Meibomian Gland Dysfunction FIX

[Gaye]

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

I am starting to see a pattern here. It looks like we all just need a vacation in the Caribbean or Mexico!

[jcorbett]

Mexico

Yep. I'm all for a vacation anywhere warm!! Think we could use it for a tax deduction?

[ACL]

Only a few mins to post. Sounds like time for a permamnet vacation (in HI or MX) for all of us! Thanks for perspective Cindy. Interesting, that tropical vacation relief is; my Dr mentioned patient that had same experience on her vacation in HI... so she quit her snr exec banking position and moved there.... He also mentioned many many people he has worked with who have quit their jobs, etc due to inabilty to function.
FYI, the northern mountains vacat. in winter made me worse, so it is not just stress relief, maybe/prob. moist air? How long have you been on the Cysteine/Glut? I could not find the product on GNC.com. Thanks also to Amy for reply on welcome forum and helpful link too.

[kdc66]

At least in Florida and the carribean; I believe dry eye suffers improve because of the high humidity levels. I went to Orlando two weeks ago and felt improvement. The humidity was in the 80% range compared to the 50-60% range back in Maryland.

[jcorbett]

souteastern states

Florida....I was wondering about that. If Mexico and Caribbean are helpful, what about people who live in Florida or on the coast? Do we have any posters from those areas with higher humidity? I have not traveled much since this happened, but I do see posts from people who have went to the doctors in Florida....I don't recall them saying their eyes improved while there? If it made a difference, I would certainly consider moving.
But then, we would have to contend with air conditioning year round. Unfortunately, I can't spend every day at the beach
Interesting topic.

[Maurie]

I live in Lake Jackson, TX about 20 minutes from the beach. We have high humidity much of the time. I've never lived anywhere else, but I have pretty bad dry eye symptoms here. The higher humidity days do feel a bit better but the humidity hasn't "cured" me. And you are right...the constant AC is a battle. My husband has to have the house pretty cold. Sometimes, I go sit outside for relief. I am glad I live here thought and not in the north.

[ACL]

FL, TX,MX etc

Blink rate is a big factor for me; any situation where I have to focus mentally (computer, business presentation, social situation with new people etc), my blink rate goes down and eyes get cooked. I say this a a preface to the followijg tropical anecdotes because I have to wonder how much is relaxation and how much is tropic (I think both with weghting on tropic).

I live in Marin County (SF bay area CA- and work in SF), known for fog, but outside of fact that symptoms were *decidely* worse in tahoe (north of here ski mtn), I do not notice difference from SF vs. other similar non-tropic places.

Perhaps more intersting, I was in Surfside Beach TX two weeks ago for 4 days (Lake jackson and Maury are almost the next town over! small world Maury) and I did NOT notice relief there.
I was in also in Destin FL for 9 days vact. last year (gulf coast 'the redneck riviera') and DID sort of have relief as I recall, but i had attributed that to maybe total relaxation/no stress and margaritas. as much as the tropical air. Not sure, but I would say there was a decided tropical factor there.

MX remains the one place I can def. say I had relief (although a fair share of Margaritas there too). And maybe notable that I was relaxed in tahoe. Not sure these anecdotes are any help to anybody...

I started NAC 600 Glut 100 (GNC) 1x/day today. Will report any results.

[Maurie]

small world

Yes I am close to Surfside...maybe the reason you nor I notice relief here is the chemical plants. This is a big DOW community with many other plants as well.

[jcorbett]

Factors

I would agree with ACL....a lot of different factors go into a tropical vacation. No computers (that's my job,too), margaritas (alcohol and food always make me feel better) and air conditioning is practically non-existant or just enough to take the edge off. It seems here in the states they crank up the air so much that I often have to take a sweater when I go out to eat, to theatres or in stores. That's got to be hard on the eyes....both the drafts and lack of humidity. I think with forced air heat most places are also humidifying (at least up north here), but with air conditioning they are trying to zap the humidity.
Anybody know of a humid climate with moderate temps where air or heat is rarely needed? That's what we need! And low pollution.
Lack of polllution may be a factor with Mexico/Caribbean vacations over stateside. Less cars, less factories. Perhaps these things have more of an impact than we think. The comments from Maurie on the DOW plants were interesting.
But thanks for all the input. The Caribbean is my favorite place and this last year I have been afraid to travel that far for any length of time. I guess it's time!

[ajneedhams]

Yep, I know how you feel about being leary of traveling far with this condition. I had booked my cruise vacation during a time when my eyes were feeling rather good. As the date neared, I thought, "Oh this is gonna be awful" and I was rather depressed when I should have been excited. We left from Galveston TX and took the cruise across the gulf to Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen (near Cancun) and it was wonderful. No AC there, but none needed. Warm winds and sheer paradise. I think the longer the vacation, the more relaxed one becomes. Besides Restasis, I didn't use any drops.

Amy

[Cindy]

We need a travel agent. Someone with an entrepreneurial (sp?) spirit to put together a Dry Eye Cruise/vacation.

[Delilah]

bmore

I am new on this site but I just got that supplement that you got at GNC, took the first pill today My eyes are getting worse and worse and I have tried everything as well. I have MGD really bad, I have also tried all those eye drops and ointment and scrubs and I still do warm soaks every day. I was going to ask you, what is in that supplement that helps MGD? So after 2 months it worked for you? I am also on 100mgs of doxy too, will I see some results in one month or does it take 2?
I am just so sick of this MGD, its a daily battle, I have had this for 2 years now, no one knew what it was till I went to the Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake, the doctor said it was from smoking?? I had a horrible eye infection and got rid of it and then about 3 days after this MGD appeared, and I have smoked for years, I don't think its from the smoking, I haven't yet heard anything from anyone else saying MGD is smoke related. So now that you have relief, you don't experience any of those stringy mucus things that come out? Do your eyes feel 100% better? In the morning is my worst, so dry and burning that I can barely see, feels like sand is in there and the mucus is so thick its gross, are your mornings better now? I am sorry for all the questions, I am just hoping that this supplement at GNC will work for me too. Thank you Delilah

[Dotanne]

Good idea

We need a travel agent. Someone with an entrepreneurial (sp?) spirit to put together a Dry Eye Cruise/vacation.

That would be great Cindy. How about coming to New Zealand? Or maybe I could brave a long flight to USA(12 hours to LA) and join you. Are cruises easier on the eyes?
Dotanne

[Gaye]

Dotanne re: Cruises

Hi Dotanne - cruises are great, especially if you spend some time up on deck. However, the common areas are usually very air conditioned and dry (like dining areas, casino, etc.) and they can bother your eyes. But if you get a cabin with a balcony, you can open your door and let the ocean air in - very moisturizing on the eyes. Unfortunately, a bit more expensive than a cabin without.

P.S. I am a travel agent

[Rebecca Petris]

P.S. I am a travel agent

Oooooooh. Noted. Gaye, you are now in my rolodex for a call when we start organizing the Dry Eye Zone's first annual Ocular Surface Therapy Cruise