Serum Tears and Nerve Regeneration Success?

[tommyboy]

I was in Boston last week at the Boston Foundation for sight getting fitted for a prose lens ... although in the end the lens did not provide any relief to my right eye the director at BFS, Dr. Jacobs referred me to Dr. Pedram Hamrah at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and they ran a bunch of tests on me including a confocal which is basically a machine that magnifies your eyes 800 times so they can see the nerves.

I was told that I do have dry eye in both eyes, not just my right (like it feels) and that there has been no nerve regeneration in either of my eyes since my Lasik surgery 11 months ago. He told me that my condition is called 'post lasik corneal neuralgia'. He also told me that he conducted a study with this condition and told me to use Serum tears (between 20% to 50%) 8 times a day and that I had an 80% chance to grow 50% of my nerves back in 3 to 6 months. He told me I would lead a 'normal' life... and it may get worse before it gets better - as the nerves regenerate there may be pain associated to that.

Has anyone on this forum had successful nerve regeneration with Serum tears?

Thanks,
Tom

[Cali]

Tommyboy I've been watching and waiting for someone to reply to your question. I had Lasik 8 years ago and have suffered from dry eye ever since and my right eye is completely desensitized. I am now on 100% serum (3 weeks now). I wonder if there is hope for me to regenerate some nerves after so much time.

One of the moderators, indrep wrote: autologous drops are an attempt to reverse the osmolarity of the ocular surface. They are not necessarily for comfort. It takes about 60-90 days for the osmolarity to change and then the healing process of cells takes another 60-90 days. Any nerve issues can take longer.

I am to use my 100% serum drops every 4-6 hours. I now don't think that is frequent enough dosing. I see my eye doctor next week and am going to mention your post about dosing 20%-50% 8x/day. Please note, 3 weeks ago it felt like I had 1,000 tiny, red hot poker, needles in my eyes. I could barely keep them open. Now, I just have red hot burning eyes (and am thankful for the improvement). Also, there have been times in the last 3 weeks when I've felt shooting nerve type pain in my right eye (wondering if that is a nerve healing or just horrible dry eye?)

Tom, if nobody writes back, I am thinking positive. I see all of these possible side effects from drugs that come out years after a drug being released on the market. Which makes me think, they didn't know everything about that drug in the first place. That means it's the same with serum drops, that anything is possible and that the nerves can regenerate to what extent is not known (and I mean that in a good way!).

[tommyboy]

Cali - thanks for the reply, I really appreciate it. I am a bit surprised I had not heard from anyone as I know others on this forum suffer from corneal neuralgia and others have been using serum tears. Dr. Pedram Hamrah, who is a teacher at Harvard, told me that anything less then 8 times per days is a waste of time. I am glad you are feeling some improvements from the drops. I "think" I am improving as I have been on the drops for 10 days - but I am so reluctant to feel better since I have tried so many things - I am just very skeptical ... best of luck to you and I hope I get some replies even if folks did not have a positive result.

Thanks,
Tom

[mdryeye]

Hi tommyboy,

I was too diagnosed with corneal neuralgia today at BFS and going to see Dr Hamrah on Wednesday. Can you please let me know if you are making some progress with serum drops?

[Cali]

Tommyboy - I am curious as well. Are you doing any better?

[Tanner]

I don't think this is a new topic but has a doctor recommended putting the serum in a scleral lens? How is the treatment going? After my success with Dr. G I am going to see if I can get continued progress with serum tears. I tried them once before but was not good about putting them in because I didn't find they felt good. I also left the freezer open and lost the serum tears after two weeks of putting them in 2 to 3 times a day. They were 20% My regular dr is Dr. Dana but he did refer me to Dr. Hamrah. I will show him the lens from dr. g that really helps while I am there.

[Cali]

Tanner, just a quick heads up. Dr. Hamrah told Tommyboy that you have to use the serum drops, 20%-50% at least 8x/day. Anything less than 8x does not help. Might be different when using the scleral lens.

[Tanner]

Thanks cali. I saw you have PNE. I am really sorry. That is tough.

[bakunin]

with this condition and told me to use Serum tears (between 20% to 50%) 8 times a day and that I had an 80% chance to grow 50% of my nerves back in 3 to 6 months. He told me I would lead a 'normal' life... and it may get worse before it gets better - as the nerves regenerate there may be pain associated to that.

Has anyone on this forum had successful nerve regeneration with Serum tears?

Thanks,
Tom

Maybe the very hard time Tom is living at the moment is due to nerve regenerating. I hope so.
All my positive thinking to Tom and Shane.

[icycarol]

I thought that serum is for healing cornea abrasion?so it can make nerve regenerate,too?
I have used serum once, and I feel even drier so I just quit it. Maybe I should stick it for few month to see if there are any improvement.
Ps. My dry eye is not caused by LASIK, it may cause by sleeping drug, but I,m not sure. do you think it will work for me?

[Cali]

A VERY common side effect to a medication (including sleeping medications) is dry eye. Maybe you can try a natural sleeping aid for a few nights (like melatonin or valerian) and see if you do not have dry eye. The serum tears are an attempt to reverse the osmolarity of the ocular surface. They are not necessarily for comfort. It takes about 60-90 days for the osmolarity to change and then the healing process of cells takes another 60-90 days. Any nerve issues can take longer (this is per Indrep).

I thought that serum is for healing cornea abrasion?so it can make nerve regenerate,too?
I have used serum once, and I feel even drier so I just quit it. Maybe I should stick it for few month to see if there are any improvement.
Ps. My dry eye is not caused by LASIK, it may cause by sleeping drug, but I,m not sure. do you think it will work for me?

[joanna]

Any new progress with serum, guys?

[Max]

"It takes about 60-90 days for the osmolarity to change and then the healing process of cells takes another 60-90 days. Any nerve issues can take longer (this is per Indrep). "

I had tear ducts cauterized and then Lasik surgery and cataract surgery one after the other and then skin grafts on my lower lids to give them depth to hold Lacriserts all about three years ago.

Is it too late for me to expect serum to help me. I am in constant pain and was told the flap created for the lasik will never heal and the atrophied tear glands were untreatable. I produce no tears at all.

Does serum hold any hope for me? I was sent to a specialist to get it but my regular eye doctor thought serum helped produce tears. I'm currently on my third attempt with Jupiter lenses.

[Tanner]

It is worth trying

[Tanner]

My doctor also recommends 3 tbs of fish oil to help as well. Not more than one teaspoon of cod liver because of too much vitamin A.