Blepharitis, Watery Eyes, Chalazions oh MY!

[VTBunny]

I am hoping that I can find some help or support from this forum. I have been suffering with chronic chalazions for 16 months and for the past 6 months have had excessive watering of the eye. I can not go anywhere with out a pack of tissues b/c my eye waters so much. My eye is so red and strangers have come up to me and ask if I am okay because they think I am crying. I do not wear makeup or contacts (b/c of the condition- I feel so ugly!) and I am FED up and will do ANYTHING to solve my problem. I suffer with blepharitis but my eyes do not feel dry or hurt.

My doctor seems to think it may have been hormones from my pregnancy that was causing the chalazions but I've had the problems for so long (before I was pregnant and after I delivered) and they will not appear to go away. Also, only my left eye has been affected. I have tried everything- hot compresses 4-5 times a day, lid cleanser, steriods, eye drops, ointments, injections, surgery, etc and I am completely fed up. I now have a newborn to take care of and do not have time to take care of myself.

A bit of background which may or may not be related. I have hashimoto's thyroid (hypothyroid) and have been pretty regulated on thyroid medication for 4 years now. I saw my endocrinologist regularly while I was pregnant and he does not think these issues are related. I may suffer with Raynauds (I have not been tested, but my hands and feet are always cold and was diagnosed with Vasospasm when I was nursing which is a very rare and painful condition related to raynauds).

Here is a brief timeline/summary of my symptoms and treatment (I have been using hot compresses and eye drops throughout the entire time)...

Aug 06- Chalazion forms in left eye
Jan 07- Three Chalazions, put on steriods/ointment and restasis. I was told I had blepharitis
Feb 07- Became pregnant, was removed from restasis and told to wait until I delivered before anything can be done
June 07- Found a doctor that would remove the chalazions while I was pregnant. When the surgery was performed it was discovered that I had 8 chalazions (one on top, 7 down below). Given steriod drops and ointment
Aug 07- Went for follow up, had 2 more chalazions. Had an injection in both lumps. My eye started to water constantly. I can not go anywhere with out a tissue and tears fall down my face all day. I wake up every morning with very crusty eyes and scales on lashes
Sept 07- Deliver the baby, and see doctors for follow up- they can not do anything because I am nursing. Eye is still very red and more chalazions have formed.
Oct 07- Agreed to stop nursing so that I can begin treatment. Put back on steroid drops, ointment and given injections on the chalazions. I was prescribed minocycline to help with blepharitis. Use lid cleanser and start Vitiman A
Nov 07- Broke out in hives from minocycline and was removed from medication. Eye is still watering constantly and chalazions have come back

[calli66]

Welcome, VTBunny

You sure are going through a lot. I looked up some images of chalazions--and you're having multiple occurrences. Do you think all the surgeries and treatments have made things worse? I am amazed that they don't hurt. Sounds like the more the doctors look for them, the more they find.

Have the doctors looked to see if the tear ducts are blocked due to swelling or obstruction? Or perhaps the over-watering is an allergic reaction to some of the medications or a preservative in a medication.

I had minor surgery on my sclera in the late 80's and they gave me Tobrex ointment (tobramycin) and my eye got FIRE ENGINE RED. The doctor told me to quit using it immediately--that I must be allergic to it. Was your eye red right from the beginning with the first chalazion?

Just trying to speculate on this a bit...someone else here is sure to have some more direct experience....and some more helpful replies.

Calli

[Terri]

VTBunny: You said you had tried warm compresses, but I couldn't tell from your post if you followed the warm compresses with the procedure Dr. Latkany recommends in his book to express the oil that is blocking your meibomian glands and causing the chalazions. If you haven't picked up a copy of his book, "The Dry Eye Remedy," I'd highly recommend you do so. (You can find it in your local library or order it from the Dry Eye Shop.) It's a very quick read, so it won't take much time away from caring for your newborn.

It would be a great idea to find a doctor who can help you understand why you have acquired MGD, if that's possible. You may have allergies are related to the disorder, and identifying them will help you deal with them. You might be able to find a good doc with in-depth understanding of dry eyes by checking the Dry Eye Yellow Pages. Or, if you let us know what city you live in, members of this board may be able to recommend someone.