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Hello everyone, I have been reading for a long time everyone's experiences and suggestions, and finally thought I should register especially after I saw Jeannie's post, and thinking that dry eye might also contribute to bad vision.
To summarize my experience...I am 25 years old, and had Lasik 13 months ago to correct moderate nearsightedness (-4D, but I really, really felt blind without correction - I remember not being able to find my glasses because even when I squinted, it was impossible to discern them on a desk full of clutter
)
So I had Lasik, and even though I was corrected to 20/20 (well it depends - dryness makes me fluctuate between 20/25 on bad days and 20/15 on really good ones) I started having severe ghosting after the procedure (for the lucky unfamiliar ones, ghosting is an astigmatic-like phenomenon of image "bleeding" to the extent that resembles 2 images, one under the other.) I was shocked. I had second, third and fourth opinions, just like Jeannie did, and they could find no ablation defect, striae or a prescription, just a difference in tear production (left-ghosted eye had a Schirmer's of 15, and the right one 35, but I had a very rapid TBUT and dry spots).
For the first couple of months, I remember how hard it was for me to open my eyes in the morning, just like PRK patients describe. I had no signs of dry eye pre-op, except when I would accidentally fall asleep with my contacts in - then they would give me grief...
A doctor had the epiphany of putting me on Restasis, and I saw a dramatic improvement vision-wise in only 3 weeks (I suppose that I was probably responding to its Refresh Endura component, because after that I hit a plateau). Why did the oily stuff work? Well I have no MGD or blepharitis that I know of, but I'm a smoker, and I've read time and again that there's a connection.
After trying literally everything and time went by, I started getting some sensation back. My left eye started to hurt, and time and again I thought I had red eye and used a bottle of FML that I keep for these instances. It did work in making the "red eye" subside, as well as the pain, which felt just like conjunctivitis, until I visited another doc who said that it was dry eye instead and put a Smart Plug in (the only one that stayed in after multiple attempts with other models).
I had had some instances of really good, non-ghosted vision a couple of times, but it never lasted long enough (ie. more that 2-3 days). I have probably used every single drop in the market, and with the exception of Soothe, all others made my vision (and discomfort) worse. Soothe did work wonders for the vision, but had to use it every hour.
Then I started using Dwelle, Dakrina and Nutratear a month ago, as well as using the Thermoeyes for an hour daily (I have discovered that eye closure, heat and rest works tremendously well). I recently saw again an improvement in vision - much longer instances of ghost-free vision, and when ghosting does appear, I can blink it away. And most importantly, I don't mean while/immediately after putting drops in, but rather after a day of having used drops 5-6 times and kept eyes closed for 20-30 minutes.
Ghosting is way worse when I have used the computer for more than 6 hours, when I haven't had my usual short evening siesta, when I stare and don't blink, and when i use other drops (like TheraTears or other thin - watery drops) during the day, with the exception of my beloved Nutratear. I also tend to notice worsening of vision as the day goes on, regardless of lighting conditions - these issues are labeled "night vision problems", but why not have them at 6pm when it's pitch-black outside, and have them at 11pm?
So, my main question would be - has anyone had these visual issues from dryness and/or seen similar improvement? I keep on trying to improve my condition after having read tons of articles that explain the aberrations caused by a bad tear film, but after reading Rebecca's reply to Jeannie (stating that many people had the same impression after Lasik but an ablation defect was to blame for vision quality) I am starting to get suspicious and discouraged...
Thanks for reading on, looooooooooooong post I know...
To summarize my experience...I am 25 years old, and had Lasik 13 months ago to correct moderate nearsightedness (-4D, but I really, really felt blind without correction - I remember not being able to find my glasses because even when I squinted, it was impossible to discern them on a desk full of clutter
)So I had Lasik, and even though I was corrected to 20/20 (well it depends - dryness makes me fluctuate between 20/25 on bad days and 20/15 on really good ones) I started having severe ghosting after the procedure (for the lucky unfamiliar ones, ghosting is an astigmatic-like phenomenon of image "bleeding" to the extent that resembles 2 images, one under the other.) I was shocked. I had second, third and fourth opinions, just like Jeannie did, and they could find no ablation defect, striae or a prescription, just a difference in tear production (left-ghosted eye had a Schirmer's of 15, and the right one 35, but I had a very rapid TBUT and dry spots).
For the first couple of months, I remember how hard it was for me to open my eyes in the morning, just like PRK patients describe. I had no signs of dry eye pre-op, except when I would accidentally fall asleep with my contacts in - then they would give me grief...
A doctor had the epiphany of putting me on Restasis, and I saw a dramatic improvement vision-wise in only 3 weeks (I suppose that I was probably responding to its Refresh Endura component, because after that I hit a plateau). Why did the oily stuff work? Well I have no MGD or blepharitis that I know of, but I'm a smoker, and I've read time and again that there's a connection.
After trying literally everything and time went by, I started getting some sensation back. My left eye started to hurt, and time and again I thought I had red eye and used a bottle of FML that I keep for these instances. It did work in making the "red eye" subside, as well as the pain, which felt just like conjunctivitis, until I visited another doc who said that it was dry eye instead and put a Smart Plug in (the only one that stayed in after multiple attempts with other models).
I had had some instances of really good, non-ghosted vision a couple of times, but it never lasted long enough (ie. more that 2-3 days). I have probably used every single drop in the market, and with the exception of Soothe, all others made my vision (and discomfort) worse. Soothe did work wonders for the vision, but had to use it every hour.
Then I started using Dwelle, Dakrina and Nutratear a month ago, as well as using the Thermoeyes for an hour daily (I have discovered that eye closure, heat and rest works tremendously well). I recently saw again an improvement in vision - much longer instances of ghost-free vision, and when ghosting does appear, I can blink it away. And most importantly, I don't mean while/immediately after putting drops in, but rather after a day of having used drops 5-6 times and kept eyes closed for 20-30 minutes.
Ghosting is way worse when I have used the computer for more than 6 hours, when I haven't had my usual short evening siesta, when I stare and don't blink, and when i use other drops (like TheraTears or other thin - watery drops) during the day, with the exception of my beloved Nutratear. I also tend to notice worsening of vision as the day goes on, regardless of lighting conditions - these issues are labeled "night vision problems", but why not have them at 6pm when it's pitch-black outside, and have them at 11pm?
So, my main question would be - has anyone had these visual issues from dryness and/or seen similar improvement? I keep on trying to improve my condition after having read tons of articles that explain the aberrations caused by a bad tear film, but after reading Rebecca's reply to Jeannie (stating that many people had the same impression after Lasik but an ablation defect was to blame for vision quality) I am starting to get suspicious and discouraged...
Thanks for reading on, looooooooooooong post I know...
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