No more blepharitis!!

[nikkishp]

Hi Guys

I am new to having dry eyes and blephritis. I am in the Uk and was wondering if those of you in the UK had problems being referred to an opthalmologist? My GP(s) dont seem to know much about dry eyes and it seems im advising them on what i have learned from this site.

I am currently on Minims (which is currently unavailable from the manufacturers until the new year) and lacrilube. I have an appointment tomorrow and would like to know what other eye drops are available in the UK as the Minims is no longer available at this time. on the last visit I was prescribed Sno tears but these made my eyes very sore presumably from the amount of times I use drops in the day.

I would also like to see if plugs would be of benefit but the GP wasnt aware of them.

Any advice would be welcome

Nikki

[Súil Eile]

Hi Guys
My GP(s) dont seem to know much about dry eyes and it seems im advising them on what i have learned from this site.

Get used to this. GPs do not have any comprehensive understanding about dry eye. It is a specialist topic, and you won't get proper treatment until you go to an ophthamologist. I've had to explain my condition to every doctor that isn't an eye specialist...and often they don't understand or appreciate the severity of my condition nor the importance of knowing how different medications may affect my eyes.

It also doesn't hurt to discuss topics from this site with your eye doctor...there's a unique combination of international research and knowledge on here that some eye doctors may not be privy to.

[nikkishp]

Thanks for your reply. I have seen my GP today, I went with a list of alternatives to minims that i found just incase she didnt know what else there was and guess what? - she didnt have a clue so I passed her my list! I was also assertive and ask for a referral to an opthamologist and she agreed probably because she was sick of seeing me!

Ive got Celluvisc 1% now - not sure i like it tho it feels like it coating my eyes and then setting like glue on them!!!

Thank god for this site and for being able to get yours and other help

Nikki

[irish eyes]

Nikki

Getting an ocular lubricant to suit your needs is often a case of try it and see.

When my severe dry eye problems kicked in, I was already seeing ophthalmologists for other problems so I didn't have to worry about referrals. However, doctors were dismissive of my symptoms and usually responded with comments such as ".....yes, we see a lot like you in clinic...... and then went through a litany of eye drop brands as they scribbled something down in my file.

My symptoms were severe but perhaps the clincial signs were moderate. This situation causes many doctors to underestimate dry eye severity or misdiagnose the condition altogether.

Your GP will probably not be aware of the range of treatments - my GP is great but she leaves it for me to tell her what's happening because I'm the expert. I don't think she would know much about plugs if I asked her.

By the way, Celluvisc didn't suit me either - but nothing really does. There is a lot on the market to try though.

[Súil Eile]

Hi Nikki,

I don't like Celluvisc either. It leaves at lot of residue on my eye lashes and lids, and they can feel quite sticky. I find gels (I'm using Vidisic) have a 'cleaner' feel to them. Alternating drops and gel works better for me than Celluvisc ever did.

I felt a bit silly the first time I went to my GP about my eyes, because she dismissed it as a minor irritation. I thought maybe I was being a drama queen . But in fairness she did refer me to an opthamologist at my first visit. Although turns out that opthamologist was a waste of time...and that's a rant for another day!

[lizibet]

Hi

Is Vidisic on prescription or OTC and does it contain preservative. I am using celluvisc at the moment but not ideal for all the reasons stated - but have never been offered or found anything else. Thanks Liz

[EllMitcho]

Hi - is Catacrom prescription only or OTC? My goldfish knows more about MGD than my GP so getting a prescription is painful!

El

[Leelah]

I was reading this thread the other day and wanted to know what they call vividrin where I live, but I couldn't figure it out. Then I went to Boots yesterday to buy a couple of things and happened to spot vividrin on the shelf - and I bought a bottle.I used it last night and today, and this evening my eyes are looking so, so red and inflamed. But if it's the case that my eyes are likely to get worse before they get better I'm going to stick with it. Do you think this might be the case?

Any ideas? Thanks

[Súil Eile]

Hi Leelah,

When I used Vividrin it stung a bit when I put it in the first few times but then it became perfectly comfortable. I was using the single dose units, and not the bottle - this is very important in order to avoid irritating your eyes with preservatives! If you are experiencing any discomfort when using drops that were not recommended by your eye doctor I would strongly recommend that you stop using them.

[rt1]

Hi!

I have been diagnosed blepharitis and a dust mites allergy and this kind of drops is giving me really good results too!

I use Allergo-Comod which comes in a preservative-free bottle. I order it from Germany where it is OTC and cheap (~3EUR). Its intended for seasonal use and
I've been using it periodically (say for about four weeks each) for about a year. It helps me to get my dry eyes stable.
Unlike "stronger" stuff like steroids or other anti-allergic drops it does take about a week until there is a significant difference. There are only very few side effects listed.

rt

[advocate]

Anti-allergy drops? That's what I've been recommending all along. MGD and Blepharitis are allergy problems, not bacteria, not fungal. ALLERGY.

I just got back from my ophthamologist....my blepharitis is gone! That's the first time in 5 years I haven't had it . This is only my second visit to that doctor. At my last appointment, he started me on Vividrin SDU drops (anti-allergy drops) to change the pH balance of my eyes to create an environment hostile to bacteria and therefore blepharitis. It seems to have worked! Because of that, I'm booked in to get punctual plugs at the end of the week! Before, the combination of bleph and plugs was a bad idea as the doctor was worried about a build up of bacteria.

I was actually really surprised that the bleph is gone, because I still have 'foreign body sensation' and what I thought were blisters. Turns out the 'blisters' are actually calcium deposits from dry eye - the sensation of which I was attributing to blepharitis.

My ophthamologist seems to like a challenge - good news for me! I know plugs may not be the final answer to my problems, but they are the most proactive approach yet.

This has been a very good day!!!

[Rebecca Petris]

I don't know how you can make such a broad pronouncement on MGD/bleph. There are so many forms of the disease and variety of causes.

[irish eyes]

I don't know how you can make such a broad pronouncement on MGD/bleph. There are so many forms of the disease and variety of causes.

Advocate

I'm with Rebecca on this one.

I've had thorough allergy testing done and nothing came up. In spite of that, I have still used anti-allergy stuff and it hasn't made any difference to my eyes.

I'm careful about the products I use, I have anti-allergy bedding etc etc but my problems persist.

My eyes are mega sensitive but that's not the same as allergies.

No one has been able to pinpoint a cause; that is because no one seems to know.

[Súil Eile]

I completely agree with Rebecca and Irish. The doctor who gave me the allergy drops did so with bacteria in mind, not allergies.

While we are all entitled to our opinions, and blepharitis has taken a different course with each of us, I think we have to be very careful about making such broad statements. Particularly as many people on here are having a tough time and are desperate for a remedy. We need to be careful that we don't encourage people to dismiss medical advice in favour of unqualified (albeit experienced) opinions.

[advocate]

I think that, in many cases, the people who are here are here because the traditional recommendations made by their doctors aren't working. Certainly, nobody should disregard what their doctor tells them. But, if what their doctor tells them isn't working, they should consult another type of doctor, i.e. an allergist, and see what they have to say as well.

The fact that allergy measures aren't working for you doesn't mean that the problems aren't caused by allergy. People can be allergic to a lot of different things, and even the best allergist can't test for everything. You may not have yet discovered what you are allergic to.

Your example is classic. Your doctor recommended an anti-allergy medication because he thought it would help with a bacterial infection, and thereby unwittingly gave you a treatment that worked.

I hope that those who are desperate for a remedy give serious consideration to allergy. I saw 15 different eye-care professionals and suffered for more than 3 years, and not one of them even suggested allergy. Thirthy minutes of cleaning gave me more relief than 3 years of steroids.

I completely agree with Rebecca and Irish. The doctor who gave me the allergy drops did so with bacteria in mind, not allergies.

While we are all entitled to our opinions, and blepharitis has taken a different course with each of us, I think we have to be very careful about making such broad statements. Particularly as many people on here are having a tough time and are desperate for a remedy. We need to be careful that we don't encourage people to dismiss medical advice in favour of unqualified (albeit experienced) opinions.