Glaucoma and steroids

[Eyak1971]

Recently I had an eye infection and the eye doctor prescription an antibiotic eye drops that contained a steroid for inflammation. Maxitrol. At the time I followed his instructions for treatment but now after I have excessive eye pressure and he diagnosed me with glaucoma in the eye he was treating. So I believe I have steroid glaucoma due to his failure in not only checking my medication list that included prednisone but failure to monitor my treatment properly. Added to this a fear that my optic nerve has been damaged. I am on the verge of filing a law suit once he the whole situation is over. Has anyone else been in the situation of considering filing malpractice against a doctor?

[peregrin]

Most lawyers will do a free consultation for something like this. If you can't get a recommendation from a friend, check with your local bar association. Most have referral services.

[Eyak1971 in reply to peregrin]

Thanks. Will look into it.

[Darlenia]

It's very likely that the Infection in the eye led to high pressure and glaucoma, not so much the meds. Hence, I think it would be very hard, if not impossible, to win that type of medical malpractice lawsuit. I say this because my hubby is still recovering from the shingles virus contracted in August last year. They watched his eye carefully (exams and pics), and nothing was happening - no meds. Suddenly, the eye pressure increased and he was then immediately placed on anti-viral eyedrops, pressure reducing eyedrops, and an oral prescription. However, the viral activity in his eye continued and migrated to both eyes. At that point, he was meeting with a highly specialized retina-uveitis specialist - who saw him frequently and tweaked the drugs. Finally, as of yesterday, the medications are being scaled back. Interestingly, the specialist said the glaucoma would likely be lifelong due to the infection itself but controllable by drops - likely a single drop daily. She also mentioned that the mix of meds he was on (and is still receiving in reduced format) would speed up cataract formation - but cataract surgery would fix that. She then reiterated all of this was a small price to pay since my hubby hadn't lost his sight. Sooo....I personally feel a lawsuit would be very difficult to win knowing the damaging outcomes of an infection such as shingles can inflict. I sense this particular infection may never leave my hubby's eyes - that it will always be there to lash out if he's not careful. My husband's specialist also documented the viral destruction very well - she has a clear and thorough paper trail. In our opinion, winning a lawsuit in these type of case would be very unusual and rare - particularly when eye specialists (ours is Harvard trained) are brought into the courtroom. And then, my hubby has a very complex history with his transplant also requiring steroids, etc. If you have discretionary money and time to spend on it, it might be worth testing the water. But, for us, I know we would surely lose. We're simply grateful to reach a point where we can begin to set our worries aside.

[Eyak1971 in reply to Darlenia]

Thank you for sharing. Sorry about your husband's misfortune. The legal system is always difficult and sometimes hard to deal with and sometimes is not worth the effort. But it is there for a reason and sometimes it allows the common man to make a point so others are not hurt in the future. A dictator is someone you should be able to trust. But I will take your advice to heart. May be just taking the time to contact the state agency overseeing medical practice may be enough. There are always other options to make a point to help others. Particularly older patients who are vulnerable.

[Darlenia in reply to Eyak1971]

I forgot to give you the names of the two types of eyedrops that my husband is still taking today: Timolol and PrednisolOne Acetate, the latter is a steroid. Steroidal treatment of eye infections is apparently a standard and important treatment approach for viral and bacterial infections. Hope this helps - juggling issues and keeping ourselves in good shape is hard work!

[Eyak1971 in reply to Darlenia]

Thanks for the info. Too bad that the steroid drops caused my initial problem. I guess the issue was not particularly thr drops but the extent of time used and the lack of monitoring by the doctor. Eventually had to consent to laser glaucoma surgery. Not thrilled but I guess the doctor needed the thousand from medicare. Even when I questioned him on the need and cause no real answers. He only saw dollar signs. Sent me on my way with no care instructions after the surgery. Had to look online to find what I should do. Decided to contact medicare to investigate. He has many older patients and I wonder how he treats them. You think you know a doctor after a few years and then you find that he is really not what you thought he was.

[LisaSnow]

I am so sorry, it is hard to hear about new, unexpected health problems.

glaucoma.org/what-causes-gl...

Unfortunately, I think your lawyer is going to have a very hard time proving if the glaucoma was caused by the infection itself, the pressure that your eyes have had from aging and inflammatory response of the infection (versus medication), or the medication.

I hope they find a treatment to keep it from progressing.

[Eyak1971 in reply to LisaSnow]

Thanks for the kind thoughts. I guess actually proving the cause will be difficult but proving malpractice on the care given may be easier. He failed to follow protocols in dispensing the medication with regular monitoring and failed to be aware of the patients medical history even though it was available to him. Let alone communicating side effects of the drug prescribed. So as I mentioned in my last post I will take the government route and have them investigate. If they come up with a basis for the case then maybe a court case would be something to consider. Thanks again for commenting.

[Powerfalcon]

Hello, Recently I had eye surgery and was concerned about being on immunosuppressant drugs/ transplant transient. I discussed this with my ophthalmologist and she explained that the eye is the only organ that has a separate immune function which may or may not effect a lawsuit. . Hope this may be relevant.

[Eyak1971]

Thanks for the info. I guess it just comes down to the fact I was ivermedicated by my eye doctor. His plan of care was inconsistent with the norm no matter my health history. I was on the eye drops for too long and was not monitored according to protocols of the medication. We give doctors our trust and in some cases it is undeserved. And then when you are harmed there are constant roadblocks in seeking accountability from financial to a two year time period to finding another doctor to verify the medical care was harmful. Seems like the medical professional is protected to the hilt and yet we feel that we are more fortunate than other countries.