After Iridotomy - eye pain and headaches 2 months later

Posted by dibr @dibr, Sep 28, 2018

I had a YAG iridotomy done July 24th because my angles were closed. No pain, no nothing … no symptoms. My left eye was done first and yes it hurt but in 5 minutes, pain was gone. A whole different story with my right eye. The initial laser zap was an unbelievable pain that I have ever experienced (I have a very high tolerance for pain) and it never went away and I also had extreme headache on right side as well. I asked the opthamologist what happened because of the extreme pain and headaches. He said nothing. I asked if everything was ok, he said yes. I continue to have headaches and pain in my right eye 2 months later. Has anyone else experienced this?

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Hi. I am experiencing the same eye pain and headaches, especially from the lights, and I agree with Lacy, did I really need it?!
Just prevention is not a good answer. I am pissed and I can’t wait to hear what will my doctor say next time I will meet with her and tell about the pain. I will update if there is a solution.

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Hello All - I have had severe right eye/headaches since the laser iridotomy on my right eye. I additionally have ptosis of the right eyelid and my right pupil is smaller than my left. All of this is new and occurred right after the iridotomy. The pain was instant and is only helped by pain meds. The ptosis occurred the day after the procedure. The different pupil size was noted by a neuro-ophthalmologist several weeks after the procedure. I did not have any of this prior to the iridotomy. I regret having the procedure. Every doctor I have seen (and I have seen lots) all brush me off and say the iridotomy could not be the cause. Really??? I went in one way and came out another. I am so frustrated. If anyone has found answers, I would love to hear them! THANKS TO ALL!

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@anilaj and @chicagoprof, welcome. @gwenr @mgtbren and @karen888 and @lacy2 have also written about headaches after iridotomy.

How have each of you been managing pain? Does it subside with time?

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@colleenyoung

@anilaj and @chicagoprof, welcome. @gwenr @mgtbren and @karen888 and @lacy2 have also written about headaches after iridotomy.

How have each of you been managing pain? Does it subside with time?

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My wife has been suffering with constant eye / head pain going on 2 years after her LPI. No answers as of yet.

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Hi, I had both eyes done in 2016 and sufffered subsequent headaches, ridiculously high sensitivity to light, my right eye pulling to the right, double vision/glare and more - I'm still not completely unaffected, but it is much easier and I can at least function now. My experience is that we have to look outside the box for help. My surgeon offered no support (said he "did a stellar job"). Other eye doctors offered nothing but the possibility of taking pain meds. $10,000 of (not-covered by insurance) eye therapy helped a bit, but didn't really have the right tools for my issues and was ultimately not worth the investment. What DID help : finding a natural herbalist, cranial-sacral therapist, and chiropractor who could all work together to help my body GENTLY release the trauma response and inflammation in my head/brain, re-adjust my cranial bones, and help bring my body back into alignment. It took a long time, and money out of my own pocket, but it helped. I still have a tendency to get overwhelmed visually and neurologically, and there is always slight pressure in my head - but the massive headaches and inability to function is gone. I suppose it's better than going blind, but I don't know.. seems like there might be a good reason why we don't have holes in our eyes.

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@natliek

Hi, I had both eyes done in 2016 and sufffered subsequent headaches, ridiculously high sensitivity to light, my right eye pulling to the right, double vision/glare and more - I'm still not completely unaffected, but it is much easier and I can at least function now. My experience is that we have to look outside the box for help. My surgeon offered no support (said he "did a stellar job"). Other eye doctors offered nothing but the possibility of taking pain meds. $10,000 of (not-covered by insurance) eye therapy helped a bit, but didn't really have the right tools for my issues and was ultimately not worth the investment. What DID help : finding a natural herbalist, cranial-sacral therapist, and chiropractor who could all work together to help my body GENTLY release the trauma response and inflammation in my head/brain, re-adjust my cranial bones, and help bring my body back into alignment. It took a long time, and money out of my own pocket, but it helped. I still have a tendency to get overwhelmed visually and neurologically, and there is always slight pressure in my head - but the massive headaches and inability to function is gone. I suppose it's better than going blind, but I don't know.. seems like there might be a good reason why we don't have holes in our eyes.

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Hello @natliek and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I would commend you for looking outside of the box and finding something that has been able to improve your quality of life. Had you worked with a natural herbalist previously or how did you seek out that care?

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@natliek

Hi, I had both eyes done in 2016 and sufffered subsequent headaches, ridiculously high sensitivity to light, my right eye pulling to the right, double vision/glare and more - I'm still not completely unaffected, but it is much easier and I can at least function now. My experience is that we have to look outside the box for help. My surgeon offered no support (said he "did a stellar job"). Other eye doctors offered nothing but the possibility of taking pain meds. $10,000 of (not-covered by insurance) eye therapy helped a bit, but didn't really have the right tools for my issues and was ultimately not worth the investment. What DID help : finding a natural herbalist, cranial-sacral therapist, and chiropractor who could all work together to help my body GENTLY release the trauma response and inflammation in my head/brain, re-adjust my cranial bones, and help bring my body back into alignment. It took a long time, and money out of my own pocket, but it helped. I still have a tendency to get overwhelmed visually and neurologically, and there is always slight pressure in my head - but the massive headaches and inability to function is gone. I suppose it's better than going blind, but I don't know.. seems like there might be a good reason why we don't have holes in our eyes.

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Hi @natliek I too have double vision and suffer from migraines monthly. I attribute the headaches from my eye misalignment. In the past I found it difficult to trust a chiropractor and was very cautious. How did you begin to look for a clinician with all those qualities? Are they licensed? Can I do a medical license lookup?

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@mgtbren

I had an LPI, laser peripheral iridotomy 2 months ago and have been suffering from severe migraines ever since with no explanation or solution.

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Hi. I see this post is old. Same procedure. Crazy headaches for 6 weeks. Right eye. Anyone find any answers.

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@colleenyoung

@anilaj and @chicagoprof, welcome. @gwenr @mgtbren and @karen888 and @lacy2 have also written about headaches after iridotomy.

How have each of you been managing pain? Does it subside with time?

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How are you guys managing pain. Same pain above right eye. Crazy headaches 5 weeks. More testing this week. Anyone get any answers

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@longislandmike

How are you guys managing pain. Same pain above right eye. Crazy headaches 5 weeks. More testing this week. Anyone get any answers

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Hi @longislandmike, welcome. Allow me to tag @natliek @anilaj @chicagoprof @gwenr @mgtbren @karen888 @lacy2 who have also experienced headaches after iridotomy and to bring them back into the discussion.

Did your headaches start right after the procedure? What testing will you have done this week?

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