Greetings!!!

[Deb Pap]

Hi all...I too am a dry eye sufferer. I began 4 years ago with blepharitis and MGD. I had it under control until 9/07 when working at a job with excessivly bright lighting and ended up with a couple of chalazions and this month we have moved on to styes alond the lash line. I could handle the outer pain but they have been draining on the inside of my lid and are quite painful. I too have been through my share of eye doctors and pray everyday that I will be healed. Tomorrow I have to call for am appointment and see what can be done this time. I don't like the doxy due to it making me more light sensitive.

I do have a question....I use occusoft lid scrubs and then take a q-tip and make sure I have all the crud off before I either go on with my day or go to bed. ( I do this twice a day) After the cleansing I have been putting in There-Tears moisture drops but they almost appear to be cloging my glands all over again???? I did notice that after a good cry my tears flushed everything out and I felt better! I don't want to make a habit of that though. My question is...After cleansing should I use a saline solution to flush out all the excess soap, etc?? Any suggestions will be appreciated!!

Great to be with you all!!

Deb

[NYer]

Saline for washing out your eyes

After reading some posts on here, I went out and bought a bottle of saline and, yes, using that after doing the scrubs and/or after the hot compresses, I find that the saline is GREAT. Up till recently, I'd finish the hot compress and lid massages and then I'd use the artificial tears to wash them out - but it left my vision a little blurry for awhile. But I don't find that at all with the saline. Once I rinse my eyes out with the saline, my vision is fine. And then, a few minutes later, I use the drops (I think the drops are a little more lubricating).

By the way, the saline that I'm using is "Unisol 4" and I have two questions for any other saline users:

1. The Unisol comes in a pretty big bottle. Does anyone know of a saline that comes in more of a pocket or purse-size bottle?
2. The Unisol is preservative free, which is good. However, can saline go bad after it's been opened, due to lack of preservatives? I know salt keeps forever, how about salt water?

[Rebecca Petris]

There is no equivalent to Unisol 4 in any other size packaging on the US market. There's nothing all that special about it - 0.9% sodium chloride if I remember right - except that it is pH balanced for ophthalmic use. I have used 10mL monodose saline of other brands that I got through a distributor because it's handy for travel but Unisol is the only one approved for ophthalmic use. Actually, it's sold as a contact lens solution.

[shells]

By the way, the saline that I'm using is "Unisol 4" and I have two questions for any other saline users:

1. The Unisol comes in a pretty big bottle. Does anyone know of a saline that comes in more of a pocket or purse-size bottle?
2. The Unisol is preservative free, which is good. However, can saline go bad after it's been opened, due to lack of preservatives? I know salt keeps forever, how about salt water?

1. There is a product called OcuFresh Eye wash you should check out. Each pack comes with 6 - 20ml single use vials of preservative free eye wash and a plastic eye cup. I find the eye cup VERY helpful or else I make a huge mess. I always use an eye cup with my Unisol too.

2. The Unisol box says to throw away a bottle once it has been opened for 30 days, so that is the rule I follow. There is a place on the side to write the date so you dont forget when you opened it.

I keep a bottle of Unisol at home since I use it often and will generally finish the whole bottle in 30 days. I keep the OcuFresh single use vials in other locations where I don't do eye rinses as much (work, gym bag, etc.). The single-use vials are really handy!

-Shells

[calli66]

Deb,

I have the same problem with TheraTears leaving too much residue, and switched to Tears Naturale Free vials, which seem to work better (they have a slightly different set of ingredients).

Saline is good for rinsing, but might rinse off too much of the "good" tear components; once a day is probably OK. The Unisol is not preserved, so yes, it can become contaminated. Keep it capped, and store in a cool place---maybe even the fridge, if you're concerned about contamination. The usual products guidelines apply: don't touch the tip to anything and if it looks cloudy, throw it away.

Other saline: I have used the aerosol saline (also unpreserved---for rinsing contacts). You can spray (gently) on your closed eyes to rinse them off. It doesn't go bad since it's in a pressurized can, but I think I read somewhere that if you're going to keep it around for a long time, leave the lid off (it can trap moisture and bacteria in there), and squirt some into the sink to clean the nozzle before using it. Equate from WalMart is the cheapest I've seen (under $3 a can).

Calli

[NYer]

Thanks for those amazingly fast and very helpful responses. I love this place.

[Deb Pap]

This is great!!

You guys are great...thaks for the info!! I'll be sure to pass on anything new I find out!!