Ladies- birth control pills and dry eye

[xandra999]

Hi Everyone- I have been surfing this board and religiously reading and taking every tip possible (right now I am on doxy, restasis, tons of flax and other vitamins)....anyway, I tried everything with no major relief. Man, it was depressing.

Anyway, I started to think back to a time when I didnt have this dry eye problem and it was the time I was taking birth control pills. I have read that they can make eyes worse but in my case, in just a week of taking them again I feel REAL relief, not just something in my head or something I feel because I really want to. My left eye- which got no relief- even from steroids- is about 80 percent better. I just want to pass this on...maybe it can help someone.....

[Lucy]

xandra, thanks for posting your experience. I'm glad you found out going back on the b.c. pills helped you.

There are many posts on here about HRT (hormone replacement therapy) hurting (or helping) people with dry eyes. It's hard to find a common thread about all this. I realize HRT is different than b.c. pills, but hormones nonetheless.

I still say it's the color of socks we wear, just haven't busted the code yet.

Lucy

[momaxwell]

question

Maybe it is because your hormones are not fluctuating - what type are you taking?

[xandra999]

thank you for your responses! well it was frustrating because my eye doctor, when he couldnt find anything obvious causing the dry eye (no blocked glands, bleph, etc) said, "well when women get older this can be a problem". I kept thinkint older? I am only 31! But it did get me to thinking about what I did differently when I was younger.....
I think as women we really need to consider hormones when we are having issues with this....especially since (from what I heard) more women suffer from this than men...

btw, I was on Ortho-tricycline for three years (no dry eye), then on Ortho-trycycline lo for 6 months (again no dry eye)....

I went off it because of side effects but to be honest any side effect I had is better than dry eye.....

My eye doc said I would be dealing with this forever as it has no cure. I no longer believe him.

Please, no one give up on finding YOUR solution, I am glad I didnt (fingers crossed that it continues).....

[Rebecca Petris]

Great job with the persistence and detective work! Thanks for sharing about it!