Cataracts and glaucoma

[Engima]

I have cataracts in both eyes and was told two weeks ago that I also have now got glaucoma. I'm on the waiting list to have the cataracts removed. Been looking at web sites, which have frightened me. Most of them are American and they say that pressures get higher after cataract treatment. Also that extra care is needed for cataract removal if the patient has glaucoma. Had to stop looking in the end. Would be interested to know how other people have got on if they have also got glaucoma and have had cataracts removed.

[Hidden]

Hi Engima I havnt got cataracts but I know ladies on here who have and have got gluacoma and had cataracts removed. Please don’t listen to any American websites I went on Facebook on a gluacoma page on there to ask about glaucoma and the answers were horrendous and people’s situation I then realised there were very few people from the uk they were American and on about how they couldn’t afford private health care and their gluacoma had gone bad and also lots of people from India. All lovely people but horror stories. Then I found this forum. Best ever and of course your medicine and consultant are the first port of call. Xxx

[Engima in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Julie. Will try not to look at anything on the web about the condition as it is much too scary. x

[Hidden]

Hi Enigma I had cataracts removed from both my eyes a few months after being diagnosed with glaucoma, so just over 18 months ago. They were just beginning and not affecting my sight but I had closed angle glaucoma and removing the cataracts and having artificial lenses opened up my angles. The operation itself is over in 5 or 10 minutes, you can't see what's happening as your face is covered in a sterile drape and you don't feel any pain,you just know your eye is being worked on. I was out of hospital about an hour after my operation and felt absolutely fine. You are given steroid eye drops to take and yes they can raise your eye pressure but for me personally they didn't. You have to be careful for 4 weeks, no bending over, heavy lifting, gardening etc . You are given anti biotic and steroid drops which I took for 4 weeks 4 times a day, it's inconvenient but you soon get into the rhythm.

I was scared stiff before first operation but for me it was no problem, I recovered well, no inflammation, no infection, it was the not being able to exercise I struggled with.

I hope this puts your mind at rest .

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Sorry Enigma to clarify the steroid drops only normally raise the eye pressure for duration of time you are taking the drops. My eye pressure initially came down to 15 after operation but then rose to 18/19 so I had to carry on with eye drops as my consultant wants my eye pressure at 14.

[Jennymary in reply to Hidden]

You also need to be aware that if you are a Steroid Responder your pressure wil shoot up, mine hit the forties and fifties due to using steroid drops, when I've been on them, pressures are 50 I'm told stop the drops and come back tomorrow for a, pressure check, it plummets down into the twenties, usually my pressure are between. 10 & 15

[Hidden in reply to Jennymary]

Goodness thanks Jennymary I remember you saying previously you were a steroid responder . I wonder what percentage of patients on steroid drops actually are ?

[Engima in reply to Jennymary]

Thanks Jenny. Do not know if I am allergic to steroids as I have never had them. From what you say sounds as if you able to measure the pressure in your eyes or did they feel strange and you went to the hospital to check them out?

[Jennymary in reply to Engima]

I go to A &. E, put on steroids, then lots of clinic appts, when my pressure is high I get no symptoms, never have done, either today or tomorrow I'm going to try and look out a couple of hospital letters when you'll see what steroid drops do to my glaucoma

[Engima in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for all the info and how you got on. I am allergic to some antibiotics but do not know which (as well as penicillin). Have never had steroids so do not know about that.

[Hidden in reply to Engima]

You get given a pre op so you would tell them then that you are allergic to some anti biotics and no one would know if they are a steroid responder until the actual event. I had no idea about steroid responders until Jennymary said and I know so many people who have had cataract ops and every single one has been successful bar one and his was due to uncontrolled diabetes. Unfortunately with every medication a certain of people with always have adverse reactions,some much more extreme than others.

[Engima in reply to Hidden]

Thanks.

[HMThai in reply to Hidden]

Good morning from Thailand.... very good reading I have Angle Closure Glaucoma(Laser Iridotomy already done... ,I( have a question... Did you have both cataracts removed together?.... this part confuses me! Thanking you in advance!

[HMThai in reply to Hidden]

Sorry forgot to ask... what was your IOP before and after?

[Hidden in reply to HMThai]

Hi HMThai , good afternoon from a very wet ,miserable Scotland. I had my cataract ops done 6 weeks apart ,my surgeon wanted to ensure the first op had gone to plan and I was healing properly before he carried out the second. The ops did open up the angles in my eyes well and although initially my eye pressure did drop from 27 to 15 this didn't last and my pressure rose to 20 . This was higher than my consultant wanted and so I was put on 2 different lots of eye drops and then given a trab in both eyes when the eye drops stopped controlling my pressure .

[HMThai in reply to Hidden]

Good morning and good wishes for the season..... Sending happiness from Thailand....I just had all my tests done..... IOP little higher.24 in left Eye 22 in right...so reintroducing Alphagan P 0.1% am/pm+ Duo Trav at night...

[Hidden in reply to HMThai]

Happiness and good wishes to you HM Thai from a very wet Scotland . That's a shame your pressures are a little higher but hopefully the eye drops will bring them down to an acceptable level and keep them there. 🤞

[HMThai in reply to Hidden]

Thank you kindly.....I have my support Opthamologist here in my city,.......I will go in the new year just to comfort myself that the IOP readings are acceptable..... I must admit going to Bangkok for examinations is becoming stressful.... getting up at 3 am!.....a very long tiring day......600 KM roundtrip........I even suggested my GS move out of BKK......she said she would like to!......(Life in big cities is not fun anymore!)Be well....I used to love Scotland very much.....been for my Duke of Edinburgh's award ceremonies.......My first love back in early 70s was from Lerwick in Shetland Islands.....Been Falcon spotting Ayrshire...... Good Morning!

[Hidden in reply to HMThai]

That's a dreadful length of journey you have to make to see your specialist, I find going to the eye clinic stressful enough but adding that journey on top certainly wouldn't help, plus having to get up in the middle of the night is never good. It definitely is a pity your specialist doesn't have a clinic closer to you,it would make it all so much easier . Hopefully the journey will be worth it and you will find your pressures have lowered which will definitely make you feel a lot happier. I take it you haven't been back to Scotland in a while ? I do love it here but when it rains ,which is a lot of the time ,it really rains . I am impressed you got your Duke of Edinburgh's award as I know a few friends who did start it but none who completed it . I've never been to Shetland where your first love was from ,tbh I've never been to any of the Islands !!!

Wishing you a happy and healthy( especially eye health) 2023.

[HMThai in reply to Hidden]

Oh those memories of Princess Street in Edinburgh...am I right?...my memory is as vague as were my abilities to read the compass directions in those days!i recall being with the Air Cadets at Bath -Colerne near Bristol.....did we get lost at night or what?😂😂😂.......no I haven't been back that way...... will let you know about the IOP readings....... Should you be considering visiting us in Thailand please keep in touch....my wife has a small cake coffee shop at the seaside here... plenty of affordable accomodation available..take a look!.we are connected!... Hope your eye health is in harmony with you

!.....

K's Cake Station

080 100 6215

maps.app.goo.gl/7jQ6Mbtxkyj...

Should anyone else be reading this they are welcome too ❤️❤️

[Hidden in reply to HMThai]

Yes Princes St is the main street running right through Edinburgh city centre. You sound like you certainly enjoyed yourself whilst in the UK 🙂. My partner was in Thailand about 25 years ago enroute to New Zealand and he absolutely loved it and the people. He had his fortune told by an elderly man who described me exactly and told him lots of things he couldn't have known ,he also said we would be together for the rest of our lives ♥️.

I do like cakes 😋.

[HMThai in reply to Hidden]

You wrote "he also said we would be together for the rest of our lives ♥️"......... Should you both decide to visit us sometime in Thailand, you will be very welcome !.....We are connected and can assist flawlessly sending our beloved mini bus driver who takes to the Hospital in Bangkok....no worries at all.... take a look at our beach where this message comes from my hammock in a small hut at our beach!.... our area bracing for 5 days of celebrations!..... Traffic police and support services already prepared.....Chao Lao Beach

maps.app.goo.gl/E7XD1vyt6AZ...

Good morning!