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  • Greasy eyes won't clear - post-Chloramphenicol hell

    My problem is grease on the eyes. It used to be manageable until I took a series of liquid eye drops and then an oily substance I have taken twice before. Only this time I cannot clear the grease easily at all. It clouds both eyes almost as if I have taken a small amount of the oil again, even though it has been weeks since I stopped.

    The drops I took were Optrex Infected Eyes, Ciloxan (which I found very stingy and chlorine like) followed by Chloramphenicol in a tube. This has 1% Chloramphenicol and Liquid Paraffin, Wool Fat and Yellow Soft Paraffin in it. It completely obscured the eyes but eventually they cleared. In fact while taking it I found my eyes were crystal clear after a few hours, but it did also seem to be clogging the eyes with a lot of wax. But now it's not easy to clear the eyes at all, as if the oil just won't go.

    I am also worried about having the oil in my system for longer than the recommended 5 days. What if it gets into the arteries? Or permanently damages the eyes?

    Recently I have also noticed the eyes becoming clouded with a thin haze of water-like grease too, which is very worrying. Clearing the nose seems to make it come on which leads me to think it is a sinus problem?

    I have been to the doctors and all they say is to take more eye drops, but I saw an optician who said not to take any more as it was the glands that were clogged up. Does anyone know what is the best thing to do to clear the grease?

    I have been told I have blepharitis so I use hot water and cotton pads to wash the eye lids and lashes every morning, followed by cotton buds to remove any flakes. However this seems to make the eyes cloud up again with grease just as they are starting to clear. Should I carry on with this treatment or seek a drug-based solution instead?

    I was bad in stopping the above treatment while I took the eye drops, which made the eyes cake up again. I noticed the eyelids were red and the lower lid puffy, which is still apparent, though there are not many flakes to remove in the morning.

    I have also been using an eye bath filled with warm water but this can make the eyes sore and irritable. It also clears them only for a while.

    Both eyes are also sore and sensitive making me blink more. It is a real hell and has made my life feel much worse. The eyes no longer feel 'normal'. When they do go back to normality, it isn't long before I blink and they start to grease up again.

    I have read a guide to causes of dry eye on here and the following things might be making my eyes worse. Can anyone confirm if any of them are?

    * runny nose/mucus. I tried a nasal spray and now I sometimes get a feeling of water inside the nose which sometimes drips out. I am worried that this is getting into the eyes and mixing with the grease.

    * blocked sinuses/ETD in the ears

    * hoovering the lounge carpet. I once treated it with a strong carpet cleaner and it's like this is going back in to the air every time I hoover it. The trouble is I spend a lot of time in that room, even using the computer there.

    * using a halogen heater right over the carpet spot I cleaned. Maybe it is just the dryness of the heat?

    * using a dehumidifier

    * closed windows

    * dark rooms due to trees outside. I feel this often makes me squint to read

    * tumble dryer - infected?

    * dust mites! My house has carpets in *every* room, even the bathroom and kitchen, which can't be good!

    * dandruff

    * sensitive to sunlight

    * recurrent acne

    * i work on computers in an air-conditioned office which makes me blink and grease up a lot. Only when I get home do they start to clear.

    * tired eyes due to lack of sleep and worrying

    One last thing - one eye is worse and always used to grease up when overworked until the next day. But now it is nearly always greased up and I can't seem to clear it. It happened when I took Ciloxan drops which have bits of caked drops around the bottle. I felt as if a caked bit had gotten into the eye as it stung so badly I couldn't open it. I rubbed it to clear the stinging and it has made it even more prone to greasing up. It was also infected the next day with yellow discharge which went away. I call it my 'bad eye' only it now seems to be always bad. What can I do about it not clearing?

    Please offer any helpful advice you can!

    Many thanks.
    Last edited by christopheruk; 30-Jul-2009, 14:19.

  • #2
    I don't know---are you sure it's grease? I used to have a problem with a film over my eyes when they were really inflamed and reacting to an allergy trigger. They would get a cloudy substance on the surface. Since it's produced by the eyes, it keeps coming back even after you rinse the eyes with drops or clean them.
    Plain saline rinse is good for reducing the build-up of the "haze"---have you tried unpreserved saline solution? Try maybe a couple times a day, as part of the cleaning routine.

    I don't think you have to worry about "oil in your system" from the ointment. It's a very small amount and isn't absorbed into your body any more than using petroleum jelly or lotion on your skin.

    The eye medications you've been using are used to fight infection and kill bacteria and have a strong preservatives, too, so it's possible you are having an allergic reaction (in your eyes) to that. People with MGD and dry eyes are sometimes VERY sensitive to strong medications---often we cannot tolerate them for more than a few days.

    C

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    • #3
      chloramphenicol

      Hi Chris,

      i just got back from GP as I have been having same problems with chl.phenicol. Tues and Wed so bad at clearing eyes, particularly the right, that I had to stay at home, couldn't see well enough to drive etc. Nothing I did cleared it, was very scary. Now got prescription for fusilic acid which think is bit stronger but doesn't make eyes as greasy (I used it before).

      Don't think you need to worry about oil in your body, I just think it doesn't suit you and you need to try something else. Hope this helps.

      liz

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      • #4
        I thought it was grease as the effect around LED and ceiling lights appeared to be the same.

        calli66 - are you saying the problem will continue indefinitely if it's produced by the eyes? I have never had this problem before after taking drops.

        Went into town today and it was sunny and warm, my eyes cleared up as if they were back to normal. Same thing happened on Monday this week. But as I was coming home on the bus they got sore and the eyes started to swell up again with fluid. By the time I got home I was a mess. The evening has stayed that way, though they are gradually trying to clear.

        I noticed my nose was also swelling with fluid on the bus. Also clearing it at home seemed to make the eyes cloud up with a watery substance again.

        I haven't tried a saline solution yet except for using sea salt to clean the lids, though I am worried about making the eyes sore. Is there a brand you can recommend?

        I used to get a lot of discharge from the eyes in the past, noticeable when waking up. But after taking the oil I found this didn't happen. Only now is there a greasy outpouring which builds up during the day. Is it possible I have stopped the eyes from clearing themselves properly somehow? Surely any grease or oil would run out after a day?

        If the eyes are now producing the fluid via the glands then how come this not happen in the past? And if it is an allergic reaction to eye drops, surely this would have gone away when I stopped taking them?

        Sorry for all the questions, I am extremely concerned about this situation and need hope that there is some kind of solution, even if it only eases them rather than cures them. It's awful to have the eyes like this after years of relative normality! It is affecting everything I do, such as reading, computer, TV etc.

        The optician recommended some hot massage pads for the eyes. Do you think they are a good idea? And should I follow the doctor's advice and take normal eye drops 4 times a day?

        lizibet - last time I was on chloramph, I got given some other drug the week after which was similar but cleared up any grease. Alas this time all the doctor said was to wash the eyes! How are you finding the fusilic acid? Is it clearing your problem?

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        • #5
          Hi ChristopUK

          I can't recommend a saline solution brand in UK--I live in US and don't know what is available there.

          After I read Lizibet's reply, I realized that maybe you indeed have some sort of "grease" lingering on after the medications you used. And it is still possible that the discharge is an allergic response. I doubt that the problem will go on indefinitely, though it may take a while to stabilize.

          I don't have much to add; I'm not a doctor and I don't know what to suggest other than "hang in there," it'll get better (well, more likely it'll change to something different).

          I try to use Rule No. 1 of Troubleshooting: what was the last thing you changed before things went wrong. For you, that seems to be the eye medications. They either worked too well (and got the oil glands pumping like mad), or they triggered a reaction which upset the balance of your tears. Of the three components, it seems like you have too much oil and mucous and not enough liquid.

          Or something like that.

          Best,

          C

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          • #6
            hi christopheruk

            only just started fusilic yesterday but this morning at least the greasy film had gone and I could get on with the day (albeit still in pain!) I mentioned my severe headaches to GP and she suggested I drop the prednisilone drops so now am on doxy and fusilic.
            Have you tried hot compresses on your eyes, also hot steamy showers always help me when I don't know what to do with myself.

            good luck. liz

            Comment


            • #7
              calli66 - "what was the last thing you changed before things went wrong."

              I was OK until I stopped taking the chloramph. I think I came off it a day too soon. The next day I was fine but the day after that all hell broke loose and my eyes were a greasy mess.

              Today has been awful with a watery grease I could not shift. I have got it better this evening but my bad eye is full of grease. If I look in the mirror it looks like grease but with lots of blobs too.

              Thanks for your advice! The doctor didn't believe it could be grease left over as he'd never come across it before.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by lizibet View Post
                only just started fusilic yesterday but this morning at least the greasy film had gone and I could get on with the day (albeit still in pain!)
                What kind of pain? Around the eyes? My bad eye is slightly painful today after too much blinking.

                Found a leaflet for fusilic acid that I must have taken myself in the recent past! It is for a product called "Fucithalmic". Is that what you're on?

                Good to hear you are getting better!

                Have you tried hot compresses on your eyes
                No, the optician recommended them. What is the brand name to ask for at the chemist?

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                • #9
                  hi chris

                  sorry to hear about your problem,wish i had some helpful advice for you but i understand about how its turned your life upside down as im the same but with horendous dryness and burning,but im not sure if you have found a decent eye specialist but id recomend seeing someone who knows what you mean about teh grease as theres nothing worse than going round in circles,ive seen about 7 specialist in my area all a bit how can i put it not knowledgeable on dry eye so im off to i hope is a brilliant one london.
                  sorry not to be more of a help but just feel finding someone that understands your symptoms and can treat you is the way to go.

                  take care

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                  • #10
                    I want to see a specialist as the GPs don't seem to understand my problem enough. What type do I need to specify?

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                    • #11
                      what i found out is you need a corneal specialist really as i know different eye people have there own fields that they work in,
                      is that what you meant sorry

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                      • #12
                        thanks kate

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                        • #13
                          hi chris,

                          the pain in my eyes is a general burning, dry stinging feeling and a "headache" type of pain in my sockets and forehead, never really goes away just varies in intensity. For hot compresses I use a thin flannel soaked in hot water and keep re-applying. Just gives some comfort really, doesn't help the real problem.

                          Kate, when are you going to see your man in London, good luck with it hope you get some good news.

                          lizbet

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                          • #14
                            youve both prob seem this but thought id send it just incase http://www.dry-eyes.co.uk/acatalog/The_Eye_Bag.html

                            i find it way easier then using a hot cloth as i use to do that but this is far quicker plus its a brill website for different drops.

                            lizibet-i go in couple weeks,cant come quick enough to be honest wish it was tomoz,will have keep you posted.

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                            • #15
                              Does anyone use any products on that site for lid cleaning? I am just using warm water at the moment which I don't think is really that effective.

                              Comment

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