Opth bacitracin

[yoganut]

I've had itchy dry eyes for 4 years.

The only time I've had a long term relief (I'm talking months) is when upon my very first visit the eye doc gave my opth bacitracin ointment to apply. It seemed to clear up the problem within a month. in fact i even went back to wearing contacts on an occasional basis. Of course he didn't diagnose me and then 2 years later after wearing contacts on vacation I noticed my eyes were really bad, irritated, red sticky, crusty. Since then they haven't been the same. the crusty and stickiness is gone, but the right one is almost always sore and I still get itchiness at night.

My question is... what could I possibly have if the opth ointment cleared up the itchiness and dryness in a month and it didn't return for over a year?

[Gretchen]

YN -

I don't know. You may have had some bacterial anterior bleph that the bacitracin helped or it may be like Erythromicin ointment - an anti inflammatory.

Have you tried the bacitracin again? If so, did it not work the second go round?

Itchy makes me think allergies. Have you tried Patanol/Pataday to see if it helps?

Gretchen

[yoganut]

YN -

I don't know. You may have had some bacterial anterior bleph that the bacitracin helped or it may be like Erythromicin ointment - an anti inflammatory.

Have you tried the bacitracin again? If so, did it not work the second go round?

Itchy makes me think allergies. Have you tried Patanol/Pataday to see if it helps?

Gretchen

Actually it may have been erythromycin.... I'm currently doing warm compresses/sterilid scrub and cold compresses. I've also been using zatador..the zatador cuts down on the itchies abit, but its still there. I've been doing the warm compresses/lid scrubs for 2 weeks and not seen any improvement. I've started doing cold compresses as well, which is really soothing, albeit only temporarily.

Unfortunately, hubby is a statistic of the recession and we've lost our health insurance... hence me trying to treat myself, going back and trying to figure out what of all the treatments I've had actually gave relief.

Too bad opthalmic erythromycin/bactitracin isn't OTC here in the states...