FML drops.................what to expect?

[Jaybo]

Hi everyone,

For anyone who's seen a bit about my story, you might know that I'm in the process of being prescribed FML drops along with a course of doxycycline.

From what I've heard from the specialist, I don't have a terrible situation with my meibomian glands, although some were clogged, the oils that they produce is clear and most are still functioning, just one gland that had obviously dropped out. I can actually see oil in my tear film and I have a decent tear break up time. In the appointment at the dry eye centre, I was able to keep my eyes open for quite a while when asked. My tear production is also good (I didn't even need a full 5 minute schirmer's to illustrate it).

One of the big issues that I have with all of this is just how bloodshot my eyes have become. My eyes look a little red, but on closer inspection in the mirror, it becomes apparent that this is due to the amount of veins covering my eyes. It's difficult for me to find a picture on the web that looks similar. The majority of the veins run across the middle of my eye. From the outer side of my eye to the iris in an almost horizontal pattern, there is a collection of distinct veins in both eyes. There are less but still a significant amount on the nasal side. others come up from below my lower eyelid. In between all of the larger veins is a very fine web of smaller veins meaning that there isn't any pure white at all, other than the white that is visible beneath my upper lid if I hold my eye wide open and look down.

What I want to know is, is this permanent now? Do fml drops do anything to get rid of the horrible eye veins? I know they make them less inflamed, but that kind of implies that they will probably still be there. Has anyone had any experience of long term bloodshot eyes just going away? I'd certainly be dealing with this all a little better if I still looked half approachable and not like I'd been up all night doing crystal meth for the last few months.

I have yet to try the fml. (I know I shouldn't, but I tried a vasoconstrictor type drop at a family gathering the other day, and honestly feel that it probably, just about, did absolutely nothing at all, is this an indication that I'm stuck with the eye veins?). Do FML drops stop eyes looking so bloodshot? I used to have really white eyes, with the odd vein that would pop up when I was tired, but this looks awful.

[Ericska]

Hi everyone,

One of the big issues that I have with all of this is just how bloodshot my eyes have become. My eyes look a little red, but on closer inspection in the mirror, it becomes apparent that this is due to the amount of veins covering my eyes. It's difficult for me to find a picture on the web that looks similar. The majority of the veins run across the middle of my eye. From the outer side of my eye to the iris in an almost horizontal pattern, there is a collection of distinct veins in both eyes. There are less but still a significant amount on the nasal side. others come up from below my lower eyelid. In between all of the larger veins is a very fine web of smaller veins meaning that there isn't any pure white at all, other than the white that is visible beneath my upper lid if I hold my eye wide open and look down.

I have the same problem with redness, except I have it at the top as well beneath my upper lid. I was told this is from my dry eyes and it is permanent. I am aqueous deficient and MGD. It doesn't hurt but when you look at my eyes, as you said, I have the thick veins and then the smaller web-like veins all over.

I have never tried FML drops but am currently on Restasis.

I too would love an answer as to if this is actually permanent, even though my opto said it is. Personally, I don't care what it looks like because i have tints on my glasses so you can't really tell unless I take them off - I just care what it means. My opto said it's not worrysome, it's because my eyes are so dry and sensitive.

[Jaybo]

Ahh, I'm not a glasses wearer, so my eyes are out for all to see. My eyes are very uncomfortable most of the time so perhaps if I can get them feeling more comfortable, it will help. Having suffered terribly for the last 4 months however, I'm definitely losing hope that anything can improve the visual appearance that makes me hate looking in the mirror. I would just love to know if anything will help. I'm a 28 year old guy and up until recently, have been very confident in face to face situations, these red, bloodshot eyes are certainly taking that away, especially with the prospect of it being permanent.

[nori2015]

10 months later and I still have those horrible red veins. I'd pay good money to anyone who can get rid of them, they make me so sad. If I could choose to have white eyes with the burning I'd take it.

[Jaybo]

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that Nori. Do you know what your condition is? Have the drops made your eyes more comfortable? Have you been on antibiotics at all? It's disheartening to hear, I really hope that some have had experience of the veins receding, at least that way there is hope for us. I know, when my eyes were normal, I used to have a faint vein on my nasal side that ran to my iris. Most of the time it was barely visible, but if my eyes were ever bloodshot, that was the vein that inflamed. Every time it became wide and red I used to pray that it wasn't permanent, and it would always calm back down to practically invisible within a few days. I'm hoping therefore that it will be the case, that they just need to calm down. But like I said, when I used vasoconstrictors to test, all the veins stayed there. Which doesn't give me much hope that they would go anywhere. Sadly, I'd imagine that the veins would be like a rubber glove when you blow air into it. maybe if there is less blood required at the eye, less blood flow would mean that they would calm down, but I imagine that once they appear and have been dilated, even if they calm down, they might be just waiting for the next flow of blood to expand again. Unless they can be kept calm for a significant period, causing them to shrink.

[nori2015]

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Oh, I'm sorry to hear that Nori. Do you know what your condition is? Have the drops made your eyes more comfortable? Have you been on antibiotics at all? It's disheartening to hear, I really hope that some have had experience of the veins receding, at least that way there is hope for us. I know, when my eyes were normal, I used to have a faint vein on my nasal side that ran to my iris. Most of the time it was barely visible, but if my eyes were ever bloodshot, that was the vein that inflamed. Every time it became wide and red I used to pray that it wasn't permanent, and it would always calm back down to practically invisible within a few days. I'm hoping therefore that it will be the case, that they just need to calm down. But like I said, when I used vasoconstrictors to test, all the veins stayed there. Which doesn't give me much hope that they would go anywhere. Sadly, I'd imagine that the veins would be like a rubber glove when you blow air into it. maybe if there is less blood required at the eye, less blood flow would mean that they would calm down, but I imagine that once they appear and have been dilated, even if they calm down, they might be just waiting for the next flow of blood to expand again. Unless they can be kept calm for a significant period, causing them to shrink.

I'm the same Jaybo, I've always had a few veins, my eyes were never clear white, but the mild yellowy veins that I did have are now angry, red and wider and have been since my PRK Laser surgery in April. The only time they went away was when I took a very strong ibuprofen for an ear infection. Eyes burn pretty much all the time. I'm now on restasis and steroids, redness remains. Losing hope myself as its been so long but I've heard of a lot of other people on here who say they improved in time. I've never been put on a course of antibiotics and I've been told I don't have any issues with my glands but who knows at this stage.
Your veins wont disappear, however there is a good chance that they will die down to the barely noticeable mild lines you've always had.
I'm trying a new omega 3 this week once it arrives, its a lot stronger than the ones in the health shops. I figure it wont hurt to try it anyway. Its called Omega Eye by Scope. Maybe try that?

[nori2015]

What's your TBUT? I'm at 5 seconds

[Jaybo]

I actually don't know. When I had my appointment, I was asked to keep my eyes open for as long as I could, and I was able to keep them open for a long time. My schirmers was very high I believe, so much so that the full five minutes weren't necessary. I think those two factors were the reason that my TBT wasn't discussed, I assume because it wasn't an issue. It was just mentioned that I clearly don't have too much of an issue keeping my eyes open. My eyes felt pretty good at the appointment though, probably because I hadn't been in a dry office, staring at a computer all day. Someone told me once that sometimes the inflammation is a cycle, and can be broken. I just feel that, with my eyes being so uncomfortable, I can't see them ever being normal again. I used to be distracted at work if I had a hamstring pull, but this is something else entirely, and the distraction is not something that is easy to ignore when there is constant discomfort, and even when it calms down, you know that your eyes are bloodshot and inflamed anyway.

[nori2015]

I know exactly what you mean. Hopefully the combination of FML and doxy will work for you. Keep us posted.

[NatUK]

I've been on doxycycline for a while and started a course of FML 8 days ago and my eyes definitely feel better than before.
Try and rest your eyes where you can.

[Jaybo]

Thanks Nat. Were your eyes affected aesthetically at all? Were they bloodshot? Has either course had any effect on that?

[NatUK]

No my eyes are fine but I have pink eyelids (on the margin). I'm quite a pale person anyway so they show. To be honest I don't care about that - having comfortable eyes is more important. The pinkness has remained and nothing has really reduced it.

[Jaybo]

That's a shame. I have days where I feel like I wouldn't care how bad they looked, so long as they felt comfortable, and days where I'm so embarrassed by all the veins going on that I wish they were painful, but white.

I really don't think the FML drops will do much for me in terms of the eye veins that have now been present for at least 4 months. Once they have expanded, I can't see any reason for them to shrink back down again. I know they may become less inflamed, but on the whole, I think they're here to stay, Unfortunately. I say this because, when my eyes were normal, sometimes if they were bloodshot, the vein that would come up on the nasal side would be the worst (still barely noticeable to anyone else), anyway, sometimes I'd apply some pressure through my closed lid, and the blood would be forced out, so I'd get a few seconds of clearer eye. However, if I do that to the ones that are present now, they remain, making me feel like they are probably more than just superficial inflammation.