So confused about my condition.

[vivian3090]

Today I woke up for the 3rd day in a row with pain in my left temple and my left eye very red.
I have been on serum drops for about 2 weeks now and it just seems since I have started them (all while quitting Flarex) my eye situation has gotten worse.
So I called my cornea specialist today and told the Medical Ass. about the pain and discomfort I have been having and wanted to see me right away.

I didn't see my normal doctor b/c he only works Thursday's. but she told me that Yes, I do have very dry eyes. BUT she also told me that she doesn't see any more dry spots in my left eye anymore. This confuses me b/c if there are no dry spots, why are they still getting dry, veiny, and red.

I also felt very frustrated b/c I was trying to tell them that my eye gets really red, and they told me that they don't look red at all....I KNOW what my eyes look like and for them to tell me that they don't see it really just frustrates me. I know my left eye gets substantially redder and to be told that they arent, SUCKS.

So she told me to do what I have been doing, Theratears every 15 mins, serum drops, and she perscribed lotemax for an as needed basis.

I am going to actually see if I can up my serum drop percentage so we will see how that goes.

I am just so frustrated with this situation, I am losing hope and I am just lost.
I am so depressed about this situation and it doesn't help when I feel nobody understands.

She also told me that if my eyes don't get better witihin a year of the lasik they will probably be like this forever....that is NOT comforting....I am nearing the 5 month marker and it just seems to just be getting worse. I'm so upset and deperessed. :/

[hankm9]

Demodex

Please get tested for Demodex Mites.

[vivian3090]

Please get tested for Demodex Mites.

what exactly is that? and who would I go to get tested for this?

[bakunin]

vivian,

if the treatment the doctors are prescribing you are not making any better, there is no need to believe them about the one year mark after Lasik to get well or being bad forever.

[vivian3090]

if the treatment the doctors are prescribing you are not making any better, there is no need to believe them about the one year mark after Lasik to get well or being bad forever.

I know, but it's just so hard when it's happeneing RIGHT now, it seems like its never going to get better. I literally feel like I am missing out on so many things. I'm a young college kid and I should be having fun, but right now I'm worried about even being able to go to school with how bad and fast my eyes dry out as well as keeping my job i currently have....

[farmgirl]

Hang in there Vivian, you will improve. You may not ever be 'better' as in what you were like before all this started but you will eventually come to a spot where you can have a life and be comfortable. I wouldn't recommend a career on computers though. Just the fact that you had no dry spots on your corneas is encouraging because the corneas are what enable you to actually see and so the health of your cornea should be your first concern.

http://bmctoday.net/advancedocularca...ex-blepharitis
http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...ex!&highlight=

Here are 2 links regarding Demodex mites. I found this most interesting and I think hankm9 is on to something when he says to get tested for this condition. Keep plugging you're not alone..hugs...F/G

[No tears in ATL]

Vivian, you are not the only one.

Vivian, I think we are sharing kind of a similar situation here.

Though I did not have Lasik, I did wear contacts for over 20 years. And one day it just seemed to happen. Like many here, it started out as minor irritation, and got worse, and worse, and worse.

I have consistently veiny looking eyes. Some days they appear lighter, but this morning I woke up and my left one has the tiny capillaries pretty visible all over. I have no idea what could be going wrong. I don't drink, smoke, eat pretty well, and have no underlying conditions that I am aware of.

Doc says aqueous deficient but tear quality good with no MGD. Currently on serum drops. Tried various steroid drops to no avail. It could be ocular rosacea but I don't get the clogged glands and swollen lids and so forth.

I also am (sort of) young. In my early thirties. The poster that said to avoid computers for career is correct. Nothing makes me feel worse than looking at spreadsheets for hours. Computers are hard to avoid, though, if not impossible.

I'm not trying to be "Debbie Downer," just trying to show you that I'm confused as well. There's no reason our eyes should look inflamed when everything else is in order, ya know? It doesn't seem right.

[vivian3090]

I'm just so frustrated and depressed. I noticed when I put drops in the veins go away but only for a minute, it's like they drink up all the drops and then get dry again :/ that is why I am so confused about there being no "dry spots". Could I have that evaporative tears I hear people talking about???

I am nervous to try lotemax, b/c I think I have tried them when my dry eye mess first started and I recall me saying it only helped in one eye or so....I'd rather be put on Flarex..... I feel like I just cannot win.

[robster]

Find out what your TBUT(tear break up time) is. The average TBUT is about 12-16 seconds if you have a low TBUT then that would suggest evaporative dry eye which is the type of dry eye most people who suffer with dry eye have.

[Guest]

Vivian, regarding there not being an dry spots at the exam, that doesn't mean your eyes don't have a problem, so no worries.

You know what I've noticed?

Like you, I use PF artificial tears every 15 minutes or so a lot of the time - if I don't, I get sharp stabbing pains when I blink, so using the drops seems to prevent that and allows me to work a full shift and do other things that I'd have to give up if I didn't use the drops.

Anyhow, for most of my dr. appointments, I use the drops every 15 minutes in the waiting room to keep comfortable. And sure enough, the doc doesn't see any dry spots.

Then 1 day I decided to not use the drops every 15 minutes in the waiting room - other than that, I tried to baby my eyes (blinking lots, no reading in the waiting room etc). I waited maybe 1/2 hr-45 min. for my appt - and lo and behold, the doctor sees dry spots. The only time my doctor has seen dry spots are on the occasions where I haven't used drops in the waiting room (typically 1/2hr-45 min. maximum wait time).

For me, having the doc see dry spots made me feel better for some reason - like (Here you go - proof that even the doc can see that something is not right - not that this doc has ever made me feel like he doesn't believe me, but still, for some reason having him able to SEE something so obviously not normal was comforting)

[vivian3090]

Yeah I think I only used my drops once in the waiting room (was about an hour wait

I have been using Flarex again with great success, my left eye isn't inflamed and I'm using less drops.

I am worried though, she told me I could use steroid drops for long term as long as eye pressure was monitered..yet I am reading that its not good for long term use.

[Guest]

I have been using Flarex again with great success, my left eye isn't inflamed and I'm using less drops.

I am worried though, she told me I could use steroid drops for long term as long as eye pressure was monitered..yet I am reading that its not good for long term use.

My understanding is that with long term use of steroid drops, you are also at risk of a steroid-induced cataract. Not sure how long it would take to develop a cataract from steroid use and not sure what the odds are of having that happen either.

But on the flip side, I'm sure that long term inflammation on the ocular surface isn't exactly awesome for tear production either and the steroid drops can help with that...

Tough to know what is the lesser evil in the long run...

[vivian3090]

My understanding is that with long term use of steroid drops, you are also at risk of a steroid-induced cataract. Not sure how long it would take to develop a cataract from steroid use and not sure what the odds are of having that happen either.

But on the flip side, I'm sure that long term inflammation on the ocular surface isn't exactly awesome for tear production either and the steroid drops can help with that...

Tough to know what is the lesser evil in the long run...

Haha yes ma'am. I just wish they could figure out EXACTLY what is going on. I am starting to think I may have evaporative dry eye...I have notice that my eyes are a bit ok during the day, but once I go to work and get off they are super bad at night and no drops (except steriods) will make them feel better.

I'm thinking if they don't get better by my one year of lasik, I may look into Lipiflow....I'm not sure if I should wait that long though...

[farmgirl]

My eyes are a bit OK during the day as well but can get quite sore and burning by night. Using the computer is the worst and sometimes I just have to abstain. Putting drops in will give me about 20 min relief so I just keep pouring them in until I go to bed to be able to function. I don't use steroid drops to make them feel better as I feel that long term steroid use is just too dangerous and the last thing I want to do is create a problem that I didn't have before trying to alleviate the symptoms of the first one. Just my personal thoughts...F/G

[vivian3090]

My eyes are a bit OK during the day as well but can get quite sore and burning by night. Using the computer is the worst and sometimes I just have to abstain. Putting drops in will give me about 20 min relief so I just keep pouring them in until I go to bed to be able to function. I don't use steroid drops to make them feel better as I feel that long term steroid use is just too dangerous and the last thing I want to do is create a problem that I didn't have before trying to alleviate the symptoms of the first one. Just my personal thoughts...F/G

Yes I work at a pathology lab. I process specimen, so Its hard for me to put drops in when i need to, then after that I have to work on the computer for about an hour or two.

I don't know I'm torn....I spend about 80 dollars a month on drops. (i used 4 boxes every 2 weeks) w/out steroid drops.

with drops I used one less box every 2 weeks, but the flarex costs 35 a month. and I feel more comfortable and whatnot.

I'm trying to weigh options. I plan on only using my steriods on REALLY bad flare up days and whenever I go out on the town with friends (which is not often anymore, but i still would like a life)

I guess i'm so vain, I want to LOOK normal and I feel like people are telling me I'm willing to ruin my eyes to live normal. I know that's not what they are tying to say, but I'm so self concious I feel like I would take that risk.