new eye doc wants me off prednisone eye drops .. thoughts/experiences?

[valene2009]

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

[Nancy60]

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

[irish]

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

[slccom]

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

[gurs]

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

[valene2009]

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..

[valene2009]

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 ...

[gurs]

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

[Cindy]

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

[slccom]

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

[susan]

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.

[valene2009]

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

[valene2009]

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.
 

[gurs]

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

[valene2009]

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