glaucoma and prednisone

I didn't develop glaucoma, but my vision definitely deteriorated while on prednisone (approximately four or five months). Fortunately, as I tapered down my vision eventually returned to normal. Hopefully you will experience the same result as you taper.

I'm so sorry to hear that you're going through this. The WEIRDEST thing is I just came home from the eye doctor myself and found the same thing is happening to me!! What the heck man! I was fine at my check last year and then today I was showing signs of developing glaucoma in my left eye. I have to go back next week to do more tests.

I was on 40-60 mg of Prednisone for one year straight between October 2005 and 2006. I then switched over to Remicade at that point. I'm wondering if the steroids caused me to slowly develop glaucoma or what. I have no other risk factors. I can't believe this is happening on top of all my UC crap.

BTW anything over 2 months is considered long term for consistent prednisone use so I'm sure 6 months is long enough. I'll keep checking this thread to see how it turns out for you and I would love to know what you end up doing because I'm so scared and upset about going through the same thing.

Ashley O said...
I'm so sorry to hear that you're going through this. The WEIRDEST thing is I just came home from the eye doctor myself and found the same thing is happening to me!! What the heck man! I was fine at my check last year and then today I was showing signs of developing glaucoma in my left eye. I have to go back next week to do more tests.

I was on 40-60 mg of Prednisone for one year straight between October 2005 and 2006. I then switched over to Remicade at that point. I'm wondering if the steroids caused me to slowly develop glaucoma or what. I have no other risk factors. I can't believe this is happening on top of all my UC crap.

BTW anything over 2 months is considered long term for consistent prednisone use so I'm sure 6 months is long enough. I'll keep checking this thread to see how it turns out for you and I would love to know what you end up doing because I'm so scared and upset about going through the same thing.

Ugh, it's scary. I just feel like we're too young to be having issues like this. Mine is both my eyes. Sorry you are having this problem, too.

Before the age of 24, I could count the number of times I had to go to a doctor on one hand, and now I am going all the time and developing all these problems. It's just ridiculous.

Ashley O said...

pam222 said...
Ugh, it's scary. I just feel like we're too young to be having issues like this. Mine is both my eyes. Sorry you are having this problem, too.

Before the age of 24, I could count the number of times I had to go to a doctor on one hand, and now I am going all the time and developing all these problems. It's just ridiculous.

I totally know what you mean about feeling like we're too young to be dealing with all of this. When I was first diagnosed with UC at 16 I had no idea what UC was and had never heard about it. Now I know way too much. Now at 20 I might have glaucoma. I didn't know what it was before today either. I even said, "Isn't that for old people?" My doc laughed at me. I can't imagine both eyes, I'm so sorry that you are having trouble with both. Are you scared about going blind? I AM!!

I am in the same boat about never going to the doctor, now I have regular visits and email contact with my GI. To think about developing more problems from the drugs that were helping my UC is just sooooo discouraging. On top of all that we have colon cancer to worry about or look forward to in our 30's and 40's. As a lovely bonus all the drugs we try and rely on can potentially sterilize us. Wonderful. This disease sucks.
I'm happy you gave birth to a healthy baby boy before the disease could take hold. Thank god for small miracles.

I'm not scared about going blind because I think it's pretty treatable as long as you catch it early. The eye drops should work if it becomes necessary. My eye doctor said the pressure in the eye is often higher in the morning (and I had a 9am appointment), so next time I go in, he wants it to be in the afternoon. Hopefully, it is ok. My husband broke my glasses by sitting on them, and I was really annoyed, but now I guess it's a good thing since this came up, so at least it was caught early.

I am really nervous about the long term effects of these drugs. If I am having this many issues after just a few months, I can't imagine what years of medication will do to me. Plus, Remicade is so new that it does really scare me.

I am very happy I have a healthy son (especially since I was so sick during the pregnancy). My husband originally wanted to wait a few years but then agreed to have a baby now, and I'm so glad because who knows what will happen with me in the future. I know it's rare to have fertility issues and I probably won't have a problem later, but you never know. My OB did tell me not to get pregnant again until I have this completely under control because I was lucky I didn't have more issues with the pregnancy.

Thanks. Actually, my eyes are funny. One is nearsighted and one is farsighted.

well, I got it rechecked in the afternoon like the doctor wanted, and it was still high, so I have to go see an ophthalmologist. he said to make sure to do it within the next couple weeks and that i will probably need the eye drops to lower the pressure

Ashley O said...
Darn it was still high. Well good luck at the ophthalmologist and hopefully all you will need are those eye drops.

Wish me luck for my tests on Monday!

Yeah, it sucks. Hopefully your tests go better

Good news. I went back to the eye doctor and he performed more tests and it looks like I'm ok. The other doctor got me all worried for nothing. Thanks for your input and I'm sorry it didn't work out so well for you. Good luck in the future!

That's interesting that Prednisone does that. Hopefully you can stay on a low dose or taper off completely. But it's good to know that if you do go on high doses of Prednisone you should get checked frequently because then you can catch the early stages of Glaucoma earlier. But you just started the Remicade, how is that going for you? You may not need Prednisone anymore. I didn't when I was on Remicade.

Oh no! I'm so sorry. :-( How many infusions have you had done? Surgery is such a scary thing to have hanging over your head.

I would think it would be giving you some relief by now. Maybe if you increase your dosage? Or try humira? Do you want the surgery instead?

I'm sending good thoughts your way and hope your colonoscopy goes well. Hopefully all you will have to do is up your Remicade. Humira does have insurance issues sometimes, maybe you could call your insurance and ask just in case. Surgery is hard to think about with a 4 month old for sure. Especially if it might cause you to have trouble picking him up when you're healing. Let me know how your c-scope goes.