At a eye test a couple of years ago I didn't pass the periferial test at the opticians so I have been referred to a eye clinic
My eyesight in my left eye has detoriated the consultant said we will start you on eye drops which I pick up tomorrow
He said if it is glaucoma it's best to start treating you as soon as possible he said it is a rare glaucoma where there is no eye pressure
They are looking after me so well but when will I know if it's glaucoma or not
have you had an OCT scan? There are a few markers for diagnosing it, like cupped disks, defects on OCT and visual field etc, only a qualified ophthalmologist can tell you for certain.
They will be referring to normal tension glaucoma which is treated the same way as open angle, but they will aim for a lower pressure. What drops have they started you on, latanoprost?
Hi
Thanks for your reply
I'm picking up latanprost tomorrow so hoping there's no side effects
I've had loads of eye examinations so I expect they were the one's you mentioned
Latanoprost normally brings the pressure down by around 30%. You will be ok, I would just do what they tell you to do, follow appointments and most importantly, take charge of your care. The NHS is a bit of a state and sometimes you need to remind / push them you are due a checkup.
its all a bit scary
Do you have glaucoma? how has it affected you
My Nan had it so they do say it can be hereditary
Its fear of the unknown I suppose because your eyes are so precious I hope I don't lose my sight altogether
yeah I have secondary glaucoma called pigmentary dispersion glaucoma that normally impacts younger people between 20/40, I’m 34. Its caused by my iris rubbing and releasing pigmentation which blocks everything up, I need to be careful for pressure spikes.
I think a lot of people, myself included do struggle mentally at times, it’s quite taxing constantly worrying about it, but you will become an expert about glaucoma like the rest of us! I get regular checkups at my opticians, they can do all the scans and checks, and give you an indication is it’s progression, so that’s something to look into.
If you look at the statistics, going blind from it is rare these days, and there is a lot of promising research just on the horizon, they think a cure isn’t far away now.
I’ve recently joined this site as I have just been diagnosed with Pseudoexfoliation glaucoma. They are looking after me superbly at my NHS Eye Clinic.
I wanted to thank you for your uplifting and kind response to Skyepies and to all members of this forum. I hope you too are being looked after well, as you are you young. It’s wonderful to learn that there is a cure on the horizon too. 🙂
I've just started with Latanoprost drops as I have high pressure in both eyes - not (yet) glaucoma. I wasn't given much advice but there are lots of good clips on the internet about how to put drops in. One tip I wish I'd known at the start was to get some ordinary eye drops to practice with rather than waste the Lanaprost. Ask your gp or pharmacist which to use.
Best of luck. One useful thing to know is that if you do find the Latanoprost drops irritate your eyes at any time, you may be able to ask to switch to Monopost. It's the same active ingredient, but it doesn't have any preservative in it (it's often the preservative that causes the irritation). It comes in single-use portions, which means it feels like a lot of plastic waste, but my eyes are one area where I think it's worth it!
For me it took a month or two for the Latanoprost to irritate my eyes, but when that started to happen regularly, I called my consultant's secretary to let them know, and they sent a new prescription direct to my GP for Monopost, it all worked pretty smoothly and they're much better.
There are lots of other types of eye drops too, but that seems to be a common and simple change that can be made.
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