Latanoprost

[Avocado01]

Hi there. I am new to this post and diagnosed with glaucoma about 3 months ago. I was prescribed Latanoprost and I Just recently started to experience extreme exhaustion with lower than normal blood pressure. Anyone else experience the same? I contacted my eye doctor and was asked to stop taking the eyedrops for 2 weeks and come back to discuss if symptoms go away. I am very nervous to do this as my understanding is taking these eyedrops are detrimental.

[Beecalmed]

If your consultant feels it won’t be detrimental to your glaucoma to stop taking lantanoprost for 2 weeks in order to see if your symptoms stop then I think I would do it. You want to know if it’s the Lantanoprost or something else causing your symptoms and exclusion is the best way to do it .

There are other eye drops that can be tried so follow your consultants guidance as problems with one glaucoma drop doesn’t necessarily mean problems with all drops.

You could also ask about the possibility of laser treatment (SLT) which may be an option depending on your particular diagnosis and can possibly remove the need for eye drops for some people.

Hope you get to the bottom of what is causing your low blood pressure! 👍🏻

[Mimi987]

Hi Avocado1! I am on latanopost and Dorzolamide/Timolol. The Dorzolamide/Timolol is a beta blocker which does lower blood pressure I think. Do you have glaucoma in both eyes? I only have it it in one and this eye is interfering with the other eye so I think I might try and lower the dosage. I also think lying down as I do overnight is not as beneficial as sitting or standing up!All the best to you!

[Avocado01 in reply to Mimi987]

Hi thank you for response and yes I have glaucoma in both eyes. I ended up calling back my eye doctor and instead of waiting 2 weeks for a recheck off of drops they are going to see me back in one week which makes me feel a little bit better. I have considered laser treatment but eye doctor explained to my that since I am 54 yrs old that she advised holding off on surgery until I am older as if I did surgery now it most likely will have to be repeated again and each time you have it done it becomes less effective and as we age we tend to forget to take eyedrops or may have difficulties putting them in etc so she thinks saving surgery would be better to hold off on. I understand what she is saying but now I have been on drops for about 3 months now I am rethinking laser as I hate the way the drops makes me feel

[Beecalmed in reply to Avocado01]

Hi Avocado1!

OK so I see you’re in the US. Obviously the guidance might be different there. However we in the UK have something called NICE guidelines here which advises all medics on best practice. The NICE guidance changed around 2019 to say that SLT laser procedure should be considered as a first line treatment for open angle glaucoma. It’s not considered an operation more of a routine procedure. It’s thought younger people will opt first for SLT over drops and older people will opt for drops over SLT. You can have the procedure multiple times if necessary. You can have both drops and SLT.

I was diagnosed at 54yrs old. Similar so to you. I had SLT 2 -3 yrs later when I had had issues with eye drops not preventing progression plus allergic reactions to some eye drops and preservatives. I still have to take drops but I have preservative free. So SLT was a good option for me. SLT is a simple quick procedure that takes 10 mins in the chair.

I took Lantanoprost with no problems. I now take Bimatoprost (same family) still without issues. My allergic reaction was to Simprinza which made me giddy, light headed & occasionally breathless. And preservatives were an issue, so I’m now on preservative free.

The thing that seemed to halt my progression though was SLT. It didn’t drop the eye pressures as much as hoped but when I had it second time in other eye it just seemed to kick start something and my glaucoma stopped progressing. They are considering doing it again now.

Hope this info helps. Everyone’s diagnosis and situation is different but worth having another chat with your consultant maybe?

[valfrance]

SLT is not surgery takes 5 minutes each eye. I had this so far touch wood its been 4 years. Better on a virgin eye i would get if you have if you have open angled glaucoma. If you dont have single dose vials. It is not preservative free. I take monoprost same group as lantaprost. That is preservative free.

[Bucanero]

Are you taking diamox alongside the eye drops? Diamox lowers BP and causes exhaustion too.

[Avocado01 in reply to Bucanero]

No, only on Latanoprost