There’s been a lot of drops running down cheeks or missing eyes completely over the last few days!😂 The reason being I’ve just ttavelled away to a funeral on my own and had the usual issue of getting drops in at as close to the allotted times as possible. I have three drops to do in both eyes at 3 points in the day. One drop morning and evening at about 12 hours a part and I try to stay within an hour of the allotted time. But one drop is at 7pm and sometimes I just get caught having to take it in a public place like a restaurant or hotel toilet.
So my rant is has anyone else noticed that pub public conveniences are getting bigger and bigger sinks with the only available mirror usually positioned behind it with very poor lighting? I’m an average 5’ 4” for a women but even on tiptoe sometimes I can barely lean over the sink close enough to get my face close to the mirror to put my drops in. The problem is you can’t use a hand mirror and put your own drops in. I’ve been driven to putting them in in my car in the rear view mirror but that’s not easy when it’s gone dark and it’s not the mist hygienic option. Does anyone have a solution (other than always travelling with an assistant🙄)?
Can we start a campaign for a close up mirror and a chair to be in all toilets in public places for glaucoma sufferers using drops? There are millions of us after all and surely we all must be struggling when we travel and you don’t always have someone with you to put the drop in for you!
Rant over. Phew that feels better!😂
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Beecalmed
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Hi Beecalmed I know what you mean about trying to put your drops in no matter where you are or what you're doing. I don't usually use a mirror it's just guess work!! My last disaster was putting my drops in as the plane was taking off!! Needless to say most of it went down my cheeks!! 😂
Oh Callie77 that just made me laugh out loud! Camping is interesting with drops too! 😂 I have tried freestyling without a mirror but have more misses than hits! ☹️
I once attended a session run by glaucoma association where we were taught to rest our hand on the nose and that gets the bottle in the right place for the drop to go in.
There might be a video or something on the website to explain this. I found it helped me because as you say it's not always possible to get to a mirror.
I don't use glaucoma drops, but do use eye lubricant, sometimes frequently. After a while, I can now do it without a mirror. I pull down my lower lid with the other hand, tilt my head back, and hold the dropper over my eye with my hand resting on my cheek. I would estimate I have a 99%+ success rate.
Maybe get a bottle of PF lubricant to have a practice with rather than waste the medication with near misses until you get good at it?
I use a similar method but with my head further back and my hand on my forehead rather than my cheek so the drop lands into the cup formed by the pulled down eye lid. I reckon I get 99.9% 😉
Ah well that’s interesting as I also put in lubricating drops without a mirror! Those drops are effectively just a buffered water solution so I don’t worry about missing and getting those drops on my cheek. However I have two preservative free drops which don’t have the traditional pointed dropper-it’s a flat top- and the preservative free dorzolamide solution (Eydelto) is very thick so the drop takes an age to actually drop. The mirror is to watch the progress of the slowly forming drop to avoid blinking at the last moment as it drops and so knocking the drop out of my eye. I had the same drop in individual phials for a while and they were easier to apply but were stopped by GP as they are very expensive.
Thank you for replying as I hadn’t actually considered that my need for a mirror for applying my glaucoma drops was actually more related to the type of the drop I use. Clearly that’s why most drop users don’t need a mirror then!😂
👍🏻 I’ve tried most things and settled on what works best but I do like a mirror! For speed and efficiency I do both eyes at the same time one after the other so I am then 2 and half minutes standing waiting for the drops to take effect and that’s usually when some kind women asks me if I’m feeling ok! 😂
Hi Beecalmed .I've never even tried to put eye drops in holding my head upright. That's certainly how doctors and nurses put them in. There are lots of videos on utube showing different methods, but the method I use is, head well back, pull the bottom eye lid down with left hand, rest the the right hand holding the bottle on my forehead. You can see where the nozzle is pointing with the target eye, so aim it into the site furthest away from the nose. I very rarely miss doing it 8 times a day.
You certainly need to free yourself from the terrible restriction of needing a mirror.
Help ..I lie in bed .. with my head on the pillows and no mirror...I pull bottom lid in a shoot ..is this incorrect?? I have done for about ten years....
New to drops.Found it easy to lay in bed but my lovely chemist informed me how important it is for the pocket in the eyelid so do it standing in front of the mirror
I’ve never had drops that need refrigeration but my husband has. Years ago I got him a pouch which you soak in cold water and it keeps the drops cold for a reasonable length of time. I think I got it from the Glaucoma Association.
I bought a travelling pouch from Frio UK - though TBH I was amazed how expensive it was. When it arrived it is a three part pouch so I guess that accounted for the price.
Hello Beeccalmed. Sorry I don't have a solution but I share you frustration with the preservative free bottles which I find hard to use. I did used to squeeze the bottle away from my eye until the drop came then lift it to my eye, which sometimes worked, but not always. One of the Glaucoma UK webinars talks about methods of inserting drops and explains why they drops are more tricky.
Hi Becalmed. I am also on Eyedelto preservative free and have also found that it takes an age for the drop to drop and my usual routine when I am at home is to sit on the bed and without a mirror do both eyes at the same time and then lie back for two minutes. I do find giving the bottle a good shake first helps. With regards to putting the drops in when I am away from home I find that sitting rather than standing works better for me, again without a mirror as I need both hands free. Like you I have also tried the phials but in my case I couldn’t get on with them so it is all very subjective and we just have to find what works best for us but I do agree with you having to make do with public spaces does make it much more difficult.
I’m new to Glaucoma diagnosis and I too find it hard to get the drop in my eyes…..ive bought an eye drop dispenser and seem to do better, but sometimes 2 drops drop in….dont know how this affects the eye though. I lay back on bed, position plastic eye dispenser over eye and squeeze individual vial…..hopefully one drop, but occasionally 2!! Opps.
Dear Beecalmed, 1. As you said please plan ahead and arrange timing within one hour +/- to put the eye drop where you can do . 2. Practice makes perfect.. after sometimes yourconfidence will be better. Having said that some may find more easy to use with mirror. The problem is if you miss it the eye drops will be run out before 28/30 days. I would prefer not to use in the public toilet if possible. With best wishes.
Hi Beecalmed. I can understand your worries about puting drops without using a mirror. However there are some drop despensers in the market and actually they are very useful .
There is one called opticare made by a company called Cameron Graham in Huddersfield. You may order one from them .price is reasonable
Oh that did make me smile! I feel your pain. I’m 5”3 & can never reach anything 😂. I think what we need to do is campaign to get an easier way to get drops into your eyes. Whatever bright spark designed most of the drop bottles wants shooting. I mean honestly, in this day & age can they not find a better way to manage Glaucoma. Bearing in mind a lot of people with Glaucoma are elderly and/or infirm, some of us can’t see properly. I find it hard enough & I have fluid movement & can see fairly well out of one eye, goodness knows how people who struggle with movement manage. Take into account that the best way to manage Glaucoma is to be rigorous with your eye drops, surely there must be a better way. I’m ranting now & I really didn’t intend to! 😂.
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