Hello Everyone!

[Eli]

My name is Eli, I am 28 and live in Connecticut. I am currently between jobs, but until recently was an aircraft mechanic, troubleshooting avionics systems for business jets. I have been occasionally bothered by dry eyes over the past 5 or 6 years, but two weeks before Christmas this year something very significant happened in my eyes and they became dry and irritated all of the time. My opthamologist says I have blepharitis and clogged meibomian glands. In any case, my journey to bring some relief to my parched peepers begins here, with the help of the brave folks from this forum. I have read many of your posts and am inspired by your perserverence through what sounds like truly profound suffering. I hope that you welcome me, and please feel free to ask anything you like!

[YGB]

I've always like the name Eli. Welcome!

I have meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) as well and there is a good thread that I've linked below that you may find of interest ...

http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?t=2443

A word to the wise ... do not just assume that your eye condition will get better on its own. Blepharitis and most dry eye conditions require a regimented treatment plan to get the patient back to "normal". Most folks take their eyes for granted until they stop working properly. When this happens, you need to live a smarter and at times more limited life until you can get your eye condition under control. Obviously I am still more limited at this time since I am writing a post on a Sunday (albeit rainy and cold) afternoon instead of working on one of the many projects I would have had going on in my pre-dry eye days. However, I am hopeful that those days will return (maybe not in their complete entirety, but hopefully pretty close). If you do nothing else, do warm compresses about 2x day. Doxycycline is a common anti-inflammatory given to reduce inflammation. Your MD may have already put you on this. Of course, Restasis is another option. I know many MD's do not like throwing too many variables at once so sometimes you may start with Doxy for 5 weeks or so and if you are improving great! If not, then Restasis or something else may be the next step. I will say from my personal experience that I have grown leery of using punctal plugs for MGD. MGD/Blepharitis usually has inflammation involved and plugs can trap inflammatory agents in the eye thus making ones dry eye worse and not better. Again, I don't know enough about your condition, but I am throwing caution to the wind that not everything the good doctor prescribes is good as gold for "helping" the patient. You need to be diligent in learning about the best care for YOUR eyes.

[Eli]

Thank you

Thank you for your welcome, YGB. It is much appreciated. Yes, indeed my doctor did start me on minocycline (a doxycycline derivative) but its only been a couple of weeks, so I guess its a little early to tell if its helping or not. Oh, and, yes, I agree completely with you. I understand that this condition needs to be monitored by a doctor-as much as I would like to save money and "self-treat" I will be consulting an opthalmologist very carefully. Thanks again for your welcome!

[katia]

Welcome and good luck!!! I have been taking doxy for the last month 31 days exacctly today and don't see improvement yet. So you'll need to be patient and don't expect too much from the first weeks. It seems that most of the people just see a difference after 2 months

[Eli]

Thank You Katia

Thanks Katia,
I have been on this site for less than 24 hours and already people have been so supportive. Its nice to know you can go to a place where people will understand your problems. Yeah my prescription for minocycline is for 3 or 4 months I think. By that time it probably will have killed off every last living bacteria that lingered in my body. Hopefully it will have enough manners to fix my Meibomian glands while its at it! Well here's to hoping! And thank you again for writing to me. I wish you the best with your own eye problems, too.