I have tried many things, I need new ideas please!

[AmericanPsycho]

Ok,

So I have had dry eyes for the last 5 years or so (I'm 25).

I really want to be able to wear contacts (I still have painful dry eye even wearing glasses, but not nearly as bad) (I cannot afford the eye shaping ones you wear at night , and with my dry eye I'm not sure if this is a good option anyway)

In any case, I have tried

1. Restasis (seemed to help a little MAYBE, I couldn't really tell)

2. Azasite (I don't have a bacterial issue, however doc said this helps some with dry eye -- seemeed to make mine WORSE)

3. Various other eye drops that make things feel better for a few minutes, but are not actually fixing anything.

4. Omega 3 / Flaxseed supp. (can't tell a difference)

5. Doc says he doesn't think punctual plugs would work for me (I believe he said that my issue relates to my eye not holding the moisture enough, and that he is worried that I will have tears rolling down my face if we use plugs) I don't really get it since I thought I didn't have enough tears anyway?!

6. I have also tried warm compresses, don't seem to do anything.

Any ideas would be really helpful! Thank you!

[Stanza]

The bad news is some of us haven't managed to get back to contacts. I'm only back to wearing them occassionally for some hours.

What has your doctor diagnosed as the cause of your problem? Sounds like it must be quite complex if none of the treatments listed are giving you any relief. Do you find you get no relief at all from any of them, or just not enough?

[AmericanPsycho]

The bad news is some of us haven't managed to get back to contacts. I'm only back to wearing them occassionally for some hours.

What has your doctor diagnosed as the cause of your problem? Sounds like it must be quite complex if none of the treatments listed are giving you any relief. Do you find you get no relief at all from any of them, or just not enough?

I have never been given any specific reason or diagnosis. Just that I have dry eyes. None of those things really give me any relief. I woulnd't say that my dry eyes are severe (i.e. not a 9 or 10 on a 10 point scale of pain) but rather I am about 5 with just glasses, and with contacts it can be pretty bad maybe a 7 or 8.

I just want my eyes to feel normal, and since I am not a severe case, I'm hoping I can do something about it.

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi there and welcome.

I have never been given any specific reason or diagnosis. Just that I have dry eyes.

I would strongly recommend you read this article which may help you get some better diagnostic progress. At your age, even being a 5 is a matter of real concern and - setting aside the entire contact lens question for the time being - it's important to get to the bottom of it so that it does not escalate. Dry eye symptoms that are not responding to simple classic treatments really needs careful investigation to determine the causes and unfortunately it's not always easy to find a doctor who can do this for you. But for starters you can go back to the doctor armed with information about what conditions to rule out, and maybe you can get some tips from the forums or yellow pages on another doctor to visit.

[AmericanPsycho]

Hi there and welcome.



I would strongly recommend you read this article which may help you get some better diagnostic progress. At your age, even being a 5 is a matter of real concern and - setting aside the entire contact lens question for the time being - it's important to get to the bottom of it so that it does not escalate. Dry eye symptoms that are not responding to simple classic treatments really needs careful investigation to determine the causes and unfortunately it's not always easy to find a doctor who can do this for you. But for starters you can go back to the doctor armed with information about what conditions to rule out, and maybe you can get some tips from the forums or yellow pages on another doctor to visit.

I will read the article, thank you! I agree, at my age I feel as though the level of dry eye is too high. I def. want to know as much as possible, and you are right that perhaps I should get more opinion from more than one doc.

[GinaJ]

I have to agree with the rest. I am 30 and have been to countless doctors besides eye doctors to find the root cause of this and my other health conditions. I also never had lasik and even with my other conditions my age is too young to have them. I feel a huge reason my pain and symptoms are not being controlled is because the cause of why can not be determined. I have had almost every test in the book so am not sure the next step. I am just saying I think that if you have not looked more into the why you should at your age. I would encourage you to look at any connections of when this started wih other health symptoms and to make sure you tell your doctor. Like if you were sick a lot before,allergies,meds etc taken. Hang in there

[AmericanPsycho]

I went back to my original eye doctor to give him another chance before getting another opinion. He did a test where a dye is put into my eye and he says that the problem is that my tears evaporate too quickly (I was presssing him about what exactly causes my dry eye)

He gave me something new to try, I think they were called Lasicert (sp?) they were little plastic things that were placed into the corner of my eye and are supposed to have a time release moisture. They felt OK but after awhile (5 hours or so) they started to come out of the corner and bother me. So those are a no go. I asked about autologous drops and he said that I am not severe enough for that.....he wants to try temporary plugs now after all.....any thoughts?

[LasikLady]

If your tears are evaporating too quickly I would say get a rice baggie from the Dry Eye Shop and use it really warm 3x a day. It will help get the oils going and that is what keeps the tears from simply evaporating on your eye. Plus it feels like heaven, to me anyway.

[hkgcomet]

Anyone taking "Bilberry" capsule?
I tried bilberry capsule better than fish oil , chrysanthemum, medlar. All those are famous of good for the eye.

[pete0085]

Sounds like you have a similar problem to me. The tears evaporate too quickly. My eyes produce tears, but the "wrong" kind. My doctor did a test with some paper, not sure the technical term, put places them under my eye lids and was showing tears produced.

I am using plugs too and I never had the problem of tearing too much. I don't think it would hurt to try it. I've been doing the warm compress, omega-3 and azasite and have noticed a small difference in a week. I only do the compress at night as it can inflame the allergy in my eye and make them red, so it's a little give and take in my case.

[calli66]

Anyone taking "Bilberry" capsule?

I take Bilberry currently, and have taken it off and on for quite long periods 8 months or more in the past. My experience has been that it has no effect on dry eye conditions, but that it improves night vision.

I'm not sure what the chemistry of it does---something about the "anthocyanosides" having an anti-oxidant property while also improving and enhancing the function of the rods and cones of the retina.

When I took it in the past, I noticed my eyes were not as sensitive to bright lights (like on-coming car headlights) and they recovered faster from bright light exposure.

Now I take it because the eye doctor told me I have early macular degeneration. I am starting to notice a decrease in visual acuity, and I have trouble with night driving, and my eyes don't recover from bright lights--- I see a sort of fuzzy glow around lights at night. So, I figure taking Bilberry might help, because it may improve my retina. I am also taking the "eye vitamins" based on the ARED formula (has extra zinc and copper, plus C and E)---these were recommended by my eye doctor.

I haven't been taking them long enough this time to notice any improvement yet. But I hope my retina does not deteriorate any more, and these vitamins could help that.

C

[bernmee]

I'm taking Bilberry. I have just started my third month.

I can't say for sure that it has helped, as I am taking/doing so much, but the last two months my night time driving problems have gone, I am now almost 9months post Lasik.

I'm planning to continue to take these along with my Omega 3's.

Bernadette

[hkgcomet]

I take Bilberry currently, and have taken it off and on for quite long periods 8 months or more in the past. My experience has been that it has no effect on dry eye conditions, but that it improves night vision.

I'm not sure what the chemistry of it does---something about the "anthocyanosides" having an anti-oxidant property while also improving and enhancing the function of the rods and cones of the retina.

When I took it in the past, I noticed my eyes were not as sensitive to bright lights (like on-coming car headlights) and they recovered faster from bright light exposure.

Now I take it because the eye doctor told me I have early macular degeneration. I am starting to notice a decrease in visual acuity, and I have trouble with night driving, and my eyes don't recover from bright lights--- I see a sort of fuzzy glow around lights at night. So, I figure taking Bilberry might help, because it may improve my retina. I am also taking the "eye vitamins" based on the ARED formula (has extra zinc and copper, plus C and E)---these were recommended by my eye doctor.

I haven't been taking them long enough this time to notice any improvement yet. But I hope my retina does not deteriorate any more, and these vitamins could help that.

C

Your sharing is great! Got better night vision, that good enough.
I find bilberry may make eye look less tire, can last little longer.
I don't go out at night, my eye is so red and sensitive to electrical light.
Do anyone got no change at night?

[sazy123]

Ok,

So I have had dry eyes for the last 5 years or so (I'm 25).

I really want to be able to wear contacts (I still have painful dry eye even wearing glasses, but not nearly as bad) (I cannot afford the eye shaping ones you wear at night , and with my dry eye I'm not sure if this is a good option anyway)

In any case, I have tried

1. Restasis (seemed to help a little MAYBE, I couldn't really tell)

2. Azasite (I don't have a bacterial issue, however doc said this helps some with dry eye -- seemeed to make mine WORSE)

3. Various other eye drops that make things feel better for a few minutes, but are not actually fixing anything.

4. Omega 3 / Flaxseed supp. (can't tell a difference)

5. Doc says he doesn't think punctual plugs would work for me (I believe he said that my issue relates to my eye not holding the moisture enough, and that he is worried that I will have tears rolling down my face if we use plugs) I don't really get it since I thought I didn't have enough tears anyway?!

6. I have also tried warm compresses, don't seem to do anything.

Any ideas would be really helpful! Thank you!

You sound in a similar position to me. Keep going if you havent had it that long give things long enough chance to work.. It sounds like you have MGD if you have plenty of tears and evaporative dry eye. Do you have blocked glands or inflamed eyelids? Try to get to the bottom of what is causing that. It could be allergies or rosacea. If that fails you could ask for a rx of progesterone cream or doxy for mgd. That has helped me some. Although im still about a 7 in dry eye pain.

[AmericanPsycho]

You sound in a similar position to me. Keep going if you havent had it that long give things long enough chance to work.. It sounds like you have MGD if you have plenty of tears and evaporative dry eye. Do you have blocked glands or inflamed eyelids? Try to get to the bottom of what is causing that. It could be allergies or rosacea. If that fails you could ask for a rx of progesterone cream or doxy for mgd. That has helped me some. Although im still about a 7 in dry eye pain.

No blocked glands, I do have very bad allergies in general, so this good be a culprit. I do often have a painful and dry feeling on my lashes, esp. when I wake up in the morning...

What is MGD?