intro, very happy to have found this board

[dartgunn]

Hi!
This board is fantastic--I especially like the triumph stories. I have had dry eyes for just about a year now, and they probably only qualify as moderately bad. (I've got to go back to the ophthalmologist for a real diagnosis and more treatment options--gave up after 2 useless visits last year, but reading on this site is giving me the determination to go back.)

My dry eyes started about 2 months after I gave birth to my son, who is my first child. My guess has been that it's a hormonally triggered situation, but there are other factors. I'm a long-time contacts wearer--first RGP for years (10 maybe) then 2 week soft lenses for more years (5?), then daily disposable soft contacts for many more years (about 10). Now of course I'm strictly in glasses, which is a great huge wound to my vanity, I'm sorry to say.

Most of my symptoms are at night--not pain, just discomfort, which I treat with preservative free saline drops. I've tried Genteal, but find it really uncomfortable. I haven't tried anything else. At the ophthalmologist's office they said the other first line of treatments were unavailable to me because I was breastfeeding, which I'm still doing. But now I've looked them up and I'm not sure they're right.

They recommended hot compresses and omega 3s and I've been a bad patient, unfortunately. It's hard to keep up with a time-consuming regimen when you've got a time-consuming baby/toddler, plus work, plus very little childcare etc. I'm inspired to start again though.

Oh, and another possible factor: I got a staph infection in my skin after my son was born (maybe from the hospital?). I didn't get it diagnosed or treated for quite a while after the symptoms began--being busy with working and the baby etc.--so it's always been in the back of my mind that this could have somehow contributed.

Also I have some blepharitis which I'm working on treating (dandruff shampoo for the hair, baby shampoo and Vaseline for the eyelids) and I have lots of allergies. So all in all I realize I'm a pretty perfect candidate for dry eyes, unfortunately. The ophthalmologist gave me a prescription for drops for the allergies (sorry--blanking on the name). Luckily my insurance covered them because they were $100 for a tiny bottle and I never noticed any difference.

So I have a bunch of questions, if anyone wants to tackle any of them:
--could staph be a contributing factor in my dry eyes?
--if it was, is there anything else I should do?
--is it possible that breastfeeding has caused them?
--if it's breastfeeding, then when I stop might the eyes go back to normal? (I'm guessing no, after reading more on this site, but wouldn't that be nice??)
--do the antibiotics really help anyone? (this was the main treatment my ophthalmologist mentioned)
--should I persist with the allergy drops? I've run out, but suppose I could get more.

--oh and Dwelle: it gets great reviews and I'd love to try it, but it looks like it's not available. Is it going to be available soon?

OK, I'm sure I have more questions, but the toddler calls! Thanks for reading this. Would love any responses.

[Teri]

Welcome to the site!

I think one of the most important things you can do to help your eyes is to establish a daily routine and stick to it. Oral antibiotics do help some people -- it really depends on the source of your eye problems. If you could pinpoint *why* they're dry, that could help you figure out what you should be doing. If you have aqueous deficiency, Restasis and/or punctal plugs may help.

If you have blepharitis, it is really important to keep the bacteria on your eyelids and lash line under control. You can do this by becoming a fanatic about lid hygiene: don't touch your eyes unless you've just washed your hands, get a cover for whatever you're using for your warm compresses and keep it clean, and keep up with twice daily lid scrubs (a lot has been written here on this topic!). I prefer liquid Cetaphil or SteriLid to baby shampoo; I think they're both gentler and less drying (to the skin).

A couple weeks of Azasite was very effective in knocking my blepharitis out. It's gotten mixed reviews here, but it might be worth a try.

I hope that helps. Good luck!
Teri

[dartgunn]

Hi Teri,
Thanks, that helps a lot. I don't think I've been great about lid hygiene, so that's a good place to start. My blepharitis is a self-diagnosis--the ophthalmologist didn't note it, but I have dry and sometimes flaky eyelids and dandruff, so it seems like a no-brainer. And none of the treatments for it will do any harm if I don't have it, as far as I can see.

I wish I could get a more definitive answer about why I have the dry eyes. I've made another appointment with the ophthalmologist so will try to be more assertive about getting answers.

Amy

[Gretchen]

Hi -

If you decide to go on an antibiotic, be sure to tell your Dr that you are breastfeeding. They usually prescribe Doxy and this can be excreted in breastmilk and cause problems with development of tooth enamel in children under 8. He will probably want to then put you on another macrolide. However, I think that before trying anything systemic and breastfeeding, I would give Azasite or Doxy drops (have to be special ordered from a compounding opthalmic pharmacy - don't worry they do exist) a shot.

Regards,
Gretchen

[dartgunn]

Hi Gretchen,
Thanks, I appreciate that. I definitely will tell them I'm breastfeeding. I mean, I sometimes feel desperate for a treatment (1/2 discomfort, 1/2 vanity) but as long as things aren't getting any worse, I can definitely stand to wait to try anything systemic until this kid is done breastfeeding. I'll ask about the Azasite or doxy drops, and see what else they suggest.
Amy