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Every Improvement Counts!
I have been hesitant to post anything in this forum for a VERY long time. I am so concerned that things could start to go backwards, but the more I considered it, the more I kept thinking how much I love to read stories of hope from this "community."
I have suffered from dry eyes since May of 2009, although I am pretty sure I have been suffering since November of 2007 (without a diagnosis!). For the last several months, I have tried the usual staples of dry eye treatment.
Here is what is helping me the most (in order!):
1. Warm compresses (5 min) and lid massaging. I do this with a washcloth because I like the moist heat, and it's easily done in the shower. At first I did them 4 times a day for four months! Now, I do them twice a day (morning and evening) and find that this helps probably the most. I occasionally add an Occusoft lid scrub to this treatment, especially if I wear eye makeup (which I now only wear about once a month).
2. Fish oil and flax seed oil! I take Lovaza (a prescription fish oil) and an over-the-counter flax seed oil. I take the flax seed oil in the morning and the fish oil at night. I also take a vitamin called "Occu-Support" that I found at my local herbal store. It's probably more for macular degeneration, but I figure that the extra vitamins can't hurt! Also, I am trying to keep up with a daily vitamin.
3. Dwelle. I am a big fan of Dwelle at night. It has gone far beyond what any ointment EVER did for my eyes. I love it. And it makes me feel almost normal, instead of the disgusting ointment that makes the skin beneath my eyes feel like an oily mess!
4. I was on minocycline (100mg) for 4 months. It seemed to help my MGD and blepharitis, but I noticed it was staining my teeth at 3 months, and gradually pulled myself off of it. If you have MGD/bleph, I suggest giving it a shot for a couple of months. As of yet, with continued use of the warm compresses, my MGD is staying under control.
5. Dissolvable Plugs. Plugs help. I read many scary things about plugs, and I had one doctor who refused to give me them. In a month, I will be trying silicone plugs.
5. Systane Preservative-Free tears. I like Systane! My latest doctor wants me to try the Oasis Plus tears, so I am giving those a shot for the first time today, but I've read good things about them on here, so I have faith. Anyway, I try to use preservative-free drops 4 times a day (at 4 hr intervals) to make sure my cornea is staying nice and moist.
6. I have heard that many people actually do have some success with Restasis. Most doctors tell me that this is the only treatment they have for actually INCREASING tears and that it works in most patients, but not all. I was on it for 4 months. I had some improvement (increased tear production on Schirmer tests), but then I seemed to go back to the burning sensations that I had when I first started Restasis. I took a break from it, but I am considering giving it another shot for the full 6 months.
Let me say this: When I was finally diagnosed with dry eye back in May, I was in PAIN. My eyes were burning terribly and my corneas were riddled with dry spots. I know that so many of you know exactly what that pain is like. I was also having corneal erosions on and off prior to that. I am proud to say I have not had an erosion since trying to take care of this problem (moisture is key at night!). I just returned from my latest appointment and the corneal specialist I saw said he saw very little staining on my corneas, so they are improving as I continue to keep my eyes very moist!! One of my biggest concerns was what the lack of moisture was doing to my corneas. The pain is almost gone. Occasionally if I allow them to get way too dry (spend too many hrs in the mall), the twinges of pain creep back in, but I carry drops on me at all times now.
As far as tear test results go, when I was first diagnosed, I registered a 0-1 in both eyes. With plugs and treatment, I got up to a 10 in one eye and a 15 in the other. I have had varying results since then. Once I was a 5 in one eye and a 10 in the other. Last time I was measured, when my plugs had probably already dissolved, I was a 10 in the one eye and a 2 in the other (which shows that one eye has drastically improved!). I am currently struggling with getting both eyes to be a 10, and that is why I am considering giving the Restasis another shot.
My advice: de-stress! My eyes jumped probably 50% in improvement when I went on my honeymoon. I really think a lot of this is hormonal, which is why it's so much more common in women. And stress does horrible things to me. Also, have hope. This may be something that you will have to treat for the rest of your life--but it can improve to the point where you are maintaining, rather than constantly treating (I am 24 and sometimes I think, "How can I bear to deal with this for the rest of my life?!). But you must have hope that things will improve. Every step in the right direction, every single improvement, is something to hold onto and remind yourself of when you feel upset. I just keep telling myself, "This IS an improvement. And every improvement counts." Also, there are tons and tons of people who suffer from dry eye! Oh my goodness--I had no idea there were so many of us! I hope that someday soon we get a "cure" and not just another "treatment."
In short, I love warm compresses, fish oil, and Dwelle. These have really been the biggest factors in my own improvement to the point where I am not constantly thinking about my eyes every second of every day. Let me tell you--getting to the point where you are not consumed by thoughts about your eyes is a wonderful place to be! I will give plugs and restasis another try in hopes of increasing my own natural tears and keeping them on my eyes longer. I will try to eat healthier and de-stress and work out, so that maybe my own body will work through this challenge and improve. And I will continue to hope for moist eyes for myself and for everyone here. Have hope and remember that THIS WILL IMPROVE!
I have suffered from dry eyes since May of 2009, although I am pretty sure I have been suffering since November of 2007 (without a diagnosis!). For the last several months, I have tried the usual staples of dry eye treatment.
Here is what is helping me the most (in order!):
1. Warm compresses (5 min) and lid massaging. I do this with a washcloth because I like the moist heat, and it's easily done in the shower. At first I did them 4 times a day for four months! Now, I do them twice a day (morning and evening) and find that this helps probably the most. I occasionally add an Occusoft lid scrub to this treatment, especially if I wear eye makeup (which I now only wear about once a month).
2. Fish oil and flax seed oil! I take Lovaza (a prescription fish oil) and an over-the-counter flax seed oil. I take the flax seed oil in the morning and the fish oil at night. I also take a vitamin called "Occu-Support" that I found at my local herbal store. It's probably more for macular degeneration, but I figure that the extra vitamins can't hurt! Also, I am trying to keep up with a daily vitamin.
3. Dwelle. I am a big fan of Dwelle at night. It has gone far beyond what any ointment EVER did for my eyes. I love it. And it makes me feel almost normal, instead of the disgusting ointment that makes the skin beneath my eyes feel like an oily mess!
4. I was on minocycline (100mg) for 4 months. It seemed to help my MGD and blepharitis, but I noticed it was staining my teeth at 3 months, and gradually pulled myself off of it. If you have MGD/bleph, I suggest giving it a shot for a couple of months. As of yet, with continued use of the warm compresses, my MGD is staying under control.
5. Dissolvable Plugs. Plugs help. I read many scary things about plugs, and I had one doctor who refused to give me them. In a month, I will be trying silicone plugs.
5. Systane Preservative-Free tears. I like Systane! My latest doctor wants me to try the Oasis Plus tears, so I am giving those a shot for the first time today, but I've read good things about them on here, so I have faith. Anyway, I try to use preservative-free drops 4 times a day (at 4 hr intervals) to make sure my cornea is staying nice and moist.
6. I have heard that many people actually do have some success with Restasis. Most doctors tell me that this is the only treatment they have for actually INCREASING tears and that it works in most patients, but not all. I was on it for 4 months. I had some improvement (increased tear production on Schirmer tests), but then I seemed to go back to the burning sensations that I had when I first started Restasis. I took a break from it, but I am considering giving it another shot for the full 6 months.
Let me say this: When I was finally diagnosed with dry eye back in May, I was in PAIN. My eyes were burning terribly and my corneas were riddled with dry spots. I know that so many of you know exactly what that pain is like. I was also having corneal erosions on and off prior to that. I am proud to say I have not had an erosion since trying to take care of this problem (moisture is key at night!). I just returned from my latest appointment and the corneal specialist I saw said he saw very little staining on my corneas, so they are improving as I continue to keep my eyes very moist!! One of my biggest concerns was what the lack of moisture was doing to my corneas. The pain is almost gone. Occasionally if I allow them to get way too dry (spend too many hrs in the mall), the twinges of pain creep back in, but I carry drops on me at all times now.
As far as tear test results go, when I was first diagnosed, I registered a 0-1 in both eyes. With plugs and treatment, I got up to a 10 in one eye and a 15 in the other. I have had varying results since then. Once I was a 5 in one eye and a 10 in the other. Last time I was measured, when my plugs had probably already dissolved, I was a 10 in the one eye and a 2 in the other (which shows that one eye has drastically improved!). I am currently struggling with getting both eyes to be a 10, and that is why I am considering giving the Restasis another shot.
My advice: de-stress! My eyes jumped probably 50% in improvement when I went on my honeymoon. I really think a lot of this is hormonal, which is why it's so much more common in women. And stress does horrible things to me. Also, have hope. This may be something that you will have to treat for the rest of your life--but it can improve to the point where you are maintaining, rather than constantly treating (I am 24 and sometimes I think, "How can I bear to deal with this for the rest of my life?!). But you must have hope that things will improve. Every step in the right direction, every single improvement, is something to hold onto and remind yourself of when you feel upset. I just keep telling myself, "This IS an improvement. And every improvement counts." Also, there are tons and tons of people who suffer from dry eye! Oh my goodness--I had no idea there were so many of us! I hope that someday soon we get a "cure" and not just another "treatment."
In short, I love warm compresses, fish oil, and Dwelle. These have really been the biggest factors in my own improvement to the point where I am not constantly thinking about my eyes every second of every day. Let me tell you--getting to the point where you are not consumed by thoughts about your eyes is a wonderful place to be! I will give plugs and restasis another try in hopes of increasing my own natural tears and keeping them on my eyes longer. I will try to eat healthier and de-stress and work out, so that maybe my own body will work through this challenge and improve. And I will continue to hope for moist eyes for myself and for everyone here. Have hope and remember that THIS WILL IMPROVE!
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