Success with castor oil

[avee]

I've been applying castor oil to my eyelashes (some of it gets into my eyes) for several months and it really improves my dry eye. Applying it at night removes the morning dryness. Allergan pharmaceuticals has formulated a castor oil approach called Endura - so there's nothing to be afraid of, I suppose. I use cold pressed castor oil from health store.

[Goeyes]

Tried this

Dear avee,

I tried castor oil myself

Found that it helps the skin on the outside of the eyelid and clears up anterior blepharitis, I notice it even regrows eye lashes itself but if it is unsterile, it is risky business.

Oil has the potential to grow bacteria or infectious agents.

This refresh endura has castor oil in it but its like .02 percent...not enough to cure or help dry eye in my opinion

but eye docs and the companies who developed were only able to put it on the shelves because of one reason its STERILE.

As for applying raw castor oil to the outside of the lids its risky business....due to the fact that the stuff you by from the store is not sterile, which if and when bacteria did get in the bottle and it seeped into your eye, you would be sorry cuz you could get a nasty eye infection.

From now on I would suggest that you visit a homeopathic doctor who deals with a compounding pharmacy and have the doc to prescribe you some sterile castor oil from the compounding pharmacy.

They would boil this oil at 300 degrees in an 1200 dollar pressurized autoclave killing any bacteria or bugs in it.

when it would be shipped to your house you would need to keep it refrigerated.

its way better than raw, and you dont risk getting a potentially blinding eye infection.

Castor oil works, but even as for restasis...Im not sure if the toxic effects it has on the eye are a good thing....but maybe its the reaction that produces more tears....

Never the less...you have found the solution to healing up the skin that has been abused due to dry eye...

Oil helps

I found that applying it after a shower...when the skin is dripping wet it locks in moisture in the skin healing it.

[avee]

Thank you, Goeyes! I keep my oil refigerated but yes - I've never thought that I risk with infection.
I didn't understand what you said about the toxic effect castor oil has on eye. I didn't know it's toxic... Could you explain it please.

[Goeyes]

toxic

Yea I have heard some rumors that Castor oil has a toxic effect to the eyes....

a lot of people report the sensation of burning and red eyes while using it
especially most patients who use Restasis

But for some reason it must be safe because it was FDA approved
I dont think that it does surface damage to the eyes but it does seem to cause a reaction in some people, Ie. Burning and eye redness...

I do wonder however though if this toxic effect is the main reason why it helps the eyes produce more tears, or the eye balls secrete more mucus from the conjuntivia because it is an irritant to mucus membranes...if i stand corrected. Thats why it works as a laxative when taken internally it irritates the mucosal lining of the large/small intestine causing it to spasm in waves...aka it makes you go to the bathroom lol

well from where I stand Castor oil in no way can damage your eyes...it just causes burning and some eye redness...both of which can't damage the eye because the castor oil cannot destroy the cells of your eye like micro organisms do...aka bacteria, viruses, fungus, and mites....

So like I said get some sterile castor oil from a compounding pharmacy and put it in the refrigerator and you should be safe from those.

[calcan]

I have also been using castor oil, and I have found that it helps. So far, I haven't had a problem with infection - I didn't realize this could be a problem. I mainly use along the top eye-lid, and probably a very small amount my seep into my eyes.

[avee]

http://www.agingeye.net/dryeyes/overview.php
I posted this link to somewhere else the other day, but it explains how the castor oil works - causes inflammation at first, but cures blepharitis over time. That's exactly how it's been working for me. C.O.is the only oily thing actually that I can put near my eyes. All other oils makes my eyes sore and red.

[calcan]

It's the only oil that works for me as well. There has been discussion in medical journals recently that olive oil may be better than castor oil, but I have had better success with the castor oil. If I accidentally miss a night where I don't apply it, my eyes are worse the next day.
Also, castor oil is in Restasis as well as Endura. I order Endura drops from a Canadian pharmacy. Castor oil has been well-documented for many, many years as a remedy for dry eyes.

[redandsensitive]

avee:

Does castor oil also improve redness in eyes, after one week?

[peepers]

avee:

Does castor oil also improve redness in eyes, after one week?

I'd like to know this aswel as i'd do anything for white eyes again!

[alisonW]

This is the same idea as using an ointment in/on/or around the eyes. They are oil-based as well and many of us on here who use them can go all night and half of the day before needing drops. The only difference is the oils used - mineral oil and petrolatum instead of castor oil (mine is preservative -free & lanolin-free). Plus with the ointments they are completely sterile so no risk of infection.

[calcan]

This is the same idea as using an ointment in/on/or around the eyes. They are oil-based as well and many of us on here who use them can go all night and half of the day before needing drops. The only difference is the oils used - mineral oil and petrolatum instead of castor oil (mine is preservative -free & lanolin-free). Plus with the ointments they are completely sterile so no risk of infection.

I have found the mineral oil and petrolatum to be irritating compared to the castor oil. Everybody reacts differently, I guess.

[avee]

avee:

Does castor oil also improve redness in eyes, after one week?

I'm not sure.... My eyes are quite white if I am able to avoid dust. I'm not allergic to anything. My eyes are just sensitive to excess dust. Domestic dust is not a problem.But when I bake a cake (flour!) or clean my cats' toilet I use ski goggles (quite amusing ehh?! . Dusty roads etc, etc...It took me over 10 yrs to figure this out. My doc says I also have blepharitis which is under control thanks to regular warm compresses that I've been doing for 2 years by now. Castor oil seems to make things smoother and inflammations are not so severe. I'm looking forward to your update, Redandsensitive. Take care!

[jivgil]

Helps me.

I tried castor oil for 2 days, inside the eye. and it does seem to help significantly.
It seems it makes my eyes produce more tears, and reduces irritation I have in the eye.
It is supposed to be antiiflamatory, and antibacterial, so I hope it is doing some healing. Is it possible?
I wonder how many time I should apply it. Could I apply more the once a day. 2 times? 3 times? could it be irritating to the eyes, more then once.
Also will restasis have the same, or better effect.
And will it work if I use plugs.
I had an appointment today to insert plugs, and I cancelled it. I will wait and see how it goes.
Anyway, I start to feel and act like myself again, as the pain diminishes.
I hope it goes on like this.

[redandsensitive]

This is my 2. day. I put 2 drops in each eye before I go to sleep. Maybe to much.. Since it's supposed to be worse the first week, I think it's ok that my eyes hurt and feel more sore now (my eyes feel dirty after putting in one drop in each eye when I'm awake). This is of course 100% organic, virgin, best possible castor oil!! I haven't had any drops put in today (so far), and I must say, my eyes feel a lot better after using this for 1,5 days. I guess when I put in drops now, my eyes will feel "dirty again", but I hope this feeling goes away after 1 week.

BUT, what I'm afraid of, is cysts!!! I just hope, I don't get those after a while. When I used honey, my eyes felt great, but after 2 weeks, I got 2 huge cysts, and that did hurt!! But I'm open minded, and just hope castor oil is the answer.

I will report back.
RS

[avee]

As for honey, I cannot put it into my eyes before sleep - my eyes become red and awful by morning. At daytime honey is great! Castor oil hasn't caused this but I don't put it right into my eyes before sleep either. Just to my lashes. If I were you, Redandsensitive, maybe I would be careful about putting things into my eyes overnight.