Medical Glaucoma Treatments:

An Overview

Note: Ongoing research on glaucoma treatments means information is constantly being updated. You should speak to a doctor or pharmacist and not the web to find the latest medical information. This is only for general informational purposes.

Hopefully, this will serve as a wake up call. Do something now or do something later. We will eventually have to do something. When it comes to our eyes, the glaucoma treatments below do not look like fun. What if there was a better way? We propose it at the end.

Because the treatment may be an emergency or at least an urgency, the treatments for various glaucoma are combined here. There are some specifics to each kind of glaucoma. This is best left to your doctor to explain.

The glaucoma treatments a physician will put you on depends on a number of factors. It should be noted that the information here is not to replace your conversation with a doctor or pharmacist. This is not to to diagnose or treat your disease.

If you have the symptoms, you should be seen by a doctor and not self medicate. Your sight is at risk if you get it wrong. The glutathione glaucoma treatment is not for emergencies.

Medical Glaucoma Treatments

Some are used for one type of glaucoma and not for the other. The purpose of the list is to impress the seriousness of the condition. It is an emergency and may be too late once it is discovered.

An easier way...make sure and get regular eye exams.

Making simple dietary changes can eliminate the risk. The next section will explain why. First the list.

Hospitalization

Eye Surgery including laser surgery

IV medications

Oral medications

Eye drops

Glaucoma Treatment with Medications

We have not included all of the data on the medications. The important thing to remember, speak to you doctor and or pharmacist about the risks and side effects. This is especially important if you are on any other medications.

There are some common threads with all of these. The thread is the risk of side effects. Few nurses have ever seen these side effects during the care given to patients. However, they are still risks of taking these drugs. Never stop taking a drug prescribed by a doctor unless told to do so by your doctor.

With glaucoma, it is necessary to reduce the pressure. This is accomplished by slowing down the production of the aqueous humor or promote separation of the iris from the drainage angle.

Additionally, it is necessary for the physician to know the drugs, their indications, contraindications, and potential side effects when prescribing the treatment.

Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors

Often the first agents given. These reduce bicarbonate production in the ciliary resulting in a decrease of aqueous formation.

Acetazolamide (Diamox)

If you have impaired liver function you will be at risk of going into a coma. If you are diabetic it may cause your blood glucose to go up in some patients.

Methazolamide (Neptazane)

May increase toxicity of aspirin and drugs that are combined with aspirin and digoxin.

If taking diuretics, there is a risk of low potassium, decreased effectiveness of lithium and it may alter how well other drugs are excreted because of alkalinizing urine.

Caution should be used with certain respiratory conditions, diabetes, may impair mental alertness and/or physical coordination. Blood in the urine, may cause your liver to not work as well as it should, may suppress the bone marrow which produces your blood cells, thrombocytopenia purpura, lower white blood cell count, skin rash, and itching.

Beta-adrenergic Blockers

Lower inter-ocular pressure by suppressing the aqueous humor production.

Timolol Ophthalmic (Timoptic, Timoptic XE) Lower inter-ocular pressure by suppressing the aqueous humor production.

May slow heart rate and even stop the heart if used at the same time as systemic beta-blockersmedications.

Because it may have sulfites, some can have allergic reactions, may make worse heart block, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mental status changes (especially in the elderly).

Carteolol Ophthalmic (Ocupress)

Lower inter-ocular pressure by suppressing the aqueous humor production.

May cause slower heart rate when used at the same time as systemic beta-blockers.

Levobetaxolol (Betaxon)

Lower inter-ocular pressure by suppressing the aqueous humor production.

May cause slower heart rate when used at the same time as systemic beta-blockers.

Documented numerous other serious complications may result. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist as to what these are.

Levobunolol (AKBeta, Betagan)

Beta-blockade may potentiate muscle weakness that is consistent with certain myasthenic symptoms (eg, diplopia, ptosis, generalized weakness); product may have sulfites, which may cause allergic-type reactions in certain susceptible persons.

Alpha-adrenergic Agonists

These agents are used as adjunct agents to further decrease IOP secondary to their affect on aqueous humor production.

Apraclonidine (Iopidine)

Has minimal cardiovascular effects.

Brimonidine (Alphagan, Alphagan-P)

Corticosteroids

Prednisolone ophthalmic (AK-Pred, Econopred)

Used for sudden onset inflammations such as after eye surgery or other injury to the eye.
If there is a bacterial infection, anti-infective agents will be used at the same time. Do not discontinue the treatment with out the doctors direction.

Ophthalmic Agents, Miotic

These help pull the peripheral iris tissue away from the angle helping to reduce the obstruction of the aqueous humor flow.

Pilocarpine ophthalmic (Pilagan, Pilocar, Pilostat)

Hyperosmotics

These agents encourage the fluid to shift from the eye to the vascular spaces through osmosis.

Glycerin (Osmoglyn)

Reduces pressure through diaereses.

Isosorbide (Ismotic)

Osmosis

Mannitol (Osmitrol)

This is not a comprehensive view of the glaucoma treatments, rather an overview. When considering the risk associated with these medications, does it make sense to start regular visits to the eye doctor.

Better yet, start your own glutathione glaucoma eye treatments.

Next: What is the ulterior cause of glaucoma? The symptoms. This 5th of 6 parts explains.

Ulterior Symptoms of Glaucoma (5 of 6) Oxidative stress and glaucoma.

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