Dry Eye Drop That Has Done Amazing Things For Me

[Tankie]

Hi,

Just thought I'll update you on my progress. I have been taping my eyelids shut and wearing a sleep mask over it at night. It's been a week and my eyes have really improved. They still get aggravated throughout the day but the severity is definitely less. I have been using TheraTears, 4 times a day at even intervals, using the entire vial each time(4-5 drops in each eye) and closing my eyes for 5 mins while it saturates the eyes. This rest really helps during the day. I've also been using the hot compress 3-4 times a day and this really helps too! Looks like having my eyelids actually shut at night time is a well deserved relief for my eyes, a long time coming.

I ordered TranquilEyes, so until they get delivered I will keep using tape at night.

I have also started supplementing my diet with some vitamins. I have been taking flaxseed oil, wild salmon oil (omega3), vitamin A and evening primrose oil twice daily and I have actually noticed my eyes tearing more naturally. It is expensive to keep this supplementing up but I will keep it going for the time being to see if it drives down the problem.

I have also been taking one dose of Bilberry daily, which is supposed to assist with eye strain, while I have increased my water in take to 2-3 litres per day to see if it helps with inflammation. as you can tell i'm hoping to cure the problem from the inside, not external.

Will update again in a week.

How have you been going?

P.S. What's your thoughts on this? http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/tarsorrhaphy-1

Hey! Thanks for responding again

I'm glad things are starting to improve for you. If there was one bit of criticism I would give you, it would be that I think you should try wearing goggles, just for a week or something, just to see how it goes. If it helps, great. If not, well you'll have some people who will come up to you and ask "what's with the goggles?" lol

In response to the "Tarsorrhaphy" procedure... Hmm I've never heard of this before. I don't want to give you any advice on this, because quite frankly I'm not the guy for the job. I'd ask a doctor about it, or possibly someone on here who has had this done to them.

Ok... now for me...

Update:
So overall things have been going very good. In one of my classrooms where there are only 15 people in the class, someone asked me about my goggles, and I essentially explained to the whole class my situation lol. I didn't really mind though, it was kind of funny, because I said that, "I am like Darth Vader. I can take my mask off for a few seconds, but after that I'll die!" People got a kick out of that For anyone who doesn't understand this joke, PLEASE WATCH STAR WARS RETURN OF THE JEDI! haha

But ya, no one has ever made fun of me or been disrespectful. I've had a few people on campus completely randomly walking up to me and saying "what's with the goggles?" I think these people are just a little over curious, but I don't mind answering them.

I think this was a major step for me, and quite likely a major step for a lot others. Don't be self-conscious about your dry eyes. There might be the occasional person out there who laughs at you for it (although I've never met one yet), but 99.9% of people will be very respectful and understanding. It's not something you should hide, it's ok to let people know you have a problem, and that you're dealing with it in the hopes of being cured some day.

Anyway, today was the first time I've actually taken my goggles off for anything. I played tennis with 3 friends, and then I played indoor soccer with a bunch of people. I did all this with no goggles on because I figured I would need my peripheral vision, otherwise someone might get hurt (probably me!).

I unfortunately have to say that I did feel pain during this time. The goggles really REALLY make the difference for me, and I just hope that some how, some way, I'll be able to get rid of them some day. But for now, I HAVE to have my goggles on at all times. I'll keep you all updated on my status with the goggles, because chances are I'll try taking them off again in about a weeks time or so, just to see how my eyes handle exposure to the air.

I've said this before, but I'll say it one more time...
- I use cyclosporine to fight my aqueous deficiency.
- I use hot compresses to fight my semi-blocked glands.
- I use TheraTears Gel to make up for the lack of oils in the eyes due to my glands not working properly.
- I wear goggles at all times (even when I sleep) to prevent the air from drying out my eyes.

- With goggles on, no pain what so ever. Truly remarkable.
- Without goggles on... well I've only tried it once, and I had pain. It wasn't the worst pain, but pain nevertheless.

Ok I hope this helps someone out there. I'll update you all again in a little while.

update

Hi,

Just thought I'll update you on my progress. I have been taping my eyelids shut and wearing a sleep mask over it at night. It's been a week and my eyes have really improved. They still get aggravated throughout the day but the severity is definitely less. I have been using TheraTears, 4 times a day at even intervals, using the entire vial each time(4-5 drops in each eye) and closing my eyes for 5 mins while it saturates the eyes. This rest really helps during the day. I've also been using the hot compress 3-4 times a day and this really helps too! Looks like having my eyelids actually shut at night time is a well deserved relief for my eyes, a long time coming.

I ordered TranquilEyes, so until they get delivered I will keep using tape at night.

I have also started supplementing my diet with some vitamins. I have been taking flaxseed oil, wild salmon oil (omega3), vitamin A and evening primrose oil twice daily and I have actually noticed my eyes tearing more naturally. It is expensive to keep this supplementing up but I will keep it going for the time being to see if it drives down the problem.

I have also been taking one dose of Bilberry daily, which is supposed to assist with eye strain, while I have increased my water in take to 2-3 litres per day to see if it helps with inflammation. as you can tell i'm hoping to cure the problem from the inside, not external.

Will update again in a week.

How have you been going?

P.S. What's your thoughts on this? http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/tarsorrhaphy-1

[Tankie]

Tankie,

I've been following your posts recently. Your experiments are very interesting.

I have EXACTLY the same condition as you. I'm 22 and my eyes have been severley dry for 2-3 years now. It has completely ruined my social life too. I try not to let it bother me too much because life could be worse, could be blind or have some other more serious physical disability. Going to the movies, watching tv, shopping centres (air conditioning) and university have become very difficult. Lifestyle changes help to manage it but overall I'd say it has reduced my quality of life. Very frustrating!

My eyes are very sensitive to light and things like air conditioning/heating & tv/computer use aggravates them alot. My eye lids get very inflamed throughout the day and if I don't take the following steps they get vey red and uncomfortable, unpleasant.

I too use TheraTears liquid gel. I have to put drops in every half hour, sometimes more often while I'm awake. It helps alot but still the problem won't go away. At night, I use a very strong/thick ointment called PolyVisc. My optometrist recommended I use it to assist with the pain overnight. It's preservative free, made from Paraffin & Wool Fat. It's very good, thought you might be interested in giving it a try. I live in Melbourne, Australia, so I'm not sure if its available where you live. I also use a hot compress at least 3 times a day to stimulate the tear glands.

Something my optometerist discovered recently was that my eye lids do not close completely when I blink, and most likely they are slightly open at night (very minor, not visible to the naked eye). She said this can actually be a form of facial paralysis. The medical term is Nocturnal Lagophthalmos. Unfortunately, we've discovered this fact a few years too late, and most likely this has had a detrimental effect over time causing my chronic dry eye. 

I have started using tape to keep my eyes shut at night. The best tape to use is medical/surgical tape that is hypo-allergenic. It's available at any pharmacy, and is very gentle on the skin so I don't get any rash. 

I've been doing this for a few days, (on top of all my other daily treatments), but apparently it will take 2-3 months before any improvement will be noticeable. Sounds fair enough considering they've been open at night for possibly the past 3 years, so I don't mind waiting. Hopefully it will help, fingers crossed. 

I'm also considering buying TranquilEyes for night time. They sound like a good idea.

I will keep you updated to see how I go over the next few months. Let me know how your situation is going, or any new tips.

Zac

Hey Zac, thanks for sharing all that! O wow that rhymed...

Ahem, anyway, I really really REALLY think you should get goggles! I just got back from university and I wore my goggles all day long and my eyes feel great! I did my homework during my breaks, and I only put in some TheraTears twice during the day as a precaution, and not because I really needed it.

Here is a link to the exact pair of goggles that I wear for anyone who is interested: http://www.kiefer.com/ProductDetails/StyleMasterDetails.aspx?pid={F74088CF-E899-4801-B19B-8FCB442E1536}&gid={56d62137-6293-4e7b-bfe3-790ed2e20abe}&GroupName=Kids+Goggles%2c+Masks+%26+ Snorkels&pname=Speedo+Hydrospex2+Goggles&Referer=& Alias=&ptct=&CTitle=The+Kiefer+swim+experts+also+r ecommend%3a&

I wish they didn't have the logo in the middle, but whatever it's fine. They don't exactly make me look like a model, but some people say I look like some sort of genius when I wear them which I think is hilarious! haha. At the end of the day, I'm at a point where it's sorta like this:
- I have problems with my eyes
- I don't care if other people know I have problems with my eyes
- I'm going to walk around with goggles on for a few weeks or months
- One day in the not too distant future I will take them off, completely cured of my problems, and can go back to being completely normal!

So ya, here are my tips for you and anyone else who has these sorts of problems:
- Use Cyclosporine and TheraTears Liquid Gel
- Always wear goggles, in the house, out the house, when you're sleeping.
- Do at least 2 hot compresses every day (but 3 or 4 if you have time).
- When doing the hot compresses, I recommend doing the "2 clothes in the microwave" technique (read up a few posts if you have no idea what this is), but as long as you have a method that works, then do that. Just make sure that you are heating up and massaging the glands in your eyes.
- Use cold compresses at least once a day, but don't go crazy and give yourself frost bite! Be careful with ice, it can be dangerous.



Finally the last thing I'll say is the logic behind all this:

I have been diagnosed with Aqueous Deficiency in the eyes and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD).

- Cyclosporine fights against the aqueous deficiency.
- Hot/Cold compresses fights against MGD by loosening up the glands and allowing the oils/mucus to protect the eyes.
- Goggles protect from the air drying out the eyes. For example, why do we hang out clothes out on a washing line to dry? Because the air dries them! Similarly the air dries out your eyes if they are not protected. Thus, you must wear goggles if you have MGD or an aqueous deficiency (or both).
- TheraTears liquid gel's roll is to substitute for the missing "stuff" that the glands are supposed to produce. In time, once your glands become unblocked, you won't need the TheraTears any more (or at least that's the hope).

Good luck, and yes please keep me updated! I definitely want to hear how things turn out

identical problem

Tankie,

I've been following your posts recently. Your experiments are very interesting.

I have EXACTLY the same condition as you. I'm 22 and my eyes have been severley dry for 2-3 years now. It has completely ruined my social life too. I try not to let it bother me too much because life could be worse, could be blind or have some other more serious physical disability. Going to the movies, watching tv, shopping centres (air conditioning) and university have become very difficult. Lifestyle changes help to manage it but overall I'd say it has reduced my quality of life. Very frustrating!

My eyes are very sensitive to light and things like air conditioning/heating & tv/computer use aggravates them alot. My eye lids get very inflamed throughout the day and if I don't take the following steps they get vey red and uncomfortable, unpleasant.

I too use TheraTears liquid gel. I have to put drops in every half hour, sometimes more often while I'm awake. It helps alot but still the problem won't go away. At night, I use a very strong/thick ointment called PolyVisc. My optometrist recommended I use it to assist with the pain overnight. It's preservative free, made from Paraffin & Wool Fat. It's very good, thought you might be interested in giving it a try. I live in Melbourne, Australia, so I'm not sure if its available where you live. I also use a hot compress at least 3 times a day to stimulate the tear glands.

Something my optometerist discovered recently was that my eye lids do not close completely when I blink, and most likely they are slightly open at night (very minor, not visible to the naked eye). She said this can actually be a form of facial paralysis. The medical term is Nocturnal Lagophthalmos. Unfortunately, we've discovered this fact a few years too late, and most likely this has had a detrimental effect over time causing my chronic dry eye. 

I have started using tape to keep my eyes shut at night. The best tape to use is medical/surgical tape that is hypo-allergenic. It's available at any pharmacy, and is very gentle on the skin so I don't get any rash. 

I've been doing this for a few days, (on top of all my other daily treatments), but apparently it will take 2-3 months before any improvement will be noticeable. Sounds fair enough considering they've been open at night for possibly the past 3 years, so I don't mind waiting. Hopefully it will help, fingers crossed. 

I'm also considering buying TranquilEyes for night time. They sound like a good idea.

I will keep you updated to see how I go over the next few months. Let me know how your situation is going, or any new tips.

Zac

[Tankie]

Do your eyes feel worse in the morning or at night?

Does the heated rice baggy treatment help?

YES!!! O my goodness yes!

Hot compresses are the greatest thing ever! Ok you guys, basically here is what has happened to me lately:
- I went back to university.
- The first day I was in terrible pain cuz of the 6 hour seminar.
- The second day I was in terrible pain because of a compounding effect from day 1.
- The third day, very similar to day 2, pain.

But then it happened, the best thing ever.

I've started using hot compresses a lot more. Basically my technique is as follows (I don't use a rice baggy):
- I take 2 face clothes
- I put each of them on a separate dinner plate
- I wet both face clothes, and drain out the over-saturated water by "ringing it out" (I hope that makes sense, if not just ask)
- I put one in the microwave to heat it up
- Once it's done, I take it out, and put the other in the microwave to heat it up
- I use the first face cloth on my eyes, by massaging it and pressing it onto my upper eye lids (as well as other parts of the eyes).
- Once it cools down, I put this cloth back in the microwave and take the other one out (which has finished heating up by now).
- Then I use face cloth #2 on my face...
- In the mean time, face cloth #! is heating up again.
- Once I'm done with face cloth #2, I put it back in the microwave and use face cloth #1 again.
- Repeat, repeat, repeat until I've had enough.

Two major warnings:
- Use soft face clothes, or you might damage your skin a little
- Don't rub too hard when massaging because you might damage your skin a little (and I suppose the eyes too).

Ok so that's that, but then there's more!

I bought these speedo swimming goggles which are mostly a clear/white colour and they don't make me look stupid in public! Wearing these even when I'm at school REALLY REALLY helps! The air can't get to my eyes now, so they don't dry out, and so I seriously feel no pain at all most of the time! It truly is amazing.

Ok so the last thing I want to say is that I am hoping that with the combination of always having goggles on (even when I sleep) and doing plenty of hot compresses, using cyclosporine, and TheraTears liquid gel, I hope that I can be cured of this terrible illness which has robbed me of my early 20's by the end of October!

PS: No one laughed at me or made a fool of me at school. A few people asked me about them, but they were very respectful and nice to me about it.

PPS: In addition to the hot compresses with 2 clothes, I also shower once a day and I will position the shower spray such that it hits both my eyes and I just stand there for 5 minutes straight and let my eyes warm up. I also massage the eyes a little with my hands when doing this sometimes. If you try this, make sure you don't suffocate due to the water!

PPPS: I forgot to mention, when my ophthalmologist called me, I asked him what my diagnosis is, and he said I have a combination of Aqueous Deficiency in the eyes and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD).

[tearless2]

Do your eyes feel worse in the morning or at night?

Does the heated rice baggy treatment help?

[Tankie]

Wow what a response! Well what happened was, I called his office and talked to the secretary about how I was doing, and I expressed some concerns. Then, later that day my ophthalmologist called me at the end of his day to see how I was doing, answer a few questions, and give some advice. The main things he said were, keep doing the treatment as you are, and start doing hot compresses again, and if they feel good, cold compresses too, but he especially stressed the hot ones. He said that he's hoping that I will be healed by the end of October. I hope he's right!

Update will be coming in the next little while so stay tuned!

[peepers]

you're very lucky to have your eye doc call you.Mine doesn't even remember me until she looks through my notes!

[DG65]

Your ophthalmologist CALLED YOU?

Wow.

[Tankie]

Thanks for your comments Dotanne!

Update:
So today was the first day of school. I was in a 6 hour seminar (there was a break in there), and it was quite the challenge to get through. My eyes definitely were not in perfect shape during this, but they survived.

I can't wait until my TheraTears Gel arrives because that's the good stuff! The liquid version is still good, but not as good.

Anyway, today was a real test for how I am progressing, seeing as I had to have my eyes open for 6 hours straight while sitting in a chair the whole time. It was not the most comfortable of situations, and the eyes definitely hurt, but all in all, I managed to survive it.

Under normal circumstances, I would be able to put in more drops during the day, and I would have been fine.

My ophthalmologist called me today to check up on me. I told him I was still doing cyclosporine 2 times a day, and TheraTears as required (4-8 times per day). He said that's great, but he said in addition I need to start doing more hot compresses. He said that cold compresses can sometimes help too, but he especially recommended the hot compresses. He also said that with TheraTears Gel (which is preservative free), it's perfectly alright for me to use as much of it as I like. He said that I can use it every 30 minutes a day if I want, although that would be overkill.

I have not been doing hot compresses on a daily basis, so I'm going to start doing that again as of tonight.

Please let me know if anyone else is trying TheraTears Gel! I would love to hear from you. In fact, I would love to hear more from anyone who reads this post. Don't be shy to talk to me, I won't bite! Also, advice is always welcome, and I'm happy to encourage or give advice to anyone who thinks I can help them

[Dotanne]

PS
I have generally found that if you do a 'big' day and think your eyes are great - ie go to a show in the evening or spend the day at the beach - one tends to have a delayed reaction - they are worse the next day!

[Dotanne]

I find Theratears in the vials really helpful during the day. I should try the gel again for nights tho last time several years ago I used it I got lots of stuff on my eyes when I woke up. I have using Alcon Polygel (pf) vials for the night for quite a while now. My eyes are cleaner in the morning but I do need a good few drops (spread over 10 minutes) of Theratears to thaw them out so I can see comfortably again. I also do a warm rice baggy session, express my eyes with a cotton bud and do a lid cleanse each morning.
I find if I fall asleep(even for a cat nap) without gel I have trouble opening my eyes again - they sort of glue together so I always make sure I have drops beside me.
Dotanne

[Tankie]

Update:
Not a ton to say today. I woke up, and things were a little rough. I showered (holding my face in front of the spay to do a "warm compress" on my eyes for several minutes), and put in some eye drops. Things were still a little rough, but not too bad. Then I did the ice treatment and that seemed to help a bit more. As I am right this second, I feel great, but I'm wearing my goggles. I'm a little bit scared to take them off. Good chance I will take them off at some point though, and I'll let you guys know about that tomorrow should it happen.

[Tankie]

Update:
I don't have all good news today.
So my eyes hurt a fair bit yesterday. However, I ran out of TheraTears... but personally I think this is more of a coincidence than it is that the TheraTears were the thing that was keeping me healthy (although I do give them a lot of the credit nonetheless). I think it was a coincidence because the previous day, as I mentioned, I was out for 7 hours, and so while they felt fine when I woke up, they did not last that long after that. I went out and did some shopping, and it was a nightmare. I was in horrible pain. It was unmanageable pain, like it was really bad.

The good news however, is that I now have some new TheraTears in liquid form (I'm still waiting for my gel to arrive) which helps, but so far I much prefer the gel. The liquid helps, but it just doesn't seem to do as much for me as the gel. Maybe I'll update you guys on how the liquid does for me in the future since I haven't really given it a fair chance yet.

I put in some lactri-lube before bed last night since I was in pain and figured it might help. I was basically just grabbing for anything that would help. Here's the funny thing though...

I've never tried this before, but when I woke up this morning, I put 2 ice cubes and wrapped them up in a cloth. I sat on the couch, applying the ice to my eyes (especially the lower eye lid as best I could) and it really helped the pain go away! How does that work? haha.

Just to outline really quick what I did:
- I put 2 ice cubes in a face cloth
- I applied the ice to my eyes at 20 second intervals. Any more than this, and it was just too painful since it's so cold. Even 20 seconds was a bit too much to bear at times, but I sucked it up and held it on anyway.
- I did this for a long time, probably about 30 minutes straight. I would put it on one eye for 20 seconds, take the ice off for 40 seconds and just hold it in my hand, put it on the other eye for 20 seconds, take the ice off for 40 seconds and just hold it in my hand, put it on the other eye for 20 seconds, take the ice off for 40 seconds and just hold it in my hand, etc. etc.

I have a question that I hope someone can answer!
When I was doing this ice treatment to my eyes, my left eye would tear up some times, but my right eye would not. Instead, liquid would come out of my right nostril (right side of my nose). Why didn't my right eye tear up like my left eye did? An answer to this question might be key to helping me find a cure, so please help if you can!

[Tankie]

Update:
Good news! My blood tests came back all negative. I don't have diabetes or anything like that. In theory, I'm a perfectly healthy person.

I went out for about 7 hours straight yesterday with some friends. I was out doors almost the entire time and my eyes felt pretty good for the most part. I had to use some eye drops mid-way through the session to help keep my eyes in good condition. Also, we were sitting out on a peer in the sun for a while, where I closed my eyes and rested them somewhere around the 5.5 hour mark, and at that time they really needed the break. But after closing them for 10 minutes, they were fine for the remainder of the time out.

To sum up, they survived 7 hours straight, with one eye drop break, and one 10 minute break in pretty good condition. After waking up today, they feel really good again. TheraTears folks, they seem to get the job done! I'm also using cyclosporine and an allergy eye drop (the allergy eye drop probably does nothing though). Also, I'm still wearing goggles when I'm at home and when I sleep. Lets see how long this lasts though, cuz I usually return to pain sooner or later... I sure hope I don't though, I don't want to go back to that...