i'm new, need advice, getting worried...

[mclaire66]

hello all, first of all thanks for all the info i've found here, this seems like a really nice community--i'll try to keep this as brief as possible, i've been light sensitive most of the year and couldn't figure out why (went to an eye dr and then a neurologist earlier this year and they couldn't find anything wrong with me) it got bad last month so i went to my family dr who took blood (everything normal) and suggested i go to another eye dr who said there was nothing wrong with my eyes, they were just a little irritated from my contact lenses (i know it sounds weird but this whole time i haven't had any actual eye symptoms, my contacts never bothered me and my eyes were never dry or painful) she told me to not wear my contacts for a week and she'd order me more comfortable ones, gave me lotemax and tears--after a day or two on the drops my eyes were painful, light sensitivity worse, but she gave me the new lenses a week later and told me it was safe to wear them--but my eyes got even more irritated so i stopped wearing them after half a day and haven't since, then i went to the head of her practice who told me i had eyelid inflammation and dry eye (when only a week and a half earlier i was told there was nothing wrong with my eyes), told me not to wear contacts for a few months, gave me alrex because the lotemax seemed too strong for me, told me to do that for two weeks and then to stop the alrex and start restasis--that was a month ago and my eyes are still worse than they were before i went to the dr, when i originally went there my only symptom was light sensitivity, now i have that (worse) as well as dryness, pain and inflammation, i asked why that was and he just said i have a lot going on--then this past weekend i noticed my eyelids were a little puffy which hadn't happened before and my eyes were more painful--granted i am not able to use the alrex as often as he prescribed (3-4 times a day) because it makes me so much more light sensitive i can't look at the computer at work or tolerate flourescent light or headlights driving at night, when i asked the dr he said to just keep using the drops and it would get better and that it wasn't the computer bothering my eyes but the environment at work (the dryness of the air) but all computer light bothers me, at home, my ipod, my cell phone and i know it's the alrex making me more sensitive because it's cause and effect, when i use it in the morning i can't see straight looking at the computer at work all day and feel like someone punched me in the eyes by the time i leave, when i don't use the alrex in the morning it's easier to deal with the computer and flourescents at work--so now i'm only using the alrex at night which seemed to be working at first but now it's gotten worse again, and until they calm down i'm afraid to use the restasis, even tho he said it was okay to--my questions are these:

why would they get worse on the drops, i'm not sure why i even needed the alrex to begin with as i didn't have any noticeable inflammation before i started it (it almost seems to have caused it) i wonder if i'd just used tears to hydrate my eyes and just not worn my contacts a couple of months if this would have gone away on its own? i feel like the dry eye is a direct result of the alrex/lotemax because i did not have noticeably dry eyes before i began them and now they feel bone dry when i wake up in the morning (i'm also using systane and genteal)

how can restasis help someone in my case (or alrex for that matter), from what i understand my eyes were bothered because they reacted to the contact lens as a foreign body, once the foreign body was removed shouldn't the symptom (light sensitivity) have eventually gone away on its own? i understand the irritation caused by the contact lens would need to be treated but i must stress again i had no eye pain, inflammation or dryness even when the light sensitivity was at its worst, once i was away from the light source i felt normal (even with my contacts in)--the rest of the symptoms occurred after starting the drops--i also don't understand how these drops, as immunosuppresents, work on someone whose dry eye/inflammation is not caused by an auto-immune condition?

how safe is it to keep using the alrex, i'm reading it's not for long term use, but i'm not using it several times a day, only once a day (and more on the weekends) is that not often enough or too sporadic for it to be effective? i'm afraid to stop it altogether because i've read it can get worse (i think that's why i got the eyelid inflammation because my eyes got too sensitive to use the drops at work so i had to back off them)--and if alrex/lotemax is not safe for long term use how do you ever get off it if you have an ongoing problem that takes months (or longer?) to resolve??

at this point i guess i don't have a choice but to start the restasis and hope it helps clear up the dryness and inflammation...

thanks for any help/advice anyone can offer, i feel for everyone on this board because no one understands how awful it is to have your eyes hurting all the time, everyone around me keeps asking me why it's not better yet and tells me to keep trying new drs but i'm on my 3rd eye dr this year...

[baddabingtim]

welcome

hello - Welcome to the forum - wish you got the reception here you would get in other forums

Hope you find some relief

[mclaire66]

thanks, actually i found an answer to one of my questions on another thread that i'll post here in case it's helpful to anyone else, someone on here mentioned that with contacts in even tho they're causing a problem they sort of act as a protective shield against the elements so that's why someone's symptoms may get worse after removing them even tho it seems like it should be the opposite--i guess i had this stuff brewing under the surface and the drying effects of the drops have just brought it out even more--another interesting point someone brought up was that they thought they were sensitive to the dye drops used in eye exams and i really think they bothered me a lot too altho the dr said they wouldn't, a few weeks ago i had three eye exams in the course of a week and a half and they used those drops every time and i'd swear they made my eyes hurt when he put them in and they were more sensitive after each exam, so nice to know someone else has experienced the same thing and i'm not crazy...

[Rojzen]

physically disruptive effect of the Rx drops and most artificial tears

As to how an Rx drop or OTC artificial tear could actually worsen the symptoms they are supposed to palliate, please consider that there are no eyedrops commonly available that are ENGINEERED (I use that word advisedly) to promote an increasingly stable tear film, while also working to heal subtle corneal aberrations that themselves interfere with formation of a normal tear film. I have found, in my own case, that the vehicles in which medications and demulcents are carried, in an eyedrop, themselves can chronically disrupt my tear film's attempts to normalize.

For this reason, many of us here use high-oncotic pressure eyedrops developed very, very carefully and scientifically by Dr. Frank Holly, who contributes to this group, and who continues to work as a lacrimologist through his own academic/scientific institute. If these eyedrops interest you, please take a look at the department here devoted to Dr. Holly's work, and check out the many patient posts, over time, reporting responses to Dwelle, FreshKote, and Dakrina. I have yet to encounter an ophthalmologist who uses these drops in his/her practice, but, fortunately, these are OTC products that patients often use either as a standalone treatment, or in conjunction with strategies like lid hygiene, use of protective eyewear, and systemic antibiotics that improve meibomian gland function, in some cases.

[copper1]

hi

i just joined too.if you read my first post you will see that i have been having an awful time with my eyes too,this has been going on since feb. 2008.the drs dont seem to understand how debilitating this is, it has affected everything that i do.i was so happy to find this community as least we are all in the same boat, i was shocked when i saw so many people suffering with this. there are some people that finally have relief thats hopeful.

[mclaire66]

thanks for your responses, i started thinking maybe my eyes were sensitive to the preservatives in the systane so i switched to optive preservative free and it seems to be working better, but i have read about dr. holly's drops and i will keep them in mind, thanks...

i tried starting the restasis but it seems to make my eyes even drier, is that normal?? (and does it pass?) i'm just wondering if it will even work in my case, from what i understand it only works 25% of the time (i guess depending on individual cause and diagnosis)

copper i read your thread i'm so sorry you're having such a hard time, i know what you mean before this started i never imagined dry eyes could cause such a problem and never knew much about it until i started researching, but yep i hear ya it sure does affect your life, i hope there are some answers out there for you (and everyone) soon...

[Jen72]

I am on Restasis too, its been about 5 mos. I notice the slightest bit of difference, definitely not a cure. I did not notice being drier at first though. Maybe some changes in you environment ie. heat, allergies? Welcome, I hope you get support and some answers, I know I have