I recently had a cataract removed. My retinal specialist says that I do have some leakage in the back of the eye (edema) which often gets worse in diabetics who have cataract surgery. He can't be too concerned as he has scheduled my next appointment for March. He has given me pred forte with two refills to take until then.
My question is isn't this a long time to use the pred forte? 4 times a day? I remember reading something on this board about the dangers of extended use of the eyedrop.
Anyone else that has taken the Pred Forte for a long time? Will it clear my vision or make it more blurry? I was 20/50 in that eye the other day. It should get better with new glasses which I haven't gotten yet.

Prolonged use can cause an increase in intraocular pressure and cataracts. I'm surprised he's letting you go so long without at least checking your pressure. But I guess he's the expert.

I used Pred Forte for several months post-vitrectomy to treat eye surface inflammation due to a severe suture reaction. (The suturing was done by an ophthalmology resident, who didn't know what he was doing, IMO). My eye pressure was checked every few weeks, since the drops can cause increased eye pressure in people who are vulnerable to this. Apparently I'm not, because my eye pressure stayed below 12. Cher, you don't have to worry about getting a cataract (the other bad side effect of Pred Forte), because you already have an implant.

My vitrectomy was to remove a macular pucker. My vision before surgery was about 20/40 in the pucker eye. The surface inflammation added a lot of astigmatism and the Pred Forte blurred everything, so my vision was actually worse in that eye post-vitrectomy with my old glasses! Then I started getting a cataract, which made things worse yet. By the time I had the cataract surgery, I could only see about 20/100 with my old glasses. (I didn't change my glasses because my prescription was so variable with the developing cataract.) I'm three months post-cataract surgery now and have 20/20 vision. Cher, if you have 20/50 vision with macular edema, blurring from Pred Forte and glasses in the wrong prescription, I predict that you will be very happy with your vision when everything clears.

Cher can't develop a cataract, but could she develop clouding of the capsule that holds the IOL? This happens in about 40% of cataract patients, even without steroid use.

I don't think Pred Forte is related to PCO, which is caused by cell migration that clouds the capsule. So that shouldn't be an issue.

I don't think that Pred Forte is related to PCO, which is caused by cell migration that clouds the capsule. So PCO would not be an issue.

I recently had a cataract removed. My retinal specialist says that I do have some leakage in the back of the eye (edema) which often gets worse in diabetics who have cataract surgery. ...

Anyone else that has taken the Pred Forte for a long time? Will it clear my vision or make it more blurry? I was 20/50 in that eye the other day. It should get better with new glasses which I haven't gotten yet.

Hi, Cher,

Glad to hear your second cataract surgery is over. I'm diabetic too and had the macular edema, for which my RETINA specialist, not my young opthalmologist (who didn't notice it) injected KENNALOG into my eyeball with very good results. I'd had it in my worst eye about a year previously and evidently was protected that long from edema in it.

I'm probably the one who posted about having looked up side effects of pred forte on the internet. Long-term use wasn't advised. I told the young opthalmologist who only had 8 yrs experience and he said but I'll be checking you. I don't really think he had any equipment to detect edema so his checking wouldn't have done me any good. The retina people, in another city, have a lot more equipment, and I forget if the scans are used to detect the edema.

I just had my second capsulotomy, right in the retina lady's office.

Tell me, did you get the multi-focus implants?

Tell me, did you get the multi-focus implants?[/QUOTE]

No both eye docs said that the monolens would be better in my case in case I needed a vectrectomy un that eye in the future. I am having problems focusing with the eye 2 months after surgery. I often think I should have gone with the multifocal and had the astigmatism corrected at the same time. But Iwas scared and decided to do as little as possible to the eye because of all my other problems. I just don't like my vision right now. I have lost a lot of near focusing and far isn't that hot either. My new glasses seem very off also. It's hard to figure out what to do from here. Cataract surgeon said he could get me to see well with the right glasses but his tech did the refraction and maybe didn't do a good jpb. don't know. But I sure can't see well, I know that.

Tell me, did you get the multi-focus implants?

No both eye docs said that the monolens would be better in my case in case I needed a vectrectomy un that eye in the future.

I am having problems focusing with the eye 2 months after surgery. I often think I should have gone with the multifocal and had the astigmatism corrected at the same time. But Iwas scared and decided to do as little as possible to the eye because of all my other problems.

I just don't like my vision right now. I have lost a lot of near focusing and far isn't that hot either. My new glasses seem very off also. It's hard to figure out what to do from here. Cataract surgeon said he could get me to see well with the right glasses but his tech did the refraction and maybe didn't do a good jpb. don't know. But I sure can't see well, I know that.[/QUOTE]

EXACTLY my same problems! "His tech did the refraction and maybe didn't do a good job."

I'm not too clear on what refraction exactly means, but my first glasses prescription sure was wrong, used up all my glasses insurance for the year, more than $400, and the tech and the young opthal brothers are not even apologetic, all of them young guys with nice personalities except for that. Said that was their "margin of error". Pretty big one. I'm kicking myself for picking some pretty inexperienced guys and know I'm very lucky to see at all. But what if I'd been a seamstress? I order strong readers online, but don't think I could thread a needle even with plus 5.0's. Looking back is rather scary and I sure hope I do better next time. Did find a good retina specialist, a woman, so she can understand my needing to know things, has one of the techs answer questions.

Do you have an Amsler Grid, and you're watching for macular degeneration?
Before you had your scarring removed, did it look better mornings and messy later in the day when you were tired? Does it look clear now? So it wasn't just that you couldn't see the scarring until after cataract surgery and capsulotomy, right? If you don't have a grid to keep on the wall somewhere, googling will get you one that can be printed out, I'm sure you already know.
You're a little farther along than I am. I'm thrilled, of course, to have gone from 20/800 to 20/80 with the procedures I've had, excited about that.

Someone in another thread said retinopathy begins about the same time as kidney failure first symptoms, so do you know anything about the exams for that? Did you have back pain and weren't sure if it was muscular, orthopedic, or diabetes-related? If you're on dialysis, do you have to go to some hospital twice a week for that? I feel I can handle things if I just know about them in advance, no surprises. Thanks again.

I've had bad results more than once with prescriptions from both techs and ophthalmologists. IMO, an experienced optometrist does the best job of prescribing glasses and contacts. But just about every optical shop will allow one remake of glasses if you request it.

I've had bad results more than once with prescriptions from both techs and ophthalmologists. IMO, an experienced optometrist does the best job of prescribing glasses and contacts. But just about every optical shop will allow one remake of glasses if you request it.

Thanks for the reminder. I've heard that before, but forgot, in all the excitement, and there are probably others who need to know this too.

I'm sure it's conditional, that they have to have done the glasses exam.

I think you're right that optometrists do better on this sort of thing. The opthal's tech did okay measuring my eyes for implants, but not for glasses, and they're not even the least big apologetic, probably tell themselves it's just me. Should have told me to wait about prescription glasses. Many forum people have said they were told to wait.

I think you're right that optometrists do better on this sort of thing. The opthal's tech did okay measuring my eyes for implants, but not for glasses, and they're not even the least big apologetic, probably tell themselves it's just me. Should have told me to wait about prescription glasses. Many forum people have said they were told to wait.[/QUOTE]

The tech refracted me for glasses too and I am very displeased with the results. Awful. I waited awhile thinking my eyes might calm down but they haven't and the glasses are still bad. I just realized that in order to remake the glasses, I had to take them back within 30 days and it;s too late. I will need another exam by the optition (dr). So I think I may wait a bit longer just to make sure the eye has healed completely.
The surgery was in Nov. and they refracted me about 5 weeks later. Maybe it should have been two months at least. I am a little peeved cause even with insurance the glasses and sunglasses were $300, just for lenses.

The tech refracted me for glasses too and I am very displeased with the results. Awful. I waited awhile thinking my eyes might calm down but they haven't and the glasses are still bad. I just realized that in order to remake the glasses, I had to take them back within 30 days and it;s too late. I will need another exam by the optition (dr). So I think I may wait a bit longer just to make sure the eye has healed completely.

The surgery was in Nov. and they refracted me about 5 weeks later. Maybe it should have been two months at least. I am a little peeved cause even with insurance the glasses and sunglasses were $300, just for lenses.

Yours was even more than mine. I think we paid about $265 besides the insurance. So refracting is just another word for testing, right?

I just replied to you in another thread about slow stabilizing. Some of us, ConcernedPerson or SeriousPerson and myself, still have fluctuating vision a year later, and maybe it will be even longer than that.

I'm sure you're not still taking Pred Forte? I did a search for side effects and it said you shouldn't stay on it too long. I forget exactly why. In fact, I think that's a quinalone and that I asked for something else instead of it. Side effects of quinalone for some people can last a long time, maybe even permanent, taken as antibiotic. I read that someone had a broken rotator cuff, think I did too, according to my FOOT doctor's guess, not my other doctor. The foot doctor is a smart man. My diabetic foot ulcer healed, btw, from wearing a u-shaped felt pad and a special shoe insert to keep pressure off that point. Some people have to have part of their foot amputated.