Newbie Needs Your Advice

[LVNatalie]

I've read through hundreds of these posts, but I feel the need to post my story in the hopes that someone can offer some advice! Hang in there, I'll try to sum everything up as concisely as possible.

About two months ago, I had some problems putting my left contact in.. just wouldn't sit right. I thought nothing of it - about a week later, I noticed a very heavy sensation in my left eye along with burning a redness. Thought it was an eye infection. Went to the optometrist. They said it was allergies and I left with Pataday and Lotemax.

Used both for about 1.5 weeks with no results. By this time, BOTH eyes were red and burning from about an hour after I woke up with the intensity increasing throughout the day. I went back and was told I had blepharitis. I left with eyelid cleanser and was told to use warm compresses. Again, no change.

Went back AGAIN and was told my tears evaporate very quickly. I left this time with temporary plugs and lots of artificial tears. Still no help.

So now, two months later - I can barely make it through the day at work. My eyes burn from about an hour after I wake up until I go to bed. The left eye is much worse and the redness seems to start as a ring around the inside of my cornea.

I'm not sure where to turn at this point and this problem has really started to affect both my working and professional life. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.. I'm not sure what else I can even try.

Thank you!

[Hopeful2]

So sorry about your eyes. I wouldn't begin to attempt to guess what is going on with your eyes. Judging from the treatments you have been given, it may be that you have dry eyes, although if you have read through this site you will already know that 'dry eye' is not a straight forward diagnosis.

First of all, I would ask around and find an excellent optometrist who specializes in dry eye treatment. This optometrist should conduct tests to show what the areas of concern are. For example, staining tests to show dry spots on cornea and conjunctiva, TBUT (tear break up time test) for evaporative dry eye, Schirmers (check spelling) for tear volume, meibomian gland evaluation (they press on your lids while looking through the slit lamp to see how easily meibum (oil) is excreted from these glands.

Depending on the results of these tests, an appropriate treatment plan should be presented to you. Has your current optometrist completed any of the above eye exams? Giving treatments without assessments if a concern.

You might want to pass on wearing your contacts if you haven't already. Also, make sure you are using preservative free artificial tears if using them more than four times per day. Many people are intolerant to the preservatives in the artificail tears and this can make eye symptoms more problematic.

There is a wealth of information on the Dry Eye Zone concerning dry eye, and of course there is a lot of anecdotal information on the talk forum. You will also find a lot of moral support, which can be so encouraging when you have moments of frustration.

Hope you are able to get some excellent medical advice and treatments soon!

Hopeful2

[LVNatalie]

thank you.

Thank you!
My optometrist did the Tear Breakup test and said my tears last about 2 seconds. This is the same appointment where I was given the temporary punctal plugs.
I've had a hard time finding a specialist in Las Vegas. It's just so strange - been wearing glasses and contacts since I was 5 years old (25 years) and always had some eye irritation, but never so painful like this.

The left eye "heaviness" is also a very strange sensation.

Getting so 'down', for lack of a better word, doesn't seem like anyone can help.

[Hopeful2]

Did the doctor comment on the 'heaviness' in left eye? Is there something going on there?

Don't get discouraged. . . It can sometimes take some time to get the right treatment. Sometimes it is a combination of treatments that end up working: medical ( ie. prescription drops), environmental ( moisture glasses, eye protection during sleep), nutrition ( fish oils, low sugar diet (helps some), lifestyle (decrease stress and adopt some form of relaxation/meditation. I personally find eye relaxation and breathing exercises very helpful

Your eye situation may have been brewing for some time. It may equally take some time for effective treatments to work. Asking questions is certainly a good start. You might also want to keep a journal to track the effectiveness of various treatments.

Check on the forum for doctor recommendations in Las Vegas.

[MaryVa61]

You may also want to consider the possibility that you have a sensitivity to preservatives in the medicated eye drops or, if on any, any nasal rhinitis sprays. Even OTC saline sprays may contain BAK and a lot of people are sensitive to it.

I have dry eye syndrome, but it's wildly aggravated by my preservative, dye and other chemical sensitivities. You may want to search these posts using keywords like "allergy", "sensitivity" "chemical" or "hypersensitivity".

When my problems started, I was complaining to the docs of my eyes stinging and feeling heavy. The only diagnosed Blepharitis and a disorder called SLK at that time. Did allergy tests (negative) and tried Pataday, which didn't help at all. Now I know my allergies were not the kind that show up on the types of tests they did and I'm sensitive to the preservative in Pataday. But it was many, many years later before I got my answers and my eye problems were far worse by then.

This group is extremely helpful. I hope you find the answers you need.

Mary

[LVNatalie]

Followup - Naphcon/Restasis/plugs/omega 3's ahhhh

Thank you both.
I did visit an opth. last week and was prescribed Restasis.
Also - had two "permanent" plugs put in my lower ducts. I can actually see the tears remaining in my eyes longer, but still have redness, burning and heaviness in my left eye.

Starting taking Omega-3 supplements and drinking as much water as humanly possible. Got a humidifier. Dr. attributed heaviness to the dryness, but also said I had low oil production and made ocular allergies - so it's a mixed bag.

He recommended Naphcon for the allergy/redness. I asked about the implications and he said it's very mild (?!?). My optometrist said the same thing. Still trying not to use it very frequently - but it really helps with the redness at work!

Anyone else have any similar experiences? Maybe I am overdoing it at this point.

[MaryVa61]

Drinking plenty of water, trying a humidifier and taking Omega-3 is good. If you don't know what you're allergic to, the humidifier is a slight risk since it can increase molds and maybe even dust mites, but not sure about that one. And hopefully it's really good quality Omega-3 supplements and the dose is high enough. There have been some great, detailed discussions here about fish and flax oil that you may want to search for. I'm not expert on those details so it was helpful to me. Since BAK is drying, even if you aren't allergic to it, the Naphcon may not help much since it contains BAK. But probably is worth trying to see what it will do.

The comment the doc made about the implications and "it's very mild" doesn't sound confidence-inspiring. My docs made very vague comments about my eye allergy problems and didn't think they were severe and they turned out to be wrong. Type IV allergies don't look the same in the eyes as type I, which is what they are used to looking for.

Restasis may be worth trying, but even the makers of Restasis admit it doesn't work for people with plugs. They bury the sentance in the text on their website. "RESTASIS® Ophthalmic Emulsion did not increase tear production in patients using anti-inflammatory eye drops or tear duct plugs." The strange thing is I searched for and never found any research abstracts that agreed with that statement though. I did find an old one from 2007 that said the combination of plugs and Restasis is helpful. Confusing!

http://www.restasis.com/_what_is_cde/what_home.htm

I really don't mean to be discouraging, and maybe the Restasis or allergy drops will help you, but I just wanted you to be aware of what to look for and consider if your eyes don't respond well so you can discuss with the docs. My experience has been that if I don't go to appointments armed with info I don't get the help I need.

I hope your eyes improve soon!

Mary in VA