Dr appt tomorrow. What to ask.

[bean]

Hi All,
I have been suffering from dry eye for 15 months now. I have been in a lot of pain and feel like I am doing all the things I am supposed to do. My Scherrmer(sp) test came back 2 in one eye and zero in the other before Restasis and up to 4 in one eye and 6 in the other on it, although I don't notice much of a difference.
I have plugs, use Restasis, preservative free tears and gel, humidifier (I am in Colorado), take Omegas, drink lots of water, etc....Nothing seems to be making this any better! I also have fairly bad vision and now can't wear my contacts. I am going to the Dr again tomorrow and almost am at a loss what to ask him. Does anyone here know of any other available treatments out there that I should ask about? And can you get Lasix if you already have dry eye? The other issue is how RED my eyes are all the time. Thanks for any input, it seems like their are a lot of knowledgeable people on here.
I realize I left off a lot of info, I was rushing to get to class this AM-Sorry!
I am a 32 year old nursing student living in Colorado. My eyes started hurting about 2 weeks before my wedding last year. I figured I had an infection so I went to the Dr. they told me it was dry eye and that I should take omega fatty acids and get plugs. They didn't do any further testing. I got plugs, only to learn later from another Dr that I was making so little tears that the plugs weren't going to be doing anything to help. I still have them in because I am afraid if I get them taken out things might get worse. Since then I have been on Restasis for about 6 months and am not sure if it is really helping that much. If I put in tears I feel better for a few seconds and then am in pain again. I don't know what to do, this is really effecting my quality of life. I know it is vain, but I hate having red eyes and having to wear my glasses all the time. I feel like this has been hard on my husband because I am always in pain and can't find a way to feel better. I just don't know what to do anymore. I going back to the Dr tomorrow, but I feel like he doesn't get how hard this is and how badly it is effecting my quality of life.

[bernmee]

Welcome to the site.

I produce lots of tears so I don't have the problem that you have.

My problem is that the tears I produce do not have enough oil in them and therefore they evaporate to quickly. I have Meibomian gland dysfunction, a type of blepharitus. Maybe you could ask if you have this to any extent.

As for Lasik...it is a no no for anyone like you. I had no eye pain until Lasik, and like many people on this site, I now have problems I never had before. The FDA website will say that those who have dry eye or other conditions are likely to sufffer complications post Lasik.

I'm sorry I can't help you more, but this site is great. Have a look around and you may find posts or get replies that will help you out.

Good luck tomorrow and let us know how you get on.

Bernadette

[bean]

Thanks for your response Bernadette! My appt today was OK, he put in temporary plugs into the top ducts (I only had lower ones before) to see if that helps at all. I have been using a lid scrub as my Dr recommended, but I think it is just for getting the bacteria away from my eyes, not blepheritis I don't think. The Dr told me my symptoms seem much worse than the actual signs, which made me feel like I am sort of crazy. I don't really understand what is happening with my eyes, because I really am in pain most of the time. I am just hoping the upper plugs bring some relief this week! Hope the best for everyone else too.......

[browneyes]

I've been suffering from dry eyes about 9 months... started like you... sudden contact lens intolerance... thought it must be an infection. I've also tried all the things you've tried and haven't seen benefits either. The next step for me is to get moisture chamber glasses - while they may not look so great, many ppl on this site have found that they provide relief. There is a lot of info on this site about them. Do you know why you have dry eyes? Also, your Schirmer scores place you squarely in the dry eye category. I think many doctors will say your signs aren't bad unless you have developed ulcers or vision threatening issues (regardless how few tears you produce or how quickly they evaporate).

[Teri]

I wish I could offer more help, other than to say that I understand how you feel.

There is a wealth of information on this site about symptoms, questions you can ask your doctor, how to find a good doctor, and other things you could try to get some relief.

And there is relief to be had and ways of dealing with the pain.

Many of us have heard what your doctor told you: that our eyes don't look bad enough to be causing the pain you describe. Baloney! The symptoms seem to vary from person to person, and one person's 8 on the Schirmer's can ruin their whole day, while someone else's 3 will go virtually unnoticed.

People are different, people's nerves are different, people's brains are different. You are not crazy. Don't let anyone discount your pain or how this has affected your life.

So hang in there, keep researching.

(BTW, I used to live in Boulder. I love Colorado so much, but I don't envy you having to deal with single-digit humidity levels. You might want to consider moisture-chamber glasses/goggles to get you through the dry winter and help you get your coursework done without killing your eyes.)

Teri

[bean]

Thanks for the support and suggestions! I am thinking I may try Tranquil eye googles and see if they help. Are they to be worn at night while sleeping, or only for a shorter amount of time? I still don't know what has caused my dry eye, not sure my Dr does either.

[Lucy]

Hi bean,
Tranquileyes are meant to wear at night, or anytime you'd like to rest your eyes. Some of use them while flying (in a plane), (Had to add that in case anyone had other ideas. I love my TE. Lucy

[bean]

Thanks Lucy, I just ordered them.

[bernmee]

Hi,

It is not unusual for people with dry eye to have a "normal" looking eye and still have pain, and many Dr.'s who have experience with DE will be able to tell you this. Therefore you are not going crazy. I have a Schirmers of 35 and an almost normal Tear Break up Time, but still have pain.

For those of us who have blepheritis warm compresses and scrubs are what we do. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to order the rice baggy also and start using it, it can also be ut in the freezer and used to help with the burning. It is my favorite product from the store.

The moisture chamber glasses are also great. It can be a bit of a big step to go onto the goggle type one, but if you weren't ready for that you could order glasses that give 75% protection and look really nice http://www.7eye.com/products/view-all-75.php
I alternate between these and full protection.

I also use a humidifer in my room at night and use Genteal gel for severe gell at night.

There is a book by Dr. Robert Lathkany called "the dry eye remedy" that you could order from your library. It could give you some ideas. I was shocked to find out that I have ocular rosacea and facial rosacea, but had no idea of this until after I had Lasik surgery. If you can find out what caused your dry eye it could help.

Good luck.

bernadette

[bean]

I actually got a rice bag thing at whole foods awhile ago. I use it once in awhile, but sometimes makes my eyes burn more. I too use a humidifier and the genteel gel at night. The last few nights though I feel like it has been evaporating very fast, that was why I thought the night googles might be good in case I am not closing my eyes fully. Everyday a new challenge I guess