Need advice

[Deb]

I am a 45 year old female, who is struggling with dry eye syndrome. I have several health problems...sciatica, thyroid disorder and carpul tunnel, and am being treated professionally. My dry eye problems started about a year and a half ago. I am using Restasis and various eye drops. I prefer GenTeal.
I have lower plugs, which have seemed to help, as my eyes produce very little tears. I had upper plugs also, for about 4 months, but grew tired of watery eyes. My eyes are almost always very red, and uncomfortable feeling. I would like to try an Omega 3 gelcap, and also the Tranquileyes night time mask. Can anyone give me advice on the best Omega 3? Also whether there is a better mask for nighttime usage? Thanks for any help you can provide. I just found your site and find it helpful.

[cristinalatina]

Hi Deb,

i am sorry you are going through so many health troubles...Regarding dry eye, you probably have taken many right steps. I think GenTeal is a very good option, and I also like the DryEyeZone products.

About the goggles, I use TranquilEyes with the Thermopads twice a day for half an hour-They will give a warm, delicious treat to your sore eyes. I also have a sleep mask, but for some reason I think it "cuts" the oxygen supply to the eye. I don't like to use any coverage for very long time intervals, especially after I noticed that I kept waking up with edema, blurry vision and swollen lids after using overnight protection. But, it might be necessary if you have very severe dry eye.

I have been taking omega-3 supplements (TheraTears Nutrition) for a year. The label says that you should take the entire dose in the morning, but that caused me a couple of really nasty nosebleeds (Omega-3s are blood-thinning). I now divide the daily dose in half and take it after lunch and dinner, never on an empty stomach.

When I got the nosebleeds I stopped taking them for a while, and I could tell that my eyes became much worse, so I quickly resumed use. I've also tried the BioTears and didn't like them. First of all they smelled awful, so I kept them in the fridge and the strong smell became more tolerable. But they made me nauseous, and I have a very low tolerance for nausea...So it was back to TheraTears nutrition for me. I think greeneyes has reported similar symptoms of dizziness while on BioTears...yuk!

I hope that this was helpful to you!

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi Deb and welcome!

Can anyone give me advice on the best Omega 3? Also whether there is a better mask for nighttime usage?

Couple of links in our Dry Eye Encyclopedia you might find helpful...

Eyewear - The only thing I know that could provide more coverage than tranquileyes for nighttime is the Medtronic products (scroll way to the bottom of the eyewear page). The tradeoff is that they are disposable so very costly over time.

Omega 3s - Of course every manufacturer claims theirs is the best and has reasons why. It's worth browsing posts in our nutrition/nutritionals forum to get some ideas of the various approaches others are taking.

[Gaye]

Omega 3's and other oils

Hi - I personally like HydroEye. My eye doctor recommended it and I find that it really helps. As for Omega 3's, I always go for the ones that have a high EPA percentage (400 or higher) for the mood enhancing benefit. We all certainly can use that when dealing with this problem.

[kitty]

Welcome to DEZ! Your story sounds so very similar to mine. I still have 4 plugs but I don't know for how long. At any rate, a good friend of mine was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Her rheumatologist suggested Twin Labs Super Max EPA as being one of the best OMEGA 3 supplements. It is what I use. I did not see much difference as far as my eye inflammation goes, but it does have other health benefits, especially cardiac. I wish you the best.