Tranquileyes miracles for Lagophthalmos

[Francesco]

Hi,
i have been using Tranquileyes (that i modified a bit for closing my eyes) for Lagophthalmos that i have...it's been almost a week and believe me or not but it's the first time in years that i start seeing my eyes whiter (even sleeping 4-5 hours)....something like 20% more white... ..the only thing little problem is that in the morning i have blurry vision for something like 30-40 minutes so maybe i will modify it more (maybe cuttin the pads so they press only against the lower part of the eye)........just wanted to say this! sorry for my english
Francesco

p.s. Dr. Latkany is a true artist! he visited me and told me that i have this problem

[Francesco]

Hi,
i have been using Tranquileyes (that i modified a bit for closing my eyes) for Lagophthalmos that i have...it's been almost a week and believe me or not but it's the first time in years that i start seeing my eyes whiter (even sleeping 4-5 hours)....something like 20% more white... ..the only thing little problem is that in the morning i have blurry vision for something like 30-40 minutes so maybe i will modify it more (maybe cuttin the pads so they press only against the lower part of the eye)........just wanted to say this! sorry for my english
Francesco

p.s. Dr. Latkany is a true artist! he visited me and told me that i have this problem

by the way pads like this would be great for Lagophthalmos since they would not press against the upper part of the eye and so preventing blurriness..hope you understand what i'm saying and maybe someone can talk with eyeeco .

[Silverlady]

Let me see if I understand this

I think I am understanding that you took the pad out of the center of the tranquileyes and cut it at a slant. So that the bottom side of the pad holds the eye closed but the top half of the pad doesn't push against the eye.

Is this correct?

Billye

[Rebecca Petris]

It's an interesting idea.... Thick enough at the top to help keep the lids closed but thinner at the bottom for less pressure.

The thing about Tranquileyes is, everyone is so different anatomically that one design just can't work 100% for everyone right out of the box so to speak. I spend a lot of time on the phone with people trying to help them troubleshoot and get the best fit so that they are able to wear it while sleeping. People with deep set eyes have the opposite problem: it doesn't put enough pressure on their lids to help them stay shut. People with more prominent eyes - and/or larger heads - find it puts too much pressure on the eyes and either need to jury-rig a longer strap or use a thinner pad. Some people use the Thermopads (the thin white pads that come with the Thermoeyes heat inserts) instead of the regular pads.

For those who don't necessarily need the moisture - just the protection from airflow - the Escape sleep mask is a good alternative but for those who have to have the moisture pads, we just have to keep experimenting to get it just so. I've suggested possible changes or 'add-ons' to the manufacturer now and then and I will mention this about the moisture pads too.

[Francesco]

I think I am understanding that you took the pad out of the center of the tranquileyes and cut it at a slant. So that the bottom side of the pad holds the eye closed but the top half of the pad doesn't push against the eye.

Is this correct?

Billye

exactly...i also added some cotton before adding the pads so they can reach my eye and keep it closed ..but without the blurry problem now

[Francesco]

It's an interesting idea.... Thick enough at the top to help keep the lids closed but thinner at the bottom for less pressure.

The thing about Tranquileyes is, everyone is so different anatomically that one design just can't work 100% for everyone right out of the box so to speak. I spend a lot of time on the phone with people trying to help them troubleshoot and get the best fit so that they are able to wear it while sleeping. People with deep set eyes have the opposite problem: it doesn't put enough pressure on their lids to help them stay shut. People with more prominent eyes - and/or larger heads - find it puts too much pressure on the eyes and either need to jury-rig a longer strap or use a thinner pad. Some people use the Thermopads (the thin white pads that come with the Thermoeyes heat inserts) instead of the regular pads.

For those who don't necessarily need the moisture - just the protection from airflow - the Escape sleep mask is a good alternative but for those who have to have the moisture pads, we just have to keep experimenting to get it just so. I've suggested possible changes or 'add-ons' to the manufacturer now and then and I will mention this about the moisture pads too.

Thanks Rebecca for your help as usual ..it was just an idea for my problem your right everyone is different...but i just would love if they start thinking somethink for Lagophthalmos (a new kit just for that!!!)..i don't know maybe with auto-adjustable pads ...but pads that prevents blurriness maybe similar to mine..by the way i have to say thank god that i found this forum because i've been in a 6 years nightmare and now i start seeing the "light" (and it hurts less eheh)
sorry again 4 my english
Francesco

[liz56]

First Night with Tranquileyes

After reading all about Tranquileyes and coveting others' ability to use them, I tried them last night, finally, since I have been waiting for my left cornea to stop feeling raw. (Thanks to Dr. Holly's work with osmotic eye drops, I no longer feel so much fear that I shower with swimming goggles and wear only button-down, rather than pullover, shirts, so as not to have anything touch my eyelids!)

When I awoke at about 2:45 a.m., my eye lids were stuck to my cornea. However, I should say, that my eyes felt horrible for the last two days, and I believed that I would soon have a corneal erosion. So, it may very well be that the goggles helped insofar as I had a sticking incident (alleviated by using drops on the corners of my closed eyes, as per Cindy's advice!) rather than an erosion. I cannot know this for sure, but having been tracking my erosions regularly in a spreadsheet, it certainly looks like I am due for one. Also, the goggles, I believe, helped me to keep my eyes shut upon waking. I'm going to use them each night for at least the next two weeks to see if I can make a pass through this most treacherous part of my erosion cycle.

Thanks to Francesco for posting your experience, along with all of the others who have given helpful tips for using Tranquileyes. Thanks to Cindy for the tip on safely opening eyes during a sticking incident. And, thanks to Dr. Holly for his miraculous drops!

It takes a village to save my vision, and what a kind village we have here at the Dry Eye Zone.

[liz56]

Question

I'm not sure what's going on with my eyes. While they feel better, and, like Francesco, I have been enjoying not having them stick, sleeping four hours in a row, and seeing my sclera look whiter than they have in a long time, I am also noticing some tell-tale signs of erosions-- blurry vision that persists through the day and the all-too-familiar "foreign object sensation" in the eye that has been getting all of the attention.

I am not getting noticeable, painful, tearful erosions at night, but I am a little concerned that something is happening with the pressure on my lids from the Tranquileyes goggles. I try to sleep on my back, but a couple of times, I awoke on my side with added pressure on my eye.

To those of you who share similar problems to mine, what do you think of this description, and how would you go about dealing with it-- keep using the goggles, use them until the first time that I wake up to apply more "goop," or skip a night or two?

My next appointment with an out-of-town corneal specialist is in early January, so I will be sure to ask him.

[Francesco]

well actually my situation at night is quite different now....i m not using Tranquileyes anymore but just an airline mask........i had several problems with tranquileyes since it pressed too much on my eyes to keep them closed....for 2,3 days i felt my left eye like if there was a needle in it.......
also my doctor told me that IF i keep my eyes slightly open at night it's just 0.1 mm or 0.2 mm ....i mean it's not like sleeping with your eyes half open....so an airline mask would be enough for humidity and ....when you tape or press against your eyes you might inflame them even more since our eyes move a lot during sleep. not to mention the very scary problem i had after a couple of weeks of pressing on them...........anyway for moderate/severe dry eye i m sure tranquileyes can help, like moistoure chamber glasses do ...
about my eyes more white i notice that my eyes are less red in the morning using theratears gel at night ...so what i wrote about my lagophtalmos here in this thread i guess wasn t the cause of my problem (i still think i keep my eyes close at night)

Ciao good luck

[Terri]

Liz: Make sure you don't have the strap on the goggles pulled too tight. It should only be snug enough to eliminate light showing around the edges. I had mine adjusted too tight at first, and it caused my vision to get blurry.

[Silverlady]

Another trick

I have to modify my tranquileye goggles due to an extremely small face and a very small bridge on my nose. I've found that I have to take out the nose piece (it'll just pop out) then use a thin ribbon that is soft to pull the eyepieces closer together. I always judge when they are right by how much light I can see. So if you are pulling them tight because of a small face, you might try my method. Just put the ribbon in the holes the nose piece leaves and pull until they are the right fit, then tie your ribbon and cut off the ends. It works great for me, I've been doing this for 4+ years. If you are still having problems, you might try sleeping in them without the foam centers for awhile and see if that works. Eyeeco and maybe Rebecca, has a thinner foam. If they work for you like they do me, I'd try anything I could to get them to fit.

When they first came out, the nose piece was way too long. They cut it down and solved a lot of problems. But my nothing nose still is a problem

Billye

[Rebecca Petris]

I
To those of you who share similar problems to mine, what do you think of this description, and how would you go about dealing with it-- keep using the goggles, use them until the first time that I wake up to apply more "goop," or skip a night or two?

Sorry I didn't see this before. I've occasionally slept a little differently and had some discomfort from things pressing too much. If it happens more than once, one possibility is to just pull out the moisture pads and use the goggle for the air protection only. Or, use the slimmer thermopads.

I've been experimenting with the Tini Bikini the last couple of nights. Last night I put it on in reverse over the whole pad/cushion side, which I rather liked. After reading this I'm thinking I might just try the bikini with no moisture pads tonight.

[liz56]

Found out the Cause of the Blurry

Francesco, Billye, and Terri. Thanks for all of your helpful tips and personal experiences. When I first got the goggles, they felt fine unadjusted, but, just like you said, Billye, I thought that since my hat size is typically small, I should tighten them. I'll loosen them up.

I found out the problem behind the blurriness. I put on an old pair of glasses. It appears that my older glasses' refraction is working better for me now. Maybe my eyes on on the mend. I've never gone to a weaker prescription in my life. The foreign-object feeling seems to have lessened, too. So, it looks like the goggles are doing the trick!

Thanks for the update on the cover, Rebecca. I think that on good weeks, I'll try the goggles without the pads and keep them in during the bad ones. I really enjoy the way that the goggles feel better than the sleep mask.

Fingers are crossed as I try for another good night of sleep.

[calli66]

Breaking the Habit

I switch back and forth between tranquileyes and a sleep mask. And I sometimes use the foam with the tran. eyes, but mostly not. My problem is not that any of them are uncomfortable, but since I sleep lightly, I get into a "habit" of touching, adjusting, moving the goggles, the foam, or the headband during the night. The habitual movements become sort of half-asleep obsessive, and make me more wakeful. I can break the cycle of always messing with my eyewear by switching back and forth from the different types. The fit and pressure points are different.

Nighttime is still a struggle for me. I don't get the erosions, but my eyes are SO dry that they just RULE my sleep patterns. I don't get good rest. I use the drops and gels at night, too, but my eyes dry out and wake me up. I feel lucky if I get 4 hours at a time.

Calli

[liz56]

Questions

Rebecca, how did it work when you tried the Tranquileyes cover without the pads in?

I have really been enjoying the goggles. After one month plus a day and a good appointment with my ophthalmologist, I did have an erosion last night, using the goggles and even re-wetting the pads in the middle of the night. I think that I had the erosion, because for the first time I slept over four hours. It was after 5.5 hours (in a row!) of sleep that I had the erosion, and in a way, that is a good sign-- after all, I unconsciously must be feeling more relaxed due to all of my recent good luck. Maybe I will work toward longer and longer periods of time over the long haul.

I have a question about changing out the long-term pads that go around the outside of the goggle. When it comes time to change the foam, I think I recall reading a tip about using rubbing alcohol to get off all of the extra glue, and I am wondering if the alcohol affects the surface of the goggle. That is, does it pit it, change it, or otherwise wear on it in a noticeable way?

Thanks for any information you can give.

--Liz