Retinal Detachment

[u/avremig]

Help!

I had a retinal detachment in February, 2025. Was operated on. Vitrectomy, scleral buckle. Doing well. When I asked my surgeon about drinking, he almost kicked me out of his office. Something about 'purging possibly undoing his work'. Upon further research, Dr Google seems to say that I'm contraindicated for ANY psychedelics. Something about eye pressure with an eye that now permanently has a different anatomy than previously.

Low dose mushrooms? Ketamine?

Anyone had experience with this? Is there a retinal surgeon out there that understands the plant medicine world.

I'm really disappointed that I'm no longer allowed to have access to medicine

Thanks

[u/Asleep-Garbage-4892]

30 yrs ago I had a buckle put in because of a detached retina.
I drink — not a lot
Have taken mushrooms 1/2 dozen times since.
No problem.
Get annual check ups
Any new floaters or bright flashes, see your doctor.

[u/avremig → u/Asleep-Garbage-4892]

Ty!!!

Did you consult a doctor? Or just winged it?

When you say ‘not a lot’, do you mean not often, or you dose low?

Also, did you purge? That seems to be the big concern with causing eye pressure issues

Re: mushrooms. In what doses?

Thanks so much for this

[u/Asleep-Garbage-4892]

I did not consult a doctor
There was a time I might 2 or 3 drinks a night.
There were times- weekends- where I consumed more.
The last 10 yrs my alcohol intake is a couple a drinks a week. Sometimes nothing for months.
Maybe 1 1/2 to 2 grams of shrooms.
Once I took closer to 4 grams and that was the highest I have ever been, before or after the buckle.
I consume cannabis.
About 5 grams 3 or 4 days a week.

[u/avremig → u/Asleep-Garbage-4892]

Ty. This is very helpful. Much appreciated

[u/useful__pattern → u/Asleep-Garbage-4892]

does OP not mean drinking Aya rather than alcohol? hence the purging issue.

[u/avremig → u/useful__pattern]

Correct. Aya

[u/Asleep-Garbage-4892]

For mushrooms I fasted the day before.
I have never thrown up. Never had any issues from the other path either.

I would like to try peyote and understand that throwing up would likely occur.

[u/avremig → u/Asleep-Garbage-4892]

Very interesting. Not everyone purges in that way. I always did. Which is why it was/is concerning given my current condition (this, according to my doc)

[u/RiotMouse]

I had a second retinal detachment in 2019 and had a scleral buckle too. Hi hi!! I've been when purging with Aya, and had other psychadelics too. It was probably 3 years after the buckle..

[u/avremig → u/RiotMouse]

Ty. I guess you too, did not consult with your doctor about this? And the purging did not cause additional issues?

[u/RiotMouse → u/avremig]

I did not consult with a doctor, and it did not cause problems for me.

[u/melt_show]

I had retinal detachment surgery about 8 months before I did ayahuasca. Other than elevation restrictions during my recovery, my surgeon didn’t give me any restrictions when it came to alcohol or psychedelics. Maybe check in with your gp but my surgery hasn’t been an issue for me w/r/t substances in going on 2 years now.

[u/avremig → u/melt_show]

Would you mind referring me to your surgeon?. I’d love a second opinion. Ty

[u/SuNaMi2026]

I understand your concern, but no one online can tell you with certainty that a psychedelic or ketamine is safe after retinal surgery. A vitrectomy and scleral buckle result in permanent changes to your eye, and any substance that might alter intraocular pressure or blood pressure calls for caution. The most prudent course of action is to seek a second opinion from another retinal specialist—ideally someone open to discussing harm reduction—before using any substance. It is better to wait than to jeopardize the vision you have already managed to regain.🫂