My right eyeball is aching...Anyone else?

[Mewkiss]

I wear glasses but for years have not worn them to watch tv. All of the sudden my right eye is aching.

I have had this problem with that eyeball before, almost like my Rx isn't strong enough. Also, that is the eye where I feel like there is something in it right now.

I'm keeping it moist with drops but the ache seems to be radiating out some.

My opthal said my glasses where fine so is part of the whole deal?

[Trac]

My right eye hurts more in general than my left eye and my doctor says my right eye looks better of the two. But is sure does not feel better. The right eye produces less fliaments than the left, but feels drier.

[Mewkiss]

That's interesting Trac because my right eye is better according to the numbers but it always feels like it's trying harder to focus. It was fine though for years, until now. And taking Tylenol doesn't seem to help the strain and headache.

Dry Eyes, the gift that keeps on giving.

[Trac]

The vision in my right eye is MUCH worse than my left eye. The vision in my right eye has been a little worse for a long time, but never like this. I don't get headaches from dry eyes, I honestly did not even know that was a symptom of dry eyes, or are your headaches caused from something else?

[Mewkiss]

I've been told my right eye is better but it just feels like it is off. But I've had that feeling for years. I just hadn't had any problems with it for at least 5 years or more. I also have CFS/ME and one of the problems with that is vision changes. So I'll ride this out for awhile and see how it goes.

I rarely get headaches anymore. It feels like it's from the eye strain or something. Who knows? It's much better now. I'm living with a bottle of Unisol in my hand. It really helps.

All this is exhausting.

[Trac]

I love this forum, talking with people who actually understand what I am going through is such a relief. But I think being on the computer so much is counterproductive. Have you tried serum (tears made from your own blood serum?) I feel that these help me more than anything else and I am on a lot of meds! For me serum soothes the eye without that dring medication feel afterwards, and it is suppose to help promote healing.

[Mewkiss]

I know. to talk to people who get it. I agree about the computer being my downfall however I'm addicted to it so I stop when my eyes start to get too dry, about now. Yesterday though was no problem.

I was just reading your profile to see what you are doing. I just got started with this and am taking it slow right now. I ordered some Green Lipped Mussels for the Omega 3 which should get here soon. I've had problems with Omega 3 for some reason so hope this will work.

Right now, because I'm not completely miserable, I'll stick with what I'm doing. I'm not sure about my current opthalmologist who talked to me about plugs but that seems extreme to me vs. Lacrisert. So I have to figure out if I want to continue with her (for other reasons also) or find someone else.

I also am on medicare so not sure about the serum. I see you are in CA. So am I. Who is your doc and where is he/she?

Ok break time. Catch you later.

[Trac]

I see Dr Gagnon in Livermore or Pleasanton, I think he is really good.

I did not want to go with plugs either, I put them off for a long time. Then when I finally agreed to have them put in, I cancelled the appointment; I thought it was too extreme. A couple of weeks later I had so many filaments in my eyes I was completely blinded. I had to take two days off work because I could not see to drive; I couldn't see to get to the car. This was the first time I had taken sick time for myself since I began teaching 15 years ago. I think the plugs help. My doctor says I should have my tear ducts cauterized, but I am not ready to go that drastic even though he says it is reversible. I don't have any problems with the plugs, but my doctor says some tears could be getting around the plugs.

I have tried Lacriser, it did not work for me. It made my eyes really red and they burned a lot.

The serum is not covered by insurance, at least not by mine because it is not FDA approved.

If what you are doing works you should stick with it, sometimes I think I am using too many different kinds of drops and medications. But it often seems like if I miss/don't take something I feel worse. But if I feel better I am less likely to stick with my routine and miss some doses. I also think what I eat and drink and perhaps the amount of sleep I get makes a difference on how my eyes feel along with how much stress I have.

Take care.

[Mewkiss]

Hi, I'm in So Cal so that is too far for me to go. What are filamints?

I know for me, when I first got sick with my CFS I tried everything, took tons of supplements, I just wanted to feel better. Now 16 years later, and much sicker, I don't do much, mostly because doc's are few and far between and expensive.

I think it is in our nature to want to do whatever we can to feel better. If it helps you, and you can afford it then why not?

My knowledge of the eye is pretty much nothing. I didn't even know we had 4 tear ducts so being here really helps me learn about things so when I feel I need more I'll be informed.

The plugs just scare me. Like I'd feel them in their and they would bug the S*** out of me. Even the Lacriset would I think. Cauterizing? Yikes.

I'm going to just do what I'm doing for now I think. Find what works for me with the eye pain, which is better for now, and go from there.

It's all a balancing act. Feeling better and not going insane. I just don't want this to run my life. I have enough to deal with with my CFS. This is an annoyance compared to that.

[Trac]

Mewkiss what do you actually do for your eyes? 16 years of dry eye suffering, that is scary.

I do a lot of research on-line. Whenever my doctor tells me a disorder I have, or suggests medication or a procedure I spend a lot of time researching it. I really want to know what is going on. I also want to be able to explain it to people who ask me a lot of questions. But you are a head of me with this forum; I did not even know there was any such thing as a profile.

I cannot feel my plugs, I could feel the difference when the plugs fell out, but I have not lost a plug in several months. I am on a lot of different medication, so I am not really sure what works and what does not. But if I skip my meds I seem to feel worse. Some days are better and some are worse, I really don't know why. I can guess, but that does not make it true, it could just mean I am making stuff up. Like my diet has not been very good lately, too much sugar and flour and not enough flax seed and I have been consuming alcohol. But it could just be a coincidence.

My understanding is that filaments are defective tears that don't have enough lipid layer around them. These tears stick to your epithelial layer of your cornea. When you blink they roll up like a cigar. One end sticks to a dry spot in your cornea and the rest of it swings around on your eye surface. It is basically a piece of mucus, at least that is what it looks like to me. If I leave them in they give me foreign body sensation. If I get too many of them they obstruct my vision, they are white, cloudy, cannot be seen through and move around. If I try to pull them out and do not succeed then they feel like shards of glass in my eye. If/when I get them out, my eye surface feels smoother, but my eye feels like I am removing moisture and oils from my eye so they feel drier. Also the filaments reform quickly. The mucomyst, which was invented to break up mucus in the lungs, breaks up the filaments when applied to the eye. So on good days the serum and mucomyst works great. But on bad days nothing seems to help and all I want to do is keep my eyes shut.

Oh, I also wear eye moisture chamber goggles all of the time. I know they look stupid, but I have gotten to the point where I could care less what other people think. It is either these goggles or my eye lids swell shut.

[Mewkiss]

Hi, I have had CFS/ME for almost 16 years, the dry eyes for not even a week.

As soon as my doc talked about punctal plugs I hit google and that is how I diagnosed myself because she told me nothing.

Because of my CFS I've been to other forums for support so I sort of know how they work. It would be cool if this had a chat room.

I think a lot of how we feel is mental. If I'm in a good mood I feel less ill and vice versa. If you think the meds are helping you then take them but if you feel like maybe some aren't and you want to find out, eliminate one for a few days and see. Try to rule out the psychological part of it.

If you're worse then you know that one helps.

I get about the filaments now. See I know nothing really about dry eyes except what I've learned here. I had no idea for example that I could mess up my cornea's if my eyes are too dry. I know none of this, which brings up my doctor dilemma and what do I want to do, who do I want to see.

Because of my CFS (google it), I'm used to feeling pretty bad most of the time. Some days are better and some are worse. Yesterday my eyes were barely bothering me so I thought am I in remission?

The dry eyes just adds another level of feeling crappy to this whole thing.

I think, if you are new to the dry eyes which you are I think, then just go with things right now, don't over think and do what you need to to keep your eye's in good shape and you not uncomfortable.

As for diet. I think that can play a part in things but I don't know how much. I try to eat ok but when I don't I just try not to worry about it. I refuse to not enjoy things I want to eat because I may feel bad for a few hours.

I do wonder if phlegm producing foods may gum up your eyes but I have no idea at all. Sometimes thinking too much about things makes us nuts.

Jan.

[magoo]

Mewkiss, here's a link to some info about Dr. Carver in Fountain Valley. I really like him. If it wasn't so far to drive I would still be seeing him. Several people here on the forum have gone to him.
http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...ver-in-So.-Cal.

[Mewkiss]

Magoo, Thanks so much. That's about 15 minutes from me.

Do you know how much he charges? Thanks

[magoo]

Very reasonable prices. My first appt, which was not a short one, was $75. This was a couple years ago so it may be a bit more now. He has a caring attitude. You can call any time and he will call back and talk about problems.... great guy!

[Mewkiss]

Magoo, Thanks so much. That is really good. I'll have to figure out when I can go. Other things I have to take care of right now but for sure. I guess I need a real diagnosis instead of me guessing from my opthalmologist wanting to put plugs in.

Fortunately only a few miles on the freeway (surface streets would take too long) which I can manage.

Really, thanks so much!!!

Oh. So it seems that Dr. Carver is an optometrist who treats diseases of the eye first vs. one who does exams for glasses and takes care of dry eye 2nd. Would that be right?