Glaucoma Drops
Glaucoma Disease » Glaucoma Drops » Prednisone induced glaucoma

Prednisone induced glaucoma

Question:

Dr. Robert Ritch responds; >My mother is 80 years old and has been treated for glaucoma for many > years (family history).  Now she is taking 40mg of prednisone daily >to control interstitial pulmonary fibrosis.  Her pressure is around >25 in each eye.  How much effect can be attributed to the prednisone?

No way to tell unless she stops the steroids, but if she needs them, then we work around it. >She was also taking 4 different eye drops.  Her presure bounces around >normally.  Sometimes she’s been in the low thirties- but before the >prednisone got upped to 40mg, she had a reading 0f 18 & 20 while on 10mg >every other day.

I would certainly do argon laser trabeculoplasty if she hasn’t yet had it and if she has had it or it doesn’t work, would do trabeculectomy. In an 80 year-old with no previous surgery, our success rate is over 95% with minimal complications. >Her doctor changes the eydrops constantly in hopes of a better combination. >It is frustrating and confusing, especially when we have no good reports. >At age 80, what would be the consequence of stopping altogether?  Is >blindness inevitable, and could we expect it to happen quickly if we stopped >all eye drops.  I frankly doubt they are having any effect at all.

I see no reason why she should either go blind or go through all this problem at her age. >Thank you for any help.  ksan…@bgnet.bgsu.edu

RR

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -bo…@tiac.net (Ray Bonar) wrote: >Dr. Robert Ritch responds; >>My mother is 80 years old and has been treated for glaucoma for many >> years (family history).  Now she is taking 40mg of prednisone daily >>to control interstitial pulmonary fibrosis.  Her pressure is around >>25 in each eye.  How much effect can be attributed to the prednisone? >No way to tell unless she stops the steroids, but if she needs them, >then >we work around it. >>She was also taking 4 different eye drops.  Her presure bounces around >>normally.  Sometimes she’s been in the low thirties- but before the >>prednisone got upped to 40mg, she had a reading 0f 18 & 20 while on 10mg >>every other day. >I would certainly do argon laser trabeculoplasty if she hasn’t yet had >it >and if she has had it or it doesn’t work, would do trabeculectomy. In >an 80 >year-old with no previous surgery, our success rate is over 95% with >minimal complications. >>Her doctor changes the eydrops constantly in hopes of a better combination. >>It is frustrating and confusing, especially when we have no good reports. >>At age 80, what would be the consequence of stopping altogether?  Is >>blindness inevitable, and could we expect it to happen quickly if we stopped >>all eye drops.  I frankly doubt they are having any effect at all. >I see no reason why she should either go blind or go through all this >problem at her age.

I see no mention anywhere here of the present extent of damage to her optic nerve / sight — or that there is any — or what genetic or other risks exist here.  Are you stating all of the above independent of this potential knowledge, particularly under the circumstance that her life expectancy at 80 is not all that many years? Ray

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -bo…@tiac.net (Ray Bonar) writes: > Hi; > I’m passing this along from Dr. Robert Ritch: > Last week’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association > carried an article that inhaled steroids used long-term increase the > chance of developing glaucoma by 44%. Nasal steroids have also been > reported to cause elevated IOP in a few individuals. > If the elevated IOP is due to steroids, it is usually reversible when > the steroids are stopped. There are numerous conditions which can > cause both cataracts and glaucoma, and it is often hard to pin down > the cause. > wbarn10…@aol.com (WBarn10006) wrote: > >Hi Folks, > >     I am suffering from predisone induced glaucoma from taking prednisone > >for ulcerative colitis.

Dear Doctors, My mother is 80 years old and has been treated for glaucoma for many  years (family history).  Now she is taking 40mg of prednisone daily to control interstitial pulmonary fibrosis.  Her pressure is around 25 in each eye.  How much effect can be attributed to the prednisone? She was also taking 4 different eye drops.  Her presure bounces around normally.  Sometimes she’s been in the low thirties- but before the prednisone got upped to 40mg, she had a reading 0f 18 & 20 while on 10mg every other day. Her doctor changes the eydrops constantly in hopes of a better combination. It is frustrating and confusing, especially when we have no good reports. At age 80, what would be the consequence of stopping altogether?  Is blindness inevitable, and could we expect it to happen quickly if we stopped all eye drops.  I frankly doubt they are having any effect at all. Thank you for any help.  ksan…@bgnet.bgsu.edu

Response:

Related Posts

Write a comment