UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

hi everyone,

i haven't posed in a while had a bit of a roller-coaster journey at the end of last year. Might as well give everyone a quick summary so, i had my graft done about 17 months ago.All was well on whole ( had a few issues with drops and increased eye pressure but that was easy to sort out) plus vision was great. so last July my doctor took me off all drops because my eye was good and pressure issues. so things were okay but i kinda got dry eyes a bit and slightly itchy eyes.But i ignored all this for a few reasons firstly i was plain sick of taking so much care of my eyes and i just wanted my life to be normal and secondly i just thought nothing of it. Then i had contact fitting appointment arranged for the end of September i think (i was dreading it i always hated hard lenses) went to that and didn't get any fitting done the eye was red and itchy so the doc took me to my consultants team and one of the doctors put me back on lotemax. Which i took put my vision was getting bad and things were going down hill rapidly in about two weeks i thought it was just pressure issues and swept it under the carpet.Mum was worried so in the end took me into A&E and boy thank god i listened and didn't put up a fight. the oncall doctor thought it was graft rejection, she got a doctor from my consultants team and he confirmed it.so i got admitted and went on Pendislone i think and i ave recovered now . still on some drops but the graft is clear. i think the hardest thing was i just didn't see it coming and it hit me hard especially since the op and recovery were pretty smooth.Anyways i better stop ranting sometimes i swear i could write a novel on how KC has caused me so much distress.

My actual question was to you guys how long is long term use of steroid drops? i have been on them for about alteast 15 months now and i have eye pressure issues.But like with every medicine long term use has side-effects.

can't wait to hear from the great minds that surf this forum

saima

Saima

Long term steroid use is ... long term. I think I was using steroids for a little over three years. This did produce some side effects, but the therapy did achieve its primary goals: I avoided glaucoma and retained the grafted tissue.

All the best

Hi Saima,

I am almost 2 years post graft. Still using steroid (FML) but single drop every other day. I am also pressure responder so use Alphagan (to lower eye pressure) twice daily. But I hope eventually would get rid of steroids. Your consultant can guide much better.

Btw from which country do you belong to?

Thanks

Asif

Hi Andrew and Asif,

Thanks for the replies and hopefully i'll get of all drops in the future, I just keep on forgetting to ask my consultant.

Asif i'm born in England but my parents are from Bangladesh.

Thanks

saima