Have been diagnosed with P.M.R since Feb,24. Put on 15mg Prednisolone. Have increased to 23mg due to flare up. Visited optician on advice of dr,as found to have increased readings on glaucoma test. They had risen since July 23 from right eye 11 mmgh to 21 mmgh and left eye from 15mmgh to 23mmgh. Optician not sure if it may have been due to prednisolone. Will seeing Dr.on Thursday.
Has anyone else had similar?
Thank you
Viv
My readings increased - up around 22 at their highest, but as I was under the Eye Clinic at hospital … they just monitored them.. and they did reduce as the Pred reduced..so no action required.
My pressures went up to 19 though it could have been higher had they been tested earlier in my Pred journey. The optician said it was because of the Pred and checked them every 3 months. The pressures came done with the dose.
It isn't uncommon but doesn't happen to everyone. All patients on longterm pred should be advised to get a baseline eye test including pressures and have them monitored at least annually though 6 monthly is preferable. Unfortunately, most doctors seem unaware! Some people never have the problem or it never gets to risky levels.
I was told I had glaucoma by a doctor at the eye clinic. At my next appointment her superior said I had ocular hypertension and also measured how thick my cornea are. He said they were thick, I had a procedure at the eye clinic in February that can cause high pressure in the eyes ( a steroid implant in my eye) and had to go back a month later for them to check eye pressure. The eye that had the implant was 31. The doctor was concerned and said I see you have thick cornea, how thick? I didn’t know so she tested them and my right eye is plus 6 and left plus 4 which meant the 31 was really 25. So she said the cornea were very thick, I am on eye drops for 6 weeks now and hoping the pressure will go down well.
Thanks. Sorry for delay. My only knowledge is to do with cataracts and their replacement. I was asked to reduce to 7.5mgs for 10 days or the op’ could not take place. Cataract operations will reduce pressure within the eye, interestingly. I have seen on the web posts that link steroid use and glaucoma, however.
Steroid use can increase the occular pressure so it should be monitored in everyone on steroids - a baseline taken and then 6 monthly checks are ideal, annual is more usual. Raised pressures are managed with eye drops but glaucoma is usually only a problem if the pressures aren't identified and monitored so they get too high. That can then damage the optic nerve and result in loss of peripheral vision - and then that CAN progress to glaucoma. Raised pressures alone do not constitute glaucoma.
Interesting to read this as I have just been told by ophthalmic consultant that I have 70% glaucoma damage in my left eye. I had been on high dose pred due to suspected GCA (now have the all clear).This was my third visit for a eye check up, on my first and second visit I was told there was no damage to my optic nerve but my pressure was high probably due to steroids and given eye drops to use, then on the third visit (different consultant) I am told about the damage and also informed that steroids do not cause eye problems! So confused, although I have a standard opticians app next week so maybe he will be able to answer my questions as I was a bit shell shocked in the hospital and left without asking the right questions.
What tests did they do? Did they do field of vision testing as well as pressures? That means looking into a device and pressing a button whenever you see a light flash in your peripheral vision.
Steroids don't directly cause eye problems other than cataract but raised pressures do and steroids can cause raised pressures. Strange thing to be told though.
The field vision test is done every time I go to the opticians so around once a year. I have never had this done in the hospital just eye scans and pressure checks (which the optician also does) the ones where you have the eye drops and then can't drive for a few hours, sorry to be vague but they seem to rush through all this and the questions I should ask only come to me after the visit. I have to go back in 4 months so will write them down so I Don't forget.
Funny isn't it - I had the field vision test done the first couple of times I had checks at the hospital but not the last couple. It is a bit of a pain here as opticians here can't do pressure checks and you have to get a hospital appointment for that so I suspect they get a bit fed up of patients without a real problem taking up their time. I wish I could trust the guy who told me you either have pressure problems with pred in the first couple of years or you don't so after 12 years at the time there wasn't anything to worry about.
My experience in the UK is that the optician services do identify more than is a real problem as one panicked my retina was thin enough to need an urgent medical opinion, the ophthalmologist was quite relaxed about it. But better too much than miss it altogether.
Glaucoma, OCT showing deterioration since starting Pred for PMR
EYE HEALTH: RELATIONSHIP OF PMR, PRED & MTX TO GLAUCOMA, CATARACTS, & DRY EYE 
cataract surgery and prednisolone dose
Prednisolone and cataract operation
Swelling Below the Eyes
