Doctor won't examine me

[Guest]

Hi people...

So, as I have mentioned in my very first post, I got dry eye syndrome from Accutane.

The first time I went to my eye doctor (still being on Accutane) he said it's 99,9% due to the medicine I was on, right after he examined me. He said he didn't find anything weird on/in my cornea. Prescribed artificial tears.

Second time he gave me contact lenses, told me it's okay to wear them and use artificial tears at the same time. Kept on wearing them till my DES worsened. Prescribed artificial tears.

3rd and 4th times- I told him I STILL didn't feel well with artificial tears, he said I exaggerated, my eyes are fine, it will go away, there is nothing we can do. Prescribed artificial tears.

Fifth time I went, I complained sooo much that he finally did look in my corneas. He did the test with the tears and said I don't produce enough oily and watery tears. That was my "kind-of-diagnosis". Prescribed artificial tears.

6th time I went, (2 years after I first complained about dry eyes) I told him if there was anyhing else he could give me. He DIDN'T look in my eyes (the examination a doctor IS SUPPOSED to do) and said the same #@$!... I exaggerated, my eyes are fine, it will go away, there is nothing we can do. Prescribed artificial tears AND a gel.


I'm really worried... Because of him, I've become such a hypochondriac and I already think I suffer from something more than DES.

ALSO, when I told him about my allergic rhinitis and that my eyes could possibly suffer from an allergy themselves, he DIDN'T check me and said that if it is an allergy, there's nothing I can do.

What can I do??? I can't afford to go to another doctor at the moment and I feel desperate. I just wanna go to him and punch him right in the face, though this is not going to help...

It seems like some doctors don't care about dry eye sufferers...!

[Lacey1]

I was told the same things by a couple of different doctors. A very supportive dry eye friend told me to keep going to different doctors. Each doctor may be able to provide something different. Nobody knows everything. I've gone to 6 different doctors and I have found a few things that help my condition. You are not a hypochondriac. If you feel discomfort/pain then there is something not right. You had the tests done, which even prove it. My suggestion is, when you get the financial means find a good dry eye doctor because this one doesn't sound like he's taking you seriously. Some places may be able to work with you if you tell them your financial issues and may give you a discount. Just a though. Wishing you luck :-)

[tearless2]

Hi, It's frustrating when a doctor won't listen to you. It makes you feel so powerless. It's really like you are at the mercy of someone who is ignoring you and minimizing your problems.

My advice is the following:
1. Research and save up to visit a dry eye specialist

2. Cautiously experiment with cold and warm compresses

3. Follow some vitamin regimen with lots of fish oil. There is a thread called Karin's success that has some good hints.

4. Perhaps try some diet changes. Many people have written with success limiting sugar, gluten, and meat. I'm not saying do all three though! You could try an elimination diet - allergies may play a role?

5. Can your GP run any additional tests - thyroid, allergy, something else that may be contributing to this?

[Ahmed]

Did the artificial tears help at all?

How often do you use them?

[littlemermaid]

Thanasis, Could it be this eye doc is completely useless and just sucking up your money? Particularly because he sold you contact lenses even after this diagnosis. What are his qualifications? He should be able to differentiate between MGD and allergy in the slit-lamp microscope. We are hoping you can find someone good for a bit of ongoing care.

[Guest]

I was told the same things by a couple of different doctors. A very supportive dry eye friend told me to keep going to different doctors. Each doctor may be able to provide something different. Nobody knows everything. I've gone to 6 different doctors and I have found a few things that help my condition. You are not a hypochondriac. If you feel discomfort/pain then there is something not right. You had the tests done, which even prove it. My suggestion is, when you get the financial means find a good dry eye doctor because this one doesn't sound like he's taking you seriously. Some places may be able to work with you if you tell them your financial issues and may give you a discount. Just a though. Wishing you luck :-)

Hi and thanks for your kind words.
That's what I've decided to do; save up some money and find good doctors. I've already spotted one here in my city and he says on his webpage that he can install punctal plugs. Hopefully I'll get the chance to talk to him.

Hi, It's frustrating when a doctor won't listen to you. It makes you feel so powerless. It's really like you are at the mercy of someone who is ignoring you and minimizing your problems.

My advice is the following:
1. Research and save up to visit a dry eye specialist

2. Cautiously experiment with cold and warm compresses

3. Follow some vitamin regimen with lots of fish oil. There is a thread called Karin's success that has some good hints.

4. Perhaps try some diet changes. Many people have written with success limiting sugar, gluten, and meat. I'm not saying do all three though! You could try an elimination diet - allergies may play a role?

5. Can your GP run any additional tests - thyroid, allergy, something else that may be contributing to this?

Hello, thanks for replying.

I will follow your advice but I just need to inform you that there are no dry eye specialists in my country (Greece). I actually do compresses and they help quite a lot. I am currently changing my diet, trying to drink more water, eat more fruits/vegetables, limit sugar. Hope they help!

Did the artificial tears help at all?

How often do you use them?

They DID, Ahmed. Now they don't do much. I mean they do help, but just for a couple of minutes.

Thanasis, Could it be this eye doc is completely useless and just sucking up your money? Particularly because he sold you contact lenses even after this diagnosis. What are his qualifications? He should be able to differentiate between MGD and allergy in the slit-lamp microscope. We are hoping you can find someone good for a bit of ongoing care.

Oh honey, I really don't know. He's not a corneal specialist, he told me he has studied eye pathology. I STILL wonder what kind of doctor would prescribe me contact lenses AFTER the diagnosis. Too bad I wasn't informed on my condition back then. At least now I know I mustn't wear them.

[Rebecca Petris]

Thanasis nice to see you here again - sorry I dropped out of touch! - and very sorry you're still having this ongoing issue, and sorriest of all that the doctor is SO unhelpful. It's amazing to me that the doctor could pinpoint your problem on the very first visit and then end up so useless.

I haven't been in touch with the Greek ophthalmic community in a long time I'm afraid but if I were there and trying to find someone I think I would email Dr. Kanellopoulos in Athens, explain and ask for a recommendation of a corneal specialist in Thessaloniki who is good at dry eye. (Just because I don't know any docs in Thessa.) You definitely need to have a doctor who is competent and at least reasonably professional and compassionate because what you're describing is just no way to be treated.

I'd not be wearing contacts, would keep trying to find some relief with compresses & eyewear, trying to keep the drops limited in frequency... and fingers crossed that you can get to a better dr. If you don't get a response from Dr. K let me know and I'll try and dig up some other names to pursue.

[Rebecca Petris]

p.s.

Whoops, I just noticed your note about having located someone who at least does plugs. Fingers crossed that he'll be helpful. If you want, email me a link to his web page, I can maybe check around a little.

p.p.s. I accidentally posted the following in someone else's thread:

One more thought... I ran across a study recently done at AUT about ocular rosacea and dry eye - I thought it might be worth checking out the names of the doctors on it (Lazaridou E, Fotiadou C, Ziakas NG, Giannopoulou C, Apalla Z, Ioannides D.) since they are local, in case any of them are available - drs who are doing research in dry eye would probably be much more helpful than a general ophthalmologist.

[Guest]

Thanasis nice to see you here again - sorry I dropped out of touch! - and very sorry you're still having this ongoing issue, and sorriest of all that the doctor is SO unhelpful. It's amazing to me that the doctor could pinpoint your problem on the very first visit and then end up so useless.

Hello Rebecca, nice to see you, too!! My doctor is simply appalling dear, he doesn't care about my condition.

I haven't been in touch with the Greek ophthalmic community in a long time I'm afraid but if I were there and trying to find someone I think I would email Dr. Kanellopoulos in Athens, explain and ask for a recommendation of a corneal specialist in Thessaloniki who is good at dry eye. (Just because I don't know any docs in Thessa.) You definitely need to have a doctor who is competent and at least reasonably professional and compassionate because what you're describing is just no way to be treated.

Thank you so much for reminding me that. I had come across Dr. Kanellopoulos' website, and I read an article he wrote about dry eye. I'll email him and ask him for some advice and if he knows any corneal specialists in northen Greece, around Thessaloniki.

I'd not be wearing contacts, would keep trying to find some relief with compresses & eyewear, trying to keep the drops limited in frequency... and fingers crossed that you can get to a better dr. If you don't get a response from Dr. K let me know and I'll try and dig up some other names to pursue.

I'm done with wearing contact lenses, they have caused me sooo much trouble that I'm fed up with them. Even my blood vessels have expanded ever since I first tried them making my eyes look red like ketchup.

Whoops, I just noticed your note about having located someone who at least does plugs. Fingers crossed that he'll be helpful. If you want, email me a link to his web page, I can maybe check around a little.

Definitely going to give him a call and a visit when I get the chance to save up enough money and afford it. I'll find the link to his webpage and I will send it to you as soon as possible.

p.p.s. I accidentally posted the following in someone else's thread:

One more thought... I ran across a study recently done at AUT about ocular rosacea and dry eye - I thought it might be worth checking out the names of the doctors on it (Lazaridou E, Fotiadou C, Ziakas NG, Giannopoulou C, Apalla Z, Ioannides D.) since they are local, in case any of them are available - drs who are doing research in dry eye would probably be much more helpful than a general ophthalmologist.

Thanks again for this link, I might conduct a research and hopefully find something available.

-Polloi xairetismoi me agapi apo tin panemorfi Thessaloniki

[Rebecca Petris]

Prepei na einai poly omorfi tora kato sthn paralia... ma pos fusaei o vardaris to xeimona thumamai akoma. Xairetismoi apo th Washington opou de vlemoume ton ilio kai poly to Noembri.