im using raw honey and im feel better

Hmmm... today I had a rather amazing eye day... used significantly less artificial tears than usual... felt more comfortable overall...eyes were whiter than usual... interesting... I'm feeling hopeful again... but trying not to get too excited here... I mean really... what are the odds that this will be my magic bullet... (I know it's helped others here, but what can I say... when it comes to it helping ME, I'm still a major skeptic ... as IF I'll be so lucky to have it help me... know what i mean?)

One more detail that I forgot to mention... I haven't used the honey on my lids overnight... After reading about some posters' really bad reactions to the honey, I was scared to put it on at bedtime in case too much seeped into my eyes while sleeping and caused major irritation.... I figure by using it only during waking hours if I start to notice any major issues, since I'll be conscious, I can just wash off the honey

So here is my honey experiment update:

Well, it seems to be consistently making my eyes feel wetter... they water more...

It seems that I have to be careful to put only a very thin layer of honey on my upper and lower lids though...I put a tiny layer just below my lower lashes (and then spread it right up to the base of my lashes), and then the same thing on my upper lids...if too thick, then it gets into my eyes and makes them red and burn

With the thin layer, I notice it seeping into my eyes from time to time... but it only stings a tiny bit... after a few hours, the sticky honey residue on my lids seems to be completely washed away by any overflowing tears I have... so then I reapply the honey again.

So far, I'm not sure if it's doing anything for my MG's though... When I look at them under 10x magnification with a really bright flashlight, they look a tiny bit better than before honey... is it coincidence? or the honey??

...and I'm not sure if all this tearing is simply reflex tearing from the small amount of honey that leaks into my eyes, or if the honey is helping me in some other way... the tearing feels really nice though...

However, because I haven't seen any large improvement in my MG's at this point, I must admit that I am not terribly optimistic that this will fix my glands... but since the honey doesn't seem to be having any adverse effects, I'm going to give it a few more days at the very least... and then, well... I guess then I'll know if this honey is destined for use in my morning cup of tea or not haha ... err... or maybe in that honey-mustard chicken recipe that I soooo love to eat!... hmmmm....

Maybe if my lids were obviously red and irritated the honey would have made a more dramatic difference (assuming the redness etc. was due to bacterial infection...)... who knows...

In any case, I'm glad the honey has helped some of us here at least!

[redandsensitive]

I have ordered raw honey now, and will try this as soon as I get it.
Hope this works!!

Thanx for sharing!

[regina]

oh cool

well good luck saag! For me honey was just steip one...for your oil glands and pain...you probably still have to deal with not enough moisture. Once you get the inflamation down...then you have to start figuring out remedies for your other symptoms... ;P I will be excited to hear about day 2!

Well, so far, so good. I brought my jar of Manuka honey to work with me lol... I applied it a total of 4 times as described above (method #2)... a couple of times, it stung a bit as it leaked into my eyes... but it was pretty minor compared to my drops experiment.

Guess what? I had one of the best eye days I've had in ages... My eyes felt moist for most of the day, and I didn't have to use artificial tears as often as I usually do... I was even able to READ for over 2 hours (a continuing education module!)...

Until today, I haven't been able to read anything extensive at work since I've returned from mat leave in January...

Anyhow, I'm trying not to get excited about this... I mean really, as IF I will be so lucky to have honey really work for me... this could all be just a coincidence...

So, tomorrow will be day 2... it'll be interesting to see how it goes...

Well, I've got my sterile Manuka honey now...

Experiment #1: I mixed 1 part honey with 4 parts sterile preservative-free saline solution. I put a drop in each eye after supper yesterday. It stung like crazy (pretty much exactly the way my eyes sting after applying a drop of Maxidex)... they also got red... within 5 minutes, the redness and stinging had subsided... but holy cow...the stinging was pretty intense at first.

Experiment #2: I applied a tiny amount just underneath my lower lashes, and a tiny amount just above by upper lashes.... I rubbed it in a bit up to the base of my lashes. So far, I've experienced zero stinging and redness.

So, due to the discomfort of the drops, I think I will continue experiment #2 for a while... I figure if I continue to experience no discomfort from this, after a day or two, I'll try applying it in this manner at bedtime.... but for now, I didn't want to go to sleep in it until I'd seen for myself during daylight hours that I don't have any crazy allergic/irritation reaction to it. I figure worst case, if I experience irritation from it while trying it out during the day, I can wash it off... whereas if I try it at bedtime for the first time I was concerned that I'd sleep through any irritation and potentially wake up with an eye disaster on my hands!

I tend to think I won't be lucky enough to experience any kind of major relief with this, but who knows... maybe I'm luckier than I think haha

I just had allergy testing done in this past week, so I know I'm not allergic to pollen (or anything else for that matter!).

[regina]

Hi marcus

No, I dont really have crusting in the morning anymore...I have a little gunk in the corner once in awhile when I wake up...but that is it. When I did have loads of gunk coming out...than when I started using honey...out of desperation! It slowed it down immediately...I went to bed with it and the next day it stopped. I havent had that problem since. Since bacteria cant survive in honey...I guess that is what changed it!

I dont know about holding water in...it does keep a barrier on your lids that was so relieving for me....

[calli66]

Honey has a hygroscopic quality

It holds and attracts water. Do you think this is the thing that helps eyes?

C

[Marcus from Scandinavia]

Regina.. now when your melbomian glands are functioning much better. Don't you have any crusts or gunk in your eyes when you wake up in the morning?

Well, I've always been a HUGE skeptic about stuff like this, but guess what? I just ordered some sterile Manuka Honey directly from Summer Glow Apiaries in New Zealand... I plan on cautiously experimenting with it...

The price of the honey wasn't too bad actually... it's the shipping that kills it... also got tempted by their honey roasted macadamia nuts... if the honey doesn't help my MG's, then at least I'll be able to enjoy a nice cup of tea (with honey in it of course!) as I munch on my macadamia nuts lol

[regina]

hi again

I dont have to use honey anymore actually...once the inflamation went down which took 2 to 3 day at first...and then 4 or 5 times a day...and then frequency went down to just when my lids starting stinging...and now like once a month because I wore makeup or went into a smokey atmosphere...so my lids are working normally...like I said ...I also have sjorgrens so I still have dry eye but the pain is gone! Britta puts them in her eye...i just closed mine and spread it in the eye lashes...it will be okay if a little gets in...it will sting...but it will pass...let dry, wipe off excess...and go on with your day or sleep whatever ....lol

[TARYN]

honey

Regina,
Congratulations on the success of the honey. How much do you put on the lids and where exactly do you apply it? If it gets in your eye does it cause any irritation?

I hope it keeps getting better and better.

[regina]

for me...

was honey a cure for my dry eyes...no, but what they did in two to three days was reduce the imflamation of my eye lids so that they again secreted oil. Do I still have dry eyes...yes..but the excrusiating pain is gone...I dont want to gouge my eyes out now. Now that oil started flowing...I starting taking doxy and that helps with the redness of my eyes 100 mg twice a day. At home I am totally normal...at a gym or store..about 70...at work at ABOUT 50. it is just too dry and i am on the computer for 24 hours a day. But I come home to happiness now! I still have a dry hour when I wake up...but no drops anymore...no ice or heat bags...im normal except still cant wear makeup...but waaaay better than i was 2 to 3 years ago...I actually have a sparkle in my eyes again...my eyes were dead and red looking for sooo long!

[avee]

Danke schön, Britta Look, I think don't send me these drops now. I'm trying this honey thing currently. But I'm most thankful for telling me about them. Aloe is great! I'll remember the name and maybe I can order them online in future if I want to. Thank you, again, It's so heartwarming really.

[jimorlik]

Plat, like I said earlier, I'm not endorsing the use of honey eye drops nor am I telling everyone to rush out and buy honey to use in their eyes.
For me it's working great. My eyes have never felt this good in a number of years now. The grittiness feeling in my eyes is much better than it was prior to using the honey and this part is hard to explain, but before using the honey my vision would become cloudy or hazy and when I would put lubricant eye drops in this would help temporarily. Well, with the honey the relief last longer than it did with other eyes drops and so I don't experience the haziness as often as I did. So in saying that I guess you could say that my vision is better.
I haven't been to my eye doctor since I started using the honey, but I definitely will post any changes in my eyes after seeing my doctor.