Traumatic afternoon at eye clinic UPDATE

[Engima]

Further to my post sent yesterday. Just had a call from the consultant's secretary. After looking at my notes, which had turned up, the doctor I saw on Monday wants me to try the eye drops she prescribed. According to her I am not allergic to Timolol, only to the other ingredient - Bimatoprost. How they reached this conclusion, I have no idea. Any way looks like I have no option but to try the Dorzolamide/Timolol that hs been prescribed. Was told to try it for two weeks. Have now got the secretary's email address - so at the first signs of any problems with the drops, I will be contacting her!

[Hidden]

I'm glad that you were contacted but as to why the consultant has concluded you not allergic to the ingredient you thought you were is odd. How are you feeling about it all? Drained I'm guessing as I know I would be. Definitely do not hesitate to contact the secretary at first sign of a reaction . I do hope a miracle happens and that you are ok with the drops. It's been a pretty rotten couple of days for you, fingers crossed it does improve. Thinking of you x

[Engima in reply to Hidden]

Hi. Thanks for your good wishes. Will try the drops when I get them, but will definitely get back to the consultant's secretary at the first sign of any trouble. We actually managed to go out today - first time for ages. Visited a lovely market town about 30 miles from us, had sandwiches and coffee in the car and looked round the town and had a little spending spree! The day got out sunny and warm as well for us. Have a lovely weekend. x

[Hidden in reply to Engima]

That will have done you the world of good,it's lovely to just get out and be somewhere different. A spending spree is always good 😃. We've actually had nice weather here too after days of torrential rain, what a joy not to be soaked going for a walk . You have a lovely weekend too x

[Engima in reply to Hidden]

Enjoy your walk. Looks like we are now going to have the rain here that you have been having!x

[Hidden in reply to Engima]

My walk was lovely but we are now back to torrential rain and have weather warnings !!!I hope you get your drops soon and can see how you are going to be with them x

[Engima in reply to Hidden]

We haver had rain off and on all day. You must be near the East coast as well, but a lot further North of course.

[Hidden in reply to Engima]

I'm actually West coast which is usually much wetter in Scotland than the East unfortunately. I think we have a couple of dry days forecast next week 🤣 x

[Engima in reply to Hidden]

Enjoy your two dry days of weather next week. x

[callie77]

Hi EngimaI hope you do well on your drops. I started on bimatoprost 9 days ago. Can't seem to find a drop that suits.

Anyway take care and I wish you well.

[Engima in reply to callie77]

Thanks for your good wishes. Hope you manage to get on OK with Bimatoprost.

[valfrance]

Hi Enigma you are certainly going through the works.... in researching.....

bimatoprost is preservative free and a prostaglandin analog

timolol has preservatives and is a beta blocker. however they are saying you are not allergic to timolol but bimatoprost....

Personally I cannot take drops with preservatives they irritate my eyes, and the benzalkonium chloride (the preservative is not good for your eyes long term) that is in timolol

I cannot also not take beta blockers they gave me anxiety for the first time in my life.

You have been given dorzolamide timolol brand name cospost.... make sure it is this as this is preservative free....

here is the link if you wish to read all about it before taking it...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

'Dorzolamide, a topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, and timolol, a nonselective beta receptor blocking agent, are both effective in the management of elevated IOP, and are well established as ocular hypotensive treatments'

Treatment

All patients were treated with the preservative-free formulation of dorzolamide–timolol (COSOPT® without benzalkonium chloride as preservative, Merck Frosst Canada Ltd, Kirkland, Canada) for eight weeks on a self-administered regimen of one drop, twice daily in the morning and bedtime, in each affected eye.

Conclusion:

Preservative-free dorzolamide–timolol does not increase eye discomfort while significantly reducing IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular-hypertension.

Perhaps this is why they are giving it to you as it has good results and is preservative free in the mixture of 2 kinds of drops.... 1 is a beta blocker... the other an anhydrase inhibitor.

good luck valfrance

[Engima in reply to valfrance]

Hi. Thanks for all the info which is much appreciated. I believe the consultant's secretary said the drops had been changed to preservative free. So will make sure they are what you say - otherwise will be going back to them again. x

[Engima in reply to valfrance]

Hi valfrance, Just to let you know after almost two weeks and another saga concerning the doctor's surgery, I now have the Dorzolamide/Timolol preservative free drops. However they are not called Cosopt as you said to amen sure they did. Just Dorzolamide/Timolol preservative free 9n single dose bottles. Hopefully they are the same - presumably Cosopt is a trade name?

[valfrance in reply to Engima]

Hi Enigma, I guess different countries use different brand names for drugs. i just put in the search and it said the 2 mixtures together are called cospost... So long as they are preservative free that is the main thing, perhaps less irritation for you. good luck valfrance

[Engima in reply to valfrance]

Thanks for looking it up for me, much appreciated.

[Monocular]

I am a little confused here. I use Dorzolamide/Timolol (Cosopt) and Bimatoprost (Lumigan) but they are different separate drops. I was not aware of Bimatoprost being a constituent of my Dorzolamide/Timolol drops. Check with a pharmacist.

[valfrance in reply to Monocular]

Hi see belowDorzolamide/Timolol 20mg/ml + 5mg/ml eye drops, solution in ...medicines.org.uk › emc › product › smpc

Dorzolamide/ Timolol eye drops is comprised of two components: dorzolamide hydrochloride and timolol maleate. Each of these two components decreases elevated ...

bimatoprost or lumigan is not in these drops its another kind of drop see below

Lumigan (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution) is a synthetic prostamide analog with ocular hypotensive activity that works by regulating the flow of fluid within the eye to maintain a normal pressure used to treat certain types of glaucoma and other causes of high pressure inside the eye.

kind regards valfrance

[Engima in reply to Monocular]

Yes they are two different types of eye drops. I was saying that before I was on Bimatoprost/Timolol which played havoc with my eyes. So was concerned that the drops now prescribed - Dorzolamide/Timolol might do the same.

[Spanieldoglover]

Hi Enigma, thank goodness that you were actually contacted after your awful time at the clinic. I hope they are right and that the drops do work for you, but at least now you have a contact to get in touch with if you do have any further problems.

[Engima]

Thanks. x