3.0 years ago

Ricky • 50

@madrich_12

I recently saw my ophthalmologist. I am being treated for glaucoma in one eye with thick cornea and myopia with cataract. I take 1 drop of Latanoprost, and 2 drops (am/pm) of Dorzolamide-Timolol daily. My ophthalmologist's pressure reading for this eye was 22 IOP previously.

My ophthalmologist' added a prescription for Rhopressa -- 1 drop at night daily. My eye pressure went down from 22 mmHg to 10 mmHg.

My concerns are is that the eye 10 IOP is too low?

Will my eye adjust and normalize to the low 10 mmHg IOP?

If it goes back up later will it more likely damage the optic nerve at that time?

3.0 years ago

david 4.3k

@david_fe

My concerns are is that the eye 10 IOP is too low?

No, it is not too low. 10 mmHg is a very common IOP level in well-managed glaucoma patients.

Will my eye adjust and normalize to the low 10 mmHg IOP?

Yes.

If it goes back up later will it more likely damage the optic nerve at that time?

As a general rule, allowing your IOP to remain too elevated for your eyes will cause serious and irreversible damage. The only smart decision is to reduce your IOP to the range your eye can tolerate and then continue the treatments to keep it in a healthy range.

A good glaucoma specialist will use his or her experience to determine the optimal treated IOP range for your eye(s).

I'll ask a different question for you to think about. Which scenario will lead to blindness more rapidly?

1. allow one's IOP to remain excessively elevated.
2. treat one's IOP to bring it into the optimal range now and maintain it there as best you can; but then something out of your control happens and your IOP goes back up for some period of time before a new treatment is found that once again reduces your IOP into the optimal range.

Without a doubt, choice #2 is the better choice. Choice 1 is what leads to blindness.