Saw my Cornea Specialist Today....New plan of action.

[vivian3090]

He wants me to stop Flarex (which I'm not too thrilled about b/c they feel horrible without them!

But he wants me to start the serum eye drops.
He says that it's effective for 9/10 of his patients. I'm nervous b/c he says that it doesn't fix the problem only masks the symptoms of the dryness and what not, I'm not sure if he wants me on these long term, because he is sure that this dryness will get better as my eyes heal from lasik.

I would like to find relief from all this pain,pressure feeling, and redness. but I'm scared it will not work. :/

and on top of that I'm not happy about the price!!!

Who all has found relief from these serum drops?? I've done a search, and some opinions and experiences are good and bad....

[jax8it]

Hi Vivian,

I saw a new ophthalmologist today. He wants to start me on a round of Doxy as he felt it would help with the lipid component of my dry eye. He also mentioned serum drops, but he does not want to start that yet. Are you getting the serum drops made at UT Southwestern? Does insurance not cover the some of the cost? I hope it helps you.

[farmgirl]

Hi Vivian:

I have been using the serum eye drops since April and that is one thing I will never be without. Because they are made from the plasma of your own blood they contain nutrients, stem cells etc which nourish the cornea. Normally your tears contain nutrients for the cornea but with diminished tear production you have nothing to provide nourishment to the eye. Lubricant drops do not nourish only lubricate. I noticed a difference almost immediately, for sure by the second day. My corneas were perfect on my last check (first time ever since this started) and the burning, grittiness, foreign body sensation has diminished greatly. I am not 'cured' and I still need to use the moisture drops - they are not a substitute for those but I need them less and am vastly less symptomatic. I think what he was saying was not so much that they mask the symptoms of the dryness but that although they diminish the symptoms you will still have the dryness, that does not go away. My biggest fear with the dryness is cornea damage and in my opinion the serum goes a long way towards helping ensure that doesn't happen.

Don't wast any energy being nervous they can only help you and if the odds of that are 9/10 they are pretty well stacked in your favor....cheers....F/G

[vivian3090]

Hi Vivian,
Are you getting the serum drops made at UT Southwestern? Does insurance not cover the some of the cost? I hope it helps you.

No, I am getting them done at "Super Value Pharmacy" in Euless Texas. I am not sure if it is covered by insurance, but I am going to call them tomorrow and see. I hope it does to. I'm just really nervous about stopping Flarex, b/c it helps with the pain/redness.

I noticed a difference almost immediately, for sure by the second day. My corneas were perfect on my last check (first time ever since this started) and the burning, grittiness, foreign body sensation has diminished greatly. I am not 'cured' and I still need to use the moisture drops - they are not a substitute for those but I need them less and am vastly less symptomatic. I think what he was saying was not so much that they mask the symptoms of the dryness but that although they diminish the symptoms you will still have the dryness, that does not go away. My biggest fear with the dryness is cornea damage and in my opinion the serum goes a long way towards helping ensure that doesn't happen.

Don't wast any energy being nervous they can only help you and if the odds of that are 9/10 they are pretty well stacked in your favor....cheers....F/G

Thanks Farmgirl. I really hope it works for me. Your success story gives me a bit of hope. I talked to my dad earlier and he told me he got me what I believe is to be onion glasses/goggles. I hope it helps, Work has been such a pain and struggle for me b/c of the A/C and the fact I cannot put my eye drops in when I can. So hopefully these two tings work. I will keep updated.

And how long did it take for you to get it made? I'm not sure how long it takes. and how much was it for you if you dont mind me asking.

[No tears in ATL]

I'm going in for these too on the 27th! Hey, maybe we can track our results together. My specialist didn't say much about them, just wrote the prescription, but the nice lady doing the blood draw said that they give them to some patients after surgery and they can use them up to 8 times per day.


I'm aqueous deficiency but can't tolerate any drops (even steroids and preservative free), and bad allergies, too.

[vivian3090]

I'm going in for these too on the 27th! Hey, maybe we can track our results together. My specialist didn't say much about them, just wrote the prescription, but the nice lady doing the blood draw said that they give them to some patients after surgery and they can use them up to 8 times per day.


I'm aqueous deficiency but can't tolerate any drops (even steroids and preservative free), and bad allergies, too.

I am supposed to start them on the 27th as well. Id be glad to track our results together!

I got 2 tubes of blood drawn, and got 7 vials of the serum drops. they are in the freezer now. I'm anxious to start them, but I dont want to be dissappointed :/ The past week my eyes have been HORRIBLE. they were hurting and red. Today was better. The veins are just inflamed, and they havent been having that drying out feeling like I have been (although I still need to put drops in). I still struggle with the appearnce of my eyes. WHen they were really hurting I was just wanting them to stop hurting and was like "omg I don't mind them being red i just want the pain to stop!" but nows that its not hurting as bad I'm starting to get anxiety from the redness appearence. :/

[eyemech]

I wonder if any of you have looked into ProKera. It is an amniotic membrane which is designed to heal corneas that are non healing.

[No tears in ATL]

I am supposed to start them on the 27th as well. Id be glad to track our results together!

I got 2 tubes of blood drawn, and got 7 vials of the serum drops. they are in the freezer now. I'm anxious to start them, but I dont want to be dissappointed :/ The past week my eyes have been HORRIBLE. they were hurting and red. Today was better. The veins are just inflamed, and they havent been having that drying out feeling like I have been (although I still need to put drops in). I still struggle with the appearnce of my eyes. WHen they were really hurting I was just wanting them to stop hurting and was like "omg I don't mind them being red i just want the pain to stop!" but nows that its not hurting as bad I'm starting to get anxiety from the redness appearence. :/

Vivian, I totally feel your pain. It seems like a new red vein pops up every day for me. Even if they don't hurt or burn, they just look inflamed. I just don't get it.

If the plugs appear to be working somewhat (i can see the tears pooled up in there) and tear quality is good, WHY do these veins keep popping up??

And it's this vicious cycle of "oh my gosh, are they looking at my eyes?? Is THAT why I (insert negative scenario here: didn't get the job, didn't get the sale, didn't get asked out on a second date, etc. etc). ?

I've tried to stay positive but honestly most days now, I just don't want to leave the house. But I have to work. Life goes on.

[vivian3090]

I just hate how it seems to be just my left eye that is the bad one. Its the only one that really gets red :/
I know how my eyes are without the steroid drops, so Im just worried how they will be once I stop them and start the serum drops. But we'll see!

I hate looking people in the eye b/c I am so self concious abou them

[farmgirl]

Hope they work for you like they did for me Vivian because the redness was the first thing to go. My right eye still gets a bit bloodshot at times but NOTHING like before when it was always bloodshot and I know that it is your bloodshot left eye that really bothers you. The other thing that really got my eyes bloodshot was the Genteal Gel until I figured out I was allergic to it. Keep us posted on your progress...cheers...F/G

[vivian3090]

I hope so to!
The concentrate is only 20% so I'm hoping I get some result? If not should I talk to my doc and ask them to up concentration? I'm hoping they work at 20% because its already expensive, I don't want to know how much it would cost if I had to get a more concentrated drop. :/

[farmgirl]

I asked for 50% because the research I did indicated that that was the optimum concentration...I'd recommend you ask for 50% I think you will get better results. 50% will be somewhat more but not a huge difference...F/G

[vivian3090]

I already got the 20% drops. So I will use those, if I don't see a difference I will ask for 50% once those vials run out.

Hopefully I will find SOME relief with the 20% though!

[Cali]

Hi Everyone - I've been reading this thread because I'm just waiting for my HIV and Hapatitis C tests to come back negative so that I can go get my blood drawn for the serum drops. It sounds like I'll get a lot of relief and healing of my corneas once I start (I was prescribed 100% serum because I am producing no tears right now and my eyes are "pitted."). It sounds like I'll still need drops to provide lubrication, but, I will stop any damage on my corneas from the drops? I guess my doctor wants to halt damage first, then address the dry eye with maybe doxy or some other meds or plugs? Not sure how this works.

Also, my right eye constantly hurts. I'm wondering if this is typical, one eye hurts way more than the other?

One more thing, I was told I have salty eyes and am producing no oil, which I guess is a meibomian gland issue. I wonder why the serum can't help heal any issues with the gland. Note, I had LASIK 8 years ago.

[robster]

I had LASIK just under a year ago and while my left eye hardly gives me any problems the right eye is a totally different story. If my right eye was like my left I would be a very happy man unfortunately it's not!