Newbie from Europe, post-viral MGD, RCE

[Katja]

Hi guys,

I found Dry Eye Talk by browsing, and have been reading it for last couple of weeks. Finally, I’m here to post I’m a 34 y.o. female from Holland, and for the past 3 months I’m in the club, having dry eyes, MGD and RCE.

My DE could have probably occurred as a result of a poorly-treated viral eye infection. The first symptoms, the one that took me to doctors, were night erosions. I’ve had a couple of them already, started in one eye and now in both eyes. It is my most frustrating symptom, because whenever such erosion happens at night in central area of my eye, next day(s) I have blurry vision and cannot perform my job on computer. And then it takes a couple of days to a week to heal.

My other symptoms? Gritty and tired eyes at times, sometimes slight burning in inner lids. I instill drops occasionally and most of all trying to combat RCE.

I’ve seen an optician (he gave me Systane Ultra preservative), a hospital doctor (he diagnosed MGD, prescribed Blephasteam 1 to 3 procedures and approved Systane), and also an internet consult doctor (she disapproved preservative drops all together, advised on daily eye spa and Omega-3, with possibility of cyclosporine, doxycycline and plugs if nothing helps).

So what do I do at home right now?
- non-preservative drops (Hylo-Care to rinse after spa, and Hylo-Comod for general instillations)
- ointment at night (Vit-A-POS)
- home eye spa, warm compress + massage every evening
- drinking more water
- taking Nutrof-Omega (Omega-3 and vitamins B)
- stopped taking estrogen-based OC
- constantly looking for new methods, diets, etc, planning what to do next and how to live with it

Tomorrow is my first Blephasteam procedure at the hospital, I’ll sure report about it in my blog or post.

I don’t really have any questions right now for you guys. I’m just thankful for a bunch of information, experiences and remedies I found on this forum, and I’ll see you soon, reading your experiences and sharing mine.

[patrick]

hi katja,and welcome,

sorry that you have to be here on the site,but you have found the best place to share your experiences,ask questions and just be with people who are in the same boat as you and who understand the problems you come across with des.
btw. i'm from the netherlands to. there are not too many european members here since this is a usa based forum.
if you have any questions,please feel free to ask!...

[Katja]

Thanks for the words of welcome, Patrick, dank je wel! It is much better to talk to someone in the same boat, because I feel my family is getting bit tired of all that dry eye talk at home (since it's all I can talk about right now ).
Nice to see other Dutch people here. I already saw a post about Dutch clinic in Boskoop, it sounds interesting and gives hope to know we have something specializing in our country.

[patrick]

Hi again katja,

I know at times it can be so difficult to make clear to people what dry eye means and how it can so tremendously affect the quality of your life. Most people just don't seem to get it.
Luckily I am in the fortunate position that my girl friend fully understands how constant eye pain affects my well being.
That doesn't mean i don't feel bad for her about me having so much fatigue and pain all the time.
I have mgd to. It was (probably,nobody seems to know for sure ) induced by contact lens wear and lasek refraction surgery in 2005.
About the clinic in boskoop i know all about that. I actually go there myself. If you'd like to know more about the place i can tell you all about it. Just let me know. If so its maybe better to pm about the subject...

Well,good luck!
Curious to see how the blephasteam appointment went. (Its today isn't it?)
So please post your experience with that here on the forums..

Patrick.

[Katja]

Thanks Patrick, I'll sure pm you if I decide to go there! And yes, the procedure went today, only I'm too tired to write the whole story right now, will do soon.

[HNautumn]

Hi Katja, I have read somewhere in the forum that Freshkote (Clinitas Ultra 3 in UK) helps RCE so maybe you should try it to see how it goes. Im using it at the moment at night only because eye gel make eyes red in the moring. You can buy it at http://www.butterflies-eyecare.co.uk/. Im in Netherlands too BTW.

[Katja]

HNautumn, thanks for the tip! I already looked at those, but was hesitating to buy without doctor's advice. So it makes eyes red? Hmm, I hope i won't have that reaction. Great link anyway, I'll take a look.