hormones and dry eye

[dianeowhite]

I have had dry eye since I had lasik surgery in 2001. It was not too bad at the time because I was still on hormone replacement.

In 2004 I finally managed to wean myself from hormones (I was truly feeling like a junkie) and initially didn't see any particular exacerbation of dry eye symptoms.

However by 2007 I was having recurrent eyelid infections (styes gone wild) that required antibiotics. When the last lid infection (Oct.-Dec.2009)recurred 3 times over a 3month period and required 3 separate dosings with antibiotics, I was truly at the end of my rope. I had begun to believe I would need to curtail all activities, i.e. reading, playing music,etc. that in any way put a stress on my eyes.

At the insistence of my GP I went to a holistic Dr. who prescribes bioidentical hormones for those patients who have tried a host of solutions to their menopause related problems. After one month of treatment (and I am very conservative when it comes to any medications) my eyes are the best they have been in 5 years.

I know hormones of any kind have a bad name (probably deservedly so) but if you have worked endlessly with your opthamologist and gynecologist and GP and are no nearer relief from your eye pain or infections, talk to your GP about referring you to a holistic Dr. It might work for you too. Bios do have some risks associated with them and you need to be informed (and probably absolutely desperate!) before you think of trying them.

BTW I exercise 2 hours/day, take flax seed meal and fish oil pills, wear goggles at night and for my outside work and exercise. Nothing helped until the bios.

All the best to my fellow sufferers in arms (eyes actually)
DW

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi there and welcome. Hope you don't mind - I moved this to start a new thread (thought it deserved its own). Thanks for sharing!

[ringo]

A new concept for the pathogenesis of KCS in humans has been postulated.

According to this proposal, epithelial cells of the conjunctiva regularly secrete antigens or cellular proteins.

In normal states, these antigens are recognized by antigen-presenting cells and then presented to effector lymphocytes on the ocular surface.

In parallel, regulatory lymphocytes which are also present block the action of effector lymphocytes, thus preventing the development of an inflammatory state and maintaining local immunohomeostasis.

This pathway is believed to be regulated by androgens which are responsible for the regulation of the production of transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) whose function is to reduce local prolactin concentration.

Conditions such as senility and idiopathic factors may reduce the production of androgen hormones, leading to changes in conjunctival immunohomeostasis due to the reduced production of TGF-ß and increased prolactin concentration in conjunctival epithelial cells.

This in turn would alter local antigen detection, favoring the effector lymphocyte pathway and thus triggering local inflammation.

So I am really looking forward to that medication based on androgens which has been in the pipeline for ages now, whatever happened to it?

[rhad]

you should really look up prostaglandins, they are very powerful substances, they are produced within most cells of our body, and they are then used by the body and converted into hormones ( such as androgen or sex hormones)

their are many types of prostaglandins, some are Pro-inflammatory, they iniciate the inflammatory response (from the immune system). others are very powerful Anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Some prostaglandins are used by the body to make a hormone, that produces our natural tears by the lacrimal gland... these prostaglandins are converted into many substances by our bodies, I think more research should go into this as for dry eye disease...

rhad