Annie & Craig - Getting too smart!

[CraigM]

Originally Posted by jjefferjo

He is on three drops now ( 1 for pressure xalatan am/pm- 1 for inflammation - diclofenac (instead flurbiprofen) am/pm and 1 dry eyes Tacrolimus am only and this one may be going a way for good

Thanks.

Annie was using Xalatan last year, but was switched to Latanoprost which is simular (I think), but is much less expensive generic. Think we last paid about $20.

She was using Diclofenac until last week.

She had been using the gel form of Tacrolimus until last week, when she was switched to drops.

She was put on Dorzolamide and Timolol Maleate last week.

Annie has her own shelf in a kitchen cabinet for her meds!

We just got out of bed 30 minutes ago and I thought Annie was doing pretty good. She jumped off the bed without any direction / encouragement from us. Was thinking she was able to see the floor OK. Then 5 minutes later, she walked head first into a planter on the patio, and got tangled up with the picnic table. Maybe she she was just in too big of a hurry to get off the patio for me to throw her squeaky ball. She's able to find the ball after a minute of running in circles.

Time to test, feed, inject.

[CraigM]

It seems that most of the vision problems here on the forum are due to cataracts. Wondering how many have had trouble with glaucoma?

Annie seemed to be keeping the cataracts at bay, but got hit with glaucoma almost overnight. She's been getting pressure checks weekly, but even with all the eyedrops the eye pressure is staying high (think it was 39 last week, needs to be lower than 20? Best if around 10?). Another eye vet visit on Friday.

[jjefferjo]

Well intially it was cataracts, did fine for a month and one day out of the blue started squinting. Pressure was up.

10 is great

Any number really low (3 or 4ish) can indicate some possible inflammation.
Mid - High teens is good
Ed is at about 8-9 about 3 hours after Latanprost -

Again for consistency I would try and keep the app time the same at each visit if possible
Ed gets his drops right before meal time and after fasting test.
Some days sight seems better than others
Inside vs outside etc..

[CraigM]

Jj,
Annie had her cataract surgery about two years ago and had "minor" eye problems since then. She had been taking a whole mess of eye drops, including latanoprost. Then a month ago, wam! She started walking into the walls. She is now using:
Latanoprost
Timolol maleate
Brimonidine tartrate
Dorzolamide Hcl
Tacrolimus
Acetazolamide (powder)

Sure hope the eye pressure is down for Friday's check. I'm wondering if I should ask for a medical marijuana card?

[jjefferjo]

Be thinking about you on Friday!


Ed's cocktail was ridiculous
Dorzolamide
Demecarium
Lantanaprost
Pred g or A
Tacrolimus
Diclofenac
Timolol maleate (after 1st5 surgery) stopped it after 1st surgery slowed his heart rate too much.
Opted for the 2nd surgery in November - pressures were too high - perfect now and reduced the cocktail to three
PM me if you just want to talk I know where your head is at right now- or let it roll here -
Hang in there
All things positive for ya'll

[jjefferjo]

Oh .
and if you get that mary jane card we gon be friends

[CraigM]

Jj,
So, was Ed's surgery for cataracts, or glaucoma?

The eye vet mentioned a possible laser procedure if all the drops don't work by this Friday. Guess I'll know more then.

[jjefferjo]

The 2nd surgery in November 2011 was specifically for Glaucoma.
He started creeping up and finally in November we had to do something
and it was laser surgery and a couple of injections. I was assured that we could keep him down in the 10ish range and he has been so far
The post surgery week was a bit brutal, but you are retired correct?

We had daily pressure checks, with additional dosing of pred G or A drops
I would drop him off and he would spend the day.

Then weekly, and finally monthly. We go once a month now for pressure checks.
Not sure what your Opths routine is but mine wanted to monitor him daily the first week or so.
Eventually we landed at Tacrolimus in the am, diclofenac am/pm and latanaprost Am/pm with this being the only drop for pressure.
Keep us posted and good luck.

[Shellie]

Just found out from the vet today that the cataract surgery around here is a lot less expensive so now am wondering about it more. It sounds almost like there is a lot of work afterwards with this eye drop and that eye drop. I am tempted to think perhaps I could do this with Hank and then I realize he's got only so-so regulation. You'd do it again, JJ? Even with all the attending problems?

[CraigM]

Originally Posted by Shellie

Just found out from the vet today that the cataract surgery around here is a lot less expensive so now am wondering about it more. It sounds almost like there is a lot of work afterwards with this eye drop and that eye drop. I am tempted to think perhaps I could do this with Hank and then I realize he's got only so-so regulation. You'd do it again, JJ? Even with all the attending problems?

I think the eye vet would be able to give you an idea how much vision might be improved. Also tell you about post surgery expenses. Annie got about two years of decent sight after her cataract surgery. We had both eyes done, but only one was "repaired". Now she has glaucoma! If I remember what the vet told me last week correctly, we may have two choices in the near future. Either laser surgery for the glaucoma, or have the eye removed. Another eye appointment tomorrow.

It's especially upsetting because we've been able to keep her BGs in what we thought was a good 100-250 range for the last 2+ years (very few 300+ tests).