Steroid drops..again

[Tivia]

Ok just quickly remind my fried brain how long is it safe to stay on them? My eye doc has put me back on them even though my IOP went from 17 like 2 months ago to 19 now. I am scared but he wants me on them for what sounds like forever. He said we will just monitor every 4 months. The issue I see is the pressure damage from them is cumulative from what I read. So the risk for blindness is greater not only the longer you stay on them, but stopping and restarting also. Anyone on long term steroid drops have any issues with iop rising?

[olmphoto2]

One of the docs I most respect in my locale is my eye doc (I'm a nurse, for what that may be worth).  He has had me on FML (fluorometholone) steroid drops---one in each eye three times a week---and is meant to be a long term Rx for me I believe.  I do have to say that I sometimes miss doses because of the somewhat unusual schedule for dosing.  I have had no increase in pressures and I trust him implicitly for my own health care.  He is also the physician that diagnosed me with Sjogrens!

[Tivia]

That is the drop they have me on also. Its good to hear you dont have any issues with it, I guess it freaked me out my IOP went up over 2 months. I guess once it stabilizes they will drop the dose to a few times a week I hope.

[Nancy60]

I think I am misunderstanding something, if they put you on the drops to stabilize your pressure, why would the drops cause your pressure to go up?

Just asking, I have borderline high pressures but am not on any drops for that right now.

Nancy

[Tivia]

I think I am misunderstanding something, if they put you on the drops to stabilize your pressure, why would the drops cause your pressure to go up?

Just asking, I have borderline high pressures but am not on any drops for that right now.

Nancy

Oh lol yeah I may have worded that badly. No the steroid drops are for inflammatory process in the eyes, not for pressure. They are actually a risk for glaucoma/high eye pressure if used too long. I was concerned because my eye pressure does seem to be rising but my eye doctor wants to keep me on the steroid.

[irish]

I am totally buffaloed as to why an eye doctor would put you on steroid drops long term for inflammatory issues in the eyes. My DIL is an optometrist and she says that steroids should not be used more than 2 weeks at a time as they can set a person up for infection in the eyes and thin the membranes of the eyes.

The Restasis is the drug that is to be used for long term treatment of inflammatory eye involvement with dry eyes. When starting the Restasis the eye docs should be putting people on steroids for the 2 weeks prior to starting the restasis. This simple procedure helps to decrease the burning that occurs when we first start restasis. The burning often occurs for weeks after starting the restasis, but if you put your saline drops in 30 minutes prior to the restasis and wait 30 minutes and then put the saline drops in again, the burning issues are much less.

Also, put restasis in the refrig and you will get some relief from the burning that occurs. I would think that there may be some occasions that steroids are used at different dosage schedules, but I (I'm a nurse also) would sure be leary about doing them long term. Please ask your doc about the restasis if you have not used it yet. Works well for most people. Irish

[Cindy]

Trivia I dont want to scare you but my sister has uveitis which is inflammation in the eye,hers is in her pars plana. Steroids drops are not recommended to be used in long terms. Pressure does rise, she had complications because she was using them for months. Doc is right about paying close attention to your pressure.

[Tivia]

Trivia I dont want to scare you but my sister has uveitis which is inflammation in the eye,hers is in her pars plana. Steroids drops are not recommended to be used in long terms. Pressure does rise, she had complications because she was using them for months. Doc is right about paying close attention to your pressure.

Oh believe me I am scared to death right now, I have perma plugs in they are not doing restasis, I keep getting dry patches on the eye that the steroids clear up so he wants me on them. But my ocular pressure is rising and he says not to worry till it gets to 25 !! Also since taking the drops again I dont know if its causing some kind of sinus drain, but im choking here on this thick clear jelly like stuff in my throat. I stopped the steroids before after a month and the dry spots were all over, I dont know if this keeps up I guess I will just live with dry blurry vision forever. I know the drops are dangerous but he seems to think I can stay on them forever

[Cindy]

You can always get a second opinion. He is right anything above 22 I think is abnormal 19 is still within the  normal range and I just remembered that if it goes up they can give you glaucom drops until it goes down. Im an expert in eye pressures. With my sister case it got complicated because her pressures where in the 40s and nobody did anything 6 months later my sisters case got complicated but thankfully her new doctor acted quickly. Not everybody pressure goes up with steriods drops.

[maiestro]

I've seen two opthamologists and they don't believe long term steroid use is a problem providing you are having your eyes checked regularly.  They have said that the risks are so low, so so low, that there is almost no chance of damage.

Steroids work for me.  and I use them sparingly (flare ups).  Restasis didn't work with me, it wasn't burning, it was that it gave me blurred vision.  Opthamologist told me to go off it. 

[Tivia]

So am I right in thinking if ocular pressure rises that it can be treated and return to normal? Or will I be on glaucoma drops or meds for the rest of my life?

[4Kids]

When I was put on steroids it was for a month by an opthamologist (dexamethazone).  After two weeks w restasis my eyes felt so good I stopped unless I was having a particularly bad day.  The pharmacist said wow that is unusual but he is a good opthamologist. He must know what he is doing.

Hmmm.

[Tivia]

Good to hear that restasis worked for you. I was zero in both eyes on the schirmirs test, and loaded with dry patches on the cornea and sclera . So they put in permanent plugs and he is hesitant to give me restasis at this point, I will ask again when I see him in Jan.