My schirmer is about 2 on both of my eyes

[icycarol]

Hi, there,
I'm 27 and I'm new here, I have suffered from dry eye about 4 month and I think it is caused by sleeping drug(I take them for about 7 month, and quit it now,but it just doesn't go better.)
My schirmer is only 2 and I feel my lids stick to my eyes every time when I blink !And I also feel the burning sensation all the time! I can barely open them when I am out! I think it is called aqueous deficiency because the doctor didn't tell me about MGD or other disease.I linger in the forum crazily to find something that would relieve me.
Yesterday, my doctor told me that dry eye is an irreversible process ! it may means I'll never get better ? I'm so depressed about that and cried for hours. I looked sick and just can't do anything.

what I'm doing now is
1. Use restasis twice a day
2. Use eye drop when I feel extremely dry,I use refresh plus(But I think it only help for a short time and then my eyes get drier!)
3. warm and cold compress (I prefer cold),maybe I don't need to do them if I'm not MGD ??
4. Check if I have SJS (the report will come out in Friday)

What I want to try :
1.tranquileye (I bought one today from internet)
2.goggle(I really don't want to wear them )
3.omega3 and5
4.scleral lenses(I need to fly to Hong Kong to get one, and I don't know if they really help ?)

Do I miss something that I should do ? What do people always do to treat with time aqueous deficiency problem?
Should I get a pair of scleral lenses ?
Is dry eye an irreversible process ? which means my cells which tears are dead and I would never get my tears back ?

I feel Sooo sad and need some advice...

Carol

[Taylor]

i think a lot of people on this forum can identify with your pain.

I have been on Restasis for years but about 6 months ago my dry eyes became worse and I was in such pain. My Dr increased Restasis to 3 times a day and Lotomax 4 times a day plus warm compresses. What I have found so helpful is the book Dry Eye Remedy by Robert Latkany,MD from NY. He describes a home eye spa treatment which consists of a hot washcloth over the eyes for 3 minutes then taking a cutip dipped in hot water to massage the oil glands, then another cutip to clean the upper and lower eyelid area where the oil glands are located and finally flooding the eye ball with refresh sterile dye drops that have been refrigerated. This brings me a lot of relief that lasts about 30 minutes... I wear goggles at home constantly and a mask at night. It is a horrible affliction but you have to learn to live with it and the people on this forum are really helpful.... I keep a generic version of refresh eye drops plus all over the house and in all my pockets. I use this drops sometimes every 15 minutes...but some days are better than others.... there are thicker eye drops (over the counter) that will give you instant relief but the thicker the drops, the more difficult it will be to see.... Hang in there and keep reading and experimenting..

[icycarol]

What can I do

Thank you Taylor !Have you ever tried the scleral lesnse ? I don't know if I can get the eye spa treatment since I'm in Asia(Taiwan). But I'm going to try the way that you provoide.

I go to see another eye doctor today. And I'm so frustated that she seems so busy and don't even want to listen to me and I don't have time to ask more question. I do the permanat plug in both of my lower duct today, but I don't think it would help because I had done the collagen plug and I just don't feel better. I also ask to do the upper plug but she said that it is not necessary. And she doesn't say anything about the situation of my eye but only prescribe some eye drop for me and tell me it is the only thing she can do now.
I feel so hopeless. How can a doctor treat the patient like that?

I'm sorry but I feel really bad and My eyes still dry, hurt all the time.

Carol

[kevino]

I got some relief using acupuncture. I had collagen plugs but they fell out in just a few days. I have scleral lenses now. There's a short, steep learning curve for using sclerals. They are very large, at least as large as soft contacts but rigid. They have to tuck in under the eyelids. They rest on the sclera, not touching the cornea. With senstitive eyes it can be difficult getting them in or out. My problem has always been a poor TBUT but normal Schirmers tests. The MGD means tears evaporate too quickly making it harder to wear contact lenses. With this problem the sclerals are wearable because of the pool of fluid trapped between the lens and cornea. I believe not too many optometrists are good at fitting sclerals. I had to make two one-week trips to Coppel, Texas to be seen by Dr Gemoulles. Even now, one lens is tolerable for 6-8 hours but the other lens is only tolerable a couple hours a day. I use heated bags of corn and Restasis also but not consistantly.

kevino

[icycarol]

Hi !kevino!
I hope you can get used to your scleral lenses soon ! I see in the forum that people have to spend weeks to get used to them.
It seems that people who have dry eye due to the reason of MGD is more suitable for scleral lenses because you have enough tears.
I wonder if I'm the candidate fpr scleral lenses or not because I'm aqueous deficent with very few tears and I fear that the lenses will be dry in the surface and the ridge.
Do you know any people who has aqueous deficency and fit the scleral lenses well ?
It is very nice of you to share your experience for me !

Carol

[kevino]

There are more nerve endings per cubic centimeter on the cornea than any other tissue in the body. Much of your pain could be coming from these nerve endings. Scleral lenses cover and protect the cornea. Occasionally I'll rub or scratch my eye and then it hurts for 2 days as it heals. If I put the lenses in it stops the pain instantly. I live in the high desert; 8000ft altitude and 5% humidity so my eyes feel dry a lot. With the sclerals in I still need eyedrops for lubrication. Aquify contains hyaluronate and seems to work best in my eyes. Most other eyedrops form grit on the eyelids as I sleep. The Aquify doesn't.

kevin

[nitrodrops]

Hi, there,
I'm 27 and I'm new here, I have suffered from dry eye about 4 month and I think it is caused by sleeping drug(I take them for about 7 month, and quit it now,but it just doesn't go better.)
My schirmer is only 2 and I feel my lids stick to my eyes every time when I blink !And I also feel the burning sensation all the time! I can barely open them when I am out! I think it is called aqueous deficiency because the doctor didn't tell me about MGD or other disease.I linger in the forum crazily to find something that would relieve me.
Yesterday, my doctor told me that dry eye is an irreversible process ! it may means I'll never get better ? I'm so depressed about that and cried for hours. I looked sick and just can't do anything.

what I'm doing now is
1. Use restasis twice a day
2. Use eye drop when I feel extremely dry,I use refresh plus(But I think it only help for a short time and then my eyes get drier!)
3. warm and cold compress (I prefer cold),maybe I don't need to do them if I'm not MGD ??
4. Check if I have SJS (the report will come out in Friday)

What I want to try :
1.tranquileye (I bought one today from internet)
2.goggle(I really don't want to wear them )
3.omega3 and5
4.scleral lenses(I need to fly to Hong Kong to get one, and I don't know if they really help ?)

Do I miss something that I should do ? What do people always do to treat with time aqueous deficiency problem?
Should I get a pair of scleral lenses ?
Is dry eye an irreversible process ? which means my cells which tears are dead and I would never get my tears back ?

I feel Sooo sad and need some advice...

Carol

Hi Carol,

Please dont feel sad. 2 years ago, i was in the same shoes as you, 2-3mm on Schrimmer tests. DES worsens after Lasik ops 4 years later.

Trial and error on my own, finally found BioTears (Capsules) + Restasis + BionTears best suited me. My Schrimmer has increased to 12mm this year, partly with plugs.

Here's my daily routine
1.) Morning wash eyelids with BelphaGel
2.) Hot compress for 5mins
3.) 1 x Restasis in the morning and night
4.) 2 x BioTears Capsules in the morning and night
5.) 1 x BionTears eyedrops twice throughout the day @ 4hrs interval
6.) Visdisic gel @ night
7.) 2 x lower plugs
8.) wearing glasses in windy places

Drinking plenty of water 2 litres per day.

[icycarol]

hi! nitrodrop:
It is so encouraging for me that your eye condition improve so much ! Also, I'm so happy for you !
I do the plug 2 weeks ago, sometimes, I can feel a little water pool accumulate in my left eye after applying drop, however, most of time, I can't feel the benefit.
I'm now trying to reduce the pain and burning sensation so that I can try to do something instead of staying home all the day.

Thank you for your reply! It really help me !

Carol

[nitrodrops]

hi! nitrodrop:
It is so encouraging for me that your eye condition improve so much ! Also, I'm so happy for you !
I do the plug 2 weeks ago, sometimes, I can feel a little water pool accumulate in my left eye after applying drop, however, most of time, I can't feel the benefit.
I'm now trying to reduce the pain and burning sensation so that I can try to do something instead of staying home all the day.

Thank you for your reply! It really help me !

Carol

You mentioned your DES is caused by sleeping drug, did you ask your Dr, how long will this sleeping drug takes to effect. Just like Restasis, you have to take 3-4mths before able to see any results, including stopping for a few months before able to see any results.

Btw - after i inserted my plugs, i dont feel any much improvements, it was after a few months of trial and error, with a combination of BioTears + BionTears + Restasis, that Schrimmer improved to 12mm. Also i dont know should i give some discounts to 12mm since i am wearing plugs?

Do note, my DES is caused by Lasik.
Also, i noticed your are taking omega3 and5. Do google for BioTears, and read on the contents. I took Theratears for a few months and do not noticed any improvement, till i switched over to BioTears.

If you feel the burning sensation is due to Restasis, try using another eye drop 5mins before Restasis, say Refresh Tears, you will not feel burnt too much then