u/Valentinab723

Lion’s mane has some interesting neuroprotective research behind it, but nothing that actually shows it helps with glaucoma or lowers IOP. The closest thing I found is a 2026 study where they tested lion’s mane extract on retinal ganglion cells in the lab (the cells glaucoma damages) and saw some growth. But that’s not a human trial. That said, neuroprotection does matter for glaucoma.

With advanced glaucoma specifically, all the surgical options do carry a higher risk of complications and vision loss compared to earlier-stage surgery. However, for most people with advanced glaucoma, the benefit of surgery still outweighs the risks because uncontrolled pressure will keep damaging the nerve regardless.
I hope others here will share their own experiences. You might also get some good responses if you post this in the FitEyes community.

Thank you for sharing this! Sleep position is an interesting topic when it comes to eye pressure.

Thank you for sharing your experience and these tips! It’s always helpful to hear different perspectives.

Thank you so much for sharing all these helpful tips! I’m sure many people in this community will appreciate you sharing them.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that, especially at such a young age. I really appreciate you sharing your experience.

Having a family member with glaucoma is an established risk factor. However, the sudden episode of vision loss does not sound typical of glaucoma. I would suggest you prioritize two things: the sudden vision loss and the ophthalmology follow-up. The ophthalmologist gathering medical students around you does not necessarily mean she discovered something serious. Your examination report is largely reassuring from a glaucoma perspective, but it cannot explain the temporary episode of vision loss. That episode deserves its own investigation. I hope your upcoming appointments go well and that you get answers soon!

One thing that may be somewhat reassuring is that IOP fluctuates throughout the day and can be affected by a lot of factors. That said, a jump from your stable 13-15 range up to 19 in both eyes on the same day is a real deviation from your own baseline, which is probably exactly why your doctor wanted to act rather than watch and wait. On the other hand, the allergy/irritation itself isn't a well-documented cause of higher IOP, but if the burning made it harder to use the drops consistently, that could show up as higher pressure. There's also a known phenomenon with brimonidine where its pressure-lowering effect can fade over time in some people, independent of any allergy, so that's another possible piece of the puzzle.
Hopefully the switch to Cosopt gives you some answers by October. Something that may help with the anxiety and depression side of this is actually learning as much as you can about glaucoma. Meditation is worth looking into too; there's a study where glaucoma patients who meditated daily for a few weeks actually saw their eye pressure drop, on top of feeling less anxious and stressed.

Some people are able to reduce or even stop their glaucoma medications after surgery, although others may still need one or more medications if the surgery alone doesn’t provide enough pressure control. How much medication is needed afterward can vary from person to person. If you wish, you can share this question in the FitEyes community, so more people can share their own experiences.
Wishing you all the best with your trabeculectomy and a smooth recovery!

Not a lot of research on this specifically, but there are three case reports out there linking levobunolol to it: one guy's eyes went from brown to blue after 5 years of using it twice a day, and a small case series adds two more patients after 8-10 years on it. It's also not a confirmed side effect.
Also worth noting, it's kind of the opposite of what most people associate with glaucoma drops and eye color. The ones that actually have solid research behind a color change (latanoprost, etc.) darken the iris, not lighten it.
Curious if anyone's actually experienced this themselves either way.

The pressure improvement is genuinely good news, even if it's hard to feel that way with everything else going on. Recovery after this kind of procedure looks different for everyone. You might also want to drop this same question in the FitEyes community, so people who have gone through the same procedure can share what their own recovery actually looked like, week by week. Hoping this next stretch brings some real improvement, and that you're back behind the wheel soon.

I can completely understand why you're scared, especially when this is your only seeing eye. Even when you know all the facts, that it's a routine procedure, your eye pressure is well controlled, and you're in the hands of an experienced glaucoma specialist, it's still a lot to carry emotionally. From everything you've shared, it sounds like you've done everything you can to put yourself in the best possible position. You're having the procedure done to reduce the risk of a serious angle-closure event, and you're having it performed by someone with extensive experience at a highly respected hospital.
Wishing you a quick recovery and many healthy years with your vision.

A 2026 study looked at this exact question. The "4 weeks" standard is really just an average time for pressure to stop rising and level off after stopping ranged from under a week to over a month depending on the individual, with a median around 18 days. So a month is a reasonable test, and it's not unusual for a doctor to extend it if the pressure is still trending upward. The reassuring part is that it reverses faster than it builds, once treatment resumes, most people are back near their treated baseline within 2-3 days. Based on the numbers you mentioned (never above 19), even a worst-case rise during the off period would likely settle in the mid-20s, not a level that causes lasting damage over a few weeks. Hopefully others here who have pigment dispersion syndrome or who have had their diagnosis changed can share their personal experiences.

Optic nerves looking healthy is a genuinely good sign, try not to spiral over the referral itself. There's also a real chance it's just ocular hypertension (high pressure, no actual nerve damage), which isn't the same thing as glaucoma. The ophthalmologist will probably redo the pressure readings and add stuff like OCT imaging, a visual field test, corneal thickness, maybe gonioscopy for the drainage angle - pressure alone doesn't tell the whole story.
Hope the wait isn't brutal; sounds like you're staying on top of things.

This is honestly one of the most thorough pre-op write-ups I've come across here.
Because your case involves several fairly specific factors together- congenital glaucoma, prior glaucoma drainage implants, a longstanding corneal scar rather than active edema, amblyopia with exotropia, and a decentered pupil needing correction alongside the PKP, I think the people best able to speak to your actual questions are those who've been through something genuinely comparable. That's a narrow group, and it's part of why this post hasn't picked up many replies yet.
You might have better luck reaching those folks through FitEyes, a glaucoma community. You're welcome to email them this question directly.
Wishing you a smooth surgery on the 25th. I hope you'll update here on how it goes; I imagine a lot of people in similar situations would find it useful.