All About Kids' Eye-sight

[Emelyn]

Any long term side effect of atropine ? Since it actually goes into the blood stream ?


Is it true that once the child is off the drop, the myopia will increase in a more alarming rate ??

Asking on behalf of a colleague…

[sall]

The immediate side-effect is sensitivity to sun. The doctor said no long-term side-effects, atropine has already been used for many years.

When it’s time to stop the drop, then it will be done gradually, that means from once a wk to once every 2 wks, and so on… Then the degree will not shoot up as we all feared.

[barney8]

sall:

The immediate side-effect is sensitivity to sun. The doctor said no long-term side-effects, atropine has already been used for many years.

When it's time to stop the drop, then it will be done gradually, that means from once a wk to once every 2 wks, and so on.... Then the degree will not shoot up as we all feared.

atropine is done everyday or every week?

[sall]

Once a wk, preferably Friday night, as the 2 days after the drops are applied, the eyes will be most sensitive to sun,

Some children use the eye-drops every night, some on alternate nights, it all depends on the eye specialist.

[I_belive]

sall:

dd has been on atropine eye-drop for 4 years. Her myopia is effectively under control but I also worry about whether there is any long-term effects. Her doctor doesn't seem to think so. The degree may also shoot up if she stops the eye drop.

Anybody has children who has been on atropine for more than 4 years?

Hi Sall,
4 years is very long! How is your DD's eyesight now? How to understand your 'under control' please? improved or stays at same degree please?
My daughter is near sighted too. I am desperately trying to restore her vision too.

[sall]

Her degree improves about 50 in each eye, so for these 4 yrs, it has been like that. There are also cases where children’s degree increase even with the use of eye-drops, in those cases, the doctor said he would ask them to increase the application, to alternate days.

The doctor said that he would gradually stop the drop when dd looks more like an adult. I suppose he meant about 14 or 15 yrs old.

[sall]

Forgot to mention, the atropine will only reduce the myopia by a little bit, important thing is the degree stays there and won’t shoot up.

[barney8]

sall:

Forgot to mention, the atropine will only reduce the myopia by a little bit, important thing is the degree stays there and won't shoot up.

myopia can't seem to reduce. Can maintain is a blessing.

Sall: can u PM me your eye specialist contact? Thanks.

[wildboys]

Hi sall, can pm me your eye specialist too? we are considering atropine for my kid… thanks a lot… btw does your child need to wear transition lens specs or other types of "special" lens? thanks!

[MyBaby]

Just to share some of my experience with atropine. My DD’s (now in P5) been on atropine for the past 2 yrs, with half yearly review.


Her eye specialist started DD on atropine cos bad history of myopia on my side as well as due to a sudden spike in her myopia.

She puts one drop of atropine in each eye every night and she needs to wear spectacles with special lens - transition plus progressive.

During her first review, her myopia actually decreased and on her second review, it went down further. So naturally, we were pleased. During her recent review, however, it went back up to the same degree as before starting on atropine.

Her doctor’s suggested that this could be due to changes in lifestyle (we acknowledged that there is an increase in near work) and also growth spurt. DH pointed out that at least with atropine, DD managed to maintain her myopia at the same level over 2 yrs.

So we are still continuing with atropine and with the half yearly review. Of course, at the back of my mind, we do worry about long-term effect.