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  • Can antihistamines change open-angle glaucoma to narrow-angle glaucoma?


    Question:

    Can antihistamine use change open-angle glaucoma to narrow-angle glaucoma? Or are you one type or the other from the outset?


    Answer:

    Open-angle glaucoma and narrow-angle glaucoma usually occur independent of the other. But a patient with open-angle glaucoma who is developing a cataract can sometimes end up with a narrow angle. This happens as the cloudy lens (cataract) grows larger and pushes the iris up over the drainage channel (where fluid leaves the eye). Some patients also can have a rare reaction to certain medications such as topiramate that can temporarily convert an open angle to a narrow or closed angle. 

    Antihistamines can sometimes cause angle closure in patients who already have a narrow angle, but cannot convert an open angle into a closed angle.


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