What Medication is Used for Glaucoma?

Updated: July 20th, 2017 | by Veit Mehler

Glaucoma medications depend on the type of glaucoma. Surgery, laser treatment, and eye drops are the common types of glaucoma treatment.

But, they may be inappropriate. Because they have side effects, like eye irritation, dry eyes, or vivid vision. Plus, glaucoma surgery is expensive and doesn't last.

Glaucoma medication is another type of treatment. Common medications act as beta blockers. Meaning, they stop the eye from producing fluids.

A healthy eye constantly produces new fluids to exchange the fluids in the eyeball. With glaucoma, the ducts that allow excess fluids to flow out, clog up. That's why the eye pressure increases. New fluids flow in, but old, excess fluid can't get out. So over time the intraocular pressure, the pressure inside the eyeball, increases. Above a certain threshold, it will start damaging the optic nerve fibers.

The problem is that the eye must produce the fluid. The new liquid is vital to a healthy eye. Stale, standing water is unhealthy anywhere on the planet. So it's a bad idea to have old, stale liquid in the eyeball. It will block the drainage ducts more.

The Questions Answered In This Article:

I Have Glaucoma What Medications Should I Avoid?

Medications you should avoid include:

- Medications containing anticholinergic properties. We are talking about drugs that block acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a chemical that transmits signals from one nerve cell to another. So these medications stop involuntary body reflexed.

Examples of this drugs include:

Asthma and COPD Medications,
Incontinence and Overactive Bladder Medications,
Gastrointestinal Issues medications,
Muscle Spasms medications,
Depression medications,
Allergies medications,
Nausea medications,
Anxiety medications

These medications run the risk that your eyes produce too much humor. Meaning that your eye pressure can increase fast. Because they block communication to the glands that produce the fluids inside the eyeball.

- Drugs Containing Sulfonamide, such as:

Topamax (topiramate),
Diamox (acetazolamide),
Qualaquin (quinine),
Sumycin (tetracycline), and
Bactrim (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole)

- Oral steroids

- Ephedrine medications. For example, Cold Remedies

What Medications can Cause Glaucoma?

Inhaled Anticholinergics,
ipratropium,
tiotropium

How Much Does Glaucoma Medicine Cost?

A lot! A lot depends on the level of insurance that you have. The cost for eye drops ranges from $12 - $90 per month. That comes to $150 - $1,080 per year.

Laser surgery for glaucoma can cost between $1,000 - $2,000 per eye or more.

Incisional surgery can go up to $11,000!

The problem with all types of glaucoma treatments is that it doesn't treat the disease. All these procedures simply relieve the symptom of glaucoma. They let off some eye pressure. But the pressure comes back soon.

Meaning that the underlying root causes for glaucoma are still there. That the humor still can't drain properly. To stop the eye pressure from coming back, you have to remove the root causes. To do learn how to do that, we made a short, free video for you. Click here to watch the video now.

Glaucoma Medication That Makes Eyelashes Grow?

Some glaucoma medication contains Bimatoprost. It's a chemical that helps to boost the growth of eyelashes.

These medications can have serious side-effects. Do not use them without medical supervision!

These are medications used to treat a severe and dangerous eye disease. Do not use glaucoma eye drops for cosmetic purposes without doctor recommendation.

How Does Glaucoma Medication Work?

Glaucoma medication suppresses aqueous humor

production. The human eye produces fluids in the eyeball constantly. To renew the fluids within the eye. Excess fluids flow out as new fluids push them out.

In an eye with glaucoma, the drainage ducts to allow the fluids to flow out are blocked. So as the eye makes new fluids, the pressure inside the eyeball increases. Thus the idea of the medication is to stop the eye from producing new fluids.

The problem is that the eye needs the fresh fluids. Old, stale, and dirty fluids are bad everywhere. Including inside the eye. It will make conditions inside the eyeball worse over time.

Plus, glaucoma medication may also worsen other existing conditions like asthma. Also, it may interact and cause side-effect with medications for heart conditions.

Take Away #1

Glaucoma medication doesn't treat the eye disease. It just relieves some eye pressure. But the eye pressure comes back. To learn how to treat the disease watch a short, free video now.

Start with a Short, Free Video Now

How Expensive Is Glaucoma Medication?

Since most health insurances don't cover it, very expensive! Glaucoma medication costs around $150 - $1,080 per year. Plus, you have to consider the exams that go with it. The cost for diagnosis run at $50 - $200 per eye exam. The cost depends on the types of glaucoma tests the eye doctor performs.

Does Weed Help Glaucoma?

Yes, weed helps lower IOP of a glaucoma patient.

Does Weed Cure Glaucoma?

No, medical marijuana only helps lower the pressure inside the eye for a short period of time. Like other types of glaucoma treatments, it won't remove the root causes.

But it comes with way fewer side-effects. Sure, you have to get used to an increased heart rate. That may feel a fluttering or pounding heart at first. And being stoned is something to get used to.

But weed is probably a healthier alternative to other medications. If you can handle the lightheadedness,

How Does Smoking Weed Help Glaucoma?

It lowers intraocular pressure (IOP) in people with glaucoma.

When you inhale weed, the heart rates increases. The heart pumps blood faster to maintain blood flow in all vital areas. As a result, the blood pressures and intra-ocular pressures decrease. This type of treatment works better for patients with high blood pressure condition.

Can Weed Help Glaucoma?

Yes, research done in 1979 proves that cannabis helps glaucoma. It lowers intraocular pressure (IOP) in people with glaucoma

Can Weed Cure Glaucoma?

No, but it reduces the pressure inside the eye for a few hours. But weed will leave you stoned. So, don't drive! It's illegal and can be dangerous.

How to Get Glaucoma Weed?

You can talk to your doctor about the medical marijuana. Knowing what kind of weed you want helps you in the search. For example, whole cannabis containing 2.8% delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is good for glaucoma.

Does Weed Cause Glaucoma?

No, on the contrary, weed helps to lower the blood flow to the optic nerve. Pot relieves the discomfort inside the eye for three to four hours after inhaling.

How Does Weed Cure Glaucoma?

When a patient inhales weed, the heart rates increase while the blood and intra-ocular pressure decrease. Inhaling a small dose for about six to eight times a day might be more effective than one large dose once a day.

Can glaucoma be treated with Weed?

No! You can manage eye pressure with medical marijuana. But you can't get rid of the root causes of glaucoma. Marijuana only helps to reduce eye pressure for about three to four hours.

After that, the eye pressure comes back. But it also contributes to relieve the discomfort in the eye.

If you want to learn how to remove the root causes of glaucoma, we made a short, free video for you

explaining the process. Click here to watch this short, free video now.

Why is weed prescribed for Glaucoma?

Because it reduces or lowers the pressure in the eye.

Research shows that 0.1% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) reduces blood pressure. If administered directly to the eye it leads to a decrease in eye pressure.

Type of Drug

Mechanism

Type of glaucoma

Acetazolamide

Lens swelling

Narrow-angle

Anticancer Agents

Mechanism is not known

Open-angle

Antidepressants