Question on Dwelle

[Justpeachythx]

Hi everyone,

I have a Dwelle-related question that I'm hoping someone could comment on. I went to a dry-eye "specialist" yesterday (third dr I've seen in last 6 weeks) and the good news is he seemed to be informed about the condition and seems willing to work with me to try various things until we get this sorted out.

He did not do the schwimmers (sp?) test, but did tell me that my TBUT looks quite good considering how symptomatic I am. He didn't tell me the exact score, but said it didn't appear to be breaking up at all. He said my glands are sluggish, but not plugged and to continue the warm compresses to keep them working at their best. Overall, he said my eye looked "calm", with the tear film thin but intact. He indicated I seem to be doing everything right so far, in that there are obvious signs of dry eye, but the eyes themselves are coping well.

What he did notice ... was a huge build up of "gunk" in the corners of my eyes (I can't actually see it myself, but my main complaint for the last month is terrible burning, itchiness, foreign body sensation in the sides of my eyes closest to the nose). He said there were "strings" of gunk accumulated there, and suspects I'm having some sort of autumn-related allergic reaction. The eyes are not moist enough to flush out the irritants and they are all collecting in the corners of my eyes. He prescribed panodol as a first course and will follow-up in a week to see how I'm doing. He also wants me using a lot of lubricant during the day to attempt to "flush out" the junk. He suggested theratears, but basically said whatever I'm comfortable with.

I've been using dwelle exclusively (except for night) during the last 3 weeks and it think it's been working for the most part, except for the odd evening when my eyes are just over the top and only cold compresses will help. My question is whether it's possible that the dwelle might actually be adding to the junk that's collecting. I'm suspecting not, but wonder if it's possible?

This is such a difficult thing to combat -- it feels sometimes like a high-wire balancing act.

Thanks for any insights/comments.

Debbi

[dianat]

Debbi,

Heck, anything is possible. But, before I was a Dwelle user I also was diagnosed as having "stuff" sitting in my eye. It was described to me as allergy-related. I also used an allergy eye drop and eliminated the seasonal problem. Now I use Patanol on an as-needed basis, which isn't often fortunately. You might also consider using a non-preserved saline and rinsing your eyes a couple times a day. This could eliminate your need for the allergy drops.

I think it would be a greater crime to cut out Dwelle from your regimen at this point.

[Plat]

Hi Diana, did/does Allergy drop dry out your eyes more when you use it? Did you have any adverse effetcs with it? Which drop do you use. Thanks

[dianat]

Patanol. I do not notice increased dryness. I usually only use it maybe once a week or even once every two weeks as needed...only when I notice an unusual amount of irritation or itching. I can usually attribute this to something I've done...like a campfire or an unusual amount of time spent outdoors.

D