If its not one thing, its another. Anyone?

[Shogan]

My symptoms and pains seem to change daily and sometimes hourly. I can't seem to predict what action or environment causes a certain symptom.

Today my eyes haven't felt scratchy/gritty, and I haven't had any eye strain (been on the computer and working as usual) but my left eye is burning today and has been since late last night. I noticed my left lower eyelid is red and looks irritated/inflamed.

It just seems that when my eye isn't burning, it feels gritty or exposed and they just seem to flip-flop. If not eye strain then burning, etc.

Anyones symptoms and pains change frequently?

*exhaling frustration/exhaustion*

[Margaret]

That's the number one most annoying thing about all of this madness. there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason. A week ago I thought i had this dry eye thing beat. I definitely wasn't normal, but on my way to feeling better, or so I thought. This week I can't use the computer for more than 3 minutes, can't drive or read. My eyelids are so swollen and inflamed and now my eyes themselves look red and irritated for the first time ever perhaps. I haven't any idea what I've done differently either. Be happy and thankful you can even get on the computer. If I didn't have my own business I would definitely be out of job! Sorry, I'm no help because I'm brand new to this, but I hear your frustrations.

Margaret

[skeeter70]

I am the same way. I have been on Restasis for 3 months and got punctal plugs 3 weeks ago. It seems that with each treatment, there comes new symptoms. For example, after getting plugs now when I use my drops I get mucus strands and a foreign object feeling. The foreign object feeling was almost as annoying as the burning that is beginning to lessen at times. I am hoping that this is just normal on the road to recovery. When I started using Restasis, a new type of burn persisted, but that is gone now.

I agree that there is little predictability to this mess. Sometimes I can tolerate the sun and other times I cannot. For example, I was in the sun all day yesterday and my eye burned horribly the entire day, yet I went on vacation at the beach and tolerated the sun fairly well. Now, I am planning on purchasing 7eye sunglasses. I hope that these help without causing other strange symptoms.

So Shogan, yes I am another one that is experiencing what you are. Misery enjoys company. (so they say). I have a friend that went through a horrible crisis spell with her dry eye. At the time I did not know it, but she has dry eye She almost went blind and was in excruciating pain. I remember everyone in our church requested prayer for her. I recall seeing her being led around by her family members in public because she was wearing eye patches. That has been about 6 years ago. With treatment, she does great. She says that she never thinks about her eyes and only uses drops a every once in a while. She is my inspiration. She gives me so much hope. We must be patient and our relief shall come too.

[Súil Eile]

It really is infuriating when trying to figure out what sets my eyes off. For a while I tried to keep track of what I was doing every day and how my eyes felt during the day, in an attempt to somehow correlate my eye pain with my environment/ activities. But I gave up! There seemed to be no connection with anything. I'm willing to make significant changes to my lifestyle to accomodate my eyes...but there's nothing to indicate what changes to make! (Other than the obvious stay away from heaters and AC, and not too much eye strain).

Sometimes my bleph gets better while my dry eye gets worse, and sometimes vice versa. Seems to be no logic at all!

I think the most difficult and frustrating times aren't when my eyes are at their worst...it's when they've felt good for a while and then start to deteriorate again. So frustrating!