Almost no dry eye now...

[Shahara]

I was here regularly sometime back. But I thought I should just peep in here to see wots going on.... ( I live in germany!)
My dry eye began somewhere around 2002 I guess. I use to live a very unhealthy lifestyle, ate loads of sugar and I hardly ever ate any vegetables or fruits in my teens.

My dry eye got so extremely worst somewhere around 2004/2005 that I had to use drops almost every half and hour. I was stuck at home unable to go out due to the severe dryness. I was suffering from depression and was looking tired and sick 24/7.
After seeing many ophthalmogists but without any useable help. Somewhere around 2006/2007 I got plugs and restasis. Plugs fell out many times so my eye doc closed my upper tear ducts (What is the english definition for that?)

I took restasis for a while but was scared about long time sideaffects. After a long time suffering I decided to go to an alternative practitioner. As I took antibiotics for a very long time he asked me to get the intestinal repair with detoxing measures and a systematic propogation of the gut flora, which suffer damage from antibiotics. I took natural bacterias in form of drops and powder for a long time. My dryness was slowly disapearing.

Now I hardly ever take any eyedrops. I hope this might help someone...


Thank you


Shahara

[Hopeful2]

Hi Sahara,

Thank you so much for sharing your success! I have been to naturopathic doctors in the past and have an appointment booked with one next week. I intend to ask about the helpfulness of probiotics (natural bacteria) for the treatment of my dry eyes.

When investigating a health concern with one of my children, I learned that most of our immunity is in our gut and that when we use antibiotics we wipe out that natural immunity. I am wondering how much of a role a healthy gut flora plays in having healthy eyes.

Can you share with us what other products you may have been taking with the natural bacteria? Also how long did you take it for before you started to note improvement? Did you also go on a low sugar diet?

It is so good to hear a healing story! Thanks!

Hopeful2

[Shahara]

Hey Hopeful

thanks for your reply. I did change my day to day food habits a lot. I try to eat more veggies and friuits through out the day.

you ask: <<I am wondering how much of a role a healthy gut flora plays in having healthy eyes.<<

I learned that the gut flora is important for the mucous membrane in all parts of the body. Certain bacterias are essential for the whole mucous membrane when these bacterias are not able to spread properly after antiobiotics or other things which influences the flora in a bad way, the body is not able to detoxify, like you also say.

I took lactic acid bacteria for about 4-5 months or even longer. I reduced sugar/white bread, coke and other artificial stuff.

Even a oxygen therapy for a couple of weeks in combination of a good diet/and building up the gut flora can "probably" increase the moisture in the whole body and the eyes. I am not an expert on this, what I can say is that trying all these alternative therapies made my dry eye history.

The improvement took place after about 4-5months. What kind of therapies are you doing now?

Shahara

[Hopeful2]

Hi Shahara,

I am using nutrients: fish oil, borage oil, Vitamin A, D, B, a good multivitamin, Astaxanthin, magnesium, coenzymeQ10, digestive enzymes, probiotic, curcumin (natural anti-inflammatory) and eating lots of high quality protein, as well as veggies and fruits.

I am avoiding sugar and am going to go back to eating gluten free.

I am doing meditation and relaxation exercises, and starting to exercise again.

I had lasik 7 months ago, but I may have had mild, undiagnosed dry eye beforehand. Within a few days of the surgery my eyes went very dry. Two months after surgery a doctor said I had no tears. I can now see little pools of oil after lid massage and I feel moisture when I blink. My eyes are still dry when I sleep so I use ointment, but am wondering about using castor oil instead ( apparently castor oil has anti-infalmmatory properties to it).

Thank you again for sharing your success. It is so good to hear that someone has been helped by natural supplements.

[blueberry]

Shahara,

Thanks for sharing your story! I have been wondering about the connection between intestinal health and dry eyes. I've found some relief with Restasis but am also concerned about long-term use/effects (and cost). Did the Restasis help you at all, and do you know what sort of dry eye you had (blepharitis or visible inflammation, or just dry). I have aqueous deficiency and from what I can tell miebomian gland deficiency too, but no redness or plugged ducts, my eyes look fine.
From what I've read there can be a strong connection between intestinal dybacteriosis and rosacea, which I may have a bit of on my face, but not sure if one can have ocular rosacea without visible signs.

I'm working with a naturopath to fix my digestion and following a diet/supplement program similar to the ones mentioned here. I've heard that autoimmune reactions can start with things going wrong in the guts....a rheumatologist has assured me that I don't have Sjogren's syndrome but since I also have dry mouth and I've gotten some benefit from Restasis I'm not convinced that I don't have autoimmune problems. Did your doctor say anything about intestinal bacteria and autoimmunity, or specifically how bacteria functions with mucous membranes? I'm really interested, especially since I think my digestion had been sub-optimal for a while before it got worse and my dry eyes and other health problems began.

Again, thanks for sharing and congratulations on your success.

[Hopeful2]

Hi blueberry,

I just got back from a naturopathic appointment. We covered a lot of ground . . . I told her that all my tests for autoimmune diseases came back negative, but that I figured I had something going on systemcially. I was contact lens intolerant prior to my lasik eye surgery. Looking back, I think my eyes were on the dry side although I didn't know it. I just wasn't aware of my eyes. On the other hand I was very aware of waking up with a very dry mouth several times through the night. I even had my GP run a diabetes screen. Nothing shows up on the traditional tests that GPs run.

My naturopathic doctor did some tests, one called Ream's test, showed that both my adrenal glands are 'burnt out' and my digestive system is out of wack. I am not digesting nutrients properly. She figures that getting everything back on track will help with all my hormone levels and that in turn will help with my dry eyes.

I feel like I am finally on the right track in terms of feeling healthier both emotionally and physically. I am certain that better health all around is key to healthier, moister, eyes

So for now, no caffeine, reduced sugar, adrenal glandular supports, digestive enzymes (with all meals), meditation, and more tests (hair analysis and biotron food sensitivity testing). I don't imagine any quick fixes, but at the same time, I don't expect that I reached this state over night either.

She did say that we would look at natural ways to manage any lid inflammation that might be present. While we didn't specifically talk about probiotics at this visit, I'm sure at my next visit probiotics will be one of the things we will use to boost my immunity.

[jenny2008]

Hopeful2-thanks for sharing.. please keep us posted.. i plan to make an appt with a naturopath md as well... i am hoping a change in diet can help with my autoimmune dry eye issue

[spmcc]

My naturopathic doctor did some tests, one called Ream's test, showed that both my adrenal glands are 'burnt out'

I'd just like to mention that I haven't come across a naturopath who *didn't* diagnose "adrenal fatigue" in women.

Just FYI - it is a medically-questionable "condition" with unproven tests and unproven treatments.

[Hopeful2]

Hi spmcc,

Thank you so much for the FYI. I have had adrenal issues, briefly in the past, and did respond well to the treatments that were given. I guess like anything, you have to go by how the treatments feel to you. So far, the treatments are pretty well benign and make sense to me ( relaxation, improved sleep, adrenal glandulars (adaptogens), meditation, no caffeine, and digestive enzymes)

I am not expecting a cure all from any single approach. Rebecca has a post somewhere mentioning that we tend to treat our eye balls in isolation, when they are in fact part of our whole body. So . . . I will do what I can to support my body as naturally and holistically as possible and pray that the eyes will benefit as well, as they should because they are connected to the rest of my body.

Merry Christmas!!! We are hoping for snow out east, tough to see on rocks

Peace always, Hopeful2

[abbygirl]

I am so interested in this!!! Please keep us posted on your treatment plan and how you are getting along. I am a true believer that our minds/bodies are "one" connection. When one system goes awry so does the other and at times it is difficult to tell which system goes first!!!

[jenny2008]

i just posted something about anti inflammatory diets... so Sahara do you pretty much eliminate all sugar? do you still eat fruits and natural sugar like honey?? do you eat meat???thanks!

[Shahara]

Hey Jenny,

my answer comes very late, but i thought of checking in again. I wouldnt say my dry eye ist completely vanished. During hay allergy, weather changes i do use eye drops. I eat meat, and sugar again. But that doesnt effect me. I still eat flaxseed, though not every day.
Schuessler cell salts have helped me too.
Anyone tried this out?

[CC00]

Thank you for the update Shahara!

[Manupi]

It seems that diet and detoxing do have a role in recovering from dry eye. In regards to gluten free food, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it contains more sugar than gluten food, as it is added to conceal the flavour (I'm talking about bread and bakery products). Therefore I don't know hoe good it would do.
I'm saying this because my mom is a celiac and only eats gluten free food and she told me.

[waterbee]

do you think you might of had a food intolerance? or did the repair on the gut flora work more? might you of had some vitamin deficiencies you were unaware of and the new diet corrected? thanks for sharing.