Dependency on goggles?

[tommyboy]

I am about 7 months post LASIK ... left eye seems pretty good. I stopped using drops and ointments in my left eye this past Monday.

Dr. Latkany, who I saw on Monday, said he saw some type of abrasion in my right eye in the upper right hand corner and he said it could be a contributing factor to my eye bothering me. I am really trying to be hopeful. Anyway he put me on Muro128 for that eye only for 3-weeks, it has been 5 days and the ointment at night feels great ... and the morning feels good as well. I get a fair amount of reflex (from yawning) tears in the morning which feels good.

After about an hour my right eye starts to bother me. It no longer burns (so I attribute the constant, nagging and debilitating burning to the Restasis I was on for 5 months) - which is great. So when my right eye starts to bother me, feels like there is something in it, I grab my goggles and within 5 to 10 minutes it goes away.

Dr. Latkany said my eyes are not terrible dry and said I have some nueropathy going on ... he thinks (which he said is little understood). So he said if the goggles make me feel good, then wear them.

I am not using any drops, they did nothing but bother me. I still have lower plugs in, but he said he may want to take them out in 4-5 weeks because he does not think they are really helping, that they can be keeping some 'junky' tears in my eyes...

Anyway I wear my goggles a lot ... almost all of the time. I take them off from time to time to test my eyes. Last night at dinner at a restaurant I went for like 2 hours ... my eyes did not hurt me, but the right eye 'bothered' me, like something was in it. But after about an hour of ignoring it, it went away for awhile. Maybe I was distracted, not sure. But it made me happy for like an hour or so.

So my question is, should I continue to push not wearing my goggles? Am I creating a bit of a dependency on my goggles? Or should I wear them at any and first sign of my right eye bothering me?

I am "trying" to get myself to feel better (still battling depression)... and I am trying to see progress. I say to myself, my left eye used to be dry and burn, but no more. But, my mind keeps playing tricks on me as gets me thinking it was no different than 5 months ago and the Restasis was the root cause of the burning? Or when I was on the Restasis I did not at least wear the googles as much.

Sorry for the rambling. I have not posted for awhile ...I guess I am looking for some advice... what does feeling/getting better feel like?

Any thoughts on the goggles? Should I wear them more or less? should I continue to test myself?

Thanks,
Tom

[bakunin]

Hi Tom,

I think the goggles are one of the few thing that makes no harms to our eyes. I think they protect the eyes and help healing them. I try to avoid wearing my moisture chamber glasses all the time because i look like a freaky wearing them (and to keep the foam in good state, so i will not need to buy new glasses so soon). But for sure my eyes are thankfull when i wear them.

[regina]

Hi Tom, I wear my goggles at work the whole time and then just keep them with me for all other occasions. For me, it all depends on the atmosphere (temp, dryness, wind effect) whether I "need" my glasses. If they start to hurt, I put them on. But I enjoy the times where the air is comfortable and I don't "need" them. I get to at least feel normal for those times.

I think wearing them also gives the eyes a chance to heal. So if they still need it then keep wearing them. I find as long as I take care to my eyes and not get them "damaged", then I actually can go without my glasses for quite awhile at home where the atmosphere is decent.

[Hopeful2]

Hi Tom,

I am 10 months post lasik now. I totally understand your questioning if things are actually getting better. I do this too and sometimes I fall into the trap of thinking there has not been much change in the past 5 months. But this is indeed a trap. I think back to the early months when the tops of my eyes just ached from dryness and blinking did not result in any lubrication. Even a few months ago I know that I had a few small pools of oil when I pressed on my meibomian glands. Now with gentle pressure I see a fair amount of oil coming out of almost all of my lower glands. . . I'm not sure of what is happening with the upper glands. It is hard to see and I don't want to press to hard.

My eyes burn, even not using restasis. I think that the burning is due to the poor composition of my meibomian gland secretions. The burning gets worse as the day goes on and I especially notice the burning when I put in a few eye drops. It seems like the eye drops distribute the poor secretions onto the rest of my eye. The burning happens about 30 sec after putting in the artificial tears.

I personally don't find I get any relief from wearing the moisture goggles, except for when I am walking in the wind. If you find them to offer you relief, then I think it would be okay for you to wear them. I am presuming that you wore glasses before lasik. Your glasses would have acted a bit like moisture chamber glasses. I don't think the glasses would somehow make your eyes dependent.

I am glad to hear that the muro seems to be helping. It seems it works well for people who are getting abrasions. I have read on other posts that this can happen after lasik. Also, is sounds like the abrasions go away once the dry eyes improve.

Are you taking anything for meibomian gland dysfunction. . . doxy, azasite, . . .?

I think the best way to deal with this all emotioanly is taking everything one day at a time. Cherish the moments that you are able to appreciate interactions with others. Appreciate all that you are able to enjoy doing. Understand that many people have some kind of hardship to bear. I believe I was pretty oblivious to the hardships of other people . . . I sort of was living in my own little bubble. Believe that this to will pass as our body heals. . . it just takes time.

[SunshineinCalgary]

Hi Hopeful2,

I notice you're from Canada too. I have 2 questions:

1. Just curious how long you've been using Restasis, you should feel "some" effects after 3 to 4 months.

2. Where is the best place to get these moisture goggles/chambers that everyone was talking about?

Thank you.

[Guest]

I use the Wiley X's - if you go to the Wiley X website, there is a dealer locator there - with any luck, you'll find one close to home! Another option is to buy them from Rebecca here at the dry eye shop... but since the fit is crucial, this is best if you already know which style fits your face.