r/Glaucoma

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to ask: how often do you guys think about having glaucoma?

I have really good days where I don't think about it at all, I just take my drops, and that’s it. But then there are days where I feel like I have too much free time on my hands and I start overthinking it. Or I get a notification here and fall back into a spiral. Or I’m just browsing Reddit, see a post, and it brings it all back.

Do you guys still think about it every single day? Has anything fundamentally changed for you? Does it get better with time?

I was officially diagnosed 7 months ago, so it’s still relatively new for me.

Thanks in advance!

With surgery now behind me, I figured I'd document my journey and continue posting updates as I recover with any lows / highs. I hope this helps someone else who's going through something similar.

Age: 40
Sex: Male
History: No family history of Glaucoma

Vision baseline before all this started:

• Right Eye: 20/20
• Left Eye: 20/25 - 30

Vision baseline during experience:

• Right Eye: 20/20
• Left Eye: 20/25 - 30 with no issues; as bad as 20/200 during episodes

Outside of LASIK when I was 23 and having my appendix removed in July 2024, I've been pretty healthy. I stay on top of my annual physicals and have never really had any major health issues.

October 2025

This all started suddenly with elevated eye pressure in my left eye.

Like many of you, it was pretty scary. At first, I had no idea what was happening. My vision became so foggy that I couldn't even make out who was standing in front of me.

I ended up in the ER that day and was fortunate enough to see both an optometrist and an ophthalmologist. My IOP was in the 50s, so they immediately started me on eye drops and Diamox to bring the pressure down. I was also diagnosed with HSV the following day on a followup.

At the time, I honestly thought this would be a temporary issue that would clear up with the right medication.

Unfortunately, it didn't.

October 2025 - May 2026

Over the next eight months, I was in and out of the clinic roughly 70 times.

It got to the point where I was basically maxed out on medications. I dealt with constant inflammation and flare-ups, vision that seemed to change by the day, and eye pressure that never wanted to stay under control.

My IOP ranged anywhere from 14 all the way into the low 40s.

Diamox was rough on me causing muscle cramps, fatigue. Some drops weren't an option because of the beta blocker, others couldn't be used long-term because of toxicity, and I stayed on daily 500mg Valtrex as a preventative.

It honestly felt like every time we thought we were making progress, we take 2 steps back.

May 2026

After another ER visit where my pressure was back in the 50s, I decided to ask my primary care doctor for a referral to an outside network for a second opinion.

This wasn't because I had lost confidence in my original doctors. I just wanted a new set of experienced eyes looking at my case. I didn't want to spend time later wondering if I should have gotten another opinion sooner.

I started seeing Dr. Kruse (Optometrist) and Dr. Platt (Ophthalmologist) from Froedtert Eye Insitute. My primary doctor also referred me to a uveitis specialist at Froedtert, whom I'm scheduled to see on July 17.

One thing that surprised everyone was that during several visits, my pressure would elevated, but there wasn't any obvious inflammation. We dicussed their opinions of the initial diagnois given of HSV and about the the lack of testing that was done orignally to substain the diagnois. They were able to go back and read all my visit notes as both hospitals utilizes the same charting systems. They adjusted some of my medications and continued monitoring everything closely. Decision to stay on Valtrex was made also until I could see the uveitis specialist. This was also the first time hearing that I essentially have glaucoma.

June 25, 2026

At a follow-up appointment after yet another pressure spike, this time my IOP was 52 and my vision had dropped to 20/200, I was told surgery was needed and to happen as soon as possible to avoid damaging the optic nerve, preserve my baseline vision and fear of permanent lost of vision due to the elevated IOP, and we tenatively scheduled it for June 30.

This news was honestly a gut punch. Literally fainted in office.

Surgery was never something I thought I'd need. I always believed we'd eventually find the right combination of medications and this would pass.

After several conversations with Dr. Platt and doing a lot of research myself (calling for second opinions, watching vidoes i.e.), I learned he's considered one of the top glaucoma surgeons in the Midwest and is highly respected by both colleagues and patients in and out of network.

We discussed both the Ahmed Valve and the XEN Gel Stent, including the pros, cons, possible complications, and the fact that additional maintenance could be needed down the road.

Together, we decided the XEN Gel Stent was the best choice for me.

June 30, 2026 - Surgery Day

I underwent a XEN Gel Stent (ab externo) procedure. Anyone considering the Xen Gel Stent, I encourge you to read literature on how this procedure was done vs the traditional ab interno. Alittle more invasive but there are studies that the success rate is higher, less rates of needing maintenance needling/adjustments due to possible less scarring.

The surgery itself took about 30 minutes. I was under local anesthesia and don't remember anything. I remember talking with the Anesthesiologist and then I woke up in the OR after they called my name. I came to find that surgery was completed only after I asked when they were going to start.

My eye was patched and covered with a shield afterward. Surprisingly, I had zero pain going home.

July 1, 2026 - Post-Op Day 1

At my first follow-up, my IOP had dropped to 7, exactly where they wanted. They explained with the IOP in the single digits and with the likely hood to rise; it gives a better chance of being in the normal range vs being in the teens after surgery and with the increase.

My vision tested at 20/40, although everything was still alittle blurry, which I expected. But zero fog.

The eye was bloodshot, swollen, and pretty red.

I was started on:

• Prednisolone 8 times a day to reduce inflammation and help slow scarring.
• Ciprofloxacin 4 times a day as an antibiotic.

I still had no real pain and took ibuprofen to help with some of the swelling.

July 3, 2026 - Post-Op Day 3

My vision was still blurry, although every now and then I'd have moments where things became surprisingly clear.

This was also the day I really started noticing the two sutures.

And wow...they're annoying.

The best way I can describe it is that it doesn't feel like an eyelash in your eye. It feels more like something sharp constantly poking the inside of your eyelid.

My surgeon warned me this would happen and repeatedly reminded me:

"Do NOT rub your eye"

Honestly, the only thing that gave me relief was simply closing my eyes for a while.

July 4, 2026 - Post-Op Day 4

Today my vision is still blurry, but I have:

• No eye pain
• No cloudiness
• Bloodshot remaining
• Some remaining redness and minimal swelling

The sutures are still the worst part, but I've started mentally accepting that they're just part of the healing process.

I've basically told myself:

"It's going to be uncomfortable. It's going to feel scratchy. It's going to suck. Just deal with it."

It sounds simple, but that mindset has actually helped.

Next Update

My next follow-up appointment is Monday, July 6th. I will contiune to update as I go on into the future. I hope to build a steady journal for years to come; good or bad.

i ve been diagnosed today, and I would like to know how it will be after 20 or 30 years... I have dreams of becoming a surgeon and having a potential vision killer is very demotivating... I know everyone has different conditions and difficulties in their daily life but id like to know how the future can be considering that treatment was started in the initial stage...

Moreover im rrly bummed that I cant play basketball anymore or any kind of contact sport.. nonetheless I'm happy to have identified it in an early stage and hope it will be identified fast for all those who have it and treated accordingly 🙂‍↕️

I use Ortho-K lenses that reshape the cornea overnight and I put them in just before bed and take them out in the morning.

I was just prescribed Latanoprost for high eye pressure and I am worried about already using drops during the night for my contacts.

I wake up at 8am everyday and read that you should use Latanoprost 10 hours before waking so they should be most effective used at 10pm the previous night.

Is it safe to use Latanoprost at 10pm then do my regular contact lense routine a few hours later at my bed time, which includes multiple eye drops and contact solution? (celluvisc and blink contact lense drops)

It says you can use contacts 15 minutes apart after using Latanoprost but I don't want to just be twiddling my thumbs waiting if I can just use it earlier. I want to stick with a good routine.

Thanks for any advice.

42 otherwise healthy male. 4 years ago I booked an eye test as my vision had totally blurred during an exam. My eye balls were absolutely killing. Optician referred me as an emergency to the hospital- got there 3 days later. Tests were unremarkable- think there was some blurred disc margins but the guy looking wasn't arsed.

Between then and now had a few similar episodes- perhaps once a month occasionally skipping a month. The other month I was walking along and it felt like I'd suddenly entered a thick fog. Vision occasionally oscillates too.

The other day I had an attack couldn't read anything at all. Went to Specsavers today and expected nothing to come up. Said I have high pressure in my right eye, fluid behind it and narrow/angle closure. The chap seeing me said as I wasn't having an attack there and then he'd not refer me but to go back in 6 months.

To be honest I'm not exactly clued up on what's going on- typed "angle closure" into the search and posting here as it seems to pop up a bit.

I'm not expecting medical advice or diagnosis, just wondering what may be going on and if there's any reason to be concerned at all?

Hi Reddit!
I am curious about your experiences. I had surgery two months ago and an Ahmed shunt was placed in my left eye. After a long period of suffering, everything was finally fine by the fourth week, the inflammation had subsided nicely, and my pressure was 16 mmHg. However, it is now consistently 30 to 38. I have to take diuretics constantly, and in addition to the two drops I usually use, I have now been given a third, new eye drop because they cannot think of anything else to combat the high pressure. The valve itself is completely clear and it is not adhered or blocked, yet unfortunately my pressure is constantly high. I am starting to despair. I know it can take a long time for the situation to stabilize and for my eye to get used to the presence of the shunt, but so much time has passed and it feels like nothing is working. Has anyone else had or does anyone else have this problem? I am trying very hard to stay positive because I know the surgery was successful and that everything is technically fine, but it is still very difficult at times.

Anyone else experience extreme fatigue and headaches from brimonidine tartrate? I’m blocking off my ducts when I use it but maybe my technique isn’t good enough because it’s making my nasal passage dilate so much that my nose feels blocked and I’m also extremely fatigued. It also triggers a severe migraine for me (I have chronic migraine so I’m extra sensitive to vasodilation).

Just seems so weird to have such an extreme reaction to an eye drop

So about two months ago I went swimming and got a lot of chlorine build up in my eyes ( or maybe the pool wasnt as hygienic) and I got diagnosed with Meibomitis and prescribed antibiotic eye drops for a month. After the treatment, the symptoms came back after a week and I went to the doctor again. He gave me a steroid called Moxisurge D and other eye drops for another month but didnt elaborate on why the treatment was taking so long.

After two weeks, today I went to a free eye checkup camp and the doctor told me my eye pressure came back in the 30s ( air puff machine) and that the steroid caused it. He got me quite scared because he told me a whole range of expensive tests and that he will " try" to bring it down with eye drops. I went to my original doctor for an explanation and he said he didnt check my eye pressure because it wasnt needed for my condition and my eye pressure rising was a "rare" case. He conducted his own eye pressure tests and said my eye pressure was 24 and that it fluctuates constantly. He gave me eye drops to reduce pressure and told me to come again after 10 days.

Now, the doctor never told me the eye drops had steroid or I would never take it. I felt it was quite irresponsible to not see my eye pressure before prescribing me something that could damage my eye or ask my family history. My grandma has glaucoma so family history exists. I dont want to take these new drops because I feel the eye pressure may reduce naturally now that I have stopped the steroid and I dont want more side effects from serious medications like this when I am in my 20s. My vision has always been perfect otherwise. Thoughts?

I am a 23-year-old male (M23) and was diagnosed with Normal Tension Glaucoma in May 2026.

Before my diagnosis, I was dealing with severe migraines accompanied by vertigo. I decided to see an ophthalmologist because my eyes felt strange, and I was struggling to see my computer screen clearly (My daily screen time is at around 16 hours minimum). I initially thought it was just regular myopia.

During the exam, the doctor checked my IOP, which came out to 20 and 21 mmHg. She mentioned it was still within the normal range, but noticed something unusual during the detailed examination. She then recommended an OCT test (images attached below), and the results revealed nerve damage. She also found that my eyes were extremely dry.

As a result, she put me on a trial of Latanoprost. It has been almost two months since I started the medication. Last time I checked, my IOP was 16 mmHg on June 26, 2026.

However, I am still experiencing occasional migraines and vertigo, and my eyes remain very dry. I have also started seeing halos around lights at night.

https://preview.redd.it/l94stprbd5ah1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=18150ca08131880aee2901d96c38ede940d5d32e

What do you think? Should I seek a second opinion?

I've been having trouble with my vision for a couple of years which I mostly ignored thinking I just needed new glasses.

Went to see an ophthalmologist last week and one eye had a pressure of 60 and the other 50.

I'm on eye drops twice a day to reduce the pressure and I return to the doctor tomorrow.

I know damage has already been done but how manageable is glaucoma?

I know I will need to take drips for the rest of my life but I'm concerned that I may lose my sight. Being a motorcyclist, that is a troubling thought.

I have been recently diagnosed with ICE syndrome in my left eye. Iam 41 female. And the doctor told me there is no cure. Just need to manage the optic pressure and cornea swelling al my life with medication and occasional laser procedures n surgeries if needed to save my eye from vision loss. I have glaucoma too in this eye and eyedrops are needed daily to keep the pressure in control. Can anyone share some knowledge about hiw rare this condition is and the difficulty iam going to face in the future. Thanks

My mom’s dementia has complicated her regularly taking her drops. She’s been checked twice in the last year and her pressures were normal with about 50 compliance with daily usage. Here’s my question.. she was diagnosed after her memory issues started and when she did not have her BP under control. Could it be that she’s not been properly diagnosed? If she’s only taking the drops about half the time and still has normal pressure is that indicative of this having been an issue with the out of control BP?
Her ophthalmologist here thinks better safe than sorry but the endless merry go round of the drop conversations is driving me bonkers. She’s 85 and still lives in an independent living apartment and manages all her other daily tasks.

Hi friends,

If someone can recommend a glaucoma specialist in Chicago, I'd appreciate it. I just moved here from San Antonio, where I was a patient at an advanced surgical and testing facility with several ophthalmologists, a team of assistants, and a great many/variety of machines for testing. Once in Chicago, I found an ophthalmologist, and was shocked that he was all by himself in a dark little office. He was kindly; he tested my vision and pressure, but there was no testing equipment. He had no electronic health records system or computers in his office; he photocopied my health record. His wife was his receptionist. He only took cash. I felt like I had stepped by into the 1960s. I live in Rogers Park, so North would be nice, but I can go about anywhere in the Chicago area. Thanks!