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I would like to join your eye forum more for support and advice. I am
from Christchurch New Zealand
Four years ago I had LASIK for my severe short sightedness as I
couldn't wear curved cycle glasses and wanted to up my cycle racing.
My life within days of the surgery has been a nightmare. I have got a
skin condition called acne Rosacea and did not know at the time this
would be the worst condition to have LASIK with. I had had no history
of dry eye prior. The consent process did not ask if I had any conditions like Rosacea prior.
My surgeon has been very difficult to deal with and told me my
symptoms were all in my head because my eyes looked moist. It took
multiple visits to different eye specialists for them to realise
something was wrong.
They now feel I have abhorrent corneal nerve regeneration yet my
cornea looks normal. Everyone tells me my cornea looks normal On a
schirmer test the litmus stuck to my inner eyelid I was so dry ( to
this day I don't know why this was not done pre surgery to rule me out
of surgery) Since surgery I have fluctuating vision 6/12 [1] at best
and comes and goes with blinking I have decreased tears especially the
left. I have two fully occluded punctual plugs on the left. The right
eye has one plug fully occluded..the top punctum we couldn't fit one
in due to inflammation last visit to The surgeon. The plugs irritate
the left eye with movement especially as the moisture is down.
The tears pool then evaporate. When they pool they sting The
discomfort is severe at times and feels on the eye surface. It's worse
when I try and read or use the ipad/ computer.
I am photophobic.
They react badly to air conditioning in buildings, at home or car. I
have a heat pump which we can no longer use. Work is hugely
challenging now. I am having to reduce my hours which is distressing
and financially difficult...ACC are investigating further now and I
may well not get funding. I await their decision.
In the mean time my every waking hour seems spent focused on these
damn eyes. I would rather be spending that time happily with my
gorgeous family and friends. I recap all the things I have tried, what
have I missed. What can be done.
I use artificial tears constantly throughout the day, polyvisc at
night and refresh lube now during the day. The effect only lasts
minutes but does give me relief for a minute.
The warm compressors again are short lived yet I continue.
I drink heaps of water and take omega and flaxseed oil plus,starflower
oil or borage oil for inflammatory properties I have tried
doxycycline...but get thrush though this did give me relief until I
got repeated thrush so had to stop. azithromycin drops made my eyes
sting. Autologous serum eye drops were ineffective. Corticosteroids
are also short term relief.
The pain specialist put me on gabapentin 200mg and Clonidine. I
thought this helped but it seemed to work for such a short time. When
I was put on it I had periods of good and bad weeks with my eyes. What
seems to have happened the last 6-8 months is that I am more
menopausal and everything is more dryer. My Gp feels even at that low
dose I would not of been getting any effect for pain. The days I felt
good post starting gabapentin she feels are not likely to be because
of the gabapentin, Clonidine. She got me to up the dose to 400mg which
I did and felt dreadful, not sharp at all and brain foggy, drugged.
The eye symptoms remain no worse no better. My Gp feels I should stop
the analgesia In summary I think everything has got worse since my
body began its menopause. I don't think all these pain meds are
helping. My left eye is the worse. What I have found is that when I
eat spicy or food with heat or my body is warm from exercise the
symptoms reduce. This is just my thoughts but I believe this is
because the oils are mobilised with this heat and mix with my tears
giving temporary relief.
The pressure that this is putting on me and my family is unbelievable.
I could deal with pain from cancer or a limb cut off better than this.
Please don't underestimate how debilitating this is. And I am sure I
am not alone, however as there is no one you know of to put me in
contact with with the same problem it is a very lonely place to be. My
surgeon tells me there is no one with this problem in New Zealand. I
have to believe it's not just a problem in the states.
I saw a dry eye specialist two days ago and asked him to start me on
Cychlosporin or Restasis and have commenced a two month trial. I would
like to know what other people from DryEye Zone think.
Kind regards
Stella
from Christchurch New Zealand
Four years ago I had LASIK for my severe short sightedness as I
couldn't wear curved cycle glasses and wanted to up my cycle racing.
My life within days of the surgery has been a nightmare. I have got a
skin condition called acne Rosacea and did not know at the time this
would be the worst condition to have LASIK with. I had had no history
of dry eye prior. The consent process did not ask if I had any conditions like Rosacea prior.
My surgeon has been very difficult to deal with and told me my
symptoms were all in my head because my eyes looked moist. It took
multiple visits to different eye specialists for them to realise
something was wrong.
They now feel I have abhorrent corneal nerve regeneration yet my
cornea looks normal. Everyone tells me my cornea looks normal On a
schirmer test the litmus stuck to my inner eyelid I was so dry ( to
this day I don't know why this was not done pre surgery to rule me out
of surgery) Since surgery I have fluctuating vision 6/12 [1] at best
and comes and goes with blinking I have decreased tears especially the
left. I have two fully occluded punctual plugs on the left. The right
eye has one plug fully occluded..the top punctum we couldn't fit one
in due to inflammation last visit to The surgeon. The plugs irritate
the left eye with movement especially as the moisture is down.
The tears pool then evaporate. When they pool they sting The
discomfort is severe at times and feels on the eye surface. It's worse
when I try and read or use the ipad/ computer.
I am photophobic.
They react badly to air conditioning in buildings, at home or car. I
have a heat pump which we can no longer use. Work is hugely
challenging now. I am having to reduce my hours which is distressing
and financially difficult...ACC are investigating further now and I
may well not get funding. I await their decision.
In the mean time my every waking hour seems spent focused on these
damn eyes. I would rather be spending that time happily with my
gorgeous family and friends. I recap all the things I have tried, what
have I missed. What can be done.
I use artificial tears constantly throughout the day, polyvisc at
night and refresh lube now during the day. The effect only lasts
minutes but does give me relief for a minute.
The warm compressors again are short lived yet I continue.
I drink heaps of water and take omega and flaxseed oil plus,starflower
oil or borage oil for inflammatory properties I have tried
doxycycline...but get thrush though this did give me relief until I
got repeated thrush so had to stop. azithromycin drops made my eyes
sting. Autologous serum eye drops were ineffective. Corticosteroids
are also short term relief.
The pain specialist put me on gabapentin 200mg and Clonidine. I
thought this helped but it seemed to work for such a short time. When
I was put on it I had periods of good and bad weeks with my eyes. What
seems to have happened the last 6-8 months is that I am more
menopausal and everything is more dryer. My Gp feels even at that low
dose I would not of been getting any effect for pain. The days I felt
good post starting gabapentin she feels are not likely to be because
of the gabapentin, Clonidine. She got me to up the dose to 400mg which
I did and felt dreadful, not sharp at all and brain foggy, drugged.
The eye symptoms remain no worse no better. My Gp feels I should stop
the analgesia In summary I think everything has got worse since my
body began its menopause. I don't think all these pain meds are
helping. My left eye is the worse. What I have found is that when I
eat spicy or food with heat or my body is warm from exercise the
symptoms reduce. This is just my thoughts but I believe this is
because the oils are mobilised with this heat and mix with my tears
giving temporary relief.
The pressure that this is putting on me and my family is unbelievable.
I could deal with pain from cancer or a limb cut off better than this.
Please don't underestimate how debilitating this is. And I am sure I
am not alone, however as there is no one you know of to put me in
contact with with the same problem it is a very lonely place to be. My
surgeon tells me there is no one with this problem in New Zealand. I
have to believe it's not just a problem in the states.
I saw a dry eye specialist two days ago and asked him to start me on
Cychlosporin or Restasis and have commenced a two month trial. I would
like to know what other people from DryEye Zone think.
Kind regards
Stella
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