Dry eyes from accutane

[Andrey]

I still got dry eyes 6 months after my accutane cure that I was on for 8 months. I'm wondering to all of you who got dry eyes after accutane, are you dry somewhere else or is it just the eyes?

[Guest]

Hi there Andrey!

My name is Thanasis, I am 15,5 years old and I was on Accutane 2 years ago. I had the worst case of the worst case of acne (ozocystic acne) so it was my last resort to get rid of it. I was on 40mg per day for 9 months (which is a lot as you can tell).

1,5 years later, my eyes are still dry due to both types of DES 1. Not producing enough watery tears 2. Not producing enough oils
They do feel a looot worse and drier, they are pretty bloodshot on a daily basis and I can't wear contact lenses anymore.
I'm on artificial tears and gels to treat it at the moment.

YES, I still have dry skin and dry lips apart from dry eyes which is horrible. Especially with my lips. Lip balms do not help at all most of the time and my lips always look chapped. My skin is dry as well but it is quite easier to deal with this than my lips and of course my eyes.
Also, I have to mention that during my Accutane course I had bone pain which had gradually vanished. I'm glad it did.

What about you, do you still have dryness anywhere else besides your eyes?

[Andrey]

Hey man,

Sorry to hear. I was on it for 8 months (60mg) and I weigh 70kg so I had quite a lot of mg as well. With my weigh you're "supposted" to take 8400mg (120x70), I had to take almost 15 000mg. I was hoping the side effects would get better in time but your answer didn't give me that much hope.

Do you feel that artifical tears/gels is helping you? I've just tryed artifical tears from the drugstore but it didn't help, more like made it worse. Should I visit a specialist doctor to get some special artifical tears? I don't know exactly how to say it in english but right now I'm using (saline?), sterile water for my eyes. There is no preservative in them and I do feel that they help, not so much for the redness though.

Yeah, my hands are still dry, so is my face. Lips and nose are as well which is superannoying. As you say, I don't find the skin dryness that annoying. Lips and nose is though, I hope it will get better.

I also had huge problems with my bones under the cure. I couldn't walk for more than 30-40 min without really feeling pain in my groin and was almost impossible to keep walking. My back was bad sometimes as well. It's all gone now though, phew! Had that not disappeared I don't know what I would have done.

Do you eat/drink anything special that helps?

It sucks...

[Andrey]

you disappeared? ;p

i don't know what more symptoms you got, but i think i might have Chlamydia pneumoniae so i'll look it up.

[Guest]

Hey man,

Sorry to hear. I was on it for 8 months (60mg) and I weigh 70kg so I had quite a lot of mg as well. With my weigh you're "supposted" to take 8400mg (120x70), I had to take almost 15 000mg.

Wow, that's terrible. My dermatologist told me I was right in the borderline of my weight and miligrams.

I was hoping the side effects would get better in time but your answer didn't give me that much hope.

Sorry dear, I was hoping for the best, too, but it turns out it isn't always the way we want it. I know it's hard, believe me I do understand how you feel.

Do you feel that artifical tears/gels is helping you? I've just tryed artifical tears from the drugstore but it didn't help, more like made it worse. Should I visit a specialist doctor to get some special artifical tears? I don't know exactly how to say it in english but right now I'm using (saline?), sterile water for my eyes. There is no preservative in them and I do feel that they help, not so much for the redness though.

Artificial tears did help me a lot, now they help less than they did but they still make me feel better. The gel I'm using is not helping as much as I thought it would but it does make a difference, too.

If you're experiencing discomfort with the particular brand, switch to another preservative free one. There are tons and there is definitely one that will help you.

Using saline does make you feel some kind of relief (I've used it myself), but I really think it's bad to use it frequently since all it does is to give temporare relief and mix up the tear layers. Try to limit using it and give another chance for artificial tears.

Yeah, my hands are still dry, so is my face. Lips and nose are as well which is superannoying. As you say, I don't find the skin dryness that annoying. Lips and nose is though, I hope it will get better.

I also had huge problems with my bones under the cure. I couldn't walk for more than 30-40 min without really feeling pain in my groin and was almost impossible to keep walking. My back was bad sometimes as well. It's all gone now though, phew! Had that not disappeared I don't know what I would have done.

Yeah, these are the major side effects that most people experience. Your skin-lips dryness will gradually get better at times, mine did but it's still here. At least it's manage-able. You're so lucky bone pain is gone. The groin pain when I go jogging is still here. My back pain is terrible as well because I'm all day at school sitting in uncomfortable chairs.

Do you eat/drink anything special that helps?

It sucks...

I tried including more fruits in my diet and drinking lots of water. They have slightly helped me physically in my body more than my eyes, lol.

I know it sucks dear, but don't stop on trying to handle it, it gets better at times and you even forget it's there. Best regards.

[Andrey]

Yeah, I don't use saline anymore, it gets annoying after some time. Yeah, maybe I will try out some artificial tears if things don't goes as I hope. Do you get them from the doctor, if, name on them? Because the ones from the local drugstore doesn't help one bit.

Do you have any more problems? Like, sealed in your nose? Dry mucous membrane? I have read some about Chlamydia pneumoniae/TWAR and a lot of symptoms is fitting in on me. I think you at least should read some about it.

I really hope this is what I got, because then hopefully a antibiotic cure will get rid of the problems. I've read that azithromycin is the one that has showed best results.

I have been tested for different allergy, we'll see what the results shows. If I'm not allergic I will start the cure and I can give you some updates.

[Guest]

Yeah, I don't use saline anymore, it gets annoying after some time. Yeah, maybe I will try out some artificial tears if things don't goes as I hope. Do you get them from the doctor, if, name on them? Because the ones from the local drugstore doesn't help one bit.

Do you have any more problems? Like, sealed in your nose? Dry mucous membrane? I have read some about Chlamydia pneumoniae/TWAR and a lot of symptoms is fitting in on me. I think you at least should read some about it.

I really hope this is what I got, because then hopefully a antibiotic cure will get rid of the problems. I've read that azithromycin is the one that has showed best results.

I have been tested for different allergy, we'll see what the results shows. If I'm not allergic I will start the cure and I can give you some updates.

No other problems for me as far as I'm concerned!

I know nothing about antibiotic cures, I never really read anthing about them. In simple words, how do they help dry eye?

And last but not least, what did your allergy results show?

Merry late Christmas by the way and happy new year in 4 days lol!
Have you been having a good time with your friends and family?

[gilligan_1434]

I took accutane starting 12 years ago and started getting dry eyes 6 years ago.

BTW, this lip balm worked better than the other dozen I tried. http://www.drugstore.com/chapstick-c...f-15/qxp160640

My lips eventually got back to normal though, hope yours do too.

[Andrey]

You guys giving such slow answers, haaha!

Still haven't got my allergy results, grrr.. Should have it soon though, then I promise I'll update! I ordered azithromycin on the internet and have been taking it for 6 days. Maybe not the smartest thing to order medicine on the internet but I'm really sick of all the waiting and I'm sure I got TWAR anyways. Right now I actually feel really good in my eyes, sure it's not perfect, but it's way better than some weeks ago. After a shower I'm screwed tho. Need to buy bathglasses

It's not like I take antibiotic directly just for my dry eyes. But dry eyes is one symptom on TWAR so hopefully the antibiotic will kill the Chlamydia pneumoniae bacteria (which I can mention is not something you get infected by sexually but just like a normal cold, but it can stay forever). I hope that all this hangs together, dry eyes, dry mouth (slimy in my mouth), sealed in my nose and I hope I get rid of everything. I'm sure accutane caused the outbreak somehow.

Well, I will keep you posted.

Yea it's been great, thanks. You too!

Thanks Gilligan, maybe I'll order it!

[Andrey]

Wow....

Don't know if I just had a lucky shower but my eyes feels extremely good and no dry eyes (very little maybe) and they are pretty damn white! Usually my eyes has been a real pain in the ass after a shower and they've been very red. I haven't felt like this since I started the accutane cure. I don't want to yell yes yet, but it does feel that I'm heading in the right direction.

[gilligan_1434]

Glad to hear you're having a good day! I just re-looked at the link I put 2 posts back: I meant the one without spf 15, just regular old chapstick.. but now I can't find it; looks like they stopped making the blue one without spf 15 in the last ten years.

[Andrey]

Ok. Well maybe the one with spf 15 is good enough.

[Guest]

What do you mean exactly, by saying we give slow answers? lol
Sorry but I'm not all day, every day on PC, I usually log once a week, no more than that because the monitor irritates and burns my eyes.

My dermatologist has given me a very similar chapstick! It's been a long time since I last ordered it. I might re-try it once again!

Glad your eyes are doing good, mine are quite the same but they do feel better or worse from time to time.

Wish you guys a happy new year from Greece!

[Andrey]

No worries, was just kidding

Happy new year!

[Andrey]

I don't want to give any false hope to anyone (because maybe it doesn't work), but maybe talk with your doctor and see if you can get azithromycin? (doesn't have to be a long cure I think, max 10 day or so). At least do I feel that it has helped me a lot.