GenTeal Gel Problems

[Edan]

Hello,

I came to the forum today and saw the following thread:

http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/forum...or-genteal-gel

My question is close, but a little different.

First, I have RCE, MGD, and just general “dry eyes”. I have been using gels/ointments for approx.10 years now without any problems. I have tried to go without the gels/ointments, but I always end up with an erosion.

About a week ago my eyes started being red and itchy in the mornings. I have discovered through trial and error that I am now sensitive (90% sure so far) to GenTeal Gel. (GenTeal and Systane are made by the same company and have the exact same ingredients if I remember correctly?)

My problem is I have never been able to sleep for longer than a few hours without a gel or ointment and I always wake up with an erosion. The last few nights I have set the alarm to wake me every 45 minutes. Right now I am mentally foggy, grumpy, depressed, and frankly a little scared. I had a heart attack a few months back and this lack of sleep is not going to help any.

So my question is as follows:

For those people who have to use these, what gels/ointments do you have success with?

Your answer will be greatly appreciated as I have ran out of ideas. I am too foggy right now to list what I have tried, but the GenTeal has been the only thing in the past that has worked. I have looked at the “Directory of Dry Eye Lubricants”, but I am too mentally slow right now to comprehend what I am looking at and most of all, my vision is so blurry now I have to get about 5 inches from the screen to see what is there. Magnification does not help much as the lighted screen “ghost” what ever I am seeing. My friend is typing/sending this for me now.

Thanks in advance.

Ernie

[PeterBelgian]

Hi Ernie , have you tried vita pos?

[Edan]

Thank you for the reply.

I am just today able to get back to the computer, hence the delay in my response.
I have not heard of VitA-POS Eye Ointment before and I am now checking into this product. Funny, just having something to check into makes my eyes a little more bearable. Thanks again for giving me a little hope.

Ernie

[farmgirl]

Hi Ernie:

You say you have had this problem for 10 years. Can you describe what else you have tried and what specalists you have seen to combat the problem?

First I must say that I am rather alarmed that you are waking yourself up every 45 min. If you do that you have basically had NO sleep during that night so it is no wonder you are in a fog. I am no doctor nor sleep therapist but, having had many sleep issues and studies done on myself I do have a basic understanding of how sleep works. In this article attached they describe the sleep cycles and to be rested you need 4 of these cycle periods a night. I am attaching a link to the article I am referencing to help you to better understand the importance of a good sleep.

https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/...standing-Sleep

The other thing you should be aware of is a condition called nocturnal lagophthalmos where the eyes open in sleep. I have attached another link for that as well. Many people open their eyes during sleep and given that you have the problem every morning then I would say that you fall into that category.

http://allaboutdryeye.com/2013/04/03...our-eyes-open/

I would be interested to know what medical specalists you have consulted regarding this very serious problem and what else you have done to combat it....cheers...F/G

[Edan]

Farmgirl,

Hello,

I will try to respond to your questions, but my vision is still poor so sorry if I miss something or misunderstand your reply.

To date, I have tried 2 cornea specialist and 5 or 6 ophthalmologist. As far as seeing any new doctors, my problem is my insurance. Since my recent heart attack, I have to “run every Dr visit” through them to get permission. They stated they have “spent over seventy-eight thousand dollars on me so far this year”, and “someone needs to keep track” of my visits.

The sleep issue concerns me a great deal. I wake up with increased heart rate and palpitations. When I tell the insurance company my concerns, I get the familiar “dry eyes is not a real medical problem”.

What does work so far for me is as follows:

An anti-inflammatory diet. (took about 4 months to see a change)

GenTeal Severe Gel (as stated this appears to be causing me problems now, but I still have not confirmed this 100%)

Systane Ultra – Preservative Free

Hot to Warm showers

Warm compresses when needed( if too hot, will cause me problems)

Try to stay indoors on winter days ( local temp here in winter is mid-twenty's)

Mask (sorry, I do not remember the name) this is a one piece mask that is soft and flexible and seals my eyes at night. I use this with a gel when my eyes are extremely dry.

I have been checked by just about all the doctors for signs that my eye lids are open at night, and none have stated any signs of this. They have told me that this condition would leave a “pattern” on my cornea where it dries out. I have taped my eyes shut multiple times to check this.

I had to look at my records and the problem actually started 12 to 13 years ago, not 10 as I stated previously. This was after an eyelid surgery that I had.

My only hope now, other than the VitA-POS, is I am trying to talk the insurance company into a visit to a doctor in Portland, Oregon.

[farmgirl]

Oh my goodness, you have run the gaumet. Have you thought about getting the corneal specalist to plead your case to the insurance company? You could lose your vision over this...is that not a 'medical problem'? You don't just have 'dry eye' you have recurrent corneal erosions...that my friend is a 'real medical problem'. Since your problem began after an eyelid surgery 13 years ago one would be tempted to conclude that something changed as a result of that surgery. I am guessing that the eye does not close properly or that you have an incomplete blink. I wonder if you have investigated whether or not there is some other procedure that could undo the harm done by the first surgery. Of course your insurance company would not agree to that at this point but maybe after they forget you have 'cost them so much this year'...lol.

Is it just one eye or are both eyes involved? Have you tried punctual plugs? Do you wear moisture chamber glasses? Do you use serum drops? Did it help to tape your eyes shut? I am glad that the anti-inflammatory diet worked for you.

I have sjogrens but my situation also became severe after a surgery (blepharoplasty). I have recently discovered that, after 7 years, I am now sensitive to almost anything that I put in my eyes. To that end I now only pretty much use non preserved saline that I buy in 5 ml tubes and can use up within a few days. My eyes feel ever so much better since I quit putting stuff in them. So much so that I recently did a post on it. http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/forum...bout-eye-drops I recently had a graft done on my lower eyelid to support it and make my blink stonger whether or not it helps remains to be seen. So far (2 months out) it seems promising but I am not going to hold my breath only to be let down when it is all healed up properly.

I see you are going to try the VitA-POS. I have heard of that on the forum but have not seen it. Another thing I saw on the forum was a drop called Retaine by OcuSoft that seems to be getting pretty good reviews. I am going to try to source that one as well. It is available at Walgrens but I live in Canada and that store is not here.

I am sure that you have researched this subject to death but in case you missed something I came across this gem...

'What is very important in self-care is learning how to open your eyes when awakening. The friction of the lid against the sick cornea is enough to rip off a piece of the corneal epithelium, as noted above. So, if you suspect you have recurrent corneal erosion, keep the eye closed firmly and only open the good eye. Look around a little to lubricate the sick eye, so that when you do open it, there is hopefully no friction and, thus, no repeat of the abrasion.'

I wish you luck with your insurance company and hope that the Dr in Portland (if you get to see him) can help. Stay strong....cheers...F/G