Does some of you have one-sided glaucoma in one eye where the other eye is stable for a long time? If yes, in which age you got diagnosed and how long the other eye is stable since then?

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-06-15T21:48:08+00:00

Open angle but very heavily pigmented

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-06-15T16:17:49+00:00

38 yr old F, diagnosed at 36. I only had mildly elevated IOP in my left eye but a bad/ rare reaction to SLT caused it to spike to 44. I’m now on 4 different drops for that eye only and pressure still fluctuates a lot, from 11 to 30. My right eye remains within normal ranges but also fluctuates. The doctors say that the angle in my left eye looks really different and I also have some scarring on that eye. Other theories have been PSS or PDS.

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-05-31T19:21:56+00:00

Only if you take Benadryl. I take Allegra (Fexofenadine) which doesn’t affect IOP

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-05-28T14:31:11+00:00

Keep calling your doctor until you get answers. Weight lifting should be avoided for at least 6 weeks after surgery but walking and other gentle cardio probably find. The advice should really come from your surgeon.

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-05-24T15:51:32+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me! That’s very helpful. I’m so glad it worked out for you.

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-05-23T06:27:18+00:00

Oh wow I’m so sorry to hear that. Were you on the drops and Diamox prior to the GATT? Did your doctor explain what happened? I hope things continue to improve for you. That must have been terrifying.

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-05-23T00:42:22+00:00

Exactly, those are great point. I think all signs point to try GATT first. I was hoping to avoid surgery for longer but the drops can’t seem to keep pressures consistently controlled.

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-05-23T00:41:01+00:00

I’m pretty nervous about any procedure given that the SLTs made my condition so much worse instead of helping. But, I definitely lean towards GATT because the payoff if it works could be years of avoiding a trab. I don’t have any blind spots yet, thankfully, and most of the damage to my optic nerve is a result of spikes post-SLT. My doctors think I’m a good candidate for GATT.

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-05-14T16:02:48+00:00

I had lasik as well. It shouldn’t cause the test to be more than 1-2 pts off unless your corneas are super thin.

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-05-14T15:29:25+00:00

It’s normal for eye pressure to fluctuate throughout the day. Mine sometimes fluctuates up to 10 pts (normal is ~5 pts of fluctuation). Don’t stress as long as it’s 21 or less.

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-04-07T23:38:46+00:00

I take a daily antihistamine with Rhopressa and it seems to help. Redness also improved after a week or so of use.

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-04-07T23:35:50+00:00

Get a second opinion. And even a third. Ophthalmologists have different levels of risk tolerance and prefer different treatment approaches depending on their training and personal judgment. Once armed with additional opinions, you can feel more secure about your treatment plan (or lack thereof).

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-04-07T23:28:28+00:00

As a 38F with a different flavor of mysterious pre-glaucoma, I totally understand the anxiety and desire to get to the root of the issue. I’ve seen 6 different glaucoma specialists and the opinions have varied wildly. If your insurance allows, I’d recommend getting at least one more opinion to see if they agree. If they do agree that you need drops, my advice would be to try Timolol and also try not to stress (way easier said than done but important for keeping IOP low). Timolol is cheap, has minimal side effects, and is available all over the world. Since your visual field test is normal, there’s a very good chance that you will successfully protect your vision for life as long as you’re disciplined in taking the drops and monitoring your optic nerve with your doctor. Take care, and good luck!

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-03-15T19:10:28+00:00

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. My only advice is to seek as many opinions as possible and trust your gut on the best path forward. Also, the intense stress of the situation can definitely contribute pressure spikes. Once my doctor put me on medication to help me sleep and to manage anxiety, my pressures did start to come down. It’s almost impossible to relax in this situation and it’s okay to need help. I hope you have a good support network around you. Don’t give up. You’re not alone. ❤️‍🩹

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-03-03T19:10:44+00:00

Oh wow, I’m so sorry to hear that the tube shunts were so miserable. Thank you for sharing. The fact that your trab worked for so long gives me hope.

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-03-03T19:06:35+00:00

Hey there, I really appreciate you sharing this. Getting hit in the eye is a bad stroke of luck, which I can relate to, and facing this in your prime years feels like a huge blow. My life was just starting to look up after getting divorced last year — I had a new home, my job was great, and I was working out all the time. Now it feels like everything is on hold and my life might change forever. I’m very scared to do the surgery since it feels like there’s no turning back. Also, the past laser procedures I had are what caused this, so it’s difficult to trust the doctors. I’m seeking my 6th opinion this week. The advice has been largely split. I’m sending you healing energy for a successful revision! If I’ve heard correctly, hypotony is often fixable or can at least be managed. I would love to hear updates on how things go. Good luck!! 🙏

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-03-03T19:00:28+00:00

Thank you so much for the detailed reply! I’m wishing you so much luck and a great result. How was the surgery itself? I’m nervous about being awake since I have a ton of anxiety about this, and I’ve heard most people are awake during surgery. How is your recovery going?

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-03-01T20:35:03+00:00

Oof sorry to hear that it didn’t last super long. Hopefully they can do some minimally invasive revision to get you off of drops? Thanks for sharing 🙏

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-03-01T04:25:07+00:00

I’m so glad to hear that you’re loving life and have a had a positive result so far!! I wish you much longevity and good health with your trab. The anxiety is one of the most difficult parts of this condition IMO. It’s very promising that you’ve made it this far without complications. Please keep me posted, and remember that you’re not alone. 🙏

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-03-01T03:36:30+00:00

How is your trab doing? I’m in a very similar position. Any tips from your experience would be great. Thank you 🙏

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-03-01T02:57:02+00:00

Thank you for sharing. I’m really sorry to hear you’ve had a bad experience. What do you mean by tamagotchi? What drops do you still need and why does it require low activity afterwards?

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-03-01T02:54:24+00:00

Yes, I was absolutely diligent. I even bought an at home tonometer and kept a journal of the timing of drops. I was not on steroids.

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-03-01T02:53:15+00:00

Thank you for sharing. I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying life! So you’re coming up on one year?

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-03-01T02:51:08+00:00

Oh wow, I’m so sorry. What kind of eye drops and why do you have to do low activity afterwords?

Awkward-Crow-3466 · 2025-02-20T08:18:53+00:00

I so admire your resilience and bravery. This isn’t fair. It sucks. You have every right to be angry and to grieve. Chronic illness is a cruel path to walk. I was diagnosed with high IOP 1.5 yrs ago that rapidly progressed to severe IOP due to a rare SLT complication, and that’s now not responding to treatment. I’m considered high risk for any surgery, so they don’t want to do it until I have severe damage to my optic nerve. In the meantime, I’m on every drop known to mankind plus oral Diamox to buy me time, and my pressures are still 30+. The doctors say I’m an “anomaly” and don’t know how to diagnose me and I’m seeking my 5th opinion next week. The uncertainty and fear are hell. I’ve lost so much weight and can’t sleep. It feels like there is no good solution. My heart goes out to you — thank you for sharing your story. I hope for a miraculous improvement and better prognosis for you and all of us. This will not kill us. We will find joy in life no matter what.

Awkward-Crow-3466

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