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I though I'd wait one month until i posted this - just to make sure my improvement is infact not just a good eye day.
i've just self diagnosed myself with seborrheic dermatitis - my symptoms included red, flaky nose and chin and sides of nose, suddenly very oily skin, patch of eczema on neck, red flat papular spots suddenly develped on upper shoulders, back, chest and neck, itchy scalp, itchy eyelashes and eyebrows, eyebrow, hair and eyelash loss. My eye symptoms - severe dry eye (TBUT 3, and 2!), blocked meibomium glands, inflammation, papillae, red eyes, permanent enlarged red veins in eyes, swollen, watery eyes, reflex tearing, mucins (the worst symptom for me - they would drag along my dry eye causing so much irritation), just dry!!!
i've been to so many eye doctors, three GPs and one dermatologist - all of who said i've got acne and ocular rosacea.
my research on the internet, indicated that increased testosterone levels may make seb derm worse, so I went to the GP and asked for an anti-androgen BCP (dianette). I have used this for one month - i've noticed a huge improvement after 2 weeks, and now 28 days later my eyes feel great. I can now wear my contact lenses for 5-6 hours a day. my eyes are still not the same - they are dry and red in the mornings for an hour. But compared to previously, where they were dry, gritty, loads of mucin strands, red, sore etc for most of the day - with a short break in severe symptoms midday, with a major dry flare from 3pm onwards. I could not venture out in the evenings - my eyes were completely bloodshot and just so sore and dry.
two weeks after i started the BCP, i started doing lid scrubs, i dont know why but i thought i am going to remove all that extra sebum from my eyelashes aswell as the rest of my body. in the past lid scrubs irritated me eyes - that was because i was hot compressing beforehand. this time - i skip the heat, i just get lidcare wipes and massage the lashes - both upper and lower and rinse for two minutes using cold tap water. this has pretty much cleared the itchy eyes i suffered from 24/7. I now know that my itchyness was itchy eyelashes rather than itchy eyes. i still get mild itching - but not like before.
i apply diluted head and shoulders onto my eyebrows and eyelids nightly - this maybe helping.
i ordered ZNP soap (zinc pyrithinone) and wash my whole body with this twice a week, i also wash my eyelids with this (eyes closed).
28 days into this regime - my eyelash loss has stabilised somewhat - i still lose eyelashes but not as much as previously. I have absolutely no need for any eyedrops. my eyes can look red and a bit swollen, and i guess will never look the same - i've lost so many eyelashes and the ones that have grown back are different - shorter and in many directions. i can wear contact lenses - but only for short periods and my eyes feel dry after 4 hours and can produce strings if i wear them for 8 hours.
I am happy about my eyes - there were times when they were so sore i couldnt sleep, so I am very happy with my success.
However, i am not happy with the facial and body seb derm - the associated acne and red nose/chin/ red crumbly undereye skin- is really getting me down. I am having counselling and i am on amitriptyline for depression because seb derm is chronic - i hate that word, i've heard that so often in my dry eye journey. First it was chronic eye allergies, then rosacea (another chronic), blepharitis and now from just looking at my face and the flakes and patches - chronic seb derm. i'm hoping to get this under control - i dont want to use topical steroids because there may still be a chance that i have rosacea and these will only aggravate it.
On a positive note - I am so happy about my eyes - i barely notice them now!! I think the greatest benefit has been the anti-androgen, so i guess this post is more helpful for us ladies. But I do hope that my triumph does give hope to anyone suffering - keep searching for a cure!! I've had full blown dry eyes for a year and probably low grade dry eye for six months before that.
I am still going to visit the board regularly - it is a habit! I am not a 100%, i'd say 90%. I just want to say thank-you to Rebecca for such a wonderful board - it saved my life, thank you to everyone's kind messages and a special thank-you to LittleMermaid for all the kind help and private messages!!
i've just self diagnosed myself with seborrheic dermatitis - my symptoms included red, flaky nose and chin and sides of nose, suddenly very oily skin, patch of eczema on neck, red flat papular spots suddenly develped on upper shoulders, back, chest and neck, itchy scalp, itchy eyelashes and eyebrows, eyebrow, hair and eyelash loss. My eye symptoms - severe dry eye (TBUT 3, and 2!), blocked meibomium glands, inflammation, papillae, red eyes, permanent enlarged red veins in eyes, swollen, watery eyes, reflex tearing, mucins (the worst symptom for me - they would drag along my dry eye causing so much irritation), just dry!!!
i've been to so many eye doctors, three GPs and one dermatologist - all of who said i've got acne and ocular rosacea.
my research on the internet, indicated that increased testosterone levels may make seb derm worse, so I went to the GP and asked for an anti-androgen BCP (dianette). I have used this for one month - i've noticed a huge improvement after 2 weeks, and now 28 days later my eyes feel great. I can now wear my contact lenses for 5-6 hours a day. my eyes are still not the same - they are dry and red in the mornings for an hour. But compared to previously, where they were dry, gritty, loads of mucin strands, red, sore etc for most of the day - with a short break in severe symptoms midday, with a major dry flare from 3pm onwards. I could not venture out in the evenings - my eyes were completely bloodshot and just so sore and dry.
two weeks after i started the BCP, i started doing lid scrubs, i dont know why but i thought i am going to remove all that extra sebum from my eyelashes aswell as the rest of my body. in the past lid scrubs irritated me eyes - that was because i was hot compressing beforehand. this time - i skip the heat, i just get lidcare wipes and massage the lashes - both upper and lower and rinse for two minutes using cold tap water. this has pretty much cleared the itchy eyes i suffered from 24/7. I now know that my itchyness was itchy eyelashes rather than itchy eyes. i still get mild itching - but not like before.
i apply diluted head and shoulders onto my eyebrows and eyelids nightly - this maybe helping.
i ordered ZNP soap (zinc pyrithinone) and wash my whole body with this twice a week, i also wash my eyelids with this (eyes closed).
28 days into this regime - my eyelash loss has stabilised somewhat - i still lose eyelashes but not as much as previously. I have absolutely no need for any eyedrops. my eyes can look red and a bit swollen, and i guess will never look the same - i've lost so many eyelashes and the ones that have grown back are different - shorter and in many directions. i can wear contact lenses - but only for short periods and my eyes feel dry after 4 hours and can produce strings if i wear them for 8 hours.
I am happy about my eyes - there were times when they were so sore i couldnt sleep, so I am very happy with my success.
However, i am not happy with the facial and body seb derm - the associated acne and red nose/chin/ red crumbly undereye skin- is really getting me down. I am having counselling and i am on amitriptyline for depression because seb derm is chronic - i hate that word, i've heard that so often in my dry eye journey. First it was chronic eye allergies, then rosacea (another chronic), blepharitis and now from just looking at my face and the flakes and patches - chronic seb derm. i'm hoping to get this under control - i dont want to use topical steroids because there may still be a chance that i have rosacea and these will only aggravate it.
On a positive note - I am so happy about my eyes - i barely notice them now!! I think the greatest benefit has been the anti-androgen, so i guess this post is more helpful for us ladies. But I do hope that my triumph does give hope to anyone suffering - keep searching for a cure!! I've had full blown dry eyes for a year and probably low grade dry eye for six months before that.
I am still going to visit the board regularly - it is a habit! I am not a 100%, i'd say 90%. I just want to say thank-you to Rebecca for such a wonderful board - it saved my life, thank you to everyone's kind messages and a special thank-you to LittleMermaid for all the kind help and private messages!!
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