UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi all, Just posting for a bit of advice and knowledge.
I have been having problems with my new grafted eye(grafted oct 2007)
At the beginging of last week if i bent over to pick something up, when i stood upright again i would get a bright flash of light that would cover my whole eye and then slowly dissapear (only in one eye)
Decide yesterday that i would go to opticians . Saw them today and they checked me over and said that my IOP was 33! and then sent me to hospital.They checked me there and my IOP was 29 (IOP in the other eye was 10)
I have been given drops to reduce the pressure.
I am trying not to worry about this but i am worried. The Dr i saw today mentioned Glucoma and that high IOP can effect the graft making it cloudy.
I have been doing really well up till now any advice or expertise would be really good. I did a Google search but that has only made me worry more.

Hi Anne,
I developed high IOP in one of my grafted eyes a couple of months after the graft. Like you, I was given drops to reduce the pressure and all went back to normal after a couple of weeks. (It's a long time ago, but I think they also changed the steroid drops I was on at the time for a different one which was less likely to raise the IOP). Since then, I've talked to quite a few people who have had similar symptoms, so it's clearly not uncommon, but seems to be easily treated and reversed. Hope that helps. All the best.
Anne

Anne

The temptation when we hear scary words like "glaucoma" is to imagine the worst. Actually "glaucoma" really just means high IOP. It is treatable, and the drops you were given at the hospital will certainly bring the pressure down.

The doctors will want to know what has caused your IOP to rise. I think that at least one regular poster here had what the hospital noted in his medical record as 'steroid induced glaucoma", others have been told that they have "iatrogenic glaucoma".

It is known that steroids are extremely useful anti-inflamatory drugs, but one of the downsides of prolonged use of topic steroids is that they can cause IOP to rise.

"Iatrogenic" just means "doctor-induced" (The OED gives this as "of or relating to illness caused by medical examination or treatment").

The point here is that we should not be paniced by half hearing scary words. If you ever hear a word like this used in a consultation, challenge it. Ask what is meant. Ask for it in English, or as one friend in the Scottish Group says, "say that again in words that a layman can understand". It is not that Doctors are trying to hide anything from you, but that they sometimes forget that ordinary people are not as adept at their closed little language as they are themselves.

All the best

Andrew

Thank's you two
I have just spoke to my consultants secretary and she has brought my next appointment forwards. And said she will contact me if i need to see him sooner.
So if i already have gluecoma then i don't need to worry about getting it!! So thats one issue sorted.
I would of thought they would of changed my steroid drops, i am using Maxidex but i use FML in the other eye. I thought they may of change the Maxidex to FML. Anyway i'm waffleling now
Fingers crossed that it sort's itself out.
Now is there anyone that can mend my heating and my dishwasher?

Hi Anne

I had high IOP after retinal surgery and I was taken off Maxidex and put on Iopidine whch did the trick.

Sorry i can't help with the dishwasher or the heating although regarding the latter I have discovered that I know more than 2 British Gas Homecare engineers!

Anne,

I use Maxidex too. I saw my surgeon 2 days ago and next inspection is in April. So it can happen with me too and it was good know and i can psychologically prepare for it

Anne
Sorry to hear you are having problems with your eyes - hope they get sorted soon.

As far as heating is concerned......could write a book. Michael knows at least 2 Gritish bass engineers - i think I now know them ALL! And as far as mending the dishwasher goes - I find allowing him to play golf occasionally helps....


Pat
PS. We must meet up again soon!

Anne,

I too went through what you are doing.

As well as the addition of Timolol and later, Xalatan (Timolol drops gave me ashthma!); I was changed from Maxidex to FML.

It seems that you can become very sensitive to Maxidex after a while.

Well done for taking action though.

J.