eyes wide shut

[Vickie]

my eyes are now always closed, light or dark. day or night, except for when i manually force my one good eye open, such as now. has anyone else experienced this and if so what was the outcome? i have about one month left for the 2 month bechmark for the restasis to work. i am so afraid it won't. i am now helpless outside of my home, need sighted guide to leads me around and am on emergency leave from work.

vickie

[dianat]

It can take Restasis a lot longer than 2 months to work. Also, I don't know your history, but have you considered sclerals?

[Vickie]

sclerals

dianot,
what are sclerals?

[dianat]

Below is the website for the Boston Foundation for Sight.

Read on about the lens they make. It is very personalized and requires extensive fitting and re-fitting.

The lens is large and rests above the cornea and rests on the sclera - or the white part of your eye. In the space between the lens is a fluid that acts to bandage and protect your cornea. There are many here using them. They will surely add to this post and help you learn more.

The more debilitating your pain, the more likely you will be to benefit from scleral lenses.

http://www.bostonsight.org/

[Rojzen]

moisture chambers or wraps; Dwelle

I believe that we have a recent thread, here, on the subject of using Dwelle along with Restasis. . .I mention this because even when Restasis's active ingredient (cyclosporine) kicks in, the remainder of the formula is nonetheless not optimal for normalization of the tear film, for lots of reasons. . .Restasis is not even designed to do more than simply deliver the drug, though there was a time when the castor oil in Restasis was studied for its potential benefits. . .(The results were very mixed.)

Anyway, barring contrary advice from your doctor, Vickie, could you have someone who is more comfortable using the computer find you the many postings here on Dwelle and the Dr. Holly product line generally. . .

Also, have you tried serious eye protection indoors, while you await the effects of Restasis? Dark-tinted plain old wraparound glasses, or fitover sun shades, might be enough to get you moving again, first indoors, and then outdoors. . .

On the other hand, your severe light sensitivity tells me that maybe your corneas need to do some healing before you will be able to open the eyes steadily. . On the front of cornea healing, I urge you to explore Dwelle. . .Its record in this area is pretty astonishing for some patients. . .

[jazhou]

I believe that we have a recent thread, here, on the subject of using Dwelle along with Restasis. . .I mention this because even when Restasis's active ingredient (cyclosporine) kicks in, the remainder of the formula is nonetheless not optimal for normalization of the tear film, for lots of reasons. . .Restasis is not even designed to do more than simply deliver the drug, though there was a time when the castor oil in Restasis was studied for its potential benefits. . .(The results were very mixed.)

Anyway, barring contrary advice from your doctor, Vickie, could you have someone who is more comfortable using the computer find you the many postings here on Dwelle and the Dr. Holly product line generally. . .

Also, have you tried serious eye protection indoors, while you await the effects of Restasis? Dark-tinted plain old wraparound glasses, or fitover sun shades, might be enough to get you moving again, first indoors, and then outdoors. . .

On the other hand, your severe light sensitivity tells me that maybe your corneas need to do some healing before you will be able to open the eyes steadily. . On the front of cornea healing, I urge you to explore Dwelle. . .Its record in this area is pretty astonishing for some patients. . .

HI Rojzen, thanks for your recommendation on Mr. Scott Kornfeld. I am wearing moisture chamber glasses now. It helps me to relieve my eye pain when working on computer.

I am also sensitive to light. Right now I just can not look at sun. Does that mean my corneas need to do some healing as well? I will take a look at Dwelle...

[Rojzen]

oops! I over-implied about photophobia; m.c. & Dwelle

So glad you caught me on that, jazhou. . .In fact, photophobia/light sensitivity by no means necessarily indicates that you have cornea damage that needs to heal, and so I hope my comment on that did not prompt undue conclusions. . .

My guess, though, is that all of us with dry eye have corneas that are somewhat compromised on a daily basis. . .Thankfully, corneas have immense capacity for healing and self-repair. . .so I always proceed on the assumption that whatever therapy I use should include a component for cornea healing. . Right now, the Dwelle and related products seem to be achieving that for me. . .

Thrilled that you are wearing Scott's glasses now!! Aren't they amazing????? They are indeed great for computing, in many cases. . .For me, they got me outdoors and moving after a prolonged period of confinement, long ago. . .

Here's something crazy and wonderful, though, that ties these 2 topics together. . .I always believed I would wear moisture chambers 24/7 forever. . .but lately, because I reconsidered Dwelle, and finally stuck with it on a nightly basis, I have just had a few days of not needing the chambers much. . .

I'm among those who gave up on Dwelle a while back, because of stinging and lots of residue on the lashes. . .But I recently gritted my teeth to wean off of Restasis, just to see what would happen, and then returned to Dwelle or FreshKote and stuck with it. . .I erred by taking the stuff too often, initially. . .but when I phased down to nighttime and daytime-as-needed-only, magic resulted . . .Could well be temporary. . .but I have to pass this along. . .

In meantime, no matter what happens, I will never be anywhere without moisture chambers of some kind. . .They make life possible NO MATTER WHAT else happens, at times. . .

[jazhou]

So glad you caught me on that, jazhou. . .In fact, photophobia/light sensitivity by no means necessarily indicates that you have cornea damage that needs to heal, and so I hope my comment on that did not prompt undue conclusions. . .

My guess, though, is that all of us with dry eye have corneas that are somewhat compromised on a daily basis. . .Thankfully, corneas have immense capacity for healing and self-repair. . .so I always proceed on the assumption that whatever therapy I use should include a component for cornea healing. . Right now, the Dwelle and related products seem to be achieving that for me. . .

Thrilled that you are wearing Scott's glasses now!! Aren't they amazing????? They are indeed great for computing, in many cases. . .For me, they got me outdoors and moving after a prolonged period of confinement, long ago. . .

Here's something crazy and wonderful, though, that ties these 2 topics together. . .I always believed I would wear moisture chambers 24/7 forever. . .but lately, because I reconsidered Dwelle, and finally stuck with it on a nightly basis, I have just had a few days of not needing the chambers much. . .

I'm among those who gave up on Dwelle a while back, because of stinging and lots of residue on the lashes. . .But I recently gritted my teeth to wean off of Restasis, just to see what would happen, and then returned to Dwelle or FreshKote and stuck with it. . .I erred by taking the stuff too often, initially. . .but when I phased down to nighttime and daytime-as-needed-only, magic resulted . . .Could well be temporary. . .but I have to pass this along. . .

In meantime, no matter what happens, I will never be anywhere without moisture chambers of some kind. . .They make life possible NO MATTER WHAT else happens, at times. . .

Thanks for your reply. I am so glad you are doing better now! I know how painful dry eyes can bring to a peron's life.

I do think my photophobia is caused by dry eyes since I was not sensitive to lights before I had DES. Anyway I ordered two bottles of Dewlle today, and cant wait to try it out.

Thanks again...

[lmdahlberg]

shut eye problem -- Meige Syndrome

I have what I think -- and what my neuropthamolgist agrees is Meige Syndrome. A tic of the facial muscles that keeps eyes shut too long. My case is much milder than what you describe, but it could be a drastic version of the same thing. There is a surgery that can help but would probably only be advisable in serious cases such as yours. Light sensitivty and dry eye can be related and affects or are affected by this but the underlying cause is the facial nerve tic. Drops of many kinds and Restasis did not help me.