Dry eyes after accutane

[Andrey]

Hi!

First I wanna thank you for having a site like this with so much activity It must have been really tough for people when internet didn't exsist and you couldn't speak out openly like this to nice people and ask for things, and instead had to go to a arrogant douche doctor.

Ok, here goes my story. In september 2010 I started with accutane (a strong medication for acne) and I was on it for 9 months. Under the period I felt that I had really dry eyes but since it's a side effect I wasn't too worried and thought that it would all dissappear as soon as I quited it. But I have to admit that I was a bit suspicious because people said things like "yeah, I also got dry eyes but it's not like it's super super annoying", but for me it really was, really painful. So I knew they didn't have as much problems as I did. It has gone 3 weeks since I quited and I feel no different in my eyes and I really doubt it will get better.

This makes me so depressed, you have no idea. I have been at the bottom of the bottom of the bottom for I don't know for how many years and when I FINALLY was ready to start live again, because I had successful results with accutane, I get this. Just great, just great... I already felt that I was running out of energy before my accutane cure but managed to get through it but now when I realize that I will live with these dry eyes for maybe the rest of my life (I'm 20), there's litterally no energy at all left in me.

Some info that might be relevant: red eyes. When I look to either site it hurts. I can barely look someone in the eyes without it hurting and my eyes feeling insanely dry. Right now just by being at the computer is very hard.

I have not been to a doctor yet. I don't know who I should go to, I want to visit a specialist and not someone who will just say "use waterdrops and it will all dissappear", because it dont. I used different waterdrops under the cure but it didn't get better, more like worse after a while. Who should I visit for the best help as possible?

I just want some really straight and honest answers from you all. Is it possible to get away from it, somehow? I want the absolutely best advice from you how to make it better, money is NOT an issue so give me the absolute best thing that there is. Is operation a good thing? I read somewhere here that a person got Minocycline from a doctor and when he ate it, all problems completely dissappeared, only for 9 days though and then got back to normal for her/him. Is this maybe something for me? Maybe I'm a bit more luckier? (hahahahhahahahhah I don't even know what luck means)

I hate my life so much

[Andrey]

I feel so panicked. I get the same feeling like when you were a kid and was joking around, and when some other kid decided to lock you into something that was very small and you could barely move/breath. Only difference is that then you knew someone would eventually open it up and make you free, this I'm not so sure about...

Should I go to a doctor? What should I say? What are they gonna do? I need help, I need something that may actually works and not just a few nice words from them.

Please anyone help

[Anthony16]

Hey andrey,iv been off accutane 15 months and still have painful dry eyes.Give it a few months before getting too worried.Iv read it can take up to 6 months post accutane before u know if its permanent.Ever need to talk,private mail me
A

I feel so panicked. I get the same feeling like when you were a kid and was joking around, and when some other kid decided to lock you into something that was very small and you could barely move/breath. Only difference is that then you knew someone would eventually open it up and make you free, this I'm not so sure about...

Should I go to a doctor? What should I say? What are they gonna do? I need help, I need something that may actually works and not just a few nice words from them.

Please anyone help

[Andrey]

Hey =)

Thanks for your answer!

Ofcourse it could go away but I don't think that's the case. It hurts as hell right now, not only are they dry, it feels like my eyes are gonna plopp out anytime soon. This is so sick...

Have you done anything to get it better? What solution do you think is the best one? I can't live with this

[Rebecca Petris]

I have not been to a doctor yet. I don't know who I should go to, I want to visit a specialist and not someone who will just say "use waterdrops and it will all dissappear", because it dont. I used different waterdrops under the cure but it didn't get better, more like worse after a while. Who should I visit for the best help as possible?

Can't make a recommendation without knowing where you live. Let us know and maybe someone can suggest a doctor near you that would be helpful

You need to see an ophthalmologist who is a corneal specialist. Either that or a really savvy optometrist (but only if you have a recommendation from someone who knows they are good at dry eye). With the severity of your symptoms it is unlikely that any good doctor will only tell you to use drops (artificial tears).

Should I go to a doctor? What should I say? What are they gonna do?

YES you should.
Tell them when the symptoms started, what's bothering you most and how much it affects your life. Download this questionnaire, print it, complete it and give it to the doctor to help explain how you're feeling. They will look at your eyes through an instrument; they might put some dye in your eyes to help them see dry spots. They might do one or two other tests. Ask lots of questions to understand what they're doing.

What kind of drops are you putting in your eyes? Please list the brands here. You have to be really careful with drops that you buy at drugstores. Some of them have preservatives that can make your eyes redder and drier. Tell us which ones you have and we'll help you figure out if it's anything you need to quit to help your eyes get better.

I just want some really straight and honest answers from you all. Is it possible to get away from it, somehow? I want the absolutely best advice from you how to make it better, money is NOT an issue so give me the absolute best thing that there is.

There are no simple answers. It will not be good for you to try things just because someone else here says it helped them... First you have to get a really accurate diagnosis. And please have a look at this article about how to start getting better in the meantime.

Is operation a good thing?

No, there aren't any operations for dry eye.

Hang in there. It's going to take time and some hard work on your part to get some detailed answers about your condition but I feel sure you are going to be able to get this much better.

[Andrey]

I live in Sweden. Right now I'm not using any drops at all. Before I used something called Oftagel and I also had a salve, which I can't remeber the name on, that had paraffin in it. It was pretty strong so I was told to only use it at nights but I still don't think it worked that well. I will read through the articles, thanks!

[Anthony16]

Iv been doing dr latkanys lid hygiene procedure the last few months but no improvement thus far
Also,i tried doxy but it only helped a little.
Its been really difficult to get treatment here in ireland,so next month i will see dr L again and every 2 months after that as i have to get this under control.
Try see the top eye doctor in your country.
Try not to panic yet.I know of people with painful dry eyes from accutane and it took them a couple of months to heal.
hang in there

Hey =)

Thanks for your answer!

Ofcourse it could go away but I don't think that's the case. It hurts as hell right now, not only are they dry, it feels like my eyes are gonna plopp out anytime soon. This is so sick...

Have you done anything to get it better? What solution do you think is the best one? I can't live with this

[Andrey]

Yeah I'll try to visit a doctor soon. But probably if there is no miracle pill out there like there is to acne, we will all probably just have to accept it and accept that it won't get that much better. All those cures for dry eyes is probably just bullshit, you of all should know it after suffering from acne. Don't you remember all those things you tested before you went on accutane? None of it worked...

Wow, I really sounded arrogant with this message, that was not my intention!

Thank you for your answers

[Andrey]

Is it positive for my dry eyes that I'm able to cry (that tears comes) whenever I think of something sadly?

[Angela]

Yeah I'll try to visit a doctor soon. But probably if there is no miracle pill out there like there is to acne, we will all probably just have to accept it and accept that it won't get that much better. All those cures for dry eyes is probably just bullshit, you of all should know it after suffering from acne. Don't you remember all those things you tested before you went on accutane? None of it worked...

Wow, I really sounded arrogant with this message, that was not my intention!

Thank you for your answers

Here is what I think. Accutane is not a miracle drug, it's quite the opposite. I took it for 3 months and yes it did clear up my acne but it also caused me to lose 20 lbs (I'm already very thin), lose 50% of my hair, and cause permanent dry mouth and chapped lips. Vitamin A is toxic and Accutane is synthetic vitamin a. While I did suffer from acne for 14 years, I regret taking such a potent drug out of desperation. I think that acne, like any skin infection, is a reaction to something else going on in the body that people are unaware of. Taking Accutane might have cured the acne, but it didn't cure the problem that caused the acne..and the side effects are even more detrimental than the original reason for taking it. It's been a year and a half since my course of Accutane, and I am still chronically dehydrated. I know it's done destruction to my immune system, and when I was on it I had severe headaches which is why I quit after 3 months.

I don't have dry eyes yet, but I have MGD and blepharitis. And my oily skin has returned full force so it obviously didn't "balance" my glands, it probably screwed them up even more. When I went to Dr. Latkany this week, he told me that my eye and skin problems are connected. He also told me that he has seen many Accutane users with atrophied glands and extremely dry eyes. I think that you should get to a specialist as soon as possible, to see how your glands are functioning. Like everyone else says, you need to get a proper diagnosis and find out what stage you are at with your dry eye syndrome. While this site is VERY informative and a great place to get comfort for what you are going through, you can't follow a regimen that someone else might suggest until you know the exact details of what is going on. For example, I used fish oil supplements and warm compresses which I was just found out causes more harm than good for my condition.

I know how you are feeling, believe me my life has been severely affected by this. I don't even feel like the same person anymore, it's a very hopeless feeling. My family has even suggested I take anti-depressants! Last thing I want is to put more junk into my body, I don't even like the fact that I am on Doxycyline for so long (it's been 6 weeks). But I plan on doing WHATEVER I can to get to the bottom of this. There is certainly an underlying cause in my case, so maybe you'd like to explore that as well since you say money is not an issue for you. It sure is for me lol. I've read about lots of people having autoimmune issues with dry eyes, maybe rule that out as a possible cause? Hormones are a huge factor in acne, that's another thing to look into. I feel like it's better to be safe than sorry. Especially since Accutane has caused many other health problems other than dry eye. I've always had stomach problems but they are way more severe since the 'tane.

Anyway I'm going to stop babbling. I hope you feel better. It's both upsetting and comforting to read about other peoples pain, I at least know I'm not as crazy as the people around me might think lately.

=) Take care and see a doctor as soon as possible.

-Ange

[Andrey]

Keep babbling, just fun to read

Yeah you're probably right, I shouldn't have called it a miracle drug, but it did what I wanted to get rid of the most. At the time I felt that I could sacrifice a hand just to get rid of my acne, so... heh. Maybe I will regret it big time when I get older. Not only do I have problems with my eyes after the cure, I can barely walk for more than an hour anymore without it starting to hurt in my leads/legs. This really sucks because I used to be playing a lot of football before, now that is gone as well if this doesn't dissappear, so again, probably shouldn't have called it a miracle drug. Wow, my life is so f*up right now.

My skin wasn't even oily at all before I started with accutane so maybe it got even worse for me. Has the doxycyline done anything good for you? What about IPL treatment? Have you tested that?

It's not just my personal life that has gotten affected by this. Ofcourse it's not fun that I sit here alone on this forum a friday night speculating about things I couldn't care less about, but also my grades has fallen drastically, and that is what suck the most with all this.

Yep, will visit a doctor soon and come with some updates

=))

[Angela]

Keep babbling, just fun to read

Yeah you're probably right, I shouldn't have called it a miracle drug, but it did what I wanted to get rid of the most. At the time I felt that I could sacrifice a hand just to get rid of my acne, so... heh. Maybe I will regret it big time when I get older. Not only do I have problems with my eyes after the cure, I can barely walk for more than an hour anymore without it starting to hurt in my leads/legs. This really sucks because I used to be playing a lot of football before, now that is gone as well if this doesn't dissappear, so again, probably shouldn't have called it a miracle drug. Wow, my life is so f*up right now.

My skin wasn't even oily at all before I started with accutane so maybe it got even worse for me. Has the doxycyline done anything good for you? What about IPL treatment? Have you tested that?

It's not just my personal life that has gotten affected by this. Ofcourse it's not fun that I sit here alone on this forum a friday night speculating about things I couldn't care less about, but also my grades has fallen drastically, and that is what suck the most with all this.

Yep, will visit a doctor soon and come with some updates

=))

At the time I thought it was a miracle drug too because it did clear up my acne. Like I said, I took it out of desperation when nothing else worked and I couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror. Guess what, I'm right back there. My eyes are not the same anymore, and I'm depressed thinking they might never be. I really can't deal with this. So trust me I know how you feel and I too have other things besides my personal life that have been affected. I lost my job due to calling out multiple times, not wanting to show my face. No job = no money. I have an expensive apartment and 2 animals to care for. I love my family but I'll be 26 in less than 2 weeks so there are no handouts. On top of that, I have no health insurance so getting to the bottom of the problem that are causing all of these other problems, is near impossible. I saw a great doctor but he told me the same thing every other doctor has told me, I need to find out what is causing the inflammation. But I'm not even sure if my lids are permanently thickened now and if the heaviness I'm feeling is due to the extra skin folds that I've developed on my upper lids. I really have no idea. He told me I'm swollen though so maybe I'm just thinking the worst.

I know people on this site would get annoyed at this, but I'd almost rather deal with the painful aspects of this condition than the cosmetic. But hey, the grass is always green on the other side unti you get there and it's S*** brown.

As for the doxycyline, no it has not done anything good for me. I'm nauseous everyday from it but I'm desperate so I haven't discontinued for that fact. And I haven't gotten IPL, I'm skeptical about it because I have a lot of swelling already, and it causes a certain degree of swelling. I feel I have bad luck with trying things out of desperation so I'm going to do more research before I email Dr. Toyos to discuss my condition. There is actually an IPL and Laser damage support group here which further adds to my paranoia. I had Fraxel laser done (IPL isn't laser but it's a close cousin) in September and November and developed these problems shortly after which makes me not able to rule out the procedure as a possible cause or contributor.

I'm sorry to hear about your grades slipping, I understand that it's hard to concentrate on things when you're obsessed with figuring out what's happening to you. And it's hard to tell someone to try to think of other things when I feel the exact same way lol.

Get to a doctor so you can at least get a step in the right direction. Take care.

[Andrey]

Oh, I thought you had dry eyes like me. How are your eyes looking bad? Do you have any picture of it? (can link from google as well).

Yeah, everything is just a big mess, sorry to hear about your problems as well. I hope you get better soon. And also, just so you didn't get me wrong before (don't wanna make you more sad), it's not like I have that much money either, but if there were a solution to fix all this, I'd definitely go and get it done. I will not be able to visit like 10 doctors due to a low economy.

Take care everyone

[Angela]

Oh, I thought you had dry eyes like me. How are your eyes looking bad? Do you have any picture of it? (can link from google as well).

Yeah, everything is just a big mess, sorry to hear about your problems as well. I hope you get better soon. And also, just so you didn't get me wrong before (don't wanna make you more sad), it's not like I have that much money either, but if there were a solution to fix all this, I'd definitely go and get it done. I will not be able to visit like 10 doctors due to a low economy.

Take care everyone

Hi. No I don't have dry eyes yet. But I have MGD which can cause dry eyes if not managed. I don't have any pictures of myself since I developed this condition. I try not to even look in the mirror because I hate the way I look. I found a picture that resembles exactly what I am talking about as far as how my lid margins and upper lids look. I don't have as much redness as this guy but the swelling and eyelid folds are pretty similar. The doc confirmed I have anterior blepharitis in addition to the MGD but he thinks there is an allergic component that I have not yet found. I haven't spoken with anyone on this site yet that has had the swelling with folds like I do. I wish I could find out who that guy in the picture is and email him directly lol.

As far as doctors. I DID visit 10 doctors. It wasn't smart as it only really takes one GOOD doctor to help or at least point you in the right direction.

[bp77]

hey Angela, my upper lid looks like this pic from googels and it is even red like that. but my lower looks normal. I am really desparete to make it look normal, but do not know how! I do not have any allergies just MGD and sever dry eye. Does any one know how to fix this?