Questions for DHEA drop users

[smthcorona]

I finally got my DHEA drops (preservative free) and am on my 4th day! So far so good. Today was a really good day, actually had some tearing in my eyes and didn't have so much burning! Could it be the DHEA drops already? I'm afraid to be optimistic since so many other things have not worked.

If you area a DHEA drop user, how long did it take to notice some positive effects? And did it last? I've read about people who said the effect didn't last.

[Rebecca Petris]

Fascinating! Keep us posted. Haven't heard from any DHEA drop users lately, hopefully this post will bring them out of the woodwork.

[smthcorona]

I'm now 3 weeks in with the DHEA drops and am still having success!! I had a few bad days after returning from a short trip to Florida (I live in Wisconsin) after being on them for just a week. I thought the warm humid climate would make things even better, but for some strange reason it caused me to revert back a little. Maybe it was the dry airports, airplanes and the windy conditions there? Luckily things have returned to where they had been. I can only hope this success continues and keeps getting even better. These last several months have been the absolute worst of my "dry eye life". I could never have imagined it could be as bad as it was!!

Thanks to the DHEA drops I am beginning to get my life back. I have improved enough to be able to go out to restaurants again, something I quit doing because I would be so horribly uncomfortable in that type of environment. I even venture away from my desk at work without making sure I have a vial of drops or ointment in my pocket!

I am so thankful to have learned about DHEA drops from this site and for having a doctor willing to allow me to try them. I frequently look back at a post I printed from a male DHEA drop user who said "it was nothing short of a miracle". I was SO ready for a miracle!!

[tearless2]

Wow, that is great news. I am so happy for you! What type of MD prescribed them for you and how did they determine that this is what was needed? Did you have a hormone test?

[smthcorona]

My cornea specialist prescribed them, got them from Leiter's. "They" didn't determine that I needed them. I asked to try them based on what I have read about DHEA drops. Nothing else was helping, so I'm sure glad I did!! I have had a blood hormone test. My DHEA level was normal, and my testosterone level was actually high. I am soon going to do a saliva hormone test which shows the levels in your tissues and is suppose to be more accurate. It also shows progesterone levels which the blood test does now show. The hormone tests are being done by my primary doctor who is very good at looking for other causes. I currently take compounded progesterone and estrogen cream. When I started on the estrogen cream it helped a little, but didn't last. The DHEA drops have made a much more dramatic improvement!

[NeedMyEyes]

Wow this is great. I am a male just diagnosed with low testosterone and I am going to try testosterone cream (no eye drop available). I hope it continues to work for you.

By the way - YES!! Airplanes are HORRIBLE for dry eye and will definitely make the few days after the trip worse...

[LaDiva]

Hi smthcorona,
Please keep us posted. I am going to ask my eye doc for some DHEA drops next week. So happy to hear this is working for you! Fingers crossed!

[Hopeful2]

Hi smthcorona, I am very curious about the DHEA eye drops. Are they from a compounding pharmacy? Can you let us know how you are doing?

[Dry-eyed-suzy]

Hi,
I've been on C-DHEA 0.5 % P.F. CMPD OPH. eye drops for a week. They sting & I'm not sure if they work yet. Might be a bad batch. They are compounded by a firm called Leiter's in San Jose, California. Tried Progesterone drops last month. I'm 45. Noticed my DES about 6 months ago but it may have existed prior. Can't say the prog. drops worked well since I am also on progesterone only birth control (for hot flashes etc). I'M NOT MENOPAUSAL. I've explained this to many doctors. low hormone levels & perimenopausal. Never had lasik, never done contacts, have no idea why I have MGD. I have atrophied glands in one eye. no tears at ALL. trying everything since there are crazy pollen levels here. basically burning my face with this eye mask to get oil out. I do have crazy allergies which are under control by various drugs. or I thought they were. This is frustrating to mein that some of these "cures" have been around since 2004, but 2 ophthalmologists I saw have no idea about the DES/MGD field & did not care. they just want to cut on cataracts. * Why isn't more research being done to make our lives better? Is it because it's not sexy or lethal like breast cancer???!! I can barely drive my kids to soccer practice due to blurry vision. Maybe we should get car insurance companies to pay for our cures?! ok rant over. I was hoping to find more info on effectiveness of these hormone eye drops, but nobody seems to know much. At least I found an ophthalmologist that attacks this on multiple fronts. (since she has DES!) I am scheduled for lipiflow later. It will cost me $1700. insurance does't pay for it. why? again, there is no $$ behind research or advocacy for DES or MGD. very frustrated with rich, lazy ophthalmologists these days. and the FDA. new to this arena, but geeky enough to read as much as possible & not go down without a fight. - s