Restatis and Celluvisc

[magalvin]

Hi all! So it's been about 3 weeks since I started with Restasis. The first 10 days it burned badly when putting the drops in. It slowly stopped being painful. I've now added Celluvisc drops to the mix. I do one once in the am, one or two throughout the day, and then one right before bed. I also take a bunch of vitimans. I'm currently taking Primrose oil, fish oil, bio tears, vit C, flax seed oil, and Astaxanthin. I know it says at least three months till I feel a difference, but I already can tell there is a small change. I have less constant pain and overall extreme dryness. I've even felt some tears lately, which I haven't felt for quite a long time. I'm hoping this is a great start, and after 3 months my eyes will be doing much much better. I also changed my birth control, as I have read that can affect dry eyes some what.

Here's to hoping it just keeps getting better!

[magalvin]

Nutrex Hawaii BioAstin Natural Astaxanthin 4mgs., 120 gel caps

I am convinced it is the astaxanthin that is helping. Two days after starting to take it 3X a day, I noticed a huge difference. I was using drops 10X a day, now I only use restasis and celluvisc twice a day (am when wake up and pm before bed). It's only been a few weeks with restasis so I don't think it's that that is helping...but I even have been able to wear contacts! AH! So happy and exciting! Hoping that 2-3 months from now I'll be all better...or close to it!

[magalvin]

Just want to post an update. It's been about one month on restasis, and all the vitimans. There are days when my eyes are much better, and days when my eyes are still very dry. I was able to wear my contacts for about 4-5 hours comfortably, one or two days a week the past two weeks...but after the 5 hour point the extreme pain kicked in. I was used to wear color lens (acuve 2) but now I switched to the oasis. They still after 4 hours or so cause extreme pain. So I try to only wear them when I really need contacts. I haven't had the horrible migranes I get from dry eyes usually...which is a good thing. But I still have days when my eyes are very dry. Not so much in extreme pain any more or tired headaches, but still not comfortable. I used to wear contacts every day, and the wearing glasses every day has been rough. I'm just not comfortable with my apperance in glasses. I'm hoping I can get to at least 50/50 with half contacts half glasses through the week without being terrified that my contacts may start throbbing after a few hours. As I've said in other posts, in about 5 months I have my wedding, and I'm hoping to be able to wear contacts throughout the trip (7 days). I just ordered CooperVision Biofinity Contact Lenses...as people suggested these for dry eyes. Sometimes when I first put my contacts in, for about an hour, my eyes actually fell better than they do with glasses.

Does anyone have any suggestions on the best contacts for dry eyes?

I go back to my eye doc in about 3 weeks and I need to go over a lot with her. She didn't examine me too much in my first appt, just said yeah you don't have a good tear letter and did the shirmers (spelling) test and I didn't have a lot of tears. No information as far as if my glands are blocked, if it's any infections or inflammations, etc...

Her next suggestion was plugs if restasis didn't help...we will see. I've been reading a lot about other treatments like lotemax (another eye doc put me on this before and it hurt so bad...more damage than good), doxy a lot of people suggest helps...I have no idea what will really help! I know i have to be patient, but the bad days make it harder! I can 100% say my eyes are doing better than they were before, but still not cured.

I also have no idea what type of dry eye I have...Aqueous-deficient dry eye, due to problems with the lacrimal glands; or evaporative dry eye, usually due to problems with the meibomian glands.

I'm assuming knowing this can maybe help somewhat in trying to find better treatment options other than just restasis.

[jenny2008]

what is your diagnosis? and how much Astaanthin do you take ? 4mg 1x a day?