Eye Drops And Ans Reaction (sorry Long Post)

[Sophia3]

We all complain of meds that dilate eyes. Well today I had to see a neuro-opthamologist. A repeat Visual field test ruled out worrisome potentials.

I was born with very narrow angles of the eyes (suspect for narrow angle glaucoma, more rare than open angle and time is critical to fix)

My reg eye doctor is an astute Optometrist, ok. Has excellent reputation for picking up eye health and full body health on eye exams. He's treated me 13 years and in last week, had me repeat Visual field test of left eye.

On my first visit to see the NEURO SPECIALIST, after a HISTORY of narrow angles and borderline high ocular pressure (a few times) he puts the dilation drops in my eyes (which can raise the pressure w/o checking my eyes normally!?) my eye pressure last week before dilation eye drops was 17 in one eye, and 18 in other. My eyes have NEVER been checked after dilating them as that is known to raise pressure in certain glaucoma pts.

30 minutes after dilation drops in, I complained of eye pain. (My eye doc checks my pressure BEFORE the drops but even then, I do not get eye pain after his drops)

The neuro specialist checks my eyes. Rt eye is 30 and left eye 27 ( concerned but they don't panic until it his 70) The neuro got on phone to glaucoma specialist upstairs in building(This eye institute building is like a hospital sized place, I kid you not)

Now bad thing about my reg eye doc, he does not answer phone during the day as he can no longer afford to hire help. Economy and all. So when today's specialist office called, not only did they not get the doctor but his answering machine had error saying "Voice mail is full". sigh.so they could not find out if indeed my eyes were checked before or after dilation in my history ( I went by my docs office on the way HOME to learn he ALWAYSchecks pressure in NORMAL state, not a 'med induced pressure state')

EIGHT hrs after doses of eye drops to LOWER MY PRESSURE & CONSTRICT, my pupils are STILL tiny, the lights in the

house all look dim and I am nauseated. It took repeated drops to get the pressure lowered. Had it stayed high I was to see the glaucoma guy TODAY. Instead I go back Thursday for him and possible laser to lower the pressure. This is NOTHING like the LASIK surgery and is done in lower part of eye so the build up of fluid does not threaten vision. A tiny microscopic hole is put in & no follow up is needed except to see surgeon a few days later.

NORMAL OPEN glaucoma, is slow to progress. Narrow angle can come on suddenly and you lose your vision if not treated in matter of couple hours.

Much like drugs to DILATE pupils make me sick--though the last exam I took a xanax before and it prevented weirdness & the drops had no epinephrin...., this CONSTRICTING of pupils is freaky cause things are SO DARK. And my eyes still hurt.

The Neuro is IGNORANT (imo) of Dysautonomia! Pupil dilation and

constriction is a reaction of parasympathetic /sympathetic systems! If a

MEDICATION makes something bigger or smaller it's AFFECTING the Autonomic system

by forcing it to react..or medically inducing the changes.

too much

headache to be on laptop long but am DESPERATE to find out why I feel this way hours

after the fact. Anybody else here been given glaucoma medicine to LOWER OCULAR pressure/constrict pupils.

I would think with us POTS pts, to take drugs to DILATE then meds to constrict, might throw us into a frenzy. I've been exhausted & too ill to take BP (it's across the room!)

So today was a shock and the eye drop drug reactions pretty much has me stunned.

I feel like I just LEFT the doctors office and it's midnight. Also chest

pressure & adrenalin surges. Like an amusement park ride without leaving my

bed. Some of you know how that goes.

Appreciate feedback if' you've had the eye drops to constrict but this is rare, I know.

[ramakentesh]

A lot of POTS patients report increased eye pressure but are usually borderline glaucoma.

That being said, some of the medications used in glaucoma may work by either supressing the sympathetic nervous system or increasing parasympathetic activity - which may already be out of whack with POTS.

[Sophia3]

reading that glaucoma drops can cause side effects in many healthy humans. So no wonder I was sick as a dog last night and my pupils are STILL small today..but THANKFULLY I can see better.

Yesterday the world looked dark, even with the brightest lights on...visual dimming to an extreme.

Woulda been nice if the specialists might have warned me of the side effects and how long they lasted.