sterilid and me

[Rebecca Petris]

Alright I give up. This is the third time I've tried Sterilid after not using it for awhile and then found I got worse.

I normally do not use any lid hygiene product but I still had that little bottle of Sterilid beckoninig to me from the medicine cabinet and I've been having some problems with my left eye so I thought what the heck, I'll try it again. Two days later, the margins of my lids on that eye are sore and burning (again). Back to Unisol for me and I'm chucking the sterilid so I won't be tempted again when the memory of sore lids fades again.

[Guest]

Rebecca

I had a similar reaction to Supranettes (Alcon). I ended up with inflammation after a couple of times of use.

I am unsure what causes the inflammation. The DR told me today I have Meibomitis (??sp) but I don't have Blepharitis

I always thought MGD is a subset of Blepharitis, ie, if you have MGD by default you have Blepharitis. I guess I am just trying to understand this a little better so that I can treat the problem.

What is Sterilid designed for, is it for the treatment of MGD (blocked glands) or for inflammation of the lids or is it the same thing?

Ian

[calli66]

don't laugh...

I tried SteriLid on my eyes, but ended up using it as a "personal cleanser." Used once a day, it has been quite effective in preventing the occurrence of my darned hemorrhoids! Really! I always assumed--judging by the product name--that it was supposed to be sort of anti-bacterial and gentle on tender tissue. That's why I thought of using it for "x" purposes. I read the ingredient list, but it doesn't mean much to me.

C66

[Rebecca Petris]

Ian,

I confess I have become very cynical about pronouncements by doctors - yes including corneal specialists - about MGD. So many people have been told by multiple doctors that their MGs are fine or normal - only to be told by a specialist who really gets hands-on with MGs that they are not.

Regarding MGD and bleph, I think it's the other way around. Blepharitis is a common cause of MGD, but there are plenty of other causes (including the ocular rosacea DrL often talks about). Also, it's worth noting that meibomian gland function declines naturally with age. There was an interesting study somewhere that documented MG function through a normal lifespan, showing the percentage of gland function at different decades of life. So in a sense he's right that 'most people' have a little MGD.

C66,

We oughtta start a forum about alternative uses of dry eye products. That way we can turn our dry eye reject drawers into dry eye recycling bins. I think somebody (Dotanne maybe??) said they used Dakrina as a nasal spray and it worked great

[stella]

From what i undestand there are two types of blepharitis
1 Anterier - crusted eye lids -
2 Posterier - meibomiam gland disfunction
I think probably sterilid would be good for the first
I tried it but it made me worse - burning& stinging
I thought it was hilarious!!! - using it for your haemarroids Cali66
I have found a good use for it too - to clean your hands before touching your eyes if it is not convenient to wash them
(I tend to pinch my eye lids a lot as it relieves the prickle and itch )and I dont want to get an infection on top of everything else
Ian - I think with mobeimian gland disfunction - ie - posterier blepharitis , the glands are disfunctional due to inflamation but it can also be due to infection too
Doxycycline would address both issues - though the small dose given long- term is to address the inflamation
That is my understanding of what i have read-up on the 'net
Stella

[Judy]

So out of curiosity and this may be off the subject, does anyone know if while taking Doxy it is ok to have a glass of wine at night or would it negate the benefits of the antibiotic ? I think I'm about ready for another round of Doxy, unfortunately , or fortunately as it does seem to work for my blepharitis...

[Eli]

C66-That's absolutely hilarious+plus you're very brave to try it. I would be very hesistant to experiment with random products down "there." I remember the time I tried Benadryl anti-itch spray for jock itch. I failed to realize however, that the number one ingredient was isopropyl alcohol. The resultant screaming and cursing was probably heard for miles. So be careful! Maybe Dr. Gilbard will come up with a variant called "Steri-Roid," from which you could reap royalties?

[np1981]

I tried steralid recently and was worse off too. I am still using tea tree oil scrubs and tea tree ointment around my eyes, which seems to be doing the trick.

Recently though, I have found some other things (that used to help) actually make things worse. I find warm compresses to be detrimental, and recently doxycycline irritated my eyes further. I may actually be producing too much oil(?).

I'm more or less convinced that bacterial overload in my eyes (eg along lid margins etc) is the primary casue of my eye troubles, which is why I'm disappointed in Steralid, becasue it sound exactly like the kind of thing I need. How it got as bad as it did may be due to my long standing lagothalmus.

Getting things under control is a struggle, but I feel month by month there is a slight improvement so here hoping.

Nik

[skygoddess]

It just goes to show how we all have to fine tune what works best for us ,

I adore sterilid! Burns like hell , I admit it. But the label says try to keep it on for a full minute, so I assume they know it is tough.
But , when my eyes are doing good, it barely tingles. And I have had far more good days than bad , since I started using it.
It has tee tree oil in it, which I believe, is suppose to kill demox mites.

[Judy]

Skygoddess, It is such a shame one can actually state "we adore" a dry-eye treatment that seems to be working isn't it? Who would have thought? Anyway, thanks for your insight on Sterilid, particularly the fact that it contains tea tree oil. I may be giving it a try!

[skygoddess]

Even worse, remember waiting by the phone for the boys to call?

Now , I get that same feeling wondering when my Dr. will call.

[brd888]

Old topic

I know this is an old topic but after using Sterilid for a few months I now find my condition has deteriorated quite a bit. I wonder if continued use of certain products are always likely to result in eventual intolerance? Anti-bacterials like Sterilid may control 99% of bacteria but this will always result in the 1% having improved growth conditions.
Anyway looks like time to rest the Sterilid and return to simply boiled water or baby shampoo treatments.

[stella]

I,m back to the baby shampoo---
Once a day usually, or twice if its a bad day
I find it does help the prickle and itch of the lids ,though it may have a drying effect on the actual eye
I divide my problem into two -
1 - eye-lid irritation - they prickle and itch
2 - dry eyes - which burn and are light- sensitive and sometimes painful
I am trying to rinse off the shampoo really well and that helps
I cant tolerate sterilid at all
Is occusoft gentler ?
I, m looking for something for travelling ,and mixing up baby shampoo solution is inconvenient and needs a lot of equipment like small bowls and boiled water

[Judy]

I totally love Occusoft foaming cleanser. I use very very diluted baby shampoo twice a day (really using it to remove makeup on eyes). All I do with the baby shampoo is add tons of water in the same bottle, I don't use a bowl and boiling water or anything similar. Sounds like a lot of work to me. Why do you do it this way? Anyway, I'm also using Occusoft once a day (in morning), plus rinse with Unisol4 before getting out of the shower in the morning... Plus, q-tipping eyelids with Unisol4 once out of the shower and before applying face moisturizer and makeup. Seems to be working pretty darn well. You can buy a travel size Occusoft from this website and it lasts for a long time!

[Rebecca Petris]

I have the travel size Ocusoft foam - both types - in my shower and they've lasted for months. I can't tolerate Sterilid or baby shampoo at all. The original Ocusoft is very, very gentle and has a silky feel on the lids. Extra strength does not have that feel (more watery feel) but I don't find it in any way irritating. I alternate between the two.

Can't stand the 'pre-moistened pads' on the other hand, but everyone is different.