Myopia - Atropine

[Newbie26]

atropine side effects are dependent on the dose

too low dose little effect

 

every kid is different

 

If it is so clear all your eye specialists would have pushed u very hard on this 

 

If ur wife is concerned, can still afford to watch first to see if it stabiises 

 

 

I have seen 3 ophthalmologist (2 renowned private and 1 from SNEC)

all carried out detailed eye checks

 

both private say...."sure, try, no problem...no side effects...don't worry"

snec say ..."too early to see if there are side effects.....wait and see....:

 

I personally want to try but wife scared

 

[Sosaria]

Unless you are using the high percentage one, 0.1 %. That one side effect damn terrible. My daughter gotta wear sunglass in the day. Can't really enjoy outdoor. So it causes the pupils to dilate. After a year, I stop.. now another one on 0.01%. No side effect noticed. Also not sure if the progression slowed down until the next check up. You can try. Stop if you feel that it is affecting her daily lifestyle.

Or else try the progresive lenses that my elder daughter is having now.

Actually, no harm trying.. except the pocket. Just monitor.

To be frank.. not a matter of iphone or mobile devices that causes it.. just that in our country, not much far distance for our eyes muscles to tune itself. Everything we see, even the naked neighbour next block, also so near..

Plus genes.... now it is not only common to see children wearing glasses but with high myopia..

There seems to be strong correlation between myopia and educational level. Go survey ITE, then RIJC or HCI, the proportion of students with myopia ..... see if this is true. Maybe smoking habit helps

 

Seriously it's still largely due to excessive hours spent indoors on close focus activities like studying or working on small screens.

Edited March 3, 2017 by Sosaria

[Tohto]

Get a set of good glasses.

It may caused around $500 -$600 but worth the investment

[therock]

There seems to be strong correlation between myopia and educational level. Go survey ITE, then RIJC or HCI, the proportion of students with myopia ..... see if this is true. Maybe smoking habit helps

 

Seriously it's still largely due to excessive hours spent indoors on close focus activities like studying or working on small screens.

Studies have shown, it's dose related to the hours of near work and indoor activity.

That's why all kids should go to OBS!

[Kklee]

My primary 1 son got high myopia about 400 deg.

 

Doctor asked us to consider atropine.

 

We are undecided due to concerns about long term side effects.

 

Anyone in similar shoes?

 

Side note:

My wife is over 1000 deg

I am about 700 deg.

 

I've PM'ed  u links on Ortho-K.  Do check it out. 

Edited March 3, 2017 by Kklee

[sti8k]

My son is P3.  400 degree in each eye.  Put him on atropine for past 1 year.  Rate of increase is slightly more moderate.

 

Also asked specialist about Ortho-K but feedback was not positive, although I cannot recall the specifics.

[Jusnel]

My primary 1 son got high myopia about 400 deg.

 

Doctor asked us to consider atropine.

 

We are undecided due to concerns about long term side effects.

 

Anyone in similar shoes?

 

Side note:

My wife is over 1000 deg

I am about 700 deg.

Yr kid always stay indoors right?

 

That's the problem with city life.

 

Bring kid outdoor and make him see far.

[Roh96]

I was in similar situation a few years back.

My elder gal got myopia at beginning of P1. Started with 150 deg. Within 6 mths power jumped 200 deg. We started atropine therapy on her right away. After 1 month, her power dropped by 100. Over the next 3 mths, it dropped again by 50. Her power maintained at about 200 for the next 1 year plus. Yes, no increase at all.

Fast forward, she is P6 this year and her power is about 350. No regrets for choosing this therapy. Like you, I did my research, read up, ask around, talk to eye specialist.

 

Basically, there are only a few options to choose.

1) Use atropine. Yes, there are sight effects of glare due to dilation. You have to minimum outdoor or direct sun, a pair of good transition lens should help.

 

2) Use hard lens. The child has wear the hard lens at night and remove the next morning. He is able to enjoy close to 6/6 vision during daytime. However, you face the risk of infection if the child rubs his eyes during sleep or infection due to hygiene during handling of lens. I won't suggest using hard lens on young kids.

 

3) There are some brands of glasses which claim to help slow down myopia. I tried that but didn't work for my gal.

 

The eye doctor told me that there is a possibility that the eye power can hit 1000 deg and next time the risk of retina problem will be higher. Not trying to scare you. 

 

 

  

  

 

My primary 1 son got high myopia about 400 deg.

 

Doctor asked us to consider atropine.

 

We are undecided due to concerns about long term side effects.

 

Anyone in similar shoes?

 

Side note:

My wife is over 1000 deg

I am about 700 deg.

 

[Lala81]

haha i was wearing glasses at the age of 4.
Thankfully my myopia didn't progress quickly. 

 

For those ignoramus who say myopia is no big deal,just buy expensive glasses.

If u have very high myopia, 800-900 and above, yes u will be more prone to issues like retinal detachment as you age. And that can lead to permanent vision problems or even blindness.

 

 

 

I was in similar situation a few years back.

My elder gal got myopia at beginning of P1. Started with 150 deg. Within 6 mths power jumped 200 deg. We started atropine therapy on her right away. After 1 month, her power dropped by 100. Over the next 3 mths, it dropped again by 50. Her power maintained at about 200 for the next 1 year plus. Yes, no increase at all.

Fast forward, she is P6 this year and her power is about 350. No regrets for choosing this therapy. Like you, I did my research, read up, ask around, talk to eye specialist.

 

Basically, there are only a few options to choose.

1) Use atropine. Yes, there are sight effects of glare due to dilation. You have to minimum outdoor or direct sun, a pair of good transition lens should help.

 

2) Use hard lens. The child has wear the hard lens at night and remove the next morning. He is able to enjoy close to 6/6 vision during daytime. However, you face the risk of infection if the child rubs his eyes during sleep or infection due to hygiene during handling of lens. I won't suggest using hard lens on young kids.

 

3) There are some brands of glasses which claim to help slow down myopia. I tried that but didn't work for my gal.

 

The eye doctor told me that there is a possibility that the eye power can hit 1000 deg and next time the risk of retina problem will be higher. Not trying to scare you. 

 

Yr kid always stay indoors right?

That's the problem with city life.

Bring kid outdoor and make him see far.

 

as someone pointed out, it helps minimally in singapore, cos the next tree is just short distance. Going outdoors, u are looking at countries with much larger landscapes where the next building is easily miles away. That kinda going outdoors help a lot.

That's why rural people in other countries seldom have myopia.

 

Of course going outdoors is still recommended.

[Sosaria]

haha i was wearing glasses at the age of 4.

Thankfully my myopia didn't progress quickly.

 

For those ignoramus who say myopia is no big deal,just buy expensive glasses.

If u have very high myopia, 800-900 and above, yes u will be more prone to issues like retinal detachment as you age. And that can lead to permanent vision problems or even blindness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

as someone pointed out, it helps minimally in singapore, cos the next tree is just short distance. Going outdoors, u are looking at countries with much larger landscapes where the next building is easily miles away. That kinda going outdoors help a lot.

That's why rural people in other countries seldom have myopia.

 

Of course going outdoors is still recommended.

Don't study so hard also helps, as i said. But no one wants to do that in singapore

Edited March 4, 2017 by Sosaria

[Billcoke]

Wear pin hole spectacle at home to train focusing.

 

$2 at Daiso.

 

Last time, dunno bought $39.90 at pharmacy.

Buy a sun shade for him, bring him out to seaside, park.... let him see far far... train him to spot birds,...... If older.... spot .....

 

 

Have thought about that, but does it work?

[Fuelsaver]

Ban iPad iPhone Ps3 PS4 ............

bro this one likely hereditary based on TS input though still helps somehow..

[Kangadrool]

My wife claims it to be of help as she is more consistent into wearing it. She does not need glasses now. I just don't have the patience.

 

Have thought about that, but does it work?

 

[Kklim]

My friend had vision problems: Eyeballs couldn't rotate to side more than 30% and double vision. Went to hospital. Doc said nerve damage but couldn't do much. I told him probably liver problem. Went to Thong Chai in Toa Payoh. Had med and acupuncture. OK liao. Sinseh told him to get more sleep and stay off heaty food and fruits.

 

For kids with poor eyesight, Yu Guo Chinese Physician Acupuncture & Physiotherapy may be able to help.

[Xanavi]

It is not high myopia that is scary. It is the rate of progression at such a young age that's scary.

Imagine our eye sight more or less stabilised when we reaches 16-18. And from 6 to 16, the eyes have 10 years to deteriorate. Less say 100º per annum... at a rate of -10% per year, starting at 300-400º. Walau, COE prices rise also not as scary.

[Jusnel]

haha i was wearing glasses at the age of 4.

Thankfully my myopia didn't progress quickly.

 

For those ignoramus who say myopia is no big deal,just buy expensive glasses.

If u have very high myopia, 800-900 and above, yes u will be more prone to issues like retinal detachment as you age. And that can lead to permanent vision problems or even blindness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

as someone pointed out, it helps minimally in singapore, cos the next tree is just short distance. Going outdoors, u are looking at countries with much larger landscapes where the next building is easily miles away. That kinda going outdoors help a lot.

That's why rural people in other countries seldom have myopia.

 

Of course going outdoors is still recommended.

Still possible to get good eyesight while outdoor in Singapore.

 

Go to eat coast or west coast and make the kids guess the country of flags of all the ships anchored there.

 

If that can't help with eyesight, the eyes are really condemned. LOL

[Watwheels]

Whoa, Atropine leh. I recall first learning about Atropine in NS, you know if there's a biological attack and we are exposed we use Atropine as a counter-measure much like what Nicolas Cage did in the movie "The Rock" when he was exposed to the VX gas attack except you don't inject it into your heart but into your thigh.

 

We were taught by the instructor that Atropine is also a form a poison to so called counter the poison we are exposed to. In Chinese poison counter poison theory. But later when I read more about it I found that it was all bullcrap.

 

Atropine only limits the effects of a biological attack. Your body is still very much at risk to the effects of the gas you are exposed to. In other words it's not a full proof counter measure. It may save your life but at the same time it may also cripple you.

 

If you Google you will understand how Atropine works on your nervous system. So it's understandable when doctor say there are risks of side-effects. They do not fully understand how it works. The practice to treat myopia may be common but it doesn't mean it's totally safe. The ethical doctor will tell you there are still risks involved while the unethical money-face doctor will tell you it's totally safe. It's still up to you to take the risks.

[Viceroymenthol]

My son is 5 and his eyesight started deteriorating since he was 4. We tried atropine and it did slow down the progression but not much. He doesn't watch TV or YouTube, but reads a lot, he will devour anything with words, anywhere anytime. So we got to remind him to do so in sufficient light conditions.

 

Now he is almost 400 degrees myopic, which is crazy, cos I didn't hit 400 till my late teens, and my wife is around 100.

 

So now we are in the process of doing Ortho-K. My son did well in the trial, perfect eyesight for 9 to 12 hours after sleeping in them. Now we are going for the full treatment. This stuff really works! And the only danger is infection because of unsanitary conditions.