Question 1

what are the side effects of glaucoma medication? i have been prescribed eye drops for my glaucoma. will any parts of my body other than my eyes be affected? are there any negative side effects?

Accepted Answer

In : In most cases glaucoma medications do not have negative effects on other parts of the body.

It is difficult to give a more specific answer without knowing which glaucoma eyedrop you are using.

Question 2

is 75 too old for glaucoma medication to be effective? my father was just diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma. if he has laser surgery to correct the problem, will he be at risk of developing the condition again in the future?

Accepted Answer

Open-angle : Open-angle glaucoma is a chronic condition for which there is no known cure.  The goal of treatment in most cases is to reduce the eye's intraocular or internal pressure.  There are many treatment options including laser and/ or eye drop use, which are usually very effective in controlling glaucoma.  In some cases, the pressure can be lowered with a laser procedure (selective laser trabeculoplasty or slt), which may need to be performed 1-3 times every 5-7 years and alone can be effective or may require additional eye drop use.  Slt laser in recent studies has not been shown to less effective with advancing age.  The proper treatment for your father, whether slt, another laser procedure, or eye drop use, depends based on your father's case specifics.  Discuss all options and the goals of treatment with your father's ophthalmologist.  Good luck.

Question 3

is it safe to use regular eye drops for dry eyes with glaucoma medication drops?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Yes.  It is safe but you should use preservative free artificial tears and do not use them within 30 minutes of the other medications.

Question 4

when you change a glaucoma medication because of side effects, how long after you start the new medication should you have the eye pressure checked.

Accepted Answer

2 weeks: It takes 2 weeks for the old medicine to be completely out of the system and for the new medication to stabelize the pressure.

Question 5

can an optometrist prescribe glaucoma medications?

Accepted Answer

Optometrist: For eyeglasses, yes, not for glaucoma meds. You need an opthalmologist.

Question 6

what to do if i have glaucoma. what medications should i avoid using?

Accepted Answer

Depends: If you have glaucoma, you will need your eye pressure controlled, either by eye drops, laser, or surgery.  And you will need regular follow-ups, to ensure that your pressure is indeed controlled and that your glaucoma is stable.
There is a specific type of glaucoma called Narrow Angle Glaucoma that may require certain medications to be avoided.
See your eye MD for your specific type of glaucoma.

Question 7

which glaucoma treatment medications will not not dry my eyes out even more? i have dry eyes, and i recently found out that i have angle-closure glaucoma as well. while researching glaucoma treatments, i read that some medications can cause dry eyes. i wo

Accepted Answer

I've : I've found that Xalatan (latanoprost) is one of the best tolerated of all of the glaucoma medications.  Sometimes it is the preservative in the medication that is the most irritating and can cause a toxic conjunctivitis/keratitis that looks a lot like dry eyes.  However, if the glaucoma is severe and you really need the ocular pressure lower then sometimes it is worth it to continue the glaucoma medications and treat the toxicity or dryness at the same time with other medications.  It's a lot of drops but worth it to preserve vision.  I have no financial interests in Xalatan (latanoprost) or any other glaucoma medications.

Best regards, 
jc.

Question 8

what if i have narrow angle glaucoma-- what allergy medications are safe?

Accepted Answer

Laser: Have you had laser peripheral iridotomy and/or goniotomy to prevent closure?  The medications that can exacerbate angle closure are anything that dilates the eye, Antihistamines and decongestants; Asthma medicines; Motion sickness medicines, and some medicines used to treat depression (tricyclic antidepressants)

Question 9

i have glaucoma & asthma i'm concerned qvar & atrovent (ipratropium) will worsen / affect my glaucoma  ? what other medications can i use for my asthma

Accepted Answer

Speak to your eye dr: Anytime, you have a concern regarding your glaucoma drops and your inhalers, you can contact your eye doctor, and discuss this with him/her. Also, you can contact your pharmacist, who has the latest information, and software on how the meds interact, or not with one another. Then, you'll have the information you need to make an informed decision on using your meds/drops together.

Question 10

i'm not taking medication for glaucoma. what will happen?

Accepted Answer

Blindness?: If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma &amp; your Eye MD has recommended treatment to preserve visual function, your eyesight will gradually diminish if you are not adherent to the recommendations. Up to 30-40% of patients don't properly use their eye medications &amp; consequently their glaucoma progresses. Vision is a precious special sense &amp; unfortunately often taken for granted. Why not protect it!

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Doctor answers about:

Glaucoma medication

A member asked:

What are the side effects of glaucoma medication? i have been prescribed eye drops for my glaucoma. will any parts of my body other than my eyes be affected? are there any negative side effects?

A member asked:

Is 75 too old for glaucoma medication to be effective? my father was just diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma. if he has laser surgery to correct the problem, will he be at risk of developing the condition again in the future?

A member asked:

Is it safe to use regular eye drops for dry eyes with glaucoma medication drops?

A member asked:

When you change a glaucoma medication because of side effects, how long after you start the new medication should you have the eye pressure checked.

A member asked:

Can an optometrist prescribe glaucoma medications?

A member asked:

What to do if i have glaucoma. what medications should i avoid using?

A member asked:

Which glaucoma treatment medications will not not dry my eyes out even more? i have dry eyes, and i recently found out that i have angle-closure glaucoma as well. while researching glaucoma treatments, i read that some medications can cause dry eyes. i wo

A member asked:

What if i have narrow angle glaucoma-- what allergy medications are safe?

A member asked:

I have glaucoma & asthma i'm concerned qvar & atrovent (ipratropium) will worsen / affect my glaucoma ? what other medications can i use for my asthma

A member asked:

I'm not taking medication for glaucoma. what will happen?

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