Newbie to DET, but 11 months into treatments that aren't working...

[100garza]

Hey Everyone,

I found this site and thought it could help me to understand why after 11 months of seeing my eye doctor, trying different treatments, and spending over $1000 that my eyes are not any better, but actually seem worse.

My background is that I use a PC all day long at work. I have two 23" monitors that are side by side, and I look at spreadsheets most of the day using both monitors constantly.
I know; the first thing the doctor said is that PC work is not helping at all. I understand that, but it's not an option to quit right now

In a nutshell, my eyes were extremely red, itchy, burning and blurry to the point my vision was compromised so I went to discuss this and here's what's happened since:

1. Doc started me on Zymar for 1 week to clear up any infection I may have, and then started me on Systane Balance for a few weeks (May 2011).
I used it 5 to15 times a day, not much help.

2. He added Restasis to the regimen about 3 weeks later (2x/day & I've been on it since end of May 2011).

3. He added warm compresses 2x/day and added Fish Oil pills to the regimen in June.

4. He added Pataday to the regimen in June (1x/day) and I now consciously make myself blink (in case I'm not doing it on my own).

5. In August, we tried Lacrisert for 1 week - it made my eyes very blurry & watery.

6. Tried Temp plugs about 3 weeks ago - not much change and I also now mix Blink 'gel tears' with Systane balance (no change).

7. 1 week ago, I mentioned maybe I was allergic to one of the many eye drops he had me on since there's been no change? So he took me off everything and put me on Zylet for a week to see if I was allergic to the various drops I was on (no change except my eyes are so watery now, I wipe them every few minutes). I had to do cold compresses 2x/day for the past week while on Zylet.

8. Today, my 14th visit, he put me back on Restasis (2x/day), now Systane Ultra with no preservatives (as needed) instead of Systane Balance, added Alrex (2x/day), back to warm compresses 2x/day, and replaced Pataday with Lastacaft (1x/day).

So, even though all these didn't really help so far, I am back on them (with a different brand of two of the eye drops). Seems like he really isn't sure what to do and I am frustrated as my vision is so blurry now.
I’ve used reading glasses at work & to see my cell the past 10 months, but it seems they aren't helping as much as they have been the past 10 months, so that is why I feel my vision is getting worse.

My eyes are still very red everyday, and I feel I have to constantly explain why they are so red, so people don't think I have been drinking, crying or smoking weed. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's embarrassing after almost a year of bloodshot eyes to explain why they still are.

I've been reading this site and see it's not just me with these issues, but any advice anyone has would be appreciated, even if it's find a new eye doctor and start all over again.

Thanks!

[Reggie]

Hang in there. Eventually you will find something that will provide some type of relief. Took me about 6 years and over 10 doctors before I found something that made life manageable. Read as much as you can on this forum and try to see what others tried. Best of luck to you.

[robster]

Have you tried moisture chamber goggles and a humidifier? Both of these things could help your PC use in an office environment.

[Joseph]

I know the feeling about the blurry vision and the never ending doctors who never seem to have an answer. Hang in there and keep your anxiety down as much as possible. dwelling on this stuff makes it MUCH, MUCH worst. I know it is not easy but be positive that your cure is out there. Your dry eye buddy Joe...

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi 100garza,

Sorry I didn't see your post sooner. I want to echo robster's advice about moisture chambers! The whole world of diagnosis and pharmaceutical treatment can be fraught with confusion, trial & error and other difficulties - not to say you won't get there in the end! - but when going through that, it's really important to have PRACTICAL tools to make it from one day to the next in the necessary tasks of life. Moisture chambers are one of the most reliable tools to be able to increase computer use tolerance.

Cold compresses might be helpful too.

What all are you taking right now, in terms of both Rx and OTC drops?

[100garza]

Hi Rebecca,

I have not tried goggles yet, was just hoping the past few visits to the eye doc may bring a breakthrough (like hoping I'd win the Mega Million I guess).
I saw some goggles in the posts and had a question. I know some people will say to just 'deal with it', but are there any goggles that would look like glasses that I would feel comfortable wearing in the office? I am not vain, but I really don’t want to look like the Red Baron in a suit.

After #8 in my above post, nothing changed. I went back last week and doc seemed a bit baffled. The past 2 weeks my eyes have been watering really bad. I have to wipe them about every 3 minutes or the tears run down my face, so under my eyes feel sore from all the tissues.

Doc put me back on what I was on before. Restasis (2x/day), Pataday (1x/day), Systane Balance or Blink Gel Tears (or any of those over the counter drops as much as needed). Warm compresses 2x/day too and
he also referred me to a 'Aesthetic Surgery' doctor to see if my tear ducts may have something wrong with them (that's April 17th). Not sure what that involves.

Thanks for all the posts!
Laurie

[Rebecca Petris]

How long have you had all that watering going on? Since the beginning or only since some of these treatments? When you got plugged, were they temporary collagen plugs or say dissolvable 3-month types? If watering was one of your earliest symptoms then seeing the oculoplastic doc sounds like a good idea (s'ppose it can't hurt in any case). But I think your instinct about allergy to the drugs may be right on the money.

Going off Zylet tells you little if anything. Why? Zylet contains Benzalkonium Chloride, the preservative common to most Rx eyedrops, so going off everything else and going ON Zylet gives you no conclusive information about the allergy point. (I'm sorry I overlooked this by reading too quickly through your initial post before my first reply.) If you want to test that, then (with dr's concurrence) I'd be pushing for a complete drug holiday, treating only with stuff like moisture chambers, cold compresses, occasional cold saline rinses, preservative-free high quality lubricants when necessary, maybe homeopathic allergy drops like Similasan or something for awhile. If this is not enough, autologous serum drops would be another reasonable step to consider and this is now in relatively common use so no excuses to any doctor who resists the suggestion when Rx stuff isn't panning out. - Could point you to thread after thread of members here who only started getting better after they got off the cocktail of drugs they were given in the initial months of treatment. So frustrating. (Of course put that in the context of the fact that this board attracts people who are already exceptions in some way - but then you are too or you wouldn't be here )

Personally, at this point I would DEFINITELY be seeking advice from another corneal specialist, one known for being good with dry eye, not necessarily any reflection on your current doctor but the simple fact is as you've noted yourself, nearly a year of treatment so far and you're worse not better.

In your posts I've seen a lot about the treatments tossed at you but I haven't seen much of anything about your actual test results to confirm what's really wrong and to help distinguish between chickens and eggs where possible. From your symptoms allergy certainly seems indicated. Going on Restasis suggests they're seeing poor aqueous tear production BUT is that really the case when you've got tears pouring down your face?

Re: moisture chambers: Well, for something that TRULY looks like glasses options are limited and expensive. Sorry not always obvious to me in the forums what a member's gender is. Women have the option of 7Eye's Ziena glasses unless they have a small face, and the Ziena is great in the workplace; for those with small face they usually opt for 7Eye Briza or Wiley-X AirRage (both more goggly than glasses-y but when needs must we do it). For men it's mostly down to MEGs and custom moisture chambers if you want to goggly effect. But most men I know who are struggling with this who are working fulltime on computers wear WileyX glasses, one of the climate control series (airborne, airrage, brick, etc).

To tell the truth considering the state you've gotten to I'd bite the bullet and get some cheapo ones (dustbuster, onion goggles, or whatever similar you can come up with at a local store) to wear when you can, as much as you can stand it, while doing some other simple measures. I could be barking up the wrong tree but you sure sound like a classic picture of someone for whom these drugs are doing no good at all.

[100garza]

They've been watering for about 2 months (some tearing before that), but majoring tearing the past 2 months.

The plugs he put in were temporary, 1 week plugs he said. Maybe not long enough to really tell if they work or not, but he wanted to try them first, and if they seemed to help, he would do the 30 day plugs, and then go from there.

He stated that I definitely have allergies in general as he saw that when he looks on the inside of my upper eyelid & saw irritants. I know I do have allergies, which really do not affect my sinuses as much as my eyes and I think that just adds to my issues. When I took the week off all drops except Zylet (he said he needed that to make the inflammation go down) I thought they would feel better. But thinking back on that now, my eyes still watered and they really didn’t feel much better than when I was on all the other drops.

After my visit to the surgeon next week, I may take a hiatus on my own. Two people I have met in the past few weeks stated that until they started using Genteal for severe dry eye, they went through what I did. Do you think a hiatus with using only your suggestions & trying Genteal may help?

I agree a 2nd opinion is now in line. I did not get any formal test results, just a diagnosis that the amount of yellow dye that is left on my eyes means I have dry eyes and I am not producing enough tears. He has done that yellow dye test a few times, that's why I am on Restasis. Maybe I am not getting quite enough information from him, but what he says makes sense (even if it may be wrong). He stated my oil layer is gone and that makes the water layer dissipate quickly, causing the dry eye and that the over tearing is because my eyes are overcompensating for the dry eyes (I hope I explained that correctly).

I will try to find a corneal specialist in my area. Any suggestions in the Baltimore/Hunt Valley, MD area?

Thanks again,
Laurie