Tablets for glaucoma

[Engima]

I am on eye drops which are playing havoc (been on them for 10 days). It seems as lots of people are on eye drops, but is anyone on tablets. If so how do you find them, have there been side effects. Thanks.

[Royrace]

Hi enigmaI am currently using azopt & monopost while waiting for laxer surgery for glaucoma in my left eye., but my pressure is slowly kreepinh back up.

Originally I was on iopodene , monopost, & cospot but never really had any side effects from the eye drops although they did switch cosopt to Azopt after 4 weeks as the cosopt included beta blockers.

I was also initially put on the tablet acetazolamide in addition to the eye drops but had to come off them after 4 days as I was so ill!!

I lost about 10 kilos in a week, felt sick constantly and kept falling asleep as if I had narcolepsy. Also made me feel really low! I was ill for about 10 days in total even though I only took them for 4 days. Apparantly that’s how long they take to leave your system.

Can I ask what problems you are having with the eye drops and what eye drops are you using?

Regards Robrace

[Engima in reply to Royrace]

Hi. Sounds as if the tablets are a lot worse, so will give them a miss - certainly cannot afford to lose any weight as I only weigh 6 and a half stone now! I am on Eyzeetan, which contains beta-blocker. Although it is preservative free my eyes have been burning, stinging, itching and feeling like someone is holding them open (sorry but hard to described that feeling) all the while. Yesterday was really bad - my eyes felt as if they were on fire. Having been using them for 10 days now and keep hoping things will settle down. I tried ringing the eye clinic yesterday - but no joy, couldn't get an answer from them nor my consultant's secretary. Will try again on Monday. It may be that the eye drops just do not suit me There must be some out there that do not have too many side effects.

[Royrace in reply to Engima]

I’m sure they will get you sorted, I gather it can always be a bit of trial and error to get the right meds for each individual but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I’m a couple of months in from diagnosis and have gone from 4 tablets a day and 6 eye drops with horrendous side effects to just 3 eye drops a day with no side effects. So stay strong you will get there!

[Engima in reply to Royrace]

Thanks. I will try and stay positive.

[Wales99]

Hi Enigma. I was on Acetazolomide (Diamox) and didn’t find them too bad. My consultant started me on a low dose & then gradually built it up. I did get side effects but it did settle down. I actually didn’t mind them, I would much rather take a tablet than shove yet more drops in my eye. We are all very different though & what affects one might not necessarily affect all. 😊

[Engima in reply to Wales99]

Thanks for replying to me. As you say we are all different. Will have to see what my consultant says - when I am able to get in touch with him that is!

[Wales99 in reply to Engima]

Bless you yes getting through to them is yet another nightmare. Covid has a lot to answer for! Good luck & keep us posted. 😊.

[Engima in reply to Wales99]

Thanks. x

[Hidden]

I cannot tolerate any eye drops. I took acetozolamide/diamox for around 6 months while awaiting surgery. They are nasty things, but for me were preferable to the eye drops. Drinking lots of water can help minimise the negative effects.

[Engima in reply to Hidden]

Thanks. Don' really know if I will be having surgery or not. Down on a list for cataracts and was told would be erased after that -whenever that might be. Will have another go at contacting my consultant next week and hope I have better luck doing so!

[Hidden in reply to Engima]

Assuming your problem can be addressed by surgery, if you kick up enough fuss about the drops, you'll get the surgery. Every class of glaucoma drops made me severely ill. I'm not sure any consultant really believed me, but it did eventually lead to surgical intervention. Good luck!

[Engima in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the advice. As I was only diagnosed on June 15th and as I was in shock do not know whether surgery would help or not. I tried to ask the doctor I saw, but he didn't answer any of my questions. Just kept saying I had now got glaucoma and to take the drops he was prescribing me. He kept muttering something about my eyes being 140 which was very high and didn't elaborate. So again not sure what 140 meant. Not too happy really as you might guess.

[Jennymary]

One thing I'll say about tablets, you may need slows release, at one stage with all the problems I had I was put on water tablets as, a capsule form, no problems, then at a later date I needed them again, this time capsules weren't available so had tablet form which caused tummy cramps and vomiting so they were stopped immediately, I had the same happen few tears ago when I had to come off prozac all OK as capsules tummy problems with tablets so now I need Slow, Release medication

[Engima in reply to Jennymary]

Thanks. I have lots of stomach pains normally. So if I do go onto tablets will ask for the slow release capsules.

[Crafted in reply to Engima]

I had diamox initially for about six weeks and between them and drops had over 16 different side effects, felt awful, blood pressure highs, stomach pain and was thoroughly miserable, falling asleep all the time as you said and lost weight too with the diamox and I too am only small. Now take dorzolomide/timolol combi drop and pilocarpine. Still have digestive and sleep problems but not as bad as with Diamox. Just got preservative free versions to see if this helps. I think it's very individual and we tolerate different things in varying quantities. I am just very sensitive to what I have but consultant happy with pressure so has kept me on the same drugs. Its worth it if pressures are good. I hope it all goes well whatever you choose to take.

[Engima in reply to Crafted]

Thanks. The tablets do sound like they will cause more problems than the eye drops. Hope all goes well for you too. x

[eyesong]

Dear Engima, I see you have had a lot of replies but I want to add my thoughts also. I will take pills and drops to avoid surgery as long as I can. /The Acetozolamide/diamox is a Rx for high altitude sickness and hikers take it to reduce fluid build up. The pill that is better to replace it for Glaucoma (to reduce the fluid in your eye) is Methazolamide 50mg 2 to 3 times a day. I have no side effects from it. I take Cosopt preservative free 2 x a day and Zioptan Preservative Free at night. I have had open angle glaucoma for 30 years and had laser surgery and SLT laser etc, non helped. I don't want to start with implants/surgery and complications until I absolutely half to. My tests are good my vision is still good (use reading glasses on right eye) after cataract surgery, and my pressure is around 18/19 sometimes 20 but it always has been in that range for me. I have a Diaton instrument to read IOP , which I do with the help of my husband and I take it to my Dr. visits and let them compare their measurements with mine. I feel the best Glaucoma patient is a well educated one and you need to read everything you can and don't let your Dr. visits switch you continually from one RX to another and never 2 at a time because you won't know which one you can't tolerate. Never use drops that have preservatives in them and do not be rushed into any surgery without asking all the questions you need to. Good luck and keep asking, Eyesong in Texas.

[Engima in reply to eyesong]

Thanks for all the info. To be honest I have no idea what my eye pressures are. The consultant just said it was high and mentioned a figure of 140. But what that means, I do not know because if the pressure was 140 my eyes would have exploded by now! If you are in the States things seem to be treated differently there.

[eyesong]

Dear Enigma, always ask for a written record /at least verbal of your pressures and keep a log of them forever. IOP is everything in Glaucoma treatment so why don't they want you to know what your's is? I didn't trust one Dr. I went to for years it was always high and she wanted to do surgery on all her patients. I changed Dr's and don't have that worry now and of course I have my own Diaton appliance now to verify my pressures.