What my eyes look like in the early morning >>>

[Leelah]

I decided to take pictures of my eyes as soon as I got up this am. I hadn't even washed my face at that point (so apologize for any grossness). My eyes always get a lot more inflamed as the day goes on, especially the lower eyelids tend to get very red. I might post "at the end of the day pics" at a later point, but this is what I've got for now. You can see that my upper eyelids are a bit swollen - and I really don't know why. I used to get compliments on my eyes all the time, now all I ever hear is "you look tired."

Every doctor I've been to has given me a different diagnosis, and they always tell me that my eyes look fine (even though at times my eyes are so red there's barely any white left to see). I was only able to upload five pictures, so I apologize for missing one. I hope the pics are not too blurry.

Comments and/or advice would be greatly appreciated. I would love to hear what you all think

[jadavispcfl]

Hi Leelah,

I'm not sure, but if your eyelids are involved, my best guess is meibomian gland dyfunction. In other words, the oil glands around your eyelashes become obstructed. This can cause evaporation of your tears (due to their lack of oil), which will cause your eyes to become red due to tear deficiency. You might try a few things that are not invasive: (a) wear sleep goggles at night - I use Onyix. They create a moisture barrier that reduces the amount of evaporation of moisture from your eyes at night. (b) Omega 3 - supplements help create more oil in your body for your glands (c) Warm compresses 2x/day will help "melt" the oils in your glands. See Rebecca's formula for rice in a sock, and microwave it 45 sec. (c) Try a thicker lubricant drop during the day - Like Theratears or Systane. (d) There are two books that doctors have written that might educate you more on what is going on. One is "Reversing Dry Eye Syndrone" and I can't remember the other. I found that my local doctors weren't up to the lastest knowledge, and eventually had to seek help out of my local area.

Hope this helps.

Jo Ann

[neve]

Hi Leelah - What exactly is your routine and what exactly were you told to do? The first opth I saw did not give me a diagnosis, seemingly missed things that were glaringly obvious the the opth I saw less than 2 weeks later was able to pin point. From my limited knowledge, eyelid involvement generally suggests Meibomian gland involvement/blepharitis. I was diagnosed with map-dot, MGD, bleph,RCE and allergic conjunctivitis...as my opth said, I have alot going on with my eyes. Yet, the first doc misdiagnosed me. Seems that kind of thing happens quite often judging by the number of doctors people end up going to befor they hit on a proper diagnosis/daily routine. Were you told anything about allergies? How dry are your eyes?


Neve
PS -Obviously, impossible to say too much from a picture, and am not a doc, but curious what you do and were told to do on a daily basis.

[Leelah]

To Jo Ann and neve - Thank you! I have tried goggles, warm compresses and fish oil capsules. I'm currently taking flax seed oil, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. Usually the doctors just tell me that I need to use artificial tears. There was one who put me one something that made my eyes much, much worse - and so now I'm scared to see any more doctors. I've tried restasis. My eyes looked much brighter for the first week or so, but after that it just went downhill and I had to stop as I couldn't take the pain and the redness was intolerable. I think I have ocular rosacea, but I'm sure it's a combination of conditions. I'm sure it's very likely that I also have MGD. And thank you for your suggestions, Jo Ann.

At this point I am not doing anything. I've tried pred forte, patanol, antibiotics, maxitrol and vividrin.. and a couple other products I can't remember the name of. Neve - I'm glad you've finally been diagnosed properly. What is map-dot? I've been tested for allergies, but they didn't find anything. I must mention that my eyes look much better when I am in a cooler, less humid climate (e.g. any Scandinavian country), but at the moment I can't move anywhere

I'm adding a couple of pictures of my eyes when they are a bit worse.. sorry if you think the pics are a bit too dark and blurry. At least you can kind of see how the lower eyelids are inflamed, and perhaps you have more insight as to what's wrong with my eyes :-)

[neve]

Hi Leelah - Still not clear on this...have you been seen by an opthamologist or a GP? Please don't feel scared to see another doctor; we all have the ones we'd rather not remember!! Seems to be part and parcel of this disease. If you have not been seen/diagnosed by an opthamologist, that would be my next step. I really can't say too much about your pictures but it does look like there is lid involvement. As far as map-dot, it has to do with the basement membrane of the cornea; check out my thread about map-dot and Muro and Liz gives a very clear explanation of this disorder.

Talk later-
Neve

[NeedMyEyes]

I would suggest posterior blepharitis / MGD after looking at the surface of your eyelids. Has anyone ever mentioned that? When did all this start?

[Leelah]

Neve - I've been to several opthamologists... I even went to see a doctor at a special eye hospital. Unfortunately that doctor just told me that I have dry eyes and then he gave me some useless eye drops. There was one who mentioned blepharitis, but she only gave me some steroid drops that made my eyes so much worse.

NeedMyEyes: That's interesting. One doctor did mention blepharitis, but she didn't offer any treatment options. It all started while I was on accutane. I used to have very oily skin when I was younger, which now is under control.. so perhaps the meibomian glands are also producing less oil or even blocked. That would make sense. I've had two styes over the period of two years, but I don't know if that makes any difference :-)

[neve]

Hi Leelah - If you do a search for "accutane" you will come up with posts written by people who developed dry eye and related conditions as a result of using accutane. Might be worthwhile for you to read some of these threads. Seems that meibomian glands/blepharitis is all connected with it, from what I have read, tho I have never used accutane myself. My first opth did not diagnose me with MGD/bleph (among other things) altho the second one did so I know all about the frustration involved in trying to get a straight and proper diagnosis. I have also been down the useless drops and steroids road... I believe that improper/indiscriminate steroid use and overuse of drops with preservatives contributed significantly to my improperly diagnosed eye problems over the years. I too have become untrusting since I am now painfully aware of how much damage has been done to my corneas, but do not allow fear to keep you from seeking out the right doctor that can help you.

If you are dealing with bleph/MGD, occular rosacea etc., there are treatment options available. And yes, alot of it is trial and error but the first step is getting an accurate diagnosis. There is help out there depending on one's own individual issues, but to be sent on your way with a diagnosis of bleph and some steroid drops is not acceptable.

Look for a different opth. Don't continue to suffer without some plan in place to start giving you some relief.

Keep me posted!
Neve

[Leelah]

Thank you, Neve! You've been so helpful If I could just move to a cooler, less humid climate, I believe that 70% of the problem would be solved. I am wondering though if there is a drug that can trick your eyes into believing that you actually are in a cool place.. now that would be amazing. Perhaps those beta blockers could have such an effect.. hmmmmm. For the last week I've been on tobradex/pred forte, but they just seem to be making the situation worse. I don't think my eyes can handle steroids anymore.

[BethP]

Leelah - Your eyes look very similar to mine - inflamed lids, red eyes (people thinking I look tired) and I am curious about your comment on humidity. My eyes feel so much better in a humid environment - just got back from Costa Rica and am already feeling the pain again. I was also away from my office and computer so that probably played a part as well.

If you finally get a good diagnosis, let me know.....

[Leelah]

BethP - that's interesting. Where do you live? I'm in a very polluted city, which certainly doesn't make things any better. I'll be in a cooler place over Christmas - and I can't wait to see how my eyes will react. When did this all start for you? Were you on accutane?

I'm posting some more pictures from this morning. My eyes were at their worst, so I thought it might be good to share. As you can see, there's one eye that's always much worse than the other. The first pic was taken in the bathroom, the rest by the window.

[feelingthis]

Hi Leelah,

Thanks for posting pics! My eyes look EXACTLY like yours and I was diagnosed with blepharitis and meibomitis... I think for sure you have that too!

Have you tried a lid cleanser? I see you have some yellow on your top lash line, I believe that is clogged pores from the blepharitis. My top lash line was filled with the "yello stuff" but after I used the lid cleaner for the past month, it has gone down alot... I hope that will help! As for the inflammation, I too am looking for something. I am seeing my 5th specialist in a week, I really hope for the best. Like you, the doctors before just gave me useless eyedrops and said it will go away eventually :S How frustrating!

[Leelah]

That's very interesting, feeling this, how are your eyes now? I do use a lid cleanser twice a day, but I'm not sure if it's helping. My eyes are worse than ever. I also do hot compresses twice a day (and once a day when I'm running late). I went to see a new doctor last week, and he put me on yet another steroid. Of course they only made the situation worse and I decided to stop them. Right now my eyes are still recovering from the steroid. I asked the doctor about antibiotics, but he said that as long as there's no infection, there would be no reason to put me on them. I'm guessing MGD is not common here in Southeast Asia as the doctor didn't even mention my meibomian glands. He did suggest restasis, but I can't handle the castor oil.

This whole situation has really put a damper on my confidence. I wear sunglasses all day, and I try to avoid going out at night when I won't be able to wear my shades. People always ask me if I'm tired or sick, and I just can't deal with it anymore. I'd love to see one of the doctors you all rave about on here, but I just can't afford it right now. I'm seriously wondering if I should just put myself on a low dose of antibiotics.

I don't know where to go from here.. I'm feeling so depressed. I'm supposed to be graduating in 5 months, and all I want is to have bright eyes by then. I can't imagine applying for jobs with these horribly red and itchy eyes. Every employer will think I'm on drugs.

I've added two pictures of my eyes from tonight. Perhaps you can understand why I'm so depressed. I had to take the pictures with my phone, so I apologize for the low quality.

[Leelah]

So yesterday I went to my local pharmacy to seek help. I don't have an appointment with my doctor until next week, so I thought I would at least see if a pharmacist could offer any advice. I found a very sweet and helpful pharmacist who mentioned that I might be sensitive to preservatives, which makes total sense. I've tried a bunch of different eye drops, and I always end up having a reaction to them. She ended up suggesting something called sofradex and terramycin ointment. Of course they both contain preservatives, but I'm hoping for the best. The sofradex stings like crazy when I put it in, but I'm guessing this is just because my eyes are terribly inflamed.

I'm supposed to use the eye drops up to six times a day and then use the ointment before I go to bed. I'm going to do this until I see my doctor next week. The only problem is that the area around my eyes is getting a little sore, which I believe is from the sofradex drops. Hopefully Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour cream will make things better

[Leelah]

Thank you, Chemia. I haven't been using anything except for preservative lubricants for months, yet my eyes have been getting worse. I just can't win.