Do I have MGD?

[stephgurl1986]

Hey all,

I know one cannot diagnose via the internet - but I'm about to drive crazy right now.
My eyes are so horrible and I seriously consider seeing Dr. Toyos in L.A. The only problem is that I'm in Germany, that I have to study and to work and I actually don't have the time and money to fly to L.A. every month. I think I'm a candidate for IPL, but I'm not sure about MGD.

A lot of doctors told me that my eyes weren't that dry. Dr.Latkany even removed my plugs saying that I have plenty of tears which are "toxic". He also told me I might have rosacea (with no skin signs). I have horrible pain and my eyes are always soooooo red. My eyelid don't look too inflammed. I do lid massages every day (the way Dr. Latkany showed me) but I only see some "fluid" coming out at the oter part of my worse eye. I don't see anything on the other eye lid or at the inner part. My lower eyelids always feel heavy as if something like a stone is in them.
I remember a doctor telling me that my TBUT is 2-3secs.

So, do you think I have MGD? How do I know whether my glands are blocked or if I have blepharitis?

I'm quite desperate right now. I'll leave university next winter and I'm just not able to work. Right now I have a part time student job and the computer and air cond. make my eyes so horrible.

I've tried almost everything else from Restatis, plugs, Lacrisert, all those different drops, lenses...

What else is there?

Sorry for this long post, I'm just feeling really down right now...

[stella]

Steph girl
Have you tried clinitas ultra 3 yet ?
They have helped several of us

[bernmee]

Are you taking Omega 3 oils.

B.

[LasikRelatedDES]

Hey all,

I know one cannot diagnose via the internet - but I'm about to drive crazy right now.
My eyes are so horrible and I seriously consider seeing Dr. Toyos in L.A. The only problem is that I'm in Germany, that I have to study and to work and I actually don't have the time and money to fly to L.A. every month. I think I'm a candidate for IPL, but I'm not sure about MGD.

A lot of doctors told me that my eyes weren't that dry. Dr.Latkany even removed my plugs saying that I have plenty of tears which are "toxic". He also told me I might have rosacea (with no skin signs). I have horrible pain and my eyes are always soooooo red. My eyelid don't look too inflammed. I do lid massages every day (the way Dr. Latkany showed me) but I only see some "fluid" coming out at the oter part of my worse eye. I don't see anything on the other eye lid or at the inner part. My lower eyelids always feel heavy as if something like a stone is in them.
I remember a doctor telling me that my TBUT is 2-3secs.

So, do you think I have MGD? How do I know whether my glands are blocked or if I have blepharitis?

I'm quite desperate right now. I'll leave university next winter and I'm just not able to work. Right now I have a part time student job and the computer and air cond. make my eyes so horrible.

I've tried almost everything else from Restatis, plugs, Lacrisert, all those different drops, lenses...

What else is there?

Sorry for this long post, I'm just feeling really down right now...

It's hard to say when you're not a doctor (and for many doctors it's hard to know even then) but from what you state, it sounds like MGD. TBUT of 2 secs. Plenty of tears but feeling of dryness and irritation. Redness.

I'm sorry to hear about it. Know you have plenty of company.

[sazy123]

Hey all,

I know one cannot diagnose via the internet - but I'm about to drive crazy right now.
My eyes are so horrible and I seriously consider seeing Dr. Toyos in L.A. The only problem is that I'm in Germany, that I have to study and to work and I actually don't have the time and money to fly to L.A. every month. I think I'm a candidate for IPL, but I'm not sure about MGD.

A lot of doctors told me that my eyes weren't that dry. Dr.Latkany even removed my plugs saying that I have plenty of tears which are "toxic". He also told me I might have rosacea (with no skin signs). I have horrible pain and my eyes are always soooooo red. My eyelid don't look too inflammed. I do lid massages every day (the way Dr. Latkany showed me) but I only see some "fluid" coming out at the oter part of my worse eye. I don't see anything on the other eye lid or at the inner part. My lower eyelids always feel heavy as if something like a stone is in them.
I remember a doctor telling me that my TBUT is 2-3secs.

So, do you think I have MGD? How do I know whether my glands are blocked or if I have blepharitis?

I'm quite desperate right now. I'll leave university next winter and I'm just not able to work. Right now I have a part time student job and the computer and air cond. make my eyes so horrible.

I've tried almost everything else from Restatis, plugs, Lacrisert, all those different drops, lenses...

What else is there?

Sorry for this long post, I'm just feeling really down right now...

Hi steph girl-

What were your schimmer results?

If they are high, with a TBUT of 2/3 secs i would assume MGD.

If doctor latkany said you have plenty of tears and removed plugs and said you may have rosacea- that also suggests MGD.

The signs certainly point that way.

Ive tried everything you have as well.

It doesn't matter whether you can see blocked glands or not, some people have obvious capping others dont have anything obvious- i cant see any but mine are blocked by inflamed eyelids.

Have you looked at allergies? theres an informative thread regarding allergies to perfume in product.

[clairvoyant]

This makes me so mad, so many people are confused and I hear all this bs about all these doctors not giving meds because this or that like with gretchen and doxy. That is abosolutely absurd if you have mgd there is no way it is going to go away without doxy or azasite + something or steroids or hormones or tacrolimus or one of the many meds to treat it.

If dr. l showed you how to do massage then you have mgd.

Here's the thing, you should be able to tell where you have MGD at. If he helped you do the massage first and you felt a certain area that felt better when you put pressure on it than that is where the worst of the MGD is. Or if doctors press on your lid while at the slit lamp, that's where it is. It is very easy to see in the mirror.

Once you have it though I think all your glands can get affected, eg after eating or lid scrubs. You should have spots that are worse though and easy to see.

Anyway, 200mg doxy is what gets it done and sometimes that's not even enough. Lid scrubs will make the mgd worse but help the blepharitis. Not messing up the mgd is way better than cleaning the bleph up. Warm compresses and working out + diet will do it for the anterior bleph and azasite. That's really all u need for that. Doxy helps too.

Also sazy when you say inner eyelid that sounds exactly where the MGD is, so that's probably what you are referencing.

It is very tough and w/o proper treatment it will not budge.

I think going to do IPL is a bad idea unless you live close or it is really not a thing for u. Like u have the time and money, if that is the case then yea do it. But it is easily handled with medicine and you won't have to worry about retreatments.

I'm wondering if it helps with the anterior blepharitis... need to call him and see.

Everything I am saying is true. I hope it helps someone.

Also gretchen and her doctor- people are on doxy for 20 + years and there have been reports both ways. Some saying it causes cancer and others saying it helps prevent breast cancer. So tell that doctor to shove it. =p

Not sure about gut bacteria, probiotics might be ok for that but if it really is bad one can go to topical.

[TARYN]

Mgd

MGD, why will lid scrubs make MGD worse?

[clairvoyant]

Not exactly sure the scientific reason but it basically clogs them glands up and that is one of the main problems to begin with. It will cause surface inflammation too. I think it's the detergents in it.

Dropping first can help a lil then going over lid with qtip after. I haven't used them in like 4 months. I think people can use them but I would say like once every 3 to 7 days. I'll probably start using them again soon.

Also face creams and washing my face will exacerbate the mgd. Gels don't though for some odd reason. It's tough. Stuff still isn't perfect for me.

It's a tough condition to really control both evils but it's better to go after the greater of the two to start. I'm still trying to get the lesser of the 2 into remission.

I feel so damn grateful to all the doctors who have helped me, especially to my current one.

And coffee = bad I get too hyper on this crap.

[TARYN]

Mgd

Thanks for the info. Who is your current doctor?

I wasn't sure what you were referring to in your reply when you said that you were using once every 3 to 7 days and were going to start up again?

You mentioned Azasite...are you using that?

You sound like you know so much about MGD.

[stephgurl1986]

Thank you so much for your answers. Can somebody explain me the difference between MGD and Blepharitis?

After doing lid massages my eyes look more "oily" but my lids are totally red afterwards. And the oily feeling only lasts for a few minutes. Is anybody experiencing the same?

@Sazy: I've done several Schirmer tests, and afterwards doctors just tell me that my tears aren't that bad, that the amount of tears is almost normal.

[Randolph]

That is abosolutely absurd if you have mgd there is no way it is going to go away without doxy or azasite + something or steroids or hormones or tacrolimus or one of the many meds to treat it.

Are you basing this on some study or is that from talking to people?

Here's the thing, you should be able to tell where you have MGD at. If he helped you do the massage first and you felt a certain area that felt better when you put pressure on it than that is where the worst of the MGD is.

Is it like the kind of relief you get from rubbing something sore or is it something different?

Or if doctors press on your lid while at the slit lamp, that's where it is. It is very easy to see in the mirror.

You mean the oil coming out?

Once you have it though I think all your glands can get affected, eg after eating or lid scrubs.

I don't understand? What's the correlation between eating and MGD spreading from one gland to the others?

You should have spots that are worse though and easy to see.

Like the clogged openings? But isn't it possible to have MGD without any visible clogs?

Warm compresses and working out + diet will do it for the anterior bleph and azasite.

How does working out help for anterior bleph? Does it work for posterior bleph and other causes of dry eye, too?

You really do seem to know your stuff. Folks like you are a blessing!

[clairvoyant]

Are you basing this on some study or is that from talking to people?!

It was a bit arbritrary but for the most part on expierence. Others I have read reports about.

Is it like the kind of relief you get from rubbing something sore or is it something different?

Well, really I would say more than anything, with that example I would like it akin to picking a scab off I guess. It being like a slightly better feeling. Like "ah, that felt good" in a weird way.

Dr. Latkany, in his book has a diagram of using a q-tip on the meibomian glands. When you run the q-tip over you should feel just slightly where the disease is.

You mean the oil coming out?

Well, if he pushed hard enough on it. But my point was, if he did do that and say did manually express the gland with his finger nail then you should feel exactly where that was and be able to reference it. That is if you are aware what he is doing.

I don't understand? What's the correlation between eating and MGD spreading from one gland to the others?

Simply put, that is what activates the disease. Other parts can be clogged without it but eating is what feeds it. You can get away with eating if you are mitigating and don't use the computer after but the worse foods you eat the more the MGD will get affected. There are papers on this.

Like the clogged openings? But isn't it possible to have MGD without any visible clogs?

I think I've read this. There are like 10 types of MGD, probably even more but for the most part you should be able to feel where the mgd is and then be able to locate it. It is easier to see it though when compared to a non-diseased state. For me though, I have 1 bad spot that is very easy to see when it gets flared. I have other harder to see locations and in fact the type of clogging looks different but it is still visible. Also the lid margins start to look different when they get better.

How does working out help for anterior bleph? Does it work for posterior bleph and other causes of dry eye, too?

Well trutfully this helps more with appearance. I think it does have anti-inflammatory effects. It basically increases circulation which is the opposite of what inflammation does, it's like a road block. It does similar for the surface of the eye too. You might feel better after your shower but it can actually flare the posterior blepharitis, you gotta be sure to take your shower right after.

[clairvoyant]

Thanks for the info. Who is your current doctor?

I wasn't sure what you were referring to in your reply when you said that you were using once every 3 to 7 days and were going to start up again?

You mentioned Azasite...are you using that?

You sound like you know so much about MGD.

I'm saying... one should probably only do a lid scrub once every 3 days. I don't do them at all. I use to and will probably again in the future but because I just had lasik a few months ago I am waiting cause I don't want to cause any damage to my eyes. They are good for appearance though.

[clairvoyant]

MGD = posterior blepharitis. It is a critical layer of the tear film

Blepharitis or anterior blepharitis is inflammation of the peri-ocular and lid area. A lot feel this is just cosmetic but I would disagree.

[sanna]

steph,

Do you feel that the red veins is the problem? I mean do you feel like if the veins were gone it would be a lot better? The veins in my eyes makes my eye feel so much worse. I only have more of a problem with one eye the other eye that doesn´t have so many veins doesn´t feel as bad.