6 years of anguish

[Reggie]

What's up y'all,
My name is Reggie and I am 25 years old. I have been a dry eye sufferer for more than 6 years, and it has been extremely hard for me to deal with. I noticed it during my first semester of university when one day, I was not able to read clearly with my contacts. Since then, I have visited more than 10 specialists easily, but I have not been able to manage my condition enough to where I can continue my education.
I have been given a number of diagnoses and have tried everything from different prescriptions, OTC drops, punctual plugs, doxy tablets, counseling (one dr. thought it may be psychosomatic), blephamide ointment, Restasis, and even acupuncture.
In the last two months, I have resorted to traveling to the US where I visited the Boston Foundation for Sight to see if the scleral lenses would work. After the initial consultation and fitting, Dr. Rosenthal decided they would be of no help for me. He believes my DE was caused by caused by improper lid closure (lagophthalmos), and this was corroborated by an earlier dr I had visited. My upper eyelids do not touch the lowers, therefore my sclera is exposed all night (just started wearing tranquileyes), and all day (even during regular blinking). I also visited Dr. Latkany in New York last week, and with the lagophthalmos, he said I have MGD.
I am considering seeing a specialist to push up the lower eyelid, but I wanted to know how many how had this procedure done (along with tarsorrhaphy) and if it helped with their dry eye. Also, do most people with dry eye have lagophthalmos, and if so, why don't more consider the surgery? If have many more questions, and I'll post them up soon. This site has been very helpful for me, and it's great to know that I am not suffering alone.

[Lucy]

Reggie, what a story. Sorry for all your misery. You have seen the best if you have been to the Boston Foundation for Sight. If this is (only) having your sclera exposed at night, the Tranquileyes should give you a very good idea if this will help you!

I have just had Tranquileyes a few weeks and I love them. My problem is NOT improper lid closure (lagophthalmos). However, they help me immensely and some time more than others-depending on other factors. This should help you a great deal (fingers crossed) and if you have relief, maybe on to a surgeon who specializes in the procedure you need. An ophthalmologist / plastic surgeon? I do not know the name of the specialist.

[Reggie]

Thanks a lot Lucy. However, I was told by the other dr working with Dr. Latkany (don't know her name) that the Tranquileyes would not benefit patients whose eyes close completely during sleep. It's good to see that she may be wrong.

[Silverlady]

Wonderful things

The Tranquileyes are my constant companion. I sleep in them, nap in them, and travel with them. I don't have improper lid closure either. I have DES caused by Sjogrens Syndrome. The goggles give my eyes protection from everything and hydrate the eye area to a certain degree. I wouldn't be witout them.
Billye

[Lucy]

Reggie, I hate to say it.......your doctor is totally incorrect in my case. Apparently Silverlady's case too. I would venture many would agree the tranquileyes help them even if their eyes close completely at night. Not sure why they (doc) would think that, but they are obviously not a patient of dry eyes. We have learned from each other on this (and other) bb's more than from any doctor, or doctors. Much of it is trial and error. Also, I want to say that not the same thing works for all people. Our cases are caused by different things, we are different ages, some have had refractive surgery, some have Sjogrens.

I'm glad you found the DryEyeZone and I'm sure you'll find good information here and much, much support. I do hope Tranquileyes help you to the max.

[Reggie]

One would think she be more informed since she works with the inventor, but hey, it's all good.
But I wanted to know, I've read that much of people's dryness occurs in the morning. My eyes become extremely dry even if I doze off for 5 minutes. Before I found out that my lids don't close completely when asleep, I have been told that it dries out because of my lack of blinking while asleep. I have never accepted that explanation, and I wanted to know (for those who sleep with their eyes closed) do your eyes dry out when you fall asleep for short periods of time?

[Guest]

I wanted to know (for those who sleep with their eyes closed) do your eyes dry out when you fall asleep for short periods of time?

Reggie

My eyes are most definately the worst of a morning to the point that I border on abrasions, this is despite the fact that I put gel in every four hours during the night and I also wear tranquil eyes. I am starting to think that it could be habitual now.

I also experience dryness if I have a nap for a few minutes. When I open my eyes they fell quite dry but soon return to "normal".

As far as I know, I sleep with my eyes closed. No one has ever told me otherwise.

Given that I feel so sleep deprived, I never feel rested/refreshed anymore. This DES affects your life in so many ways.

Anyone considering laser eye surgery - DON'T, I never had any of these problems before.

Ian

[Flick]

From what I understand, when you're asleep your tear glands only produce a fraction of what they do when you're awake. So for us, that fraction is off an already low amount, which is why so many of us have problems at night and in the morning. I know for me a long hot shower in the AM usually gets my eyes back to normal quickly.

[SusieD]

Thanks a lot Lucy. However, I was told by the other dr working with Dr. Latkany (don't know her name) that the Tranquileyes would not benefit patients whose eyes close completely during sleep. It's good to see that she may be wrong.

Reggie - did you mean to say that the tranquileyes wouldnt benefit paitents whose eyes DON'T close completely during sleep?

Did they not recommend you try the tranquileyes then?

I am asking because I too have the same issue (along with others) - my eyes creep open slightly while Im asleep leaving the eye exposed to a degree. I was recommended to use the tranquileyes by Dr Latkany.

Just want to clarify - it doesnt make sense for anyone to say that they wouldnt benefit people whose eyes DO close properly - they are marketed primarily towards these people and loads do benefit from them.

[Rebecca Petris]

Reggie,

Welcome to the community - glad you found us!

Re Tranquileyes: Just to give a little context... No doubt about it - as you've seen from others replies - this product is helping a great many people irrespective of what their dry eye condition/causes are specifically. By all reports (and certainly from my personal experience...) it's playing a major role in improving comfort and protecting against erosions etc at night.

However I think that where the doctor you spoke with is coming from is... in their practice they see a whole lot of patients with - till then - UNDIAGNOSED lagophthalmos and based on some of their experience & other factors I think that there are quite a few of us out there whose doctors have not suspected or determined that we may not have 100% lid closure at night. Plus, I also suspect that Dr. Latkany (who recently wrote an excellent piece about lagophthalmos in The Ocular Surface) may possibly use the term lagophthalmos more broadly - to cover a wider range of conditions, including relatively slight, difficult to notice closure problems - than many other doctors are used to. So I think it's just a question of their practice emphasis - not about the doctor not being informed.