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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> CH & ocular complications
        
(Message started by: BILLY on Mar 30^th, 2003, 11:56am)

Title: CH & ocular complications
Post by BILLY on Mar 30^th, 2003, 11:56am

Anyone know what % of CHers get temporary & permanent horner's syndrome? Is it usually a feature from onset or can they get it at any point?

I'm also wondering if the very common conjunctival injection can cause increased intraocular pressure & glaucoma over time particularly for chronics (is there an increased risk for undertreated CH & glaucoma)? If you wake up without a HA but red eye & stuffed nose is that something that shouldn't be tolerated/underdosed because of an increased risk of glaucoma for example. Anything in particular to monitor with the ophthalmologist? I thought I saw the increased IOP mentioned once but since I haven't seen it again I'm not sure if I really saw it:) Would appreciate any references to show opthalmologist if there are indeed extra concerns.

Title: Re: CH & ocular complications
Post by ave on Apr 2^nd, 2003, 8:46am

Only thing I can say is that my optician checks the "internal eyeball pressure" or somewhat, to see if I am at an increased glaucoma risk because I am the right age for it. He never found anything.

The test is something opticians in my country do as a routine when checking the strength of your glasses.

Title: Re: CH & ocular complications
Post by Jade0395 on Apr 4^th, 2003, 8:48am

I just had an eye exam recently. The opthamologist dilated my eyes so he could check for any kind of damage and to my surprise after 8 years of cluster headaches there was none. Although I had weakened vision in my left eye which incidentally is the side my cluster headaches are always on.

It also seemed like I had a permenant droop that would never go away, but now I am taking Neurontin and my eye looks normal again.

Title: Re: CH & ocular complications
Post by BILLY on Apr 4^th, 2003, 11:43am

That's interesting Jade0395, are you saying Neurontin reversed a seemingly permanent droop or likely prevents a frequent lasting droop that occurred with your CH attacks? What dose are you taking & how does it manage your CH, on any other meds?

Also when you say you have weakened vision in your left eye do you mean that eye has more of a refractive error that can be corrected with a lens prescription or it can't be corrected with a stronger lens? Glad to hear the eye exam went otherwise well.

Title: Re: CH & ocular complications
Post by Mikey on Apr 4^th, 2003, 2:58pm

In my right eye, which is the same side as my CH's and I'm chronic, my pressure stays elevated and i have a permanent horners syndrome. Doc says that there is nothing i can do at this point. Also my right eye does not track right with my left, causeing me to see double all the time, but he says surgery can help that one. I forget what the disease is called, but anyway it is annoying. It is unclear if it has anything to do with my CH.

Mikey, ;D

Title: Re: CH & ocular complications
Post by BILLY on Apr 4^th, 2003, 5:46pm

I'm sorry to hear that Mikey, how long did you have CH before you found adequate treatment? When did the Horners happen? This is one reason I bring this topic up to try to be proactive.

Since I just answered the SUNCT topic I came across the cited mention (so I wasn't imagining it unfortunately:) that "Since conjunctival injection occurs during SUNCT, it is not surprising that intraocular pressure and corneal temperatures are elevated during attacks (Sjaastad et al. 1993)" from Page 198 first paragraph of Investigations of the following article I gave a link to:

Brain 1997 Jan;120 ( Pt 1):193-209
A review of paroxysmal hemicranias, SUNCT syndrome and other short-lasting headaches with autonomic feature, including new cases.

http://brain.oupjournals.org/cgi/reprint/120/1/193.pdf

(You will need Acrobat free reader if you don't already have it at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html)

Since conjunctival injections also occur during CH, I wondered if there was an increased risk of ocular complications like glaucoma over time (particularly with undertreated chronics) that the opthalmologists should monitor & perhaps treatment should be optimized to eliminate this as well.

Maybe waking up without a HA but red eye & stuffed nose is something that shouldn't be tolerated/undertreated because of an increased risk of glaucoma??

Would be interested in other people's thought on the topic.

Title: Re: CH & ocular complications
Post by J.ten_Dam on Apr 9^th, 2003, 9:37am

Hi Billy,
a bit late in answering. I have some time ago posted about glokoom. I am a risico person for glokoom because of my age, family history and because of mij bad eye sight since my birth. I have had my eye preasure checked regularely. It dose increasein bad CH tims but not too a worrieing level. Have you had more information since you posted? Excuse my spelling.
Regards Joke not a joke just a Dutch name