance and information to support you at every stage of your glaucoma journey.

Our helpline advisers may be able to offer you so support with this - please give them a call on 01233 64 81 70 or email [e-mail]

[Vich81]

I suppose you need to weigh up the risks of what damage not taking any eye drops would do. I assume this is a proper eye consultant that has advised you of this? Reason why I ask is that I listened to my GP in early pregnancy and forever wish I hadn’t as he told me to stop taking all my eye drops and referred me to Moorfields (I had moved from Scotland to London at the time and my care wasn’t sorted out yet).

To cut a long story short, after a number of weeks I figured out I could got to A&E at Moorfields. I will never forget what the doctor said to me there and it will stay with me forever! My pressures were over 50. I could have gone blind at any point due to poor GP advice. I was told if I hadn’t gone in when I did I probably wouldn’t be able to see my baby.

That was 14 years ago now! Due to stopping the eye drops I have some irreparable damage to my right eye. I am not bitter anymore but I will always feel let down. I must add that my vision is still very good though.

I’m not saying this to scare you or tell you what to do but I think the point I’m getting at is to not be afraid to ask for a 2nd opinion and know what the consequences are if you don’t take the meds. Your pressures may not be as high as mine was.

As for breastfeeding, my situation was different as my daughter was born early and it just didn’t really work fir me so she was bottle fed. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help here. She did get breast milk when she was in special care though and I don’t remember it being an issue.

[Helen_GlaucomaUK Administrator]

Hello and congratulations on the birth of your baby! Please don't hesitate in contacting your consultant. If you are feeling these symptoms, then this needs to be dealt with now. Depending on what type of glaucoma you have and past treatments it may be an option to have laser treatment in the interim. However, the advice you have already been given here is correct and you need to have a discussion with your consultant, without delay.

[MelloC]

I'm sorry to only just see this. I'm probably way too late but I wanted to say that I did breastfeed, on Timolol. My advice to do so was from a well respected specialist at Moorfields. Best to punctal occlude to minimise systemic absorption though.