Useful info

Dear Lynn,
Where do you live?
We are a great group. I'm sure we can brainstorm you some support.
love,
sari

Hi Mary,
The blind center I went to is in Palo Alto Ca. at the VA hospital.
There are only six VA blind centers in the US. I believe that I went to
the best. It has done so much for me.
Thanks,
Bernie

I just got my copy of Gleams, the newsletter of the Glaucoma Research
Foundation, in the mail today. In it was an article on a new tool developed
by Dr. Robert Weinreb and Dr. Felipe Medeiros at UCSD on predicting glaucoma
in ocular hypertensives. Very interesting!
http://www.glaucoma.org/treating/a_new_tool_to_p.html
"Researchers at the Hamilton Glaucoma Center of the University of California
San Diego (UCSD) have developed a "glaucoma risk calculator" that estimates
the 5-year risk of a patient with ocular hypertension progressing to
glaucoma."
Take a look and while you're on the GRF website, sign up for the newsletter!
Sherry

After leaving the blind center we leave with the motivation of wanting to be more independent as blind people. We have our set of goals or wish list of things we want to do.

We leave with the tools that we need to go and do what ever it is that needs to be done that we have let go in the past. We are motivated and on fire and ready to go then we come home and when the door closes something else comes in with us that actually never left us but was just waiting quietly in the back of our minds.

The big word of "DOUBT" starts to show up again.

When we get in touch with our dreams of being that independent person again, then doubt also resurfaces and starts speaking those negative words in the back of our minds that keeps us from achieving our goals or dreams.

There is a very important relationship between our goals and our doubt that lives inside each of us. What I'm saying is that every time there is a positive thing we want to do, there will always be that negative or doubt that can lead us in a different path if we do not realize it and stop it.

We must always look for the tools necessary to do what is needed to develop our skills for dealing with doubt; otherwise our dreams could very well get squelched.

The "dreamer" inside of us encourages us with thoughts and comments like, "Yes you can", or "go for it", and things like, "You have what it takes to get the job done".

And then we have the Internal Doubter voice that has to challenge and confront us with comments like "What are you thinking of", or "you are too old to go out on your own", and "you don't know what you are doing".

Doubt is something we need to keep control of or it will gain control over us. If we turn the voices of doubt down then it becomes the realist, the part of us that wants to know everything that we are doing. It wants to know how you will find the time or energy to do the things you wanted to do, it wants to know what your plan is.

Doubt is an obstacle that can get in our way if we let it, so be careful and plan your day by setting up some kind of plan of what you want to do each day. Look to see what kind of obstacles you may run into and come up with a plan. Blindness is a very big obstacle that each of us face but we can over come it if we want to.

Listen to the voices of the doubter because it may be beneficial to us in hearing what it has to say. Just because we have doubt doesn't mean that it a bad thing. That is how we gain trust within ourselves. We gain in faith to do what we want to do. Most people either ignore doubt or get consumed by it.

Once you know that there is a doubter inside of you that is not the enemy, you are much less likely to be stopped by it.

Take care,

Bernie Holt

You continue to inspire me, Bernie, and touch my heart----thank you for sharing this. Where is the blind center? Does anyone else know in case Bernie doesn't get this? Best Wishes, Mary

Hi My name is tracy
and I see everyone on here that most of everyone his had sugry how did
everyone make on on that I would to know . I just find out that my
presure is lower then every I am soo happy. I have two drops now
travina and lugine they booth work great.
from the glaucoma group
tracy

Let's put it this way. There is not a lot of excitement from the glaucoma specialists in the U.S. And the colleagues to whom I have spoken in India are skeptical.
On 9/18/06 12:39 PM, "nan bhan" <knstock2@...

Hello all,
I am going to India on a business trip this winter. I will be there for two months or so. I would like to inquire about the glaucoma drug featured in Red Herring.
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=18374&hed=India+Approves+Glaucoma+Drug&sector=Regions&subsector=Asia
The drug might take years to be approved by FDA. I am attracted by the fact that the drug is plant derived, and may have few side effects. Dr. Ritch, in your opinion, is this drug worth taking. I am prescribed Timolol a drop a day. Normally, more than one drop gets into my eye, and I hate the side effects.
Would it be wise to take this drug for two weeks and not take Timolol, and measure critical parameters such as optic nerve, visual field.
Thanks for all your help.

I didnât have Bearveldt, but I did have an Ahmed Shunt implanted back in June. Sound like your going through exactly what I went through. The itching was so irritating I wanted to scratch my eyeball out. Luckily I didn't. :-) For me, the itching went away after about 2-3 weeks. My Doctor saw me the day after surgery, then every week following for 2 weeks, then 2 weeks later, then 6 weeks later.

My pressure (left eye) was around 14-16 after surgery compared to low 40s WITH CoSopt/Alphagan/Diamox. She had me on Prednisolone and CoSopt after the 1st week. She said she wanted to make sure the flow of fluid was low while the scarring over the plate formed. She was concerned that if the fluid flow was a little higher during the hypertensive phase it may cause excessive scarring over the plate and the Ahmed Shunt would not be as effective. She said that I should expect to be tapered off the CoSopt for 4-6 months.

Good luck.

Hello all,
I am going to India on a business trip this winter. I will be there for two months or so. I would like to inquire about the glaucoma drug featured in Red Herring.
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=18374&hed=India+Approves+Glaucoma+Drug&sector=Regions&subsector=Asia
The drug might take years to be approved by FDA. I am attracted by the fact that the drug is plant derived, and may have few side effects. Dr. Ritch, in your opinion, is this drug worth taking. I am prescribed Timolol a drop a day. Normally, more than one drop gets into my eye, and I hate the side effects.
Would it be wise to take this drug for two weeks and not take Timolol, and measure critical parameters such as optic nerve, visual field.
Thanks for all your help.

Timoptic-XE (timolol maleate from Merck) patent No. 4,861,760 will
expire on 9-25-06.
We might see some cheaper generic form available soon thereafter.
earle
*

Lynn,
In our area is a group called "Faith In Action" which is based in a local
nursing home. The purpose of the group is to help people with rides, light
housekeeping, some meals, etc (and not just older people) You might check
with your local hospital or nursing home to see if they know of any programs
like that in your area. Also, check with the local low-vision support group
or society for the visually impaired. Again, the local hospital or nursing
home could offer some suggestions.
Sherry

I am single, no family nearby and don't feel like I have someone who can come babysit me or my house or my sick cat while I recover from eye surgery.

Are there any other singles out there that have had to face this alone? What are some of the creative ways you've dealt with this?

Can't afford a chauffeur, cat sitter, etc. so I'll have to go it alone as best I can.

Just wondered if I'm the only one (again!) who's had to face this alone!

Lynn

I had the Ahmed shunt almost 6 weeks ago. My visit
schedule was exactly as you describe yours. I go back
next week for the 4 week visit. I'm still
experiencing some discomfort. Had to go back on
Lumigan, hopefully temporarily. It feels worse at
night, like maybe the pressure is going up just before
time to use the Lumigan. It is still fairly red but I
assumed that was because my Dr. did some "patchwork"
on my sclera because it had thinned too much. I
described my surgery in more detail in an earlier post
if you want to compare notes. Apparently this surgery
is not performed on a widescale basis. It is good to
talk with someone that knows what I have gone through.
Hope you feel better soon,
Mike Stults

Hi Martin,
Thank you for the words of advice and encouragement. I really was very down yesterday but after a night's rest have decided to put this in proportion. It is just another hurdle to cross. Meanwhile i am making new friends on new frontiers and am grateful for everyone of them.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Lee

I would like to know if there is anyone new out there that has
undergone the bearveldt surgery. I had this implant 3 weeks ago and I
still have major swellen and redness. I still have stitches in two
places which I can feel. It's the worst feeling ever, feels like dirt,
eye lashes.... at the worst degree. But the good news is, I can see
out of the eye again. I was going crazy not being about to see the
first week. I want to hear of others who had this procedure. I've
been back to my doctor twice as I just didn't feel comfortable about my
eye. He assured me that it was normal and that the surgery was a great
success. I do wish he had me coming in at least once a week but he
says it's not neccessary. He felt that the day after, a week after and
4 weeks after if no problems was all I needed.
I would love to hear about others who had this implant.

Hi Lee.
I am sad to hear of all the things you have to fight, and the extra stress
this glaucoma diagosis is putting on you.
Prednisone and other steroids (Maxidex, i.e. Dextamethasone) can in some
patients increase the IOP, and in some not. My doctor calls them
Steroid-responders. And there is no other way than to try the drug, and keep
a firm check on the pressure.
With the systemic Prednisone an other steroids, it could very well be that
it has something to do with your elevated IOP.
I have for long periods of time been prescribed topical steroids (Maxidex)
because of post-op inflammations, and other complications, and have never
had dramatic increases in IOP, that correlates with steroids. I guess I am
just lucky not to be a responder.
It is different in every patient, but often they can treat the increase with
an extra eyedrop.
If the IOP of 23 is on full steroid treatment, and without any
pressurereducing drugs, I think, from my experience, that it will not be a
problem to control the IOP by medical means.
I hope you can you some of this.
Martin
_____

Dear All
I just want to express my apprecciation and thanks to
everyone here for their comments.
It's a great place here to learn and know more about
Glaucoma, since it's not that easy to obtain comments
and details from our ophtalmo.
Thanks a lot
Mee

Hi Lee----I can't answer any of your questions but just want you to know how sorry I am that, in addition to all of your other problems, you now have to deal with this diagnosis. There are lots of knowledgeable folks here who will be supportive and try to answer questions. If they can't they usually know where to direct you to help you find the answers. Best Wishes, Mary

Hi All,
I have just returned from the ophthalmologist - he is new to me. I
have been having headaches, redness in the eye and a feeling like my
eye is popping out.
He gently told me that I have the start of glaucoma - IOP = 23 and
wants to do some more tests before starting treatment - A brain MRI, a
full VFT and OCT.
I am blown away - I have so many other medical problems - autoimmune
diseases, lung/thyroid cancer, a pituitary adenoma as well as my
adrenal glands giving out on me - so I cant deal with stress very well.
Question - for those of you on Prednisone or similar steroids - did it
dramatically increase the pressure in your eye? How do you manage
this problem together with the glaucoma?. Unfortunately I have to be
on prednisone and also receive steroid inhalers for my lung cancer.
Thanks for the advice,
Lee

Lee, first off, no one, even your ophthalmologist, can say you have
glaucoma based on one high-normal IOP reading. The symptoms you
describe are not typical of open angle glaucoma.
Yes, for some people prednisone can raise the pressure in your eye,
but an IOP of 23 isn't what one would call dramatically high.
I'm sorry about all your other health problems but it's way too early
yet to assume you have glaucoma. If you are on prednisone, it might be
elevating your IOP, in which case you may develop glaucoma. If your
IOP remains elevated enough to put your optic nerve at risk, your
doctor will probably put you on eyedrops to lower the IOP.
-Deah

I hope Dr. Ritch has time to comment on this item. Dwight

"The goal of this technology is to specifically target the diseased
tissue in glaucoma with therapeutics to more effectively lower
intraocular pressure," said W. Daniel Stamer, PhD. Dr. Stamer is a
recognized expert in glaucoma research, having many awards and
publications in the area of intraocular pressure regulation. "Our
technology is designed to flush out debris that inappropriately
accumulates in the drain part of glaucomatous eyes and restore
intraocular pressure back to normal levels."
Sounds like this may not be of much help to those of us with normal
tension glaucoma, who already have normal pressures.
-Deah

"This new drug may have the possibility of as few as two treatments per year for the patient. If this proves to be true, the problem of patient compliance will be a thing of the past."

http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/news.html?d=105006

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/print?id=2423808
Note: To protect against computer viruses, e-mail programs may prevent
sending or receiving certain types of file attachments. Check your e-
mail security settings to determine how attachments are handled.

Thanks Mary! I was praying that it would be good news finally. I don't go back until January 9^th so I'll be enjoying the good news and hope for continued good news then.

Brenda

http://www2.netdoctor.co.uk/news/index.asp?y=2006&m=9&d=12&id=124292

Hi Michele,

You wrote, "I find that if I insert [eye drops] when I wake up in the morning

it helps me remember and keep the time more regular."

On a slight variation on your scheme I find what works best for me is to set a clock radio

to wake me up at 5:45 AM for my Lumigan eyedrops and then go back to bed for a bit.

This way I always get my AM drops in at a set time, then I just have to remember to bring drops

with me so I can do 5:45 PM drops on or about 5:45 PM wherever I might find myself at that time.

Right now I am home [in Forest Hills, Queens, NYC], I will now go and do my PM eyedrops

and then go out and vote in today's primary elections.

Take care,

Jim

I was diagnosed 4 years ago and am on my 6^th prescription, Azopt 3x a day. I had my 4 month follow up and my numbers have finally come down. My doctor also looked at the x-rays that were taken and he found that I am stable. I am 47 and I am the only one in my family that has glaucoma so this group has helped since no one knows what the roller coaster ride is like. But I am so happy today!

Brenda

Any kind of surgery sounds dangerous to us and risky...and the result
is still not guaranteed
judit

Good for you, Joan! When do you go to this doctor? Mary

I couldn't access this article.

Hi Carol.
I want to thank you again for taking the time to write me. What you
said was really what I needed to hear, and sometimes just one post is
the answer. I called another doc this morning, one I trust from the
past. She agreed to see me for a second opinion and if she can't help
me she's going to refer me to someone who can. I got the chills when
my current doc suggested surgery again after his last tries failed. I
won't stand for that without a fight. So, make sure to keep offering
your opinions here. They are very imporant to us. Joan

Judith: I am not a doctor, but I will tell you what I think. First of all, it is difficult, even for doctors to know for sure what pressure is the right one for your husband. The right pressure is the one that keeps the optic nerve from additional damage. Only time can tell which pressure is right, so the optic nerve must be watched and should be photographed for detailed study and comparison every year or so. Now, after getting good pressures with Cosopt and Xalatan, he is taking Cosopt, Lumigan, and Alphagan. Whenever the drugs are changed, he should be seen sooner than three months, or at least have the pressure checked to see what the new combination of drugs is doing. If I were in your husband's place, I would have the pressure checked as soon as possible, even by an optometrist if you don't want to see the ophthalmologist right away. If the pressure is 15 or below, then fine. If it is higher, then he should talk to his doctor about returning to the
Cosopt/Xalatan combination. It is important to take the drugs about the same time every day, but don't get worried if he missed once or twice. It's not that critical. Now, here's a question for you. Is he seeing an ophthalmologist who specializes in the treatment of glaucoma? If not, then he probably should look for one who is a glaucoma specialist.

Dwight

From: jrakovits

Hi,
This is my first time to post on this message board. It is about my
husband's eyes. He is 37.
I am turning to this message-board for asking for opinion, since we
did not get enough information from our doctors, although we have not
given up getting answers and do not have enough knowledge about this
topic.
First, let me tell the story:
He has seen an eye doctor last December, for the first time. The
doctor measured 20-21 in his eyes, he got Xalatan using once a day.
He was using it on and off. Then, in about 4 months the pressure went
up 26-28, that time the doctor prescribed Xalatan and Cosopt
combination. We could see the result in 2 weeks: the pressure was 14-
15. This was in May.
But some reason we wanted to get a second opinion from a well-known
doctor here in San Antonio. He said, his aim to further lower my
husband's eye pressure to 12-13, so he recommended to switch to
Cosopt and Lumigan. Now, 3 months later the eyes pressures went up
again to 18-20. The doctor ordered one more eye drop(Alphagan) to use
and asked us to go back in 3 months (!!!!??) and told us if this
combination would not work he would recommend laser surgery.
(One of his eyes is in bad condition they said, it looks like a 60-
70 year old man's eye, badly damaged. (he might have had glaucoma for
years undetected.. from our fault))
Questions:
1. Would you agree that the pressure of 14-15 is not adequate?
2. To me, his eye pressure like a roller coaster in the last 8
months, based on the above data. Should not we see him (or anyone
else) earlier than 3 month, to see at least that the new eyedrops are
working?
3. Should no we just try to get back the original combination
(Xalatan &Cosotopt) which at least got a better result?
4. If it worked once, is it sure it will work second time?
5. How important to use the eyedrops at the very same hour of
the day? (he is more aware of the fact of the regular usage of the
drops, but still had a very few days when he missed his dosage at
noon or, because of overseas trip with 7 hour time difference)
Any opinions are greatly welcomed. The thing is, that we are still
new to this illness, although we have did some readings here and
there. If you could also recommend any source of information, which I
can trust, that would be great too.
Thank you,
Judit

Amy,

I hope what I write here will make you feel better.

I am 46. I had a disease called Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis as a child. It did not effect my joints only my eyes.

I too developed uveitis as a young child. Because of the uvietis and the Hydrocortisone drops I had to take to treat it I developed glaucoma.

Uveitic glaucoma is very difficult to treat.

I also developed cataracts.

I had the cataracts removed in my early 20's but no IOL's (lens implants) and wear gas-permeable lenses in order to see.

I too have band keratopathy but have only once had one cornea scraped to have it removed as it was interfering with my contact lens wearing.

I have taken many types of glaucoma meds to control IOP.

Uveitis `burned out' in my early 20's but I am left with the damage it did and glaucoma.

Last year I found a wonderful pediatric glaucoma specialist in Boston - I underwent a trabeculectomy in one eye - and so far it is working well.

My other eye is controlled, for now, with one drop of Timolol per day (long may it last!)

I am married,

I work,

I drive,

I have 2 wonderful children who have no eye problems

My corrected vision is 20/20 R and 20/25L but I have lost peripheral vision

One more thing, nobody can predict the future. When I was 9 my parents were told to start teaching me Braille as, in those days, there was no good technique to remove the soft cataract that a young person has. So, if your doctors tell you that you are doing fine - I am sure you are. Glaucoma is a progressive disease that cannot be cured but with the right treatment, and luck, it can be controlled and for many people this is enough to make sight last a lifetime.

Hope that this helps a little.

Carol

I am currently 23 and have been having eye problems all my life.
at 5 i had cataracts removed from both eyes
at 7, 9, and 11 i had bandkeratopathy on both eyes
at 15 I ulcerated the pupil of my right eye
at 16 I had anterior chamber implants put in
at 17 I was diagnosed with uvitic glaucoma
at 19 the bandkeratopathy was back and I underwent emergency surgery
to release pressure on my eye because the tear ducts had
scarred over
My question lies in the fact that all my many doctors say my vision is
doing just fine considering all this. But when I try to get them to
narrow done what "just fine" means they reply that they can not tell
the future. Is there anyone out there that has a similair story that
has still had enough vision to function after forty?
Amy

Oh boy what a story. I had a trabeculectomy last September - I was lucky with the doctor I chose to do the surgery - I was also lucky that he was willing to take me on. I saw the doctor the afternoon after the surgery, and everyday including weekends for the following 2 - 3 weeks. This is the way my doctor practices medicine. He does this for all his patients if they need it. From all that I have learned, each doctor performs a trab. slightly differently depending on where they trained and what they have had success with making it as much art as science. Also, the follow-up care is as important as the operation itself. Perhaps because your doctor is 150 miles away he felt it would be better if you rested at home. If I were you I think I would be looking for a new glaucoma surgeon not simply a second opinion. Perhaps somebody on this site knows somebody in your area, or at least closer. Carol

Add me to your address book...

Want a signature like this?

Hi all;
I had trab surgery that failed about a year ago. One bleb is totally
flat and the other is low. He never saw me the first two weeks after
each surgery, never did shots to keep the blebs working, never needled
them. I know about these measures and am mad he never even tried to
keep them functional. I'm on four kinds of drops now and pressures
were 23 right and 18 left this week. He's muttering about more
surgery. I sincerely doubt it since the anesthesia didn't work with
the second trab.
Do you think it's time for me to get a second opinion? Is it past
time? I'm getting afraid and that's hard to accept. I'm disabled and
glaucoma has never been a huge issue, but once that doctor trust is
gone, what do we do? It would mean a very long distance to another
specialist. I live in upstate NY near Canada. The one I see now is in
Syracuse, a trip of over 150 miles that I drive alone. Any opinions
are deeply appreciated. Thanks, Joan

India Approves Glaucoma Drug

Ocufors, gets nod from regulators in a first for a plant-based drug.
Red Herring.Com/September 6, 2006

Sabinsa received approval Wednesday for a plant-derived glaucoma drug, Ocufors, from Indian regulatory agencies.

While its the first pharmaceutical product derived from a plant to be approved in India, it is also the first such eye care product worldwide.

Ocufors is made from Forskolin, an extract prepared from the herb Coleus forskohlii, a member of the mint family of plants that grows wild in some parts of India.

Sami Labs, the Bangalore, India, research and manufacturing arm of Piscataway, New Jersey-based Sabinsa, has the U.S. patent for preparing the extract from the herb.

Glaucoma is a progressively degenerative disease of the optic nerve and is the second-leading cause of blindness in the world affecting 67 million people globally.

This is the first time in the world that the molecule Forskolin has been formulated as an ophthalmic solution to be used as a drug for treating glaucoma, says Dr. Muhammed Majeed, chief executive of Sabinsa.

Ocufors has been found to be 30 percent more effective that existing and popular glaucoma drugs. The drug has undergone all the mandatory studies and clinical research at six different locations in India.

The tests continued the research and studies done by the pharma giant Hoechst in the eighties. Hoechst had identified the efficacy of Forskolin in treating glaucoma but could not make an effective formulation and subsequently dropped the studies midway.

Sami Labs took up the research and succeeded in making Forskolin a water-soluble substance.

The company has domesticated and popularized the plant and is now cultivating it on more than 10,000 acres of land in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

Research Turns to Plants

New molecules for prescription drugs have been proving elusive for the pharmaceutical industry. The search has extended from laboratory chemistry to plant sources.

For a long time the pharmaceutical industry has relied on synthetic molecules discovered and designed in laboratories. But of late, the increasing cost and time to market have created a crisis of sorts, and most companies have seen declines in their new chemical entity pipeline.

Add to this the issues of long-term toxicity, particularly in drugs for chronic diseases, said Rajan Srinivasan of Indus Biotech, a Pune-based company that has some U.S. patents for plant-derived molecules. This is increasingly coming to the fore as some drug companies have been forced to recall blockbuster drugs.

He believes Ocuforss regulatory approval may be the beginning of a trend. Its a prophecy of things to come, said Mr. Srinivasan. We are on the cusp of a major change in drug discovery paradigm, and many more drugs of botanical origin will enter the market in the next few years.

More than 200 Investigational New Drug applications have been filed and accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for drugs originating from plants.

Since many of the plants studied for pharmaceutical purposes today are part of the human food chain in one form or another, safety issues become easier to handle.

Sami Labs is launching two more large human studies in India to explore new delivery systems for Ocufors.

Glaucoma is a 24/7 disease and any eye drop lasts only six to eight hours, said Dr. Majeed.

We are looking at delivery systems that can keep the drug in the body for 24 hours.

Sami Labs also has a plant-based drug for psoriasis in Phase III clinical trials.

Sabinsa will launch the glaucoma drug by the end of the year in India. It has an estimated market of $22 million. The company is seeking partners in the United States and the European Union to help it through the complicated regulatory approval process.

Hi,
Learn to play a instrument,like a guitar ,for instance.
It will give you hours of pleasure,and you will concentrating on that instead.
As you say youve got your hands and ears.
Good luck and i hope this helps.
DAVE

Thanks for the heads up about today's news. If anyone wants a detailed
background on this herb and brief summaries of some of the research
that was done on it as far back as 1984, check out this link:
http://blog.freeradicalfederation.com/archive/2006/08/23/MakandiLowersIn
traocularPressureByReducingAqueousInflow.aspx
or go to the home page (blog.freeradicalfederation.com) and look for
articles from August 23, 2006.

No, My optometrist here in Santa Barbara told me that.
Cheryl R.

Many thanks Dr. Ritch.

You are most generous in sharing information with this Board.

Glaucoma Today's eNews, in its own words,

"helps illustrate the explosion in information and technology."

--- Jim

Check it out -
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?
a=18374&hed=India+Approves+Glaucoma+Drug&sector=Regions&subsector=Asia

Hi Joan/All,

I had laser surgery in both eyes twice when I was in my late 20's. Since then I have tried several meds... to include Cosopt, Asopt, Lunigan, Xhaltan, Timpotic, and a pill once. I'm very behaved in taking my meds and for years my pressures remained between 13 and 17 but for me that was too high because I've had major optic nerve damage. Over the years I've been totally independent though despite my cupping of 7 and 9's. Most specialist are quick to say, I can't believe you still have site. Can you believe someone would be so mean to say that. I've never had the treb because my specialist was afraid that I might scar. I'm supposed to have the baerveldt in my right eye within 3 months but after my experience I'm afraid... however I don't have a choice because I'm now experiencing blind spots in my good eye. Yes, the corneal was damaged during surgery. He noted that it happened when the light was applied but now I'm wondering if it was error.... hmmmmmm Thank you for
your kind words.

G

Hi all, This is the first time I have ever gone to a glaucoma site and
I don't understand why since I am almost totally blind now.I guessI
was in denial. I have a bad heart and could not use the drops. After
all the treatments possible .my V.A Dr. said that I would "pass on
into blindness" I've accepted that! My problem is this,I live in a
small town in east Texas,out in the country.There is nothing here to
do.Since i'm in a wheelchair,I must be pushed everywhere I want to
go.That rules out a lot of activities. All I have left are my ears and
my hands. I get the books for the blind [ 8 per month] and go thru
them fast. They are too expensive to buy at the local wal-mart,so I
have a lot of time to just sit around and feel sorry for
myself,something I don't want to do!What can I do to keep busy? any
ideas?

Enjoy your vacation! My boss just came back from a cruise in Alaska and loved it. Don't work to hard!! LOL!

Brenda

I underwent the Baerveldt surgery last Monday a week ago. I
experienced my corneal abrasion which was severe pain. My doctor
told me that I would only be in pain for 3 days or less. To date a
week later and I'm still in pain. I can't open my eye completely and
my vision is now very blury. I have also noticed that my pupil does
not seem to fit like my right eye. My eyes look very different from
each other. My doctor notes that the surgery was a success and that
the tube was in an excellent placement. I'm very scared that I may
not be able to return to work. I've already been out for a week and
had to request another week because I can't drive. Has anyone had
this surgery and if so please share your experience. BTW, I'm now
41 female and was diagnosed when I was 26. I've been on several
medications to include Xhalton, Timpotic, Alphagan for the past 10
plus years.

Hi militarymom; Did you have laser and trab surgery before the implant surgery? That's the usual approach, and if not, I'm surprised, especially for someone as young as you. I've had laser twice and trabs in both eyes and am 58. My blebs scarred over in both eyes...the drainage holes failed and I'm now on multiple eyedrops again. What a miserable thing to go through and then have failures.

Was your cornea damaged during surgery? I just wanted to say I feel terrible for the pain and suffering you're going through and hope sincerely that your eyesight comes back quickly and your pain subsides. Joan
[INLINE]

Hey all!
I'll be a bit absent from the list this coming week. I'm heading out on a
"working vacation" and I might not get to respond as much as I'd like, but
Dave Mercer, the founder of the list, will be around to moderate the
messages starting tomorrow (Wed).
So behave yourselves for Dave, eh?? <rbg

Dr. Ritch,
Thanks for this . . . . it makes it easier when one knows the reasons!

iT SURE DOES!!!

John - glad to hear you had a trab in your other eye. I am coming up to my
1 year anniversary - so far so good - pressure is low between 5 - 8 mm Hg
(no drops in that eye). Just started a drop in my other eye (Timolol 1 x
per day). So far pressure went from 24 mm Hg to 12 mm Hg - long term will
probably need a trab in that eye too.
Glad to hear all is going well with you. Carol

I am 58 and 18 months ago started treatment for glaucoma. At that time my cup to disk ratio was 0.9 and is still holding. My original pressure when I started treatment was 23 and 22. After being on all the eye drops that I can be on, my pressure for the last two checkups has been 13 in both eyes.

In my left eye, I lost vision in the area of the eye towards my nose. When I look in the mirror with my rt. eye everything looks fine. However with my left eye when I focus on my forehead, I can not see my mouth, chin or right cheek as they are but a blurr.

I know that pressure is important and that even with a low pressure one can continue to lose sight. I have the open angle glaucoma type.

What are the odds that my pressure will increase ?

What are the odds of losing more eye sight ?

Will I still be able to drive in 20 years as I am now if my pressure remains the same and what are those odds ?

An earlier message stated that after 50 years many still have their vision. But what does that mean, does it mean that that vision remained the same for say 50% of the patients who controlled the eye pressure ? Or does it mean they can still watch TV walk to the bathroom but not drive?

Having glaucoma and a cup to disk of 0.9 with some eye sight loss makes me wish that I had glaucoma with a cup to disk of say 0.4 and that I discovered it earlier.

I guess I am just wondering what to expect as time goes on.

Eleven years here, after being diagnosed "glaucoma suspect" at the age of
49 (oops, just gave away my age <g
years later) and other than loss of contrast sensitivity and some night
blindness, I'm seeing as well as before. Well, maybe a little stronger
prescription for my myopia but the optic nerve is fine.
Sherry

John - how long did your 1^st trab last?

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cvaghar@...

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Want a signature like this?

I am very interested to know the reason for the ban on bending forward and lifting things off the floor, as has also been mentioned in postings recently. Does anyone know why, or what are the possible dangers in doing so?

If you do this in the first few days postop if the pressure is very low, you do a Valsalva maneuver (straining without letting air out) and can get a choroidal hemorrhage, which can make it all over for you. Same reason we give a stool softener after trab so you won't strain in the bathroom (25% of strokes occur in the bathroom).
R

Has anyone ever come across or heard of people that still have good eyesight after 50 years of glaucoma, provided they do everything the doctor asks them to do.
I just popped out the number 50, but how many years can a person maintain eyesight after being diagnosed with glaucoma.
I am a mentor to a person who is 26 who has been diagnosed with glaucoma. I am trying to encourage him that he would still maintain functioning eyesight when he is eighty years old. I just wanted to show him some real world examples.
Thanks

I believe that the ban on bending down and lifting heavy objects is because this puts some sort of strain on the eyeball, possibly increasing the IOP. Don't do it.

Dwight

Sari,
I think it's the best thing a person can do if they are losing sight
and still can see. That is what I did when my Boss told me to start
doing something about my sight loss if I want to keep my job. I learned
braille and now I'm teaching braille at the high school. Even if you do
not think that you may lose the other eye, you do not have control of
glaucoma. Even with all of the drops and surgerys, I still lost 90 % of
my sight. So go for it my friend.
Hugs,
Bernie

Hello all,

A number of Members have had trab surgery recently; this seems to be the season for it, and I can add my name to the list!

I had my second eye done 3 weeks ago; all is going well at present, and I've been told to resume normal life as far as possible, with the exception of the prohibition on swimming - as referred to in recent posts. I have been prescribed 1 week more on the antibiotic drops, with 2 months still to go on the anti-inflammatory ones.

I am very interested to know the reason for the ban on bending forward and lifting things off the floor, as has also been mentioned in postings recently. Does anyone know why, or what are the possible dangers in doing so?

John

Can't imagine anyone would get tired of hearing that they are an inspiration and a source of hope so here goes...
Thanks Bernie for giving me a way to calm myself and lessen my fears.
What is your opinion on trying to learn braille while I'm still seeing fine in one eye? If you don't mind sharing your thoughts on that I would appreciate it.
Sari

Incredible! The tech should have never left the room while you were doing
the VF. I hate the thing to - it's really tiring to keep focus and I can
imagine how scary it must have been to not *see* anything all that time!
The digital massage helps keep the bleb open - sounds like it was really
effective for you.
Good luck!
Sherry

Hi all,
Well, I did end up finding a ride to Chicago and made it to my appointment. They had me go through the whole battery of tests again even though I just had them done in March. The dr. was in the hallway and mentioned how great my right eye looked (he did the emergency trab in March of this year) and didn't bother to comment on the left as it was as red as raw meat.

THAT STUPID FIELD TEST...I HATE IT!!! Right eye went fine and then they switched to the left and left the room. Well, I must have sat there for at least a good three minutes and hadn't clicked once! Started to get really nervous and began to look all around for any kind of flashing light...just when I decided I would look with my right eye (heck no one in the room any way) one of the techs came in and I told her something was wrong. She said the machine malfunctioned and just as she began to chuckle I blurted out that it wasn't funny that I thought I'd lost vision or something. Really apologetic and reset the machine and I began clicking away. Whew.

Pressure in trab eye was 20 and he applied digital pressure on it. I said I'm sure this was something not to be tried at home as it felt like my eye was about to explode and he said that on the contrary he was going to teach me how to do it and he wanted me to do it twice a day. Pressure went down to 12 after he did it.

Now came the serious talk about my left eye. It's going the same route as my right eye was. Only difference was that I'd had laser twice on the right when I first saw him and the pressure was 56. Now the left was at 27 and no laser. He didn't feel an emergency trab was in order but to know that it would be a definite in the near future, or as he says "we're going to get to be really good friends again". We talked about slt. I asked if doing slt with a pressure of 56 might be like putting out a forest fire with a squirtgun and since the pressure was a lot lower in my left if it might be more effective. No guarantee. I'm a year older, might it be more effective...no guarantee. It would buy me some more time though. I told him my Sept. schedule is crazy and we agreed to give it a shot...no pun intended. Are there different wattages of slt? This really burned at about #70 and I still had 10 to go. Now it's really tender and stinging and watering like crazy, but thank
goodness no corneal abrasion of which I had the last two times in the other eye. I follow up with my dr. here in a week and those two are to keep in contact with each other about me. Feel like I'm way too much trouble. My next scheduled app't in Chicago is Dec 7 so check your schedules and get those bids in to drive me. Plan on spending the whole day as they will probably go for the trab unless some miracle happens. I'm praying for a miracle.

MaryKay

Hi,
Does anyone have any history with shunts? I had the surgery almost
three weeks ago. I have been blind in my left eye from birth.
Developed glaucoma in it 2 1/2 years ago. Controlled with drops until
three months ago. Ophthlamologist sent me to retina specialist that
recommended the shunt. I had a cataract that was so bad it was hard
to see what was going on behind it. It was a fairly involved operation.
He did a vitrectomy, lensectomy and implanted the shunt. The first week
after the surgery I improved rapidly with little discomfort. After the
first week, I started having headaches and a considerable amount of
pain. The improvement has slowed noticeably. Dr. says everything
looks good but he doesn't seem very attentive to the pain and
headaches. I get the feeling that my case is fairly unique and he
really doesn't know what to expect. Anyone have any experience in
this area?
Michael Stults

I wanted to pass this message on from Bernie. I saw another email from him
today and he wrote:
"The last few nights I have been going through my night time mobility
classes because I want to be able to travel at night if need be without
stressing out. Today. I'm setting up a group for the blind center so that
all of us can stay in touch."
*I* stress out being out at night! I can imagine what it's like for a blind
person!
I do hope that this is an encouragement to those of you who are losing
vision or have lost it to the point of not functioning very well. There is
hope and help available!
Sherry

Dwight,

Thank you for sharing that info. I cannot take Ginko right now because I am still breastfeeding but I think I am going to try it in the future.

Kama

Thanks for sharing that. Very interesting.
David

In our visit to Dr. Ritch yesterday my wife, Barbara, and I got some
good news. The Visual Field test for her one good eye showed a small
but significant improvement, specifically in a reduction of the MD
number.
The book, Essential Perimetry, by Heijl and Patella, defines the MD
number this way: "Mean deviation (MD) shows how much, on average, the
whole field departs from normal and is a weighted average of the
decibel deviations shown in the total deviation plot." The higher the
number the greater the departure from normal.
Barbara's MD numbers have run in this sequence: -7.33, -7.91, -7.96,
-7.01, -7.10, -7.87, -6.74, and -6.07. This last number was from the
VF during our scond visit to Dr. Ritch, on December 24, 2002. All
these numbers are from VFs taken at the 10-2 threshold, which examines
only the central 10 degrees of the visual field.
Yesterday the MD was -5.52, well down from the last one which was
-7.33. Wonderful! Dr. Ritch was very pleased. We were too.
Now the question arises: What made this change? Barbara has
exfoliative syndrome glaucoma, which is especially difficult to treat.
In May, she had a trabeculoplasty, and last month a successful
cataract operation. Her IOP in this eye has been running in the
mid-teens for the past four years, down from about 24 when initially
diagnosed. With pressures in this range steadily for four years, I
think it is unlikely that the pressure reduction is a major factor in
the improvement in her MD number.
I believe, and I think Dr. Ritch does too, that there is a good
possibility that it can be attributed to the ginkgo biloba that
Barbara has been taking since her first visit to him, on Dec. 12,
2002. She takes 60 mg. twice a day.
Maybe Dr. Ritch would care to add to what I have said here.
Dwight

I use this all the time! It's great to be able to quickly enlarge font
size, esp in emails and web pages!
Thanks,
Sherry

Someone sent me this info, so I thought I would pass it on to the group.

If you hold down the Ctrl key on your key board and turn the small wheel in the middle of your mouse, the print size will change - it will either get larger or smaller - depending on which way you turn the wheel.

Hi all,

As I wrote yesterday, I ended up at the doctor's office complaining of trab eye hurting and finding that other eye had high pressure. My doctor called me at work today (never a good thing) and said he consulted with the other two doctors in the office and they too would have put me back on Diamox and then my doctor consulted with the specialist in Chicago and he also agreed. He then also told me he set me up with an appointment next Thursday at the office at Rush Hospital at 8am. Wouldn't you know that is the ONLY day that my nephew cannot take me as he has huge work committments that he cannot cancel. And do you think I can find anyone else to take me??? NOOOOO! So today when I had to go back for a pressure check I asked the Dr. to take me since he starts late on Thursdays! (he actually said he would since he's taking that day off, but his sister and her kids are coming to town) So keep your fingers crossed that I find some way to get there. I could take the
train, but if he does the surprise trab surgery like last time, the train ride would be awful and besides the train doesn't come down this far and I would still have to drive another 35 miles and can't get glasses over the bandages.

On the upside, the dr. in Chicago asked if there was anyone at the office here that could do slt , but neither doctor is available till next week, so I feel that maybe he will try that route first even though it didn't work twice on the other eye. But each is different right? and besides, I'm a year older...hit the big 50 this year. If I have a choice I will try the least invasive first because I've made commitments to craft shows in Sept. and would be out of a lot of money if I'm unable to do these, but I won't risk losing my sight either. Will see what he says Thursday. Life sure gets complicated. Anyone want to drive me an hour and a half north on an expressway that is normally 5 lanes and is cut down to two because of construction during rush hour??? (thought it wouldn't hurt to ask)

By the way, pressure was down from 33 yesterday to 27 and 18 to 12. The hives have kicked in as well as the tingling and carbonated beverages tasting like metal, but the Diamox is working.

Wish me luck

MaryKay

In case you did not see it, you may want to take a look at the excellent profile of ICO/IFOS featured in the recent e-mail VISION 2020 Newsletter. You can read the Newsletter starting at:
http://v2020.nemisys1.uk.com/newsletter.asp?newsletterid=181
The profile of ICO/IFOS is at:
http://v2020.nemisys1.uk.com/news.asp?section=000100010010&articleID=98&month=08&year=2006&page=2 <http://v2020.nemisys1.uk.com/news.asp?section=000100010010&amp;articleID=98&amp;month=08&amp;year=2006&amp;page=2
Bill Felch put this article together at the request of VISION 2020 Communications Manager Abi Smith.
There is also a good quote from Hugh Taylor (with a nice photo!) on follow-up on the WHA resolution at:
http://v2020.nemisys1.uk.com/news.asp?section=000100010010&articleID=103&month=08&year=2006&page=1 <http://v2020.nemisys1.uk.com/news.asp?section=000100010010&amp;articleID=103&amp;month=08&amp;year=2006&amp;page=1
We appreciate this coverage from VISION 2020/IAPB.
Also note the new Web site for VISION 2020 at:
http://www.v2020.org
If you don't receive the VISION 2020 Newsletter by e-mail, you can subscribe by clicking on the "My VISION 2020" link at the bottom of the navigation on the left side of any page.
Best,
Bruce
------ End of Forwarded Message

The quote at the end of my letter is by Mattie Stepanek: I decided to set
my AOL mail to include it after every letter: and I wanted to share
the story of why I like it:

He was a poet/peacemaker who died at the age of 14 of a rare neuromuscular disease similar to muscular dystrophy: during his life, he was the one who wrote all those poetry books with titles including the word "Heartsongs", and
he was a friend of Jimmy Carter, and worked for peace. He always knew from
childhood that he might die young: but he believed in living life fully,
which included "playing after every storm". I think he was right.

Dealing with a medical condition can help us to remember to savor life,
and in particular, to savor the moment/today.

Laurie

******************************
"Remember to play after every storm"
- Mattie Stepanek
******************************

Thank you for posting that. This is very exciting research.
So far, there are only 2 papers citing this one on Google. I assume a
flood of papers will be coming, but for now, here are the two
references that cite this paper:
Downregulation of Thy1 in Retinal Ganglion Cells in Experimental W
Huang, J Fileta, Y Guo, CL Grosskreutz - Current Eye Research, 2006 -
Taylor & Francis
Page 1. Current Eye Research, 31:265271, 2006 Copyright c Taylor &
Francis Group,
LLC ISSN: 0271-3683 print / 1460-2202 online DOI:
10.1080/02713680500545671 ...
Topographic and Morphologic Analyses of Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss in
T Filippopoulos, J Danias, B Chen, SM Podos, TW - Investigative
Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 2006 - iovs.org
Institution: Google Indexer Sign In as Member/Personal. (Investigative
Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2006;47:1968-1974.) © 2006 ...
David
http://blog.freeradicalfederation.com/

Enzyme calcineurin has been implicated in neuronal death in glaucoma
The New York Academy of Medicine has awarded its 2006 Lewis Rudin Glaucoma Prize to Swampscott resident Cynthia L. Grosskreutz, MD, PhD, for her discovery of an enzyme that contributes to nerve cell death in the eye in glaucoma, blinding disease that affects 66 million people worldwide.
Grosskreutz and her research team also had success using a drug to deter the cell death in animal models, a treatment that holds promising implications for treatment of glaucoma in humans.
The $50,000 prize from the Academy recognizes the most significant glaucoma research published in a peer-reviewed journal during the prior calendar year. Grosskreutz and colleagues' study, entitled "Calcineurin Cleavage is Triggered by Elevated Intraocular Pressure, and Calcineurin Inhibition Blocks Retinal Ganglion Cell Death in Experimental Glaucoma," appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in August 2005.
"Despite aggressive treatment, some patients with glaucoma continue to lose vision," Grosskreutz said. "If these findings can be translated to human glaucoma, it promises a new strategy for treating the disease by directly providing protection for neurons. This is the first time that the enzyme calcineurin has been implicated in neuronal death in glaucoma."
This novel research shows for the first time that calcineurin contributes to the death of a class of optic nerve cells called retinal ganglion cells, which are critical for normal vision. Researchers found that calcineurin becomes over-activated in rats that experience the elevated intraocular pressure (pressure within the eye) that is characteristic of glaucoma. After discovering the role of calcineurin, Grosskreutz and colleagues were able to successfully treat the rats with the drug FK506 to inhibit the enzyme and thereby prevent the death of the retinal ganglion cells. Without these cells, irreversible blindness develops.
Dr. Grosskreutz is the co-director of the Glaucoma Service at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and assistant professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. She is a practicing ophthalmologist and glaucoma surgeon, and leads an active research laboratory investigating the fundamental mechanisms of glaucoma-induced blindness.
Grosskreutz was the senior researcher on the winning study. Co-authors were Wei Huang, John Fileta, Adam Dobberfuhl, Theodoros Filippopolous, Yan Guo, and Gina Kwon, all of the Howe Laboratory of Ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

--- Swampscott Reporter
Thursday, August 24, 2006

@Dwight:
To my knowledge, the only studies that showed results with vitamin C
used a lot more than the amount you mention (2gm/day).
A more typical dose in these studies was 500mg/kg of body weight per
say. Some were twice that high.
One study that used 1 gm per day failed, but the same researchers
repeated the study later with more Vit C and had success lowering IOP.
Reaching a conclusion on Vitamin C, based on the published research, is
not easy. In my opinion, you not onlly need to review all the
references I list on my blog, but you also (first) need to have a
really solid background in the general vitamin C research, starting
with Dr. Pauling's work and progressing thru the latest by
Hickey/Roberts and others. Upon this foundation, the research on
Vitamin C and glaucoma is one part of a fairly consistent story.
Since you mention "companies hoping to make money out of gullible
readers", I want to add a few more comments:
1. Ester-C is one of those products I consider to be snake oil. The
research in support of Ester-C is not good quality.
2. "Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C" is also a product I do not find compelling.
3. Dr. Cathcart, in a phone call, has recently made me question even
the value of mineral ascorbates (such as Alacer Super Gram Vitamin C) -
and he was the one whose research led to the formulation of that
product!
4. Discussion about natural vitamin-C "complex" involves different
consideration from the discussions of carotenoid complexes or vitamin B
complexes. Dr. Pauling explains why, and his explanation remains valid.
Vitamin C is the one (and probably only) nutrient that can be taken in
an isolated form. That's only my opinion, of course. I know others have
different opinions both ways. Some think vit C needs to be taken as a
complex. The best research doesn't support this as far as I can see.
Others think it is OK to take any nutrients, such as beta carotene or
alpha tocopherol, in isolated form. The best research is resoundingly
proving this position wrong, so I think the number of scientists
holding this position is rapidly declining.
5. The best (and cheapest) product is simply ascorbic acid.
David
http://blog.freeradicalfederation.com/
P.S. I'm going to cross post this response on my blog.

The last Wills glaucoma group chat
(http://www.willsglaucoma.org/supportgroup/20060823.htm)
mentioned a couple of issues of interest to those with normal
tension glaucoma. Dr. Wilson described the relationship between
blood pressure and glaucoma. I have long been suspicious that my
internist contributed to my vision loss by insisting on putting me
on blood pressure medication for "white coat hypertension." She got
some borderline high readings in the office and even though I wore a
24 hour bp monitor that showed my bp was in the normal range except
when I was doing aerobic exercise, and in fact dropped to 90/60
during the night, she told me that it was better to get my daytime
pressure lower. On bp medication my daytime bp was around 100/65. I
was on the bp medication for two years before I began to notice
peripheral vision loss. My glaucoma specialist took me off the bp
med because he said my bp was getting too low at night.
Secondly, Dr. Wilson mentions that in Europe some specialists feel
that NTG may be caused or exacerbated by blood platelets that are
too sticky, and treat with aspirin.
-Deah

Some of us on this group have had VERY bad experiences with the
Proview. I think it is worse than a waste of money. It seems almost
criminal to sell that thing. I suffered optic nerve damage from
believing what it was telling me.
You can read some of the comments here:
http://blog.freeradicalfederation.com/archive/2006/08/09/ProviewWarnin
g.aspx

Thanks for your post Kathryn
It seems to be interesting.
I will try to have a look at google for it
Mee

David, I have not read your blog nor have I read the references you mention. But I have taken 2 grams of vitamin C for 30 years and I have read a lot of the literature dealing with its effects. Unfortunately, a lot of the literature comes from questionable sources, many written by alternative health nutcakes and many written by companies hoping to make money out of gullible readers. I wonder if you could give us a reference to a reputable controlled study of vitamin C and its possible effect on IOP?

Dwight

I don't post often, just follow, but someone seemed to be talking about
checking his own pressure so I went to GOOGLE and found Bausch and
Lomb's "PROVIEW", a way to check pressure at home.
Has anyone had any experience with this?
Kathy Jundt

Most studies show that Vitamin C reduces IOP. The trick is giving
enough Vitamin C.
I wrote up an article on my blog. My sources for this article are:
Alternative Medicine Review (subscription required) Volume 6, Number
2,2001, edited by Kathleen A. Head, ND.
Nutrition and Glaucoma: Do Supplements Reduce IOP ? by David Bennett
BSc (Hons), MCOptom, for The Association of Optometrists Ireland.
Kathleen A. Head gives references in her article and I list them all
on my site. There are not a ton of references, and some of the ones
that exist are old. But when you take these together with what is
already known about Vitamin C, then there is a larger body of work
that supports the conclusions of this group of studies.
I haven't given Vitamin C a fair test yet, so I can't say much about
my personal experience with it yet.
David
http://blog.freeradicalfederation.com/

Hello,
I appreciate everyone's response to my last question in regards to
iridotomy. My mother just had it done in one eye. It has only been 2
days since the procedure and she still sees blurry and double. The
doctor has scheduled the other eye for the end of this week. My
question is should she go ahead with the second eye, or should she
wait until the blurry and double vision in the first eye has recovered
prior to undertaking iridotmy on the second eye? How long can the
blurriness and double vision persist for?
I appreciate your help and support
Steve

Sherry,
I hope your dad is ok. And I had two wisdom teeth pulled and was easier
than I thought. You are probably done already since this message just
came in. So hope everything went well!
Brenda

Hey gang,
Over the weekend, Dave Mercer (who founded the list) moderated for me while
I was visiting with my ailing Dad in So. Calif. Thanks Dave!
Tomorrow morning (Wed), I'm getting a wisdom tooth pulled - not quite as bad
as getting a trab, but not much fun either. At least I'll still be able to
see <rbg
I'll be able to pick up on the messages to be moderated. The last time I
had light sedation, I came out of it really quick and went right back to
work. I'll take a look at the messages in the morning before I head out and
will check again as soon as I'm able to, hopefully sometime in the early
afternoon.
Just in case you wonder why your messages don't hit the list quickly
tomorrow!
Thanks so much for all your input - you listers here are the ones who make
the list great!
Sherry

What are you using to measure your pressure?
David <freeradicalfederation@...

I have been using Xalatan (1 drop in the evenings). This weekend, I had
no Xalatan for 1 evening. I used 1 drop of Timolol gel forming solution
instead.
The following day, my IOP remained low and very stable the entire day,
right up until the time I used the next drop of Xalatan in the evening.
I was surprised that my IOP was lower by about 5 mmHg and that it was
more stable compared to what it normally is on Xalatan.
Is this result due to a combined effect of the two drugs? Is there any
reason to think, based on this single day result, that Timolol would be
a better option for me? Or, once all the Xalatan is out of my system,
would Timolol be less effective than what I saw on this one day?
Thanks

David,
It seems fairly common practice to add another drop such as timolol if
xalatan isn't lowering IOP enough.
How do you measure your IOP, and how often?
Joyce

I have been using Xalatan (1 drop in the evenings). This weekend, I had
no Xalatan for 1 evening. I used 1 drop of Timolol gel forming solution
instead.
The following day, my IOP remained low and very stable the entire day,
right up until the time I used the next drop of Xalatan in the evening.
I was surprised that my IOP was lower by about 5 mmHg and that it was
more stable compared to what it normally is on Xalatan.
Is this result due to a combined effect of the two drugs? Is there any
reason to think, based on this single day result, that Timolol would be
a better option for me? Or, once all the Xalatan is out of my system,
would Timolol be less effective than what I saw on this one day?
Thanks

I'm on Azopt. It's truly hard to get used to, but I managed it. It took a few weeks. I do remove some of the extra that stays in the corner of my eyes after about twenty minutes because it looks so gross, that milky stuff hanging in there. Try to stick it out. Once the adjustment peroid is over, it's truly not bad at all. Joan
opurplelady <opurplelady@...

I am now using Azopt 3 times a day at least for 2 week trial. Will the
side effects abate as I get more used to the medication? When I get up
in the morning it feels like I have sand in my eyes. My eyelids are
crusty, red, and irritated . Just when my eyes start to feeling
somewhat better, it is time to use the eyedrops again. Stilll using
Xalatan at bedtime too. One more question , is anyone using eyedrops
without preservatives?
Thanks

I am now using Azopt 3 times a day at least for 2 week trial. Will the
side effects abate as I get more used to the medication? When I get up
in the morning it feels like I have sand in my eyes. My eyelids are
crusty, red, and irritated . Just when my eyes start to feeling
somewhat better, it is time to use the eyedrops again. Stilll using
Xalatan at bedtime too. One more question , is anyone using eyedrops
without preservatives?
Thanks

I'm putting you in touch with Dr. Geraldo Vieira, who is interested in this
topic.
VIEIRA, Geraldo Magela, MD, Fax: 55-61-346-0923; fax home: 244-8173;
cellular 982-0190; o: SGAS 915 Conj. B Bloco D, Salas 306/307/308 Ed.
Office Center, CEP 70.390-150 - Brasilia DF; gmvieiramd@...
R

I see this interesting article about pigment dispersion in response to
impact exercise.
I would like to know how exercise-induced pigment dispersion can be
quantified. Are there any automated instruments that can do this now?
Because my electronic access to the full text of Ophthalmology only
goes back to 1998, I cannot get the full text of this article:
Effects of jogging exercise on patients with the pigmentary dispersion
syndrome and pigmentary glaucoma. (eng; includes abstract) By Haynes
WL, Ophthalmology [Ophthalmology], 1992 Jul; Vol. 99 (7), pp. 1096-103;
PMID: 1495789
However, it sounds like they relied upon a human to estimate and grade
pigment. Is there a better/easier way to do it now?

Good advice for everyone. Thank you Sherry.