Calling the YOUNG and Dry!

[odydnas]

26 years old here! Life-altering pain symptoms started at 23, although I had minor issues while wearing contacts many years prior to that. It's been so hard!! I've tried everything except for sclerals, IPL, and probing. I'm hoping to get to BFS really soon. I have MGD, altho I'm not sure that's the whole picture. I don't know what triggered it.

Nope, I don't work and haven't worked for a year. It's been horrible. I decided that I can no longer do my previous profession and have changed to something more 'dry eye friendly" and have applied to grad school. I just got into all my choices, but now I don't know what to do because I can't actually attend school with my eyes like this. I'm hoping to go to BFS really soon and that it will help me so that I can live my life again.

[DryEyeSurvivor26]

Hi odydnas, I'm hoping to get BSL soon too and I really hope they help. I don't generally have a lot of pain, just really bad dryness, but these last couple months have been terrible because Restasis managed to make me worse -- lots of burning and stinging even after discontinued use and I developed corneal erosions while on it Am now on FML drops (can't get over the appropriateness of that name) but I am still stinging... not sure if stinging is from FML drops or from still from Restasis... it better go away SOON! Keep me updated on your BSL pursuit and I will do the same.

[Rebecca Petris]

Just an fyi for those of you not on the DryEyeChat mailing list: There's going to be an informal chat session on Friday at 4:30 Pacific just for young people. If you're interested, and aren't on the mailing list, send me an email and I'll register you for the mailing list and the chatroom.

I'm also working on scheduling a chat session with a guest from BFS.

[odydnas]

FML drops (can't get over the appropriateness of that name) \

Hahahah. I was thinking the same thing the other day when my doc asked if I've tried FML.

[odydnas]

I wanna unclog them before theyre atrophied.

Moni, did Dr. Toyos say your glands were at risk of atrophy?

[DryEyeSurvivor26]

Would LOVE to participate in the chat but I am actually flying back home to the US on Friday... mostly due to dry eye complications (am working abroad for the year). How ironic. Enjoy everyone!

[cristiandryeyes]

Just an update...for the past 2 days I've had a small yet noticeable improvement after I stopped warm compresses / massages and instead tried cold compreses for 20mins twice/day. Burning is gone.

[odydnas]

Christian - do you have ocular rosacea?

Moni - according to Dr. L, an allergic reaction can cause MGD, but should help once its been removed. Also, makeup can also clog glands, esp if you line your inner lids and do properly remove it, but women everywhere do it and the majority seem fine. There must be more to the picture than just makeup, in my opinion. I no longer use eye makeup and I intend on using eye makeup very minimally for the rest of my life. I miss my eyeliner like crazy, but its just not worth it to me.

[cristiandryeyes]

Christian - do you have ocular rosacea?

Moni - according to Dr. L, an allergic reaction can cause MGD, but should help once its been removed. Also, makeup can also clog glands, esp if you line your inner lids and do properly remove it, but women everywhere do it and the majority seem fine. There must be more to the picture than just makeup, in my opinion. I no longer use eye makeup and I intend on using eye makeup very minimally for the rest of my life. I miss my eyeliner like crazy, but its just not worth it to me.

No, I don't. Burning is gone but dryness is still there, it's unbearable.

[Arj]

I know that I feel so discouraged knowing that I am only 24 and going through this! It feels like it has taken so much from me at such a young age, and yet I am determined to not let it ruin my life; I have worked too hard toward everything I have to let this incurable disease ruin everything I had going for me. I am hoping that help from Boston Scerals will give me some of my life back (ie not having to throw drops in on an hourly basis).

So if you are YOUNG and suffering from debilitating dry eye, please post and share! You are not alone.

I'm probably one of the youngest to go through this. I turned 20 recently and this whole saga started at the end of 2009 for me. Lets hope that there is a cure for this within our lifetimes cause I'd rather die than live with this for the rest of my life

This is lame, its just some stupid backed up oil thats ruining our lives. Are ur glands blocked or not enough oil? Have u tried antibiotics?

In my case the eye doctor said that there was an imbalance between oil and water produced in my tears. Whether or not its because of the glands being blocked or the glands not producing enough oil i dunno

last couple months have been terrible because Restasis managed to make me worse -- lots of burning and stinging even after discontinued use and I developed corneal erosions while on it

Yikes! Its irritating that some forms of treatments that work well for others in fact worsen your condition, that sucks big time

Am now on FML drops

F My Life indeed

Try to stay strong
Arj

[Ctane]

Me again, I'm 23. Struggling to get through tertiary education and even keeping up some degree of a social life is horrible. Not knowing how you'll support yourself and have some degree of normalcy in your life is extremely worrying. Being young and having this condition is very much a b*tch in its own right. Still, power on