Miraculous recovery!!

[Eyeburn]

Oh my god. I can't believe I'm able to type this, but I have had an amazing recovery!

I've been dealing with dry eyes for a couple years at minimum, but I didn't know it was dry eyes. I was having some health issues with thyroid, low testosterone and adrenal issues that had me in a chronic fatigue state basically 24/7. I didn't know my eyes were dry, I just thought they were sore because I was so tired. Several months ago when I finally got my energy back, my eyes were still sore. It was impossible to wear contacts during all this.

I realized my sore eyes were dry and when I looked up the symptoms everything made sense. I wasn't crazy, and Walmart wasn't trying to tear gas it's customers as I had previously thought when I'd go in there squinting and blinking a billion times a minute having to leave earlier so they wouldn't burn anymore.

Anyways, to sum it up. several days ago I tried two new things. I don't know WHICH one it is, but I will find out soon.

I got both ideas from coming on this board(I'm so happy I came to this board!).

First, I stopped putting moisturizer on my forehead or anywhere above my cheeks to prevent any moisturizer from migrating into my eyes throughout the day. I did this with the idea that a little perspiration and gravity could be causing that stuff to seep into my eyes unknowingly and causing them to burn and dry out.

Second, I stopped all of my vitamins. Everything, the b complex, the vitamin c, the saw palmetto, the primrose oil, vitamin e, vitamin a,, etc. I stopped all of my pills except my thyroid pill which I can't.

Within the first two days I noticed a miraculous difference. When I'd blink I felt a foreign sensation in my eyes. It felt wet and soothing, and dare I say, nearly orgasmic!

Anyways, thought I'd share my happiness. I tried genteal, systane, omegas, restasis, scrubs, and I'm so glad before I started trying plugs that I got this under control in such a great low maintanance way! My wallet is happy I don't need to use restasis anymore, cha ching!

[stella]

Great news ! delighted for you
I can certainly identify with the moisturizer problem - I found out very quickly that I cant tolerate anything near my eyes - that includes all make-up creams and moisturizers shampoos and conditioners
I CAN tolerate baby shampoo v diluted for eyelid hygiene only if i rinse it off well and i do this every night before going to bed and that has really helped me
I cant tolerate vasaline but CAN tolerate olive oil (as suggested by one person who really benifited from it)I cant say it helped me greatly ,but at least it did'nt harm me
I have what i call "the panda rule " - you know the way pandas have big black areas round each eye (They look adorable) well i put nothing that would enter the equivelent of the black area on my face
It works
For moisturization purposes inside the orbit of the eye i squirt claramist (tears again ) and rub it round the eyelids and lashes - It feels more moist and since it contains lipids it should and does help
Re - multivits and suppliments- i have no idea - I take lots of them for other problems i have - Maybe i should give them a miss for a while
I must say i have been sooo much better for a couple of months now .I definately feel i have this condition well under control
Happy Christmas and all my prayers and good wishes for a symptom
free new Year to all my dry eye buddies
Stella Oh and thanks everybody for all your advise and tips that have been so helpful

[Eyeburn]

Great news ! delighted for you
I can certainly identify with the moisturizer problem - I found out very quickly that I cant tolerate anything near my eyes - that includes all make-up creams and moisturizers shampoos and conditioners
I CAN tolerate baby shampoo v diluted for eyelid hygiene only if i rinse it off well and i do this every night before going to bed and that has really helped me
I cant tolerate vasaline but CAN tolerate olive oil (as suggested by one person who really benifited from it)I cant say it helped me greatly ,but at least it did'nt harm me
I have what i call "the panda rule " - you know the way pandas have big black areas round each eye (They look adorable) well i put nothing that would enter the equivelent of the black area on my face
It works
For moisturization purposes inside the orbit of the eye i squirt claramist (tears again ) and rub it round the eyelids and lashes - It feels more moist and since it contains lipids it should and does help
Re - multivits and suppliments- i have no idea - I take lots of them for other problems i have - Maybe i should give them a miss for a while
I must say i have been sooo much better for a couple of months now .I definately feel i have this condition well under control
Happy Christmas and all my prayers and good wishes for a symptom
free new Year to all my dry eye buddies
Stella Oh and thanks everybody for all your advise and tips that have been so helpful

Well, today I tried the moisturizer like I would normally do (on forehead and in same spots as before) and my eyes are still doing well. I don't think they are 100% and I have very minor dry eye issues, but it wasn't the moisturizer that exacerbated it.

It's one of my damn vitamins! Tomorrow I'm going to start my vitamin C and B Complex up and go for a weekk, and continue to add one of my vitamins back into my regime until I find the one that is causing it.

So yes, stop all your vitamins for 3 days. You may be as shocked as I am!

[Rebecca Petris]

I'm so happy to hear how much better your eyes are doing.

I have a suggestion though: Before you start experimenting to pin things down further, maybe consider the possibility changing nothing and just continuing as you are for several more weeks. This is such a complex disease, with ups and downs and causes and effects not always immediately following each other. I'd personally want to make sure the improvement is sustainable and reproducible before I backtracked to find a culprit. But that's just me. Definitely not trying to throw cold water on anything, just my $0.02.

[Eyeburn]

I'm so happy to hear how much better your eyes are doing.

I have a suggestion though: Before you start experimenting to pin things down further, maybe consider the possibility changing nothing and just continuing as you are for several more weeks. This is such a complex disease, with ups and downs and causes and effects not always immediately following each other. I'd personally want to make sure the improvement is sustainable and reproducible before I backtracked to find a culprit. But that's just me. Definitely not trying to throw cold water on anything, just my $0.02.

That makes sense! It's just, I understand the ups and downs of my eyes and never have I felt like this even on my best hours! On my best hours when my eyes weren't that sensitive, when I'd blink I still felt the soreness from a previously worse period that day. Right now, I turned my humidifier off, the humidity is down to 35(averages 60 when I got it on) and my eyes are doing great!

I also need my vitamins I feel. When I'm on them my skin is a lot more clear and looks much better, as is my energy. I just want to find out what helps and what hurts. Whichever vitamin or pill it is, I will find it out. The difference is night a day, and I'll notice the first signs of my eyes going back.


I also can't seem to find the original post that made me eliminate all vitamins and pills to see if it worked. That guy saved my skin by sharing what cured him and I owe him HUGE for that post. I have a wedding in two weeks and the last thing I wanted was to be miserable in that AC'd dry reception hall. I can now enjoy my wedding and the subsequent fun after for the rest of my days

I've told my parents and my fiance and they were like 'oh really? thats good'. I don't think they understand the implications involved here. I think only those that know the hell of dry eyes can understand the magnitude of finding an actual cure and not having to worry about it anymore. It's beyond measure!

I just hope everybody gives it a shot when they read this thread as I did when I read the other guys thread. I think he said he had it for 10+ years before realizing, ouch! So close but so far.. Lucky I figured mine out in under 3!.

[Eyeburn]

Also, I'd like to point out.. I have been saving for lasiks so I didn't have to wear contacts anymore because I have such a hard time with them at times, or used to. The risk isn't worth the convenience by a long shot.

Coming to this board has possibly saved me from a future episode of more permanent dry eye. Whew. I had no idea.

[dianat]

Go take nice vacation with all that money you saved!

[Lucy]

Eyeburn- you mention thyroid problems among other things. Did you take any medication for this condition? I'm wondering because that could have something to do with your better eye conditions if so. thanks, Lucy

[Eyeburn]

Eyeburn- you mention thyroid problems among other things. Did you take any medication for this condition? I'm wondering because that could have something to do with your better eye conditions if so. thanks, Lucy

Yes, but I've been on thyroid meds for a few years now. If it was those meds that would cure it then I'd imagine it would have been done well before now.