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I figured out the source of my eye agony -- NIACIN
My troubles actually started in 2001 with the sudden onset of severe eye pain. Long story short: after 2 years of many drs. and therapies, I was essentially cured by surgical closure of all four puncta. My life was back to normal; contacts no trouble; nothing to worry about except some occasional drippiness. A harmless nuisance I have been thankful to live with in place of debilitating eye pain.
Fast forward five years to this past Dec/Jan... sudden onset of severe pain, intense burning, something's in my eye, ahhhh! Four weeks on Azasite made it so much worse. Come end of January, I was almost at the end of my rope. In my weakest moment, I had a thought -- could it be the Niacin I was taking to lower my cholesterol? The timing lined up. Googled "Niacin side effects dry eye" and BINGO. Much to my simultaneous horror and relief, I discovered that this "harmless" vitamin has been shown to cause all kinds of ocular problems. None of my doctors was familiar with the niacin/dry eye connection, although when a friend mentioned my discovery to her ophthalmologist, he immediately said, "Stay away from niacin. It's the worst for dry eye."
So please take heed and spare yourself the agony I have endured! I have been off the niacin for less than a week and my eyes are getting back to their wonderfully drippy selves. Still sensitive, but after what they've been through for 2-3 months, I'm not surprised. Here are links to some excellent studies on nutritional supplements and their ocular side effects. Please read! And tell your doctors! They need to be aware of this stuff.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=5569
http://bjo.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/79/1/54
http://www.parkhurstexchange.com/fil...Checklist).pdf
Fast forward five years to this past Dec/Jan... sudden onset of severe pain, intense burning, something's in my eye, ahhhh! Four weeks on Azasite made it so much worse. Come end of January, I was almost at the end of my rope. In my weakest moment, I had a thought -- could it be the Niacin I was taking to lower my cholesterol? The timing lined up. Googled "Niacin side effects dry eye" and BINGO. Much to my simultaneous horror and relief, I discovered that this "harmless" vitamin has been shown to cause all kinds of ocular problems. None of my doctors was familiar with the niacin/dry eye connection, although when a friend mentioned my discovery to her ophthalmologist, he immediately said, "Stay away from niacin. It's the worst for dry eye."
So please take heed and spare yourself the agony I have endured! I have been off the niacin for less than a week and my eyes are getting back to their wonderfully drippy selves. Still sensitive, but after what they've been through for 2-3 months, I'm not surprised. Here are links to some excellent studies on nutritional supplements and their ocular side effects. Please read! And tell your doctors! They need to be aware of this stuff.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=5569
http://bjo.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/79/1/54
http://www.parkhurstexchange.com/fil...Checklist).pdf