Cliradex vs Tea Tree Oil

[LaDiva]

A number of people have been talking about using commercial Tea Tree Oil to treat Demodex Mites. According to the study below, commercial Tea Tree Oil contains far more components than those found in Cliradex. Using Cliradex and using commercial TTO are not equal treatments, and may not impact the eye in the same manner:

http://pubmedcentralcanada.ca/pmcc/articles/PMC3860352/

[Dog2012]

Cliredex is far more safe choice ..just very expensive.

[littlemermaid]

Cliredex is far more safe choice ..just very expensive.

It is too expensive for us. My bro paid for some to be sent to UK from Florida and it burned like heck and we couldn't use it.

We do great just using very dilute TTO shampoo as an eyelid margin scrub, and occasionally using TTO facewash and shampoo. I made sure the shampoo has the terpinen-4-ol component. We also use anti-dandruff shampoo for the hair sometimes, which immediately clears any signs of seb derm round the eyebrows, forehead, behind ears. Also hot wash bedding and towels. This has been supervised by Paed Ophth so I'm not just making it up off the internet.

How great would it be if someone researched all the different bugs in our eyes and cured some blepharitis (PubMed search 'blepharitis').

[Faith1989]

It's weird how mgd can be caused by so many different factors. It has taken me YEARS to even begin figuring out what helps. Seen countless docs, still a mystery. Thanks for posting the article, I haven't read it yet but sounds interesting.

[LaDiva]

Thank you for your response Mermaid. A number of people have asked about using commercial TTO, and I have no background with which to recommend this or not. Was thinking this morning that it is possible some of the added ingredients could be beneficial as well. I really don't know.

Yes, Faith. I am not sure what the outcome of this current treatment will be, but it seems to be helping. I am not using the Ocusoft Plus as it bothers my eyes. I also read that Demodex do all kinds of strange things with the immune system, and am wondering if this is why I suddenly have so many problems with all kinds of food. It is frustrating, but I am having the most consistent relief and improvement in years.

[Katewest]

That is really interesting about the food problems LaDiva. Are you journaling all this? I keep a food journal with all of my symptoms. It's a novel basically but I look back to it often.

Faith-have your symptoms improved and how long have you been using Cliradex now?

[Faith1989]

Kate, they have improved a bit- still need tears and restasis especially in my right eye. I am by no means cured. It burns but then I feel relief. I will update in a few months. I find sometimes I will get relief at first when using something new then stops working. We will see.

Kate how are you doing?

[LaDiva]

Hi Kate,
I journaled at first, a year or so ago, but don't now. Kate, that is the scientist in you!

[Katewest]

I do love data

[Dog2012]

I so.... agree with you . WHY ARE DOCTOR'S SO STUPID!!!!? At list so many of them ...I am wondering if they would do better if they themselves have dry eyes ??

[LaDiva]

Dog, I had two doctors who do have dry eyes, but theirs must be manageable because they are still working, don't have black circles under their eyes or wear goggles to work. (They both have had Lasik surgery, btw.) I don't think they are stupid. It's probably a combination of things. Too many patients, not enough time, and even though they are specialists they still don't know everything. One had not heard of IPL. Alison mentioned that her doctor was very hush hush about her Demodex, as if it were something dirty. I am SUPER clean and think that I probably picked this up at the beauty parlor. It is possible some doctors don't want to suggest we might have something "dirty". It isn't dirty, but maybe that is why doctors shy away from considering a mite problem. Or they assume because we look so clean we couldn't possibly have mites. I don't know. Rebecca is right. We must be our own advocates, and keep digging until we find things that help. The encouraging thing is that the list of things to try is endless.

[littlemermaid]

Hey Dog, I look after someone with dry eyes and I don't have it. It's tough to help someone heal and manage their eyes. Also sometimes the benefit is not immediate and it's accumulative and difficult to advise on, eg making a moist atmosphere, less computer, more blinking, protecting and healing the eye surface.

Sometimes my d's eyes are so dry I can see no tear film, and she doesn't feel it and I have to remind her to use drops. I guess the sensitivity lessens.

Many of our Optometrists do seem to have dry eyes now from working in a/c.

I don't understand why docs don't help us to access best available information to help us self-manage better. Ours get irritated that we look things up on the internet. These are very, very clever people. It's a paradigm shift in the culture, I guess.

Is there any chance you've caught demodex? We had a dog when this started and I've always wondered if this happened. Can't get a Derm to test for it though.

[unicorn]

We do great just using very dilute TTO shampoo as an eyelid margin scrub, and occasionally using TTO facewash and shampoo. I made sure the shampoo has the terpinen-4-ol component.

Littlemermaid may I ask what the shampoo you use is? I used the Dr Organic one as a very dilute lid scrub for a while and I think maybe it helped a little. I've been advised since to only use plain water, but I'm not really improving, and I'm interested in these demodex discussions. I've no idea how I can buy Cliradex over here, though.

[Faith1989]

Ladiva- when you say "you picked this up at a beauty pallor" what do you mean? Are they contagious?

[LaDiva]

Yes, Faith. You can get them from other people. I noticed little red spots on my scalp after a trip to the hairdresser. They looked like little pimples. I went to the dermatologist and asked him what the spots were. He shrugged and gave me some antibiotics, which worked, but then the spots came back, and eventually went away. The problem is that the mites live inside hair follicles and eat sebum. Like Mermaid says, dogs get them. You can catch them from dogs, cats, other people. I'll also add that I had the problems with my scalp before the meibomian gland dysfunction occurred.