Tweet
Hi all,
I went to see Dr. Jeffrey Gilbard today as he practices monthly in Boston. he was fairly affable, and pretty generous with his time answering questions. He told me that he doesn't advertise his practice at all, and dry-eye sufferers pretty much just seek him out. In case any of you are like me in your diagnosis, I will describe Dr. Gilbard's advice in the hopes that it might help you. Firstly, Dr. Gilbard is VERY enthusiastic about the apparent merits of TheraTears Nutrition. I am skeptical, because I know that some on this site how not met with success using them. However, Dr. Gilbard says that he has quite a bit of research to back up the fact that they can be very effective in the treatment of dry eye/MGD. He also says that they can be useful in helping to restore salivary function in Sjogren's patients. Dr. Gilbard said he thought my blepharitis/clogged MG's was probably due to Rosacea even though I really don't have any facial manifestations of the diasease. Dr. Gilbard also said he noticed a slight reduction in tear volume in my right eye but a normal volume in my left. (Which has a lower plug-I guess it did work!) His reccomendation for MGD is 3 capsules of TheraTears nutrition in the morning in conjunction with minocycline. He noted that the TheraTears nutrition can take as long as 8 weeks to show substantial benefits. Also, he reccomended lid massage around 1PM in the afternoon (but I think you can do it as neccesary). As far as TheraTears goes, Dr. Gilbard gave the impression that they are the ONLY tears that should be used. He indicated to me that certain other brands can induce medicamosa (sp?) i.e. irritation due to preservatives etc. For instance, I told him that I was using Refresh Endura (PF) on occasion. He asked me if it stung when I put it in, I said "not at first, but then yes , for a few seconds." he replied, "Well, why do you think that is?" seeming to indicate that the formula was inherently irritating to the eye.
His reccomended regimen for TheraTears was to saturate the eye 4 times daily with a preservative-free vial. In between doses, if neccesary, he said to apply one drop of TheraTears Gel for, as he described it: "a liquid bandage." Apparently these vials are re-sealable, so you can keep it on hand. (As a side note-I tried re-sealing one-it can be done, but you're gonna want to keep it somewhere clean and where the cap won't get knocked off. Dr. Gilbard didn't state this specifically, but I personally would discard the vial at the end of the day since the solution is preservative free)
I would describe my visit with Dr. Gilbard as informative. He has spent a long time researching TheraTears, and obviously knows a dry eye when he sees one. My only concern is, that as far as the treatment of dry eye goes, as many of us know-that this is not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. The reality is that TheraTears may work very well for some people, for others it may not. Dr. Gilbard seems to be justifiably proud of his accomplishments, both with TheraTears and the Omega-3 supplements, but at the same time is quite dismissive of other popular treatments, i.e. Restasis and TheraLife supplements, which I know have brought relief to many people. I will try Dr. Gilbard's regimen, but if this hasn't worked for you, there are plently of other options out there that seem to be effective. Hope this was helpful. Incidentally, The New England Eye Center charges $250 to see Dr. Gilbard.
I went to see Dr. Jeffrey Gilbard today as he practices monthly in Boston. he was fairly affable, and pretty generous with his time answering questions. He told me that he doesn't advertise his practice at all, and dry-eye sufferers pretty much just seek him out. In case any of you are like me in your diagnosis, I will describe Dr. Gilbard's advice in the hopes that it might help you. Firstly, Dr. Gilbard is VERY enthusiastic about the apparent merits of TheraTears Nutrition. I am skeptical, because I know that some on this site how not met with success using them. However, Dr. Gilbard says that he has quite a bit of research to back up the fact that they can be very effective in the treatment of dry eye/MGD. He also says that they can be useful in helping to restore salivary function in Sjogren's patients. Dr. Gilbard said he thought my blepharitis/clogged MG's was probably due to Rosacea even though I really don't have any facial manifestations of the diasease. Dr. Gilbard also said he noticed a slight reduction in tear volume in my right eye but a normal volume in my left. (Which has a lower plug-I guess it did work!) His reccomendation for MGD is 3 capsules of TheraTears nutrition in the morning in conjunction with minocycline. He noted that the TheraTears nutrition can take as long as 8 weeks to show substantial benefits. Also, he reccomended lid massage around 1PM in the afternoon (but I think you can do it as neccesary). As far as TheraTears goes, Dr. Gilbard gave the impression that they are the ONLY tears that should be used. He indicated to me that certain other brands can induce medicamosa (sp?) i.e. irritation due to preservatives etc. For instance, I told him that I was using Refresh Endura (PF) on occasion. He asked me if it stung when I put it in, I said "not at first, but then yes , for a few seconds." he replied, "Well, why do you think that is?" seeming to indicate that the formula was inherently irritating to the eye.
His reccomended regimen for TheraTears was to saturate the eye 4 times daily with a preservative-free vial. In between doses, if neccesary, he said to apply one drop of TheraTears Gel for, as he described it: "a liquid bandage." Apparently these vials are re-sealable, so you can keep it on hand. (As a side note-I tried re-sealing one-it can be done, but you're gonna want to keep it somewhere clean and where the cap won't get knocked off. Dr. Gilbard didn't state this specifically, but I personally would discard the vial at the end of the day since the solution is preservative free)
I would describe my visit with Dr. Gilbard as informative. He has spent a long time researching TheraTears, and obviously knows a dry eye when he sees one. My only concern is, that as far as the treatment of dry eye goes, as many of us know-that this is not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. The reality is that TheraTears may work very well for some people, for others it may not. Dr. Gilbard seems to be justifiably proud of his accomplishments, both with TheraTears and the Omega-3 supplements, but at the same time is quite dismissive of other popular treatments, i.e. Restasis and TheraLife supplements, which I know have brought relief to many people. I will try Dr. Gilbard's regimen, but if this hasn't worked for you, there are plently of other options out there that seem to be effective. Hope this was helpful. Incidentally, The New England Eye Center charges $250 to see Dr. Gilbard.
I don't know if you do have a dry mouth, but I didn't, and I've been on TheraTears Nutrition for about a year. Well I don't know about the dry eyes, but in the last couple of months I seem to have an extremely wet mouth. Even my dentist noticed because his aspiration-cannula-thingy couldn't keep up with all this slob. He kept saying, "Well you certainly won't die of thirst..."( 
I am not naive, I know that people like me are a godsend to them, but I'd really appreciate at least a more respectful wording. I really think he needs a PR professional!
Glad you got a laugh! But seriously it's made such a difference that I don't know what to do with all this drool?!?!
Endura vials are resealable as well, but the quantity of liquid they contain make this feature essentially useless.
Comment