Feeling 'drunk' and wearing contact lenses after trab surgery!

[Bonniecat7]

HiDoes anyone who has had Trabeculectomy surgery wear contact lenses? And does anyone relate when I say since the op I feel slightly drunk??

Sorry this post is so long..........

Having had a Trab in Sept I feel my vision has changed, which I was told would probably happen. Before surgery I wore glasses for distance only whilst driving and I have always had Astigmatism. I now feel 'strange' most of the time but not in a blurry focus way - more like my Astigmatism has increased in that eye and things are a little wonky?? Or could this be because my pressure in the operated eye is now very low (6, which the surgeon is happy with)? Very difficult to describe but I feel sort of drunk especially when I'm outdoors!! My distance glasses help slightly but they now feel like the focus is wrong. But my close up vision is still excellent without glasses so can't wear glasses indoors (I do very close up detailed work)

I realise I need to go to the optician and get a new prescription but have been told I shouldn't do that yet as my eye is still changing after the op. But I'm just working out my options in my head! Thinking if I'm allowed a contact lens in that eye to correct the astigmatism I could then just have glasses for distance as usual.....

[Toby_from_London]

Hi Bonnie,

I haven’t had a trab but have had a shunt inserted and it will take time for your vision to settle as your eye is now a slightly different shape.

Obviously every eye is unique but from my understanding an IOP of 6 shouldn’t cause blurriness and I too was told to wait for at least 3 months before visiting an optician. I would imagine as there is a risk of infection after surgery the timeframe will probably be longer for contact lenses.

I personally found the weeks immediately after surgery quite challenging with the limitations on movement and eye drop regime! However 6 months on I can still read to the same place on the eye chart, so you just need to be patient, which I know can be difficult🙂

[Bonniecat7 in reply to Toby_from_London]

Thank you Toby. Yes I can still read the very tiny bottom letters on the chart without my glasses on, so vision isn't blurry. It's just that I feel wonky!I agree, the eyedrop routine is quite a shock - I wasn't prepared for that. I drew up a chart on a white board in the end so I could tick each one off as I had done it. I was also on antibiotics and antibiotic cream for my hand where they messed up the canular, so even more things to remember at the start!

[whitedog]

Hi

It was different for me as I was only wearing a contact lens in my good eye due to the amount of vision I'd already lost in my affected eye. But I knew soon after the trab op that something felt very odd, like my eye was sinking, and so I went back and found my pressures were down to zero! They had to inject some gel in to bring them back up.

I think we sense very quickly when something isn't quite right and I know what you mean about the drunk feeling. I got some glasses for back up but I only put them on if I need to take my contact out for any reason. I feel a bit unbalanced with them on but I'm trying to get more used to them. Also I have some blur and haze in my left now due to dry eye and cataract and that makes me feel a bit odd - it feels more like a bit of a hangover though,

I've been told I have some astigmatism as well. Looking through a lens at the opticians made everything a lot clearer but trying a contact lens for astigmatism didn't improve anything for me, sadly.

I think if you've been told not to go for a new prescription yet, I'd try and hold on for a bit yet if you can. Is that what your surgeon said or the optician? Will you be going back to see the surgeon any time soon?

[Bonniecat7 in reply to whitedog]

Thank you Whitedog,Gosh feeling like your eye was sinking sounds terrifying!! Good to know they sorted it for you with the gel though.

It was the surgeon who said not to get eye test too soon. But that was a while ago now and I forgot to ask in my last appointment, so will be March before I go back. I guess it wouldn't hurt to chat to my optician and have an eye test as he might know if it's a vision thing cause in this feeling or a pressure thing. I think I'll hold off spending money on new glasses though incase it changes!

[whitedog in reply to Bonniecat7]

Yeah I always follow my consultant's advice over my local optician tbh but, as you say, it wouldn't hurt to get a test or have your pressures checked. And if they think there's an issue they can always refer you back. I had all my ops between 2005 and 2012 so my memory of recovery time etc is a bit vague now.

[frankthebank in reply to whitedog]

Hi, I had my trab on the 24th November and the recovery has frankly been a nightmare. Like you my eye collapsed and deflated like a football ( mine was after blowing my nose ) I knew something was wrong as well, like you say, I think we all know our own eyes and when things aren't right. Then I ended up going two times to have that gel injected as well ( a very terrifying experience being told your eye is collapsed and then having someone inject gel into your eye; as I'm sure you can relate to ) Well that was 4 weeks ago and since then everytime I've been back the IOP is still only 1mm but the surgeon says the eye has now recovered and formed correctly, so is reluctant to put another stitch in. I just wondered did your IOP go up on its own or did they have to rework it? Also to Bonnie I can definitely relate to the drunk feeling, even though mine is blurry hazzy vision, which Ive still got 6 weeks of on, I find it very disorientating at times, so often resort to wearing an eye patch on that eye.

[Bonniecat7 in reply to frankthebank]

Hi Frankthebank,It's really scarey when unexpected things happen isn't it? When I was having Hyphemas every week for 5 weeks I felt really miserable because I wasn't making any progress. It felt like life would never get back to any sort of normality! My recovery really hasn't been straightforward but despite the drunk feeling I do feel more robust now and my eye looks calm with no redness. I was wearing my eye patch for weeks when I was out and about because I felt really vulnerable without it.

I don't wear it at all now though but still sleep on the other side at night as I was advised to do with the low pressure.

I guess we just have to trust that things will improve......

[Bonniecat7 in reply to frankthebank]

Ooh out of interest, do you think you feel more 'drunk' now your pressure is so low, or is it the same as before? My drunk feeling only strated after they took a stitch out and the pressure dropped from around 14 to 6, which is why I'm wondering if it's a pressure thing

[frankthebank in reply to Bonniecat7]

Hi Bonnie, Ive always had it post opp, I think for me it's a result of have blurry vision in one eye and good vision in the other, is just very disorientating. Right now though Im not sure if it's still a post opp thing or low pressure. I do think though like you say eventually things will improve, but of course it's a battle because sometimes it just feels day to day like things aren't improving.

[whitedog in reply to frankthebank]

Hi Frankthe bank To be honest, I can't remember too much about what happened after the gel was injected in as it was over 10 years ago. But my trab, like the laser surgery before it, ultimately failed and healed over due to the underlying inflammatory disease causing havoc with everything. So I ended up having an Ahmed valve drainage tube inserted in 2012 as a last resort. I still have to put 2 lots of drops in but the three things together seem to have generally stabilised the pressures.

[Cornwalleyes]

Hi I had my trab at the end of August last year, my consultant said to wait at least three months before going to the opticians - and then not to let them do their puff in the eye pressure test. The tests he has done show my sight hasn’t really changed so I haven’t been yet but have got an appt later in Jan just to get it checked thoroughly. I think your idea of going for an eye check up now is fine, it will either reassure you or might help you with questions for your next consultant appt.

[Bonniecat7 in reply to Cornwalleyes]

Thank you. It has been over 3 months since my op but because of complications of Hyphemas for way longer than they have ever seen before I think i'm rather behind in terms of settling time!

[Eahldt]

It took my optician quite a long time to issue me with a definitive prescription after trab and cataract surgery. At one point I got new glasses with cheap frames and only paid more when she was confident my sight was stable. When I went back a year later the prescription was unchanged. However my sight varies and near vision is better than distance even with glasses. I’m told I should use dry eye drops and a heat bag which I do. I have no obvious dry eye symptoms but think the drops and bag help - when I remember to use them. I have lost vision in my right eye so understand the unbalanced effect. I think after the damage caused by glaucoma and subsequent treatments it would be unreasonable to expect a return to the sight I had before. I’m grateful to be able to see aswell as I can and to be able to lead a fairly normal life including driving.

[Eahldt]

Forgot to say I still wear contact lenses occasionally without problems as I like a change from glasses.

[Bonniecat7 in reply to Eahldt]

Thank you Eahldt this is good to know that contacts may be a possible option.

[pinks223]

Same here I just had trab bearly a week ago and some days I’m fine normal but others feel woozy tired drunk can’t really have proper brain function ( I called a magpie today a pagmie ( magpie is an Australian bird ) like seriously I’ve had these issues for some time I’m on Diamox which makes my brain go wacky I feel I’ve lost a lot of strength legs feel like jelly and so tired most of the time on 6 lots of eye drops 3 for right eye ( post trab op ) ( last pressure was 18 I think after trab op it’s quite hard but trying to fight my way thru it

3 eyedrops for left eye which still has high pressure of around 30

[Dabs2024]

I really understand what you’re saying. My trab was 2 years ago and Iva had two lots of needling since then. I feel almost like my head is spinning when I’m outside e especially in a forest. I also feel like my perception of depth has changed and I stumble a lot when I’m walking. I even fell off the pavement into the road the other day which could have been a lot worse than it was. Have you got any answers to this?