• Will my eye pressure go higher than it was before treatment if I stop taking my glaucoma medication?


    I have low tension glaucoma (a form of glaucoma that can cause damage at normal, lower pressures inside the eye). If I begin Timolol, even if pressures reduce reasonably, what happens if I decide to quit the drug? Am I at risk for my pressure to go higher than it was before I started?


    Timolol is a beta blocker which lowers eye pressure by decreasing aqueous production (fluid inside the eye that helps the eye keep its shape). This effect has a fairly rapid onset (within 20 minutes) and can last for up to 24 hours after a single dose. There is no evidence with any of the major classes of anti-glaucoma medications that the pressure after stopping the medication will go higher than the pre-treatment pressure. It is always best to have a conversation with your ophthalmologist before stopping any glaucoma medications, unless you are having a severe reaction to the medication.

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