Vitamin A Ointment for MGD?

[khasler]

A blast from the past. Haven't been visiting in awhile but thought I'd check in with a question. A recent visit to a new doc suggested I use a vitamin A ointment that you put in your eyes before sleeping to help with the clogging of my meibomian glands. I have dry eye/blepharitis and can't seem to get them unclogged with my home made rice baggies. I just bought your new ones so I'm anxious to try them!

Anyone heard of this form of treatment?

Take care!
Kim

[Rojzen]

Retinoic acid ointment - yes

Yes! Dr. S. Tseng, of great renown for this approach, prescribed retinoic acid ointment for me for two years, hopeful that this concentrated form of Vita A would produce a chemical peel of the metaplasia sealing my meibomian glands. He has reported actually reopening patients' grand orifices through this approach, but not in all cases. The retinoic acid that incidentally coats the ocular surface, during this therapy, has also been reported, in studies, to improve healing of corneal erosions. . .Anyway, it's a fascinating and smart therapy. . .It did not help me, for those two years, but perhaps I was too far gone. . .I don't know who, other than Dr. Tseng, would prescribe the ointment. . .He used to have it compounded for patients at Bascom Palmer. . .Possibly the treatment failed in my case because I am hugely sensitive (adversely) to petrolatum, and the ointment that I used was in a petrolatum base. . .I think it's worth a try. . .Others find the retinoic acid too controversial. . .But remember that this form of Vita A is not the same as the potentially more dangerous one used in drugs like Accutane. . .