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Sjogrens Topics => Living With Sjogren's => Topic started by: valene2009 on January 13, 2013, 04:34:22 PM

Title: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: valene2009 on January 13, 2013, 04:34:22 PM
my eye doc is retiring..the new one said i could use FML steriod droops in the future but now he wants me off the prednisone non preserved drops i use...  my right eye is always so inflammed and i use restasis, fish oil, serum tears, artificial tears, warm compress, etc.. eveyrthing...

what else can be used for the inflammation.. is this new doc right in saying long term use of prednisol drops can give you cataracts over night??  he said my vision could be fine one day and i could wake up with the start of a cataract if i keep using presnisol drops???? 

please help..any and all opinnions welcome..much appreciated..
valene :)
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: Nancy60 on January 13, 2013, 06:36:10 PM
I'm not sure about prednisone eye drops, but my eye doctor had me stop steroid nasal spray because of the risk of cataracts.  is it ok to use both prednisone drops and restasis?  they are both immunosupressants?  Just wondering.  Have you asked your regular doc or rheumy about it?  maybe they can shed some light on the subject.

Nancy

Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: irish on January 13, 2013, 09:45:40 PM
valene, You should listen to this new eye doc. It is entirely possible that you are having somuch trouble with that eye because you are doing long term prednisone eye drops. Prednisone eye drops are not to be used long term and yes, they can cause catarracts. Oral steroids can also cause catarracts. Irish
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: slccom on January 13, 2013, 11:10:10 PM
Any time you use steroids you can develop cataracts. On the other hand, there are few things easier to treat! Symptoms include blurring of vision as well as dimming of light. Also eye glare becomes an effort. Also, the "ripen" fast, so you don't putz around with it for a long time.

Sharon
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: gurs on January 14, 2013, 04:55:27 AM
Im with Irish...I dont think its good for you to be on them even though you have chronic inflammation...have you tried the
anti-inflammatory eye drops?

Gursie
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: valene2009 on January 14, 2013, 07:25:07 AM
gursie..what anti inflammatory drops are you talking about? I haVE  tried Nevanac and n/p Acuvail and it made my eyes drier and the NSAID drops for the eyes cant be used often either as they can thin out the eye tissue... arent the only type of anti infllamatory drops either steriods or nsaids???  they both have side effects.. My doctor who still isnt retired yet said the nsaids are more dangerous for dry eye then steriods as they thin the eye out.. Please if you know of another drop let me know!!! 

My doc that is about to retire thinks it is ok to use the prednisol and he is more specialized than the new doc---but the new doc freaked me out about using it... i dont know what to do...

i am on restasis.. i have tried acuvail-it too cant be used long term and dries my eyes out more.. allergy drops dry them out more..what else is there??? thanks!!!

plus my lower puncta are plugged and uppers have been cauterized.. i feel like im out of options..
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: valene2009 on January 14, 2013, 03:50:59 PM
hey again
update..altough my doc isnt retired until feb 28th i figured i better listen to the new doc i will be going to--well he rx'd a preservative free low dose steriod -fml for my pain and inflammation.. he said it is the safest steriod (although weaker).. i tried once before but only gave it a day.. so hopefully i can use this for the inflammation and for allergy flare ups if i cannot tolerate non preserved allergy drops...

hope it works... i certainly dont want to bring on early cataracts..thanks for listening ... :)
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: gurs on January 15, 2013, 11:11:59 AM
The one the eye doc gave me is Bromday...http://www.drugs.com/bromday.html..I cant believe that the anti-inflammatory eye
drops would be worse than the steriods? I think getting this new doctors opinion might be helpful, and maybe another doc as well just
to make sure your doing whats best. You have an underlying cause of this one eye it seems, and cant remember the full story.
Have they done all the testing needed? I know I had to have an ultrasound behind the eye years ago and it was one of the worst tests
I ever had...my eyeballs were sooooooo darn dry.  The one eye thing doesnt make sense..seems something else is going on. I know you have been suffering greatly with this. :'(

Because of my long term steriod oral use, Im developing cataracts already, and my hormone changes into menopause early really set
this off for me. My eyes are getting worse every year.

Have you been on plaquenil? sorry, I forgot?

Gursie

Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: Cindy on January 15, 2013, 11:53:06 AM
He is right any kind of steriods can cause glaucoma and cataracts. The drops put you in a much higher risk. My young sister was on steriods drops for her uveitis and with in 6 months she had both glaucoma and cataracts. Im not trying to scare you she was on those drops every 2 hours, so she was in a much higher dose than the one they prescribe for other things
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: slccom on January 15, 2013, 11:23:36 PM
Quote from: Cindy on January 15, 2013, 11:53:06 AM
He is right any kind of steriods can cause glaucoma and cataracts. The drops put you in a much higher risk. My young sister was on steriods drops for her uveitis and with in 6 months she had both glaucoma and cataracts. Im not trying to scare you she was on those drops every 2 hours, so she was in a much higher dose than the one they prescribe for other things
How is your sister's vision now?
Sharon
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: susan on January 16, 2013, 07:14:33 AM


I have had 2 courses of prednisolone for iritis as well as periodic low dose oral prednisone. Cataracts in very early stages. Definitely a risk/benefit issue, as usual.

I try to be calm and objective about med. decisions. Just makes me feel worse if I don't stay relaxed & positive.
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: valene2009 on January 16, 2013, 08:32:57 AM
For 5 years my left eye was way drier..now its been my right eye the past 7 months or so.. my doc sayd that can happen in sjogrens... i went to a wonderful dry eye specialist 2 hours away for over 2 years until he retired-- he writes tons of articles and does research..he is on the DEWS committee... anyway.. he knows his stuff. and he too said some with sjogrens have one eye that is worse and it can fluctuate... it moves around...

i also meibomian gland dysfunction and  i have met a few others i think on here that said there one eye is drier..sux but its the way it is...

as far as anti inflammatories i was told by my old specialist and my new doc who is retiring that they cannot be used long term as they can cause dry eye and thinning of the tissue.. if you look up any of the anit inflammatories it is listed...

and when i did use Acuvail i did seem more dry.. glad i tworks for u tho
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: valene2009 on January 16, 2013, 08:35:12 AM
Gurs..i got this from that site u linked..
it also said it can cause dry eyes..sounds like the Nevanac and Acuvail i tried...thanks tho
Applies to bromfenac ophthalmic: ophthalmic solution

Ocular

Ocular side effects associated with the treatment of postoperative inflammation have included abnormal sensation in the eye, conjunctival hyperemia, eye irritation, eye pain, eye pruritus, eye redness, headache, and iritis in 2% to 7% of patients. Corneal erosion, corneal perforation, corneal thinning, and epithelial breakdown have also been reported.
 
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: gurs on January 16, 2013, 12:47:18 PM
I think they all say that? I think steriods for the eye are drying as well? uhmmm

hope you can find out what is causing the one eye to be so bad? seems like someone is missing something?

Gursie
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: valene2009 on January 16, 2013, 01:17:41 PM
i use preservative free steriods so those are not drying.. the ones like lotemax, etc. that have BAK in them are very drying.im allergic to BAK so cant use them..

how often do u use the nsaids?? just curious..cause we all change so much they might work for me in the future... who knows!!!  :)) thanks
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: Cindy on January 17, 2013, 03:16:50 PM
Sharon my sister vision is going through a flare. She was doing great on methotrexate injections but they starting lowering the dose in Sept, she was doing great and when they decreased the dose one more time she flared.  :'( :'( uveitis is very frustrating disease. Now she can back to full dose of the injections and on steriods again. We are praying she can go into remission again. The next med in line is cell cept.
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: gurs on January 18, 2013, 04:59:54 AM
I dont use any eye drops except genteal.....The eye doc gave me the bromday last year when I had some irritation. I was using steriods all the time years ago and doc kept warning me that my eye will become immune to them and wont work when I really need them to.

Im on 20mg of steriods orally so maybe that helps control my eyes. I also take my dry eye supplements, Hydroeye, and about 2000mg daily
of evening primrose oil. I think the one eye thing is strange..seems something is going on with it..did you say you had an ultrasound behind the eye etc? sorry if I missed something..dealing with the flu right now and have the worse headache!!!

Gursie
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: valene2009 on January 18, 2013, 08:45:23 AM
the past year it has been my right eye.. the 5 years before that it was my left eye that was bone dry.. i have talked with docs and some others with sjogrens and both have said some with sjogrens have that... it stinks but it is what it is..once in awhile i will have a day where both feel equal... its just how my body is...

ps... i went to one of the top dry eye specialists in the country who is now retired... he writes for the DEWS reports re dry eye.. very well known.so i trust his opinion as all my oter docs..
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: gurs on January 18, 2013, 09:48:16 AM
ok Val, but did they do any further testing? alot of them will write it off to "dry eye"? I asked about the ultrasound etc before?
did they do one of those?

Gursie
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: valene2009 on January 18, 2013, 03:05:20 PM
what is ultrasound testing?  and why would i have it? esp since the dryness moves from eye to eye for periods of time..
Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: Carolina on January 20, 2013, 07:12:03 AM
Some thoughts:

I used Restasis for years, but when I stopped it, I didn't notice much difference.

For what that's worth.

AND cataracts are completely treatable with surgery that is routine and solves the problem once and for all.

Just saying.....

I had cataract surgery at 60, before I started taking the Restasis, by the way.

Hugs

Elaine

Title: Re: new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?
Post by: irish on January 20, 2013, 01:06:10 PM
I have not been aware of restasis causing any problems with catarracts. It is the prednisone that causes the catarract issues. It is not uncommon for people to get catarracts as they age. I do have catarracts in both eyes and it is due to my prednisone that I have been on for about 6+ years. My optometrist DIL says that I will need them removed sooner than later. Irish