Dry eyes after accutane

[Angela]

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?

Hi. Your lids have the folds like that? How long has it been that way? I feel like the longer it stays that way the less likely it is that the skin will ever be normal even if the swelling subsides. The elasticity in eyelid skin is much different due to it being so thin and fragile. This condition progressed VERY fast in my case. As a matter of fact, right before the folds happened on the top it was just very veiny and thick looking, I also had the thick white line across the margin.

I was just looking at a picture of myself on Facebook when it wasn't that bad (just eyelash loss) and I can actually notice that it looks a little swollen and I didn't realize it at the time. I looked at more pictures from that night and I can see that the quality of my eyes look bad. I think I might not have noticed when it was getting swollen. What REALLY pisses me off is that this started at the end of February with JUST eyelash loss. When I googled possible causes I came up with alopecia areata (of eyelashes) and Blepharitis. I went to the dermatologist and suggested blepharitis and he said no!! So basically I went over a month with the wrong diagnosis. I didn't have any white discharge or swelling until a month later. Maybe if I had a competent doctor at the time, I could have slowed the progression.

As far as allergies, I am still not sure because I only had one round of tests and the allergist was a b**** and rushed me through and didn't even tell me exactly what she tested. Needless to say I won't be seeing her again.

So you have MGD? How long have you had that? Did your dry eyes start WITH the mgd or after? I fear getting dry eyes, I can't imagine feeling worse than I do already. Do your eyes feel very heavy and do you get occular headaches? I am experiencing this big time. In the morning the eyefolds are SO bad that there are about 6 lines of skin on my upper eyelids. I do have swelling under my eyes too but not as severe. I can diffuse it better for now.

Do you have any other health problems like auto immune? Sorry for all the questions, you are the first person I've read a post from that can identify with that picture!

[bp77]

I will send u a pm.

[fundryeyes]

I thought they took Accutane off the market after the Crohn's people sued their pants off ? I took Accutane twenty years ago and only had dry eye since 2010. It destroys your oil producing glands. They call that "balancing" Slowing oil production in your skin may help acne, slowing it in your meibomian glands in your eyes, not so good. The more i read about dry eye the more I realize they need a drug to stimulate the oil production in your meibomian glands. This is of course simplifying things as there are other causes like Sjorgen's and lasik induced DE. Mine is definitely oil related. If you are lacking an oil layer no amount of drops are going to make you feel better for long. Surely there is a drug that can stimulate oil function. There are literally millions of post menapausal women who suffer DE. My only fear is that the eye drop industry does not want to find a cure. It is probably a billion dollar industry, correct me if I'm wrong.

[jessicaC]

Audrey,
Yes it is possible because I was confused at first that my eyes were dry but I could cry. Tears are made of oil, water and mucous. In my case my eyes aren't producing the oily layer properly but did produce the watery layer so I am able to cry normally.
Jessica