I took my LO to the ophthalmologist yesterday for her six-month exam because she has glaucoma. While there, it was time for her Dr. to check the back of the eye and general eye health. I never even thought twice when he said he was going to put a drop in her eye to dilate it so that he could do the exam. He put in two drops and left the room for 20 minutes or so. When he returned he did the exam and left. As she got up from the chair, right away I saw that she was having cognition problems. She didn't know how to use her walker. She walked the wrong way and didn't know how to move toward me. At the car I thought I wasn't going to be able to get her into the seat. She kept turning around. Her words didn't make sense, etc.

Luckily, it wore off in about three hours and after a good night's sleep she's back to her usual cognitive state. I called today and looked up "Tropicamide" and sure enough it is described as an anticholinergic used as a mydriatic (dilation of the pupil). Live and learn.

Amazing. I guess if you put something in the eye, it quickly gets in to the brain.

I have often wondered and worried about this too. My dad is on 3 eye drops for cataracts and glaucoma related to diabetes. It used to be 2 but it has gone back up to 3 because of too much pressure in his eyes.

Sometime I dismiss the eye drops as not really one of the 20+ medications he takes but I do notice that they list several side effects and also drug interactions.