My Visine Story ;{

[magicmadcap]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forums and have been desperately searching for answers to my vision problems for the past year. Around February, I overused Visine Redness Relief for about 2 weeks straight. I know it wasn't smart but I didn't know anything about eye care at the time and just assumed that anything that made your eyes whiter was good for them. Boy was I wrong. Ever since those dreaded two weeks my vision has not been the same. I developed burning, itching, increased afterimages (i think), menthol feeling, ghosting on lights and high contrasts that moves with my eyelids, no sleepies/eye crust in the morning anymore (weird), mucus film or something coating eye especially in the morning, can see waves or movement in tear film when I blink, tear film seems cloudy or speckled, if I get a hair/eyelash in my eye I can see it moving/sliding up the eye with every blink as if the eyelid is somehow moving it without the two even touching. That's just a run down of most of the symptoms off the top of my head. I've seen several ophthalmologists and even a cornea specialist (best in my area) and cannot seem to get any relief. Artificial tears just make the ghosting twice as bad for the next few hours after I use them. The cornea specialist said my corneas were fine and he put me on Restasis. I've been on Restasis for over 3 months now and sometimes I think it makes my eyes feel a little better but it hasn't helped the ghosting at all which is my main concern. I can live with my eyes feeling bad, I just wanna see right, like how I used to. I just don't see how 2 weeks of Visine Redness Relief could warrant a lifetime of Restasis. I'm just not sure if I have dry eye even though that's what all the doctors are saying. How could Visine Redness Relief cut off/damage the organs that make the tear film? Plus, most of the doctors I talk to say that Visine Redness Relief cannot cause any permanent damage in such a short time. All I know is that my vision was fine before the Visine Redness Relief incident. I'm a 24 year old male and I still have 20/20 vision. I have another appointment in a week or two with a doctor at Duke. Hopefully they can help me but I just don't know anymore. My life has really been messed up because of all this. What do you guys think? Sound like dry eye? Maybe something that they are overlooking like some kinda inflammation problem or infection? I'm desperate for input. Thanks a lot, it helps to talk about it. ;}

[magicmadcap]

Any suggestions? Anyone else have a tear film that looks cloudy or milky? It almost seems like a slime on my eye sometimes. The ghosting never goes away, maybe because eye drops can't get through the coating to break it up.

[howdryiam]

hello

I used OTC drops for many years - so 2 weeks would not cause that - possibly you had some type of allergic reaction or you have an eye infection

[dave25]

It's hard to say what it might be because I have different symptoms. It's extremely important to find the right eye doctor. Right now it sounds like what they suggested so far isn't helping your problem. Don't be afraid to call the doctor either and set up another appointment. It's also important to find the root of your problem as soon as possible so it doesn't cause further damage to your eyes. I hope this helps.

[Lucy]

Magic, going to Duke should be a pretty good move in your situation. One thing you might want to mention to the drs that you'd like to be tested for Sjogrens Syndrome. Or, at least bring up the possibility of having it. Yes, it is mostly a disease of (middle aged) women, but men(even young ones) do get Sjogrens.

Sjogrens is something that might explain your eye problems. It is also a disease you shouldn't be totally shocked by. It is something that can be managed and is not deadly. It's not easy to diagnose, but if a blood sample is taken and the antibodies show up in your blood, you have Sjogrens. Not everyone with Sjs has the antibodies in their blood. Good luck, Lucy

[Sammy B.]

Magic,

I agree with Lucy that going to Duke is probably a good idea.

The silver lining I think is that your corneas look OK according to the doctors.

Curious - have you tried any sort of punctal plugs, and if so, did it make the burning worse or better?

The trouble is that most of these remedies take MONTHS for us to see benefits from. I know we all want immediate relief! Try to be patient.

- Rose