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  • RED Eyes

    Hello,

    My eyes are constantly red/bloodshot and I'm here as part of a desperate attempt to remedy the issue. I'm not sure if I have dry eyes or not and I realize this is the Dry Eye Zone, but I don't know where else to go.

    This has been the case for many years at varying degrees. I always thought it was due to me wearing contacts and I'd use vasoconstrictor (Clear Eyes works well but Visine actually makes it worse) drops religiously and the issue would be resolved temporarily. When I spoke with my eye doctor about it, he instructed me to stop using those drops since they will exacerbate problems. I stopped wearing contacts for the most part and switched to eyeglasses. I started using Zaditor/Alaway.

    My problems didn't go away. I stopped using Zaditor and I tried a sample of Patanol with no or maybe minimal improvement. My eye doctor referred me to a corneal specialist in the area.

    The corneal specialist did some tests and said I had clogged meibomian glands and that I didn't fully shut my lids when I blink. He wanted me to try this eyelid therapy machine which massages and heats the eyelids to unclog the glands. This was $10k or soemthing absurd and not covered by insurance since it was new at the time and it sounded like BS to me anyway, so I didn't do it. I also started practicing full blinking and warm compresses. But what helped is a prescription for Lotemax, a mild corticosteroid drop. My scleras hadn't been so white in years!

    I stopped seeing the corneal specialist and went back to my regular eye doctor, who put me on Alrex, a milder form of Lotemax, indefinitely. I take 1-2 drops for each eye daily and have done so for a couple of years. My problem is I know Alrex has EBK to preserve it and also that while Alrex hasn't been shown to cause issues related to cataracts and glaucoma, other corticosteroid drops have been. Also, the Alrex isn't working quite as well as it once was, though it definitely helps because I stopped for about a week now and I look like I've smoked about 3 oz marijuana even after using Systane drops.

    People always ask me why my eyes are so red and I'm sick of it. I've looked into some controversial procedures in which a doctor can cut the outer layer of the sclera but it doesn't sound like studies have been done long-term. I don't want to keep using Alrex because it worries me. Does anybody here have ANY ideas for me?

    Thanks!




    EDIT:
    I forgot to mention:

    1) I still use Clear Eyes maybe once a week (weekend dates or out and about) and I have daily disposable contacts that I rarely wear.

    2) I used to use a tanning booth in my teenage years and would sometimes go without using protective eyewear and have wondered if that could have caused permanent damage to my scleras. It was about that time that I noticed my eyes were always red...

    3) I also was on two separate cycles of Accutane at that time for acne.

    4) I work on a computer 8 hours daily, but take intermittent breaks

    5) My eyes itch A LOT, especially after not using Alrex, so I feel like it could be allergies. But I've seen an allergy specialist and he said I don't have allergies, plus none of the allergy drops I've tried have worked. I'm trying to cover my eyes so I'm not rubbing them in my sleep, which might be part of the issue?
    Last edited by ktennies; 30-Nov-2015, 15:25.

  • #2
    "He wanted me to try this eyelid therapy machine which massages and heats the eyelids to unclog the glands. This was $10k or soemthing absurd and not covered by insurance since it was new at the time and it sounded like BS to me anyway, so I didn't do it"

    This was called Lipiflow btw.
    Last edited by ktennies; 08-Dec-2015, 11:44.

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    • #3
      Update

      It seems as though not many users are on this forum, but I wanted to update in case anybody is reading. I stopped taking Alrex since my last post and my eyes have become super red again. They also itch... a lot.

      My right eye seems to be worse. I tried posting a picture but get an "invalid_attachment_storage" error message.

      Anyway, is this an indication of allergies? Would anything else cause eyes to be super red and itchy?

      Comment


      • #4
        there are two new drugs coming to market in 2016 to treat redness without rebound effect. They use brimonidine in very low doses. Search for it on the forum. There are several threads discussing it.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by grant555 View Post
          there are two new drugs coming to market in 2016 to treat redness without rebound effect. They use brimonidine in very low doses. Search for it on the forum. There are several threads discussing it.

          Thanks for the input. This board is kind of dead huh?

          I think I know the answer to this, but do you happen to know if those will be prescription only or OTC?

          I searched for brimonidine and found a page that tells of a Dr. Bloomenstein who already uses diluted brimonidine for his red eye patients (http://www.reviewofoptometry.com/con...y_eye/c/52471/ about 2/3 of the way down the page). I'm not sure how he does this in regard to mixing and getting to patients via prescription, but it's an interesting read.

          I found his office online and wrote a message to him at the Schwartz Laser Eye Center but only received a voicemail from one of the receptionists asking me to call and schedule an appointment without answering my questions (aside from confirming that Dr. Bloomenstein uses it to address red eyes).

          I also searched for side effects and Alphagan doesn't list anything too serious, so that's good.

          Anyway, that's exciting news and my fingers are crossed.

          Comment


          • #6
            Brimonidine is used by glaucoma patients to lower eye pressure, which is what it does. It is used under the name Alphagan. Perhaps a low dose won't lower eye pressure.

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            • #7
              I want to follow up to this in case it helps others.

              1) I still believe tanning without eyewear as a teenager permanently hurt my scleras, as my eyes get read on the bottom but never the top and that is where it would have been exposed as the eyes roll upward when shut.

              2) This is the first time this will have been posted on the internet to my knowledge, but I am now convinced that the use of fish oils makes my eyes more red. That's right - one of the very things I've been instructed to use by the a corneal specialist was making my eyes worse.

              I've been tweaking my diet one variable at a time so I stopped taking them for a bit. After an initial period of staying away from Alrex and Lotemax and now with minimal fish oils (1-2 daily), my eyes are much better. IDK why the fish oils would make one's eyes red, but this may be important info for folks out there suffering from red eyes because everything you read or hear will encourage you to increase your fish oil intake and it could be making things worse.

              Comment


              • #8
                steroids can cause a rebound effect so reducing those could be the reason they are less red. if you're desperate, there are doctors who will compound brimonidine in low doses for cosmetic purposes (similar to luminesse thats coming out in 2017)

                Comment


                • #9
                  Grant, have you used the compounded brimonidine with no ill effects?

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                  • #10
                    i have not used it at all.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by ktennies View Post
                      I want to follow up to this in case it helps others.

                      ...

                      2) This is the first time this will have been posted on the internet to my knowledge, but I am now convinced that the use of fish oils makes my eyes more red. That's right - one of the very things I've been instructed to use by the a corneal specialist was making my eyes worse.

                      I've been tweaking my diet one variable at a time so I stopped taking them for a bit. After an initial period of staying away from Alrex and Lotemax and now with minimal fish oils (1-2 daily), my eyes are much better. IDK why the fish oils would make one's eyes red, but this may be important info for folks out there suffering from red eyes because everything you read or hear will encourage you to increase your fish oil intake and it could be making things worse.
                      Regarding the fish oils, my understanding is the omega-3 component is beneficial for anti-inflamation, other components are not. Was your fish oil supplement primarily omega-3?

                      BTW, are you now "permanently" off the Lotemax/Alrex with continued good results? My eye is excessively watery, and the only thing that has worked so far is Tobradex. I plan to try some of these other steroid drops in hope they work because they seem to be gentler with lower risk of side effects.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        ktennies? Just wondering a update of your eyes. I have a similar story to yours, have been told so many different things and seen many different doctors. Was a long time abuser of redness drops and steroid drops. I have been off redness drops for 6 months, and only use the steroid drops for severe flare ups, and sometime of holidays when I want look look normal. I have been told possibly mgd, allergies, blepheritus, occur rosacea.

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                        • #13
                          I am 26. Been dealing with this about 5 years.

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                          • #14
                            I have suffered with red eyes for many years, and I too have noticed a worsening when I take fish oil. Flax oil helps me more than fish oil.

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