SSRIs and Dry Eye- your experiences?

[MLE]

Hi everyone,

I'm a fairly new dry eye sufferer. The effects of this diagnosis on my emotions have been pretty brutal, so I am now on 10mg of Paxil (a dose that has worked for me in the past- but it is the lowest prescribable dose) and 0.5mg of Klonopin BID. The Paxil doesn't seem to be having much of an effect (been on it for three weeks now), but I am afraid to increase dose because it can exacerbate dry eye. Arrgh!

I was just curious as to what others experiences were on SSRIs- did they make your dry eye worse or not? Which ones were you taking?

Thanks so much,
MLE

[Hopeful2]

Hi MLE,

I know how debilitating the depression that can come along with dry eyes can be. I am glad you have found this forum for it can be a great source of information and support.

First of all, you need to view anything you read here objectively. What works, or doesn't work will vary from person to person. This site gives you lots of treatment options that you can discuss with your doctor and decide which you would like to pursue.

I did try a couple of different SSRIs recently. In August I tried Effexor. It did a really good job of taking away my hot flashes, but did nothing for my depression/anxiety, and gave me a really really dry mouth along with somewhat dry eyes. In October, I worked with a pharmacist and a psychiatrist to get an SSRI that would have the lowest impact on my eyes. The pharmacist showed me a little flip reference manual that listed all the antidepressants and rated them for there likelihood in causing dry eye (or drying effect). If I remember correctly, Zoloft rated a zero, Celexa rated a 1, and Efexxor rated a three (with zero being the least likely to produce dryness). I did try the Zoloft. . . didn't notice much dry eye, but did experience a lot of nausea, weight loss, and anxiety. Long story short, after ten days I felt the medication was causing more issues than it was solving. My eye pain and anxiety were still there.

What did help me emotionally was relaxation, meditation, and cognitive (positive thought) therapy. I am pleased to say that I have regained some weight, sleep better, have no more eye pain and feel more positive about my ability to manage my dry eyes. Incidentally, I think my eyes are much better off now that I am not crying all the time : )

Check with your doctor and pharmacist to find a medication that works for you. Also, fish oils have an antidepressant effect. . . added bonus .

Hope you are soon smiling again!

Hopeful2

[jenny2008]

i tried cymbalta and it didnt dry my eyes but dried my mouth horribly.. i have sjogrens so it doesnt take much..
i also take xanax and ambien (not anti depressents) -they are supposed to be drying but i feel better after taking them

[MLE]

Thanks for your input.

I also do see a therapist for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which I do think helps (albeit slowly). I'm still at the stage where I'm having a hard time "accepting" that I have this disease and wondering where it is going to take me. I'm sure with the passing of time things will get easier, but it is just so hard when you are feeling so bad on a daily basis. At least Klonopin helps me sleep well, and maybe I'll give my low dose of Paxil a few more weeks. To some extent I realize that anytime you are diagnosed with a chronic disease these feelings are totally normal, but it doesn't make them any easier! Thanks for listening.

[Hopeful2]

I totally agree. . .

Please don't think that I am against antidepressants. . . they just didn't help me. If they can help you feel better, I would go for them. I think feeling better is sooo important. A particularly wise member of DEZ said "get the anxiety under control and the dry eye will follow". . . this has become my mantra I have learned over the past six months that when my anxiety is under control my eyes feel so much better and I feel that I can cope.

[MLE]

Absolutely.

When I'm anxious about my eyes I'm constantly surveying them and so tuned in to how they feel. When my anxiety is less I can ignore them much better. When I find myself "surveying" I try to tell myself "all it is is discomfort, and I can cope with some discomfort". That seems to be a fairly helpful mantra for me.

[Schatten]

I am soon to find out how antidepressants and dry eyes are like - I go to a psychiatric clinic because of my severe depression and anxiety

- Every man's dream, spending christmas in a clinic

[spmcc]

The effects of this diagnosis on my emotions have been pretty brutal

Have you tried moisture chamber glasses (e.g., Wiley X or 7Eye or something like) to help your dry eyes?

They really do help. For me, they took away the severe pain from dry eyes. Because of that, they helped reduce the panic, anger, and depression that arose from finding myself in this horrible situation. They allowed me to think clearly about how to proceed with my treatment.

Here's a link to Rebecca's guide: guide

Good luck.

[MLE]

Hi there,

Yes, I do wear the dreaded moisture chambers both at work on the computer and while watching TV in the evening. And they do help my symptoms quite a bit. However, I always get angry when I have to "resort" to them- part of that whole lack of acceptance thing I seem to be struggling with. . . but I agree, they provide a great deal of symptomatic relief.
-MLE

[sazy123]

Beaware of Lexipro (citlopram), that caused my severe dry eye- well made it a million times worse.

Others say some are safer to use. But i dont have expereince since im to scared to try and i do OK using CBT methods MOST of the time. I get frustrated though and fall back into depression.