Dry Eyes caused by probiotics?

[BrandonW]

Hi I’m new to the forum and wondering if anyone has experienced this or even heard of anyone who has. My wife was diagnosed with c.diff early last year and it was highly recommended that she start some probiotics. She had been taking the probiotics for several months and then started to notice some eye irritation that eventually turned into dry eye. It got to the point where she did not want to go to sleep fearing the eye pain she would experience when she awoke. She did see an eye doctor who prescribed some antibiotics for her dry eye but she refused to take them as that is what started the c. diff. She used some drops, ointments and scrubs to help alleviate some of the symptoms but it was still a constant problem. Well a few months ago we went on vacation and my wife forgot her probiotics at home and by the end of the week she realized that her dry eyes had greatly improved. So she continued to not take the probiotics and her dry eye seemed to disappear. She has tested it a number of times in the past months (as she needs to take the probiotic to provide some “regularity” in her life). The morning after taking a probiotic she will wake with some eye redness and minor irritation. The eye irritation will continue to worsen the longer she takes the probiotic so now she only takes them a couple times a week. She has also tried changing her probiotic but she still had the same issue.
We are wondering if anyone else has experienced this or understands why the probiotic might be causing this?
Thanks!

[calli66]

I don't know if probiotics are related directly to dry eyes, but have a few thoughts on some possible connections.

Since your wife has a bacterial overgrowth/imbalance in the intestinal tract, there may also be inflammation of the gut. Inflammation (over active immune response) can rile up other parts of the body at the same time. Sometimes dry eyes result from inflammation of the glands around the eye and lids.

From what I understand, not all pro-biotic products are the same. They contain different strains and quantities of bacteria, and unless one is certain of what is "over-growing" and what's lacking, you may end up adding more "fuel to the fire" rather than balancing or replenishing what you have. If the pro-biotics your wife is taking are actually causing more imbalance, not less, then that could be resulting in more inflammation.

I don't think antibiotics applied to her eyes would have any bad effect on her intestinal tract, though. Drops are topical---they are not ingested. So if she had an eye infection, maybe they are needed.

Read more on this site about self treatment with drops, compresses, etc. It's probably best to stay away from petroleum based ointments, as they seem to repel tears and make the eyes feel worse in the long term.

Regularity: there are other ways to maintain regularity. Using probiotics for this is kind of a current "fad," but it doesn't work for everybody. Sounds like she has already "got the message" that they aren't the best thing for her eyes. Try using the water soluble magnesium citrate (I use Natural Calm) in the evening. Other products like psyllium can be harsh for a sensitive gut, so whatever she tries, go slow.

Hope she feels better soon. I have lots of digestive problems, and I know what a struggle it is.

Calli