My PM was fitted in December 2024. I was diagnozed with glaucoma (initially in one eye only) nearly 30 years ago without any apparent side effects from the medication prescribed until recent times. As the glaucoma advanced the drops prescribed changed time along with lazer treatment etc. I am not sure when I was first prescribed Simbrinza but it was for some time (at least 12 months probably longer) before I had the PM fitted. My routine was to apply the eye drops before breakfast and a hour or so later I would become drowsy for about an hour or hour and a half. Mostly I would battle through it but occasionally surrender and take a twenty minute knap. If I had to drive somewhere in this time period I would really have to concentrate to stay awake and alert and sometimes I would ask my wife to drive while I knapped.
I mentioned this to my doctor during a routine visit and he said if your lower blood pressure reading goes below 40 come and see me.
The very next morning it was 78/38 so I walked to the surgery and was told to get myself to the hospital immediately. So I drove myself there and was immediately admitted. However, by the time I arrived and was admitted my blood pressure would have recovered but my pulse was at its normal rested level in the low 40s. So it was almost immediately assumed that that was the problem.
So I was kept in hospital for 5 days while they organised a PM fitting. When I got to the operating table and was about to be anethesised the surgion said I am about to fit this but there is no guarantee it will fix your problem! I was rather surprised that this was the first time anyone had mentioned this but I thought we had gone so far it was a bit late to turn back.
The PM was fitted and the next morning I was sent home and soon had another bout of low blood pressure and was readmitted but again by the time I got to hospital and was admitted the blood pressure had recovered and all other checks of the PM etc proved normal so I was sent home again.
The bouts of low blood pressure continued. However, two months later I went on holiday for a week and on the way the Simbrinza eye drops leaked out and I was without them for four days and noticed I was no longer getting drowsy in the morning. When I got a new script and applied them the symptoms immediately reappeared. So I stopped applying the drops in the morning and only took them last thing at night. Problem solved.
Yes the hospital was supplied with my short medication list for the drops for glaucoma.
I have always been active. Thirty years in the army and have exercised regulary ever since.
I got back to jogging about a month after the PM was fitted but my shoulders and neck would lock up slowing my down considerably. Fortunately, that resolved itself about two months ago and I average between 31-32 minutes over 5km now. Slow but not too bad for my age.
I have another appointment with the specialist in a couple of months but as I am 80 this year so I suspect that to avoid further possible complications I will be advised to leave things as they are.
Nevertheless, I hope some institutional lessons are drawn from this experience.
Thanks for your interest. Bob