Hoping someone can help!

[Stacey]

I have been suffering from dry eyes since Jan 2007 (3 months after lasik). I had been managing fairly well with serum drops 4x a day, night humidifier, lacrilube/duolube, warm compresses (am/pm) and bion tears (once in awhile). I had been on 40mg celexa and decided to wean off as I was feeling emotionally really good and was off completly aug 1st. Then near the end of aug I began waking in the middle of the night with grittiness and increased intense daytime dryness. I am now suffering worse than ever!! I have bad light sensitivity and all day dryness. I am back on the celexa due to suicidal thoughts and on trazorel for sleep. I started using tranquil eyes at night but if i dont use the trazorel i still wake numerous times with intense grittiness and reapply the lacrilube. Please help me!

[willwork4tears]

Search for several of my older posts on high dose cyclosporine. It seems to be the one obvious thing missing from your regimen. Not sure exactly how easy it is to get Restasis/cyclosporine in Canada. SAAG may be a good resource who will know more about Canadian drugs/availabilities.

I would definitely read up on/consider using some sort of cyclosporine eye drop. If you have trouble finding my old posts, let me know and I'll find them and paste the links.

[Stacey]

Could it be an erosion?

Thanks for responding! Restasis will be available here in Canada in October and I will try it then. I am wondering if could it be erosions in both eyes? I don't have pain just burning, grittiness and light sensitivity.

[Plat]

Please back up your statement - "Restasis will be available here in Canada in October". Where did you get this info from?

[spmcc]

RE: cyclosporine and restasis in Canada

Hi there,

Restasis is (and has been) available in Canada... you doctor/ophthalmologist can get it for you free (altho my doctor charges me $20 for the paperwork). I've been on restasis for about 5 years and I live in Canada.

Also, you can go right away with a prescription from your ophthalmologist and get cyclosporine A (in .05% strength or stronger) from a compounding pharmacy. They will put the cyclosporine in a base of olive oil or corn oil or methylcellulose (or others... just check with your compounding pharmacy).

It's MUCH less expensive from a compounding pharmacy... ~$40 vs $145 USD (if you were to cross the border and buy restasis in the States) per month.

Good luck,
Sheila

FYI Yes, I've been told that restasis is coming to pharmacies in Canada... I've been told that over and over, but with no definite date.

[Stacey]

I was aware that Restasis was available in Canada previously through opthamologists. I was not in need of it previously and am a bit afraid of it as no one really knows the long term effects. I was written an Rx by my opthamologist and he stated that the pharmacies will be receiving restasis by mid October. I spoke with my pharmacist and he backed that claim up. But I'm not getting my hopes up as the drug has such mixed reviews.

[willwork4tears]

You're welcome! Burning, grittiness and light sensitivity can all be symptoms of plain old dry eye. You don't need to have erosions to experience these symptoms. My ophthalmologist maintains that I have a very healthy corneal surface, yet I experience all of those symptoms. By 8 or 9 pm on bad days, I feel like I have sandpaper under my upper eyelids.

Regardless of the uncertainty of Restasis working or not working, I would certainly consider trying it. Of course, there are always unknowns and potential long term consequences and/or side effects. However, it's important to balance these risks with the benefits you may obtain. Also, it could be risky to not use a potentially helpful treatment - i.e. worsening eye disease, not to mention potential psychological/emotional effects (anxiety, depression, stress). We all know dry eye really wears on the psyche, unfortunately. If you try it and feel it's not working or have side effects you could always discontinue.

Good luck!

Thanks for responding! Restasis will be available here in Canada in October and I will try it then. I am wondering if could it be erosions in both eyes? I don't have pain just burning, grittiness and light sensitivity.

[Stacey]

You're welcome! Burning, grittiness and light sensitivity can all be symptoms of plain old dry eye. You don't need to have erosions to experience these symptoms. My ophthalmologist maintains that I have a very healthy corneal surface, yet I experience all of those symptoms. By 8 or 9 pm on bad days, I feel like I have sandpaper under my upper eyelids.

Regardless of the uncertainty of Restasis working or not working, I would certainly consider trying it. Of course, there are always unknowns and potential long term consequences and/or side effects. However, it's important to balance these risks with the benefits you may obtain. Also, it could be risky to not use a potentially helpful treatment - i.e. worsening eye disease, not to mention potential psychological/emotional effects (anxiety, depression, stress). We all know dry eye really wears on the psyche, unfortunately. If you try it and feel it's not working or have side effects you could always discontinue.

Good luck!

willwork4tears what do you use at night? I'm needing something more as the lacrilube suddenly seems to make me more gritty. Any suggestions would be great!

[willwork4tears]

Well, I've tried lots of things at night. My current routine is to first do a warm compress (I have one or Rebecca's rice baggies from the Shop and I love it). Then I put in my cyclosporine drops which are custom compounded in sterile corn oil. Then I top that off with either a normal eye mask or with the Tranquileyes. The corn oil drops are nice and greasy and under the mask or goggles will last for a few hours. If I wake up in the middle of the night and need moisture I'll typically use something heavy like an ointment or Refresh Celluvisc eye drops. I really don't like the ointment and wouldn't recommend it. In the morning my eyes feels heavy, sticky and goupy, but not moist. When I run out of ointment, I won't buy more. The Refresh is kind of interesting in that it dries and kind of crusts on the lids/lashes. This sounds uncomfortable, but I actually like it b/c it kind of seals my lids shut. In the morning, I stumble around until I can find my Occusoft foam and wash the crusties off.

When my dry eyes were the worst I used to wake in the morning with my lids literally stuck to my corneas. It was awful. I would have to pinch my lid with my finger and thumb and pull it off. Things are better now. The 1% cyclosporine has helped the most of all (I titrated up from lower doses, first). That's why I was encouraging you to at least consider it. Plugs/cautery come in 2nd place. The warm compress earns 3rd.

willwork4tears what do you use at night? I'm needing something more as the lacrilube suddenly seems to make me more gritty. Any suggestions would be great!

[Stacey]

Well, I've tried lots of things at night. My current routine is to first do a warm compress (I have one or Rebecca's rice baggies from the Shop and I love it). Then I put in my cyclosporine drops which are custom compounded in sterile corn oil. Then I top that off with either a normal eye mask or with the Tranquileyes. The corn oil drops are nice and greasy and under the mask or goggles will last for a few hours. If I wake up in the middle of the night and need moisture I'll typically use something heavy like an ointment or Refresh Celluvisc eye drops. I really don't like the ointment and wouldn't recommend it. In the morning my eyes feels heavy, sticky and goupy, but not moist. When I run out of ointment, I won't buy more. The Refresh is kind of interesting in that it dries and kind of crusts on the lids/lashes. This sounds uncomfortable, but I actually like it b/c it kind of seals my lids shut. In the morning, I stumble around until I can find my Occusoft foam and wash the crusties off.

When my dry eyes were the worst I used to wake in the morning with my lids literally stuck to my corneas. It was awful. I would have to pinch my lid with my finger and thumb and pull it off. Things are better now. The 1% cyclosporine has helped the most of all (I titrated up from lower doses, first). That's why I was encouraging you to at least consider it. Plugs/cautery come in 2nd place. The warm compress earns 3rd.

Thanks for the tips!