I hate my right eye

[catlover]

I NEVER in my wildest imagination thought I would ever spend so much time on my eye, as far as daily routine, money, time on the internet researching. I go back to my eye dr. first week of January and I so bad want there to be improvement. I see my stupid little lower glands on the right eye are inflamed, but they are not capped like the pictures I see on the net. After 1.5 months on doxy, lid scrubs, warm compresses, flaxseed/fish oil pills, drops, eating & drinking what is good for the eyes, you would think this nightmare would be over.

I HATE MY EYE. Every 3 - 3.5 hours tears well up in my eye. It's very predictable. It does this whether or not I use eye drops, so why bother using them.

[ringo]

Dear Catlover,

I can understand your frustration, as at some point my eyes were overflowing with tears virtually non stop and i had to carry around a box of paper tissues, everyone kept asking me why i am crying!

I was virtually non stop in front of the mirror, putting drops, massaging, putting ointments, checking how horrible the eyes looked, etc. It is like a full time job, having dry eye, and a job without compensation most of the time.

I got most improvement with the pilocarpine tablets, the acetylcysteine (oral mega doses), and the FML drops. Lately i feel even tons better with a higher concentration of cyclosporine in an ophthalmic ointment.

I know the pain and frustration can be unbearable, but please do not give up trying different things! Are your tear ducts plugged?

[catlover]

Dear Catlover,

I can understand your frustration, as at some point my eyes were overflowing with tears virtually non stop and i had to carry around a box of paper tissues, everyone kept asking me why i am crying!

I was virtually non stop in front of the mirror, putting drops, massaging, putting ointments, checking how horrible the eyes looked, etc. It is like a full time job, having dry eye, and a job without compensation most of the time.

I got most improvement with the pilocarpine tablets, the acetylcysteine (oral mega doses), and the FML drops. Lately i feel even tons better with a higher concentration of cyclosporine in an ophthalmic ointment.

I know the pain and frustration can be unbearable, but please do not give up trying different things! Are your tear ducts plugged?

Six months ago I asked my eye dr. if he thought my ducts were blocked and he said flat out "no, that's not your problem". But I have still wondered that since he didn't do any kind of test.

I've read alot of posts about acetylcysteine, and I've come close to buying but hadn't -- so now I'm wondering if I should. I need to research to see if I could take it while I'm taking doxy. Is the cyclosporine a prescription ointment??

[ringo]

Acetylcysteine can be taken with doxy for sure.

Regarding your tear ducts, i mean did you have them plugged by a doctor?

Your tearing is most probably reflex tearing resulting from the dry eye inflammation/irritation to the ocular surface. It tends to decrease and stop if you target inflammation and at the same time stimulate the flow of the good basal lubricating tears, not the reflex tears. I stimulate good tears with pilocarpine. You can also find it by the name Salagen. These are oral tablets. There is also Evoxac in the United States, which I have heard is even more efficient than pilocarpine in producing tears.

Inflammation is targeted by cyclosporine and steroid drops (note: for longer periods of time weak steroids are the safer choice). you can alo add NSAID drop like Voltaren or Akular for an even stronger effect.

The cyclosporine ointment is by prescription (0.2%) and is compounded; it is not available ready in pharmacies.
Of course you can also use Restasis with good results, although the concentration there is much less (0.05%).

[catlover]

Acetylcysteine can be taken with doxy for sure.

Regarding your tear ducts, i mean did you have them plugged by a doctor?

Your tearing is most probably reflex tearing resulting from the dry eye inflammation/irritation to the ocular surface. It tends to decrease and stop if you target inflammation and at the same time stimulate the flow of the good basal lubricating tears, not the reflex tears. I stimulate good tears with pilocarpine. You can also find it by the name Salagen. These are oral tablets. There is also Evoxac in the United States, which I have heard is even more efficient than pilocarpine in producing tears.

Inflammation is targeted by cyclosporine and steroid drops (note: for longer periods of time weak steroids are the safer choice). you can alo add NSAID drop like Voltaren or Akular for an even stronger effect.

The cyclosporine ointment is by prescription (0.2%) and is compounded; it is not available ready in pharmacies.
Of course you can also use Restasis with good results, although the concentration there is much less (0.05%).

oh no, I've never had plugs. I am going to ask my dr. about Restasis if I have no change by January.