Head cold over, now MGD/dry eyes worse!

[SonicEm]

Just got over a head cold for the past 3 weeks. Now that the congestion is almost gone and I'm not taking the Claritin antihistimine (which was drying but tolerable), I find my daily routine for controlling my Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and dry eyes is not really working as well. My eyes are burning, dry and irritated even though I'm doing:

* hot facials twice a day,
* Azasite drops 1/day,
* Systane Balance 4X/day,
* OTC drops like Systane Ultra and Oasis as needed, sometimes every hour.

Am I in something like a flare? Is this temporary? Anyone have a reaction like this?

Am confused - called my eye doc but she could not offer any more suggestions or treatments. Am now looking around to see another eye doc in the area, if I can find one and also get an appointment reasonably soon.

[Bill Sonoma County]

DED increaed after URI

Just got over a head cold for the past 3 weeks. Now that the congestion is almost gone and I'm not taking the Claritin antihistimine (which was drying but tolerable), I find my daily routine for controlling my Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and dry eyes is not really working as well. My eyes are burning, dry and irritated even though I'm doing:

* hot facials twice a day,
* Azasite drops 1/day,
* Systane Balance 4X/day,
* OTC drops like Systane Ultra and Oasis as needed, sometimes every hour.

Am I in something like a flare? Is this temporary? Anyone have a reaction like this?

Am confused - called my eye doc but she could not offer any more suggestions or treatments. Am now looking around to see another eye doc in the area, if I can find one and also get an appointment reasonably soon.

Sorry to hear of the symptom flare. A major increase in DED symptoms following viral Upper Respiratory Infection, and in particular a URI that included conjunctivitis, has been a forum topic a few times. I have experienced this three times in the past several years. The pain was devasting. There was no beneficial understanding or relief offered by ophthalmologists. Yes, it was temporary for me--a couple of months the first time, six months the third time.

Did you have Conjunctivitis also (goopy red eyes)? I believe that DED pain flare following URI/conjunctivitis is a valid, important and neglected clinical syndrome and I sure hope this resolves quickly for you. Also hope that some thoughtful clinician or researcher can learn from these episodes and help sufferers. Be cautious with "hot" facials, though I did them also.

Hope your better soon.

B

[lulu]

Upper respitory virus or adenovirus usually flares the dryness for most folks with dry eye problems, mine killed after a virus but did get a bit easier after a few months, but unfortunately I am very bad at the mo so did not have much of a respite. My optho says it does affect the tear production and in most people will settle, so hang on in there and look forward to it settling, which for most it does.
I am in the longest flare really, started last September and only had a few weeks where it got easier, drat.
Good luck
Lulu x