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Glaucoma misdiagnosed after 17 years of Latanoprost treatment!
At age 50 due to bad scores on my visual fields tests and eye pressure numbers an optometrist sent me to a fellowship trained glaucoma ophthalmologist. For 17 years he treated me with Latanoprost, and my pressures remained low (around 12). I moved at age 67 to a different area of the country and saw a younger fellowship trained glaucoma ophthalmologist at an academic med center. They used virtual reality type “goggles” to check for visual fields. I came out “normal” and showed no loss of vision with that test which is supposedly more accurate than the older one. Long story short, the doc took me off Latanoprost and said she didn’t believe I had glaucoma. Of course, she dilated me and looked at optic nerve. Since that time I have learned that glaucoma is frequently over-diagnosed. Crazy story, no? Your comments are appreciated. Thanks.
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I was diagnosed with glaucoma probably about 20 years ago. My understanding is that vision loss with glaucoma is acute/sudden. It’s not a gradual loss like macular degeneration. Mine was acute angle and I had no vision loss or “attack”. It was just diagnosed at a routine ophthalmologist appt. I went to a specialist for a second opinion. And it was confirmed. Because of the nature of acute angle, I didn’t have to have any ongoing treatments. I just had a laser surgery, which poked a hole in the upper part of my iris so that my fluid when drain. The natural drainage was impeded by the angle of my eyes. It was a simple fix and nothing else has been necessary.
I’m glad for you that you now have a proper diagnoses. But it is disheartening that the other doctors caused you to be treated unnecessarily for so many years.
Thanks for your info, Mosaics. I know there are different types of glaucoma. I am not particularly interested in medicine, and I don’t blame my previous physician. It is my understanding that the newer technology helps with diagnosis, and the level of pressure requiring glaucoma treatment may have changed over 17 years. The same has happened with hypertension—different readings now define the condition. I am extremely near sighted, and I have always known that condition also raises the occurrence of glaucoma. Hope you are doing well. Our sight is an important treasure.
I was diagnosed with glaucoma over 30 years ago. I'm now 79. They had trouble keeping my pressure within range 12-15. I'm now on 3 eye drops: Pilocarpine, Dorzolimide, and Rocklatan which works to keep pressure in range. I have field test at least once a year. I've now lost all central vision in left eye and I only have about 50% of field left in right eye. So I have low vision with lots of glare problems. I see an optimologist who trained at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, and I go there every 5 years to see if anything new is recommended. I highly recommend you go to one of the top eye research centers for a second opinion if you have any questions.
Well, after reading Don Higgins post, I see that I’m wrong concerning the sudden onset v. gradual vision loss. I was told by my doctor that my acute angle glaucoma would cause a sudden loss, but it appears that is not true of other types of glaucoma.