Strange tingling itchy feeling along lashes and on back og eyelid - recognise??

[Marika05]

I have had problems with my right eye for 5 years. I do not have pain but a tingling itching sensation along my eyelashes, mostly the top lashes especially at one exact point. It feels "alive" like a thousand tiny ants, and there is constantly some itching there. It also feels like there is something wrong on the inside of the lid, where there is some redness. I have been on SO many different drops and creams (fx steoroids, acular etc.) that did not help. I have two plugs in wich have helped some. But now it has taken a turn for the worse again. I do not have Blepharitis and my memboial glands does not seem to be clogged. But they fo not seem to produce much oil. I have tried with the heat and massage, but it anoyed my scin way to much! My eye doctor says that my eye is not making enough tears and took a scmier test. I have been so affected by this problem that I have to be on anti depressants which is probably not helping my eye. Sometimes I wonder if it really is the dry eye that causes the itching and tingling, because there is nothing much visible wrong with my eye.
A while before the problem began I had curls mad at a hair salon and accidently got some of the fluid in my eye and did not get it rinsed out properly. No one has been abble to say so, but I wonder if this could have started it. My eye doctor thinks that my problems have been caused by years and years on all kinds of different drops, creams etc.
I live in Denmark, where there is not much interest in these kinds og eye issues.
I have had sensitive eyes and some allergies for years, but has had an allergy tjeck that did not show anything anymore.

Is there anyone outthere who had similiar issues??? I'm getting pretty desperate because I have a hard time with getting anyone to understand how big of an influence this has on my quality of life because it is not a very visible problem...

[Marika05]

BTW the scin at my lashes is HYPER sensitive and reacts to even the slightest touch og wind..

[alisonW]

It sounds like you may have a problem with demodex mites. If you do a board search you will find lots of info. I just posted about it on Wendesday too. These little critters live on everyones skin but in some people they can become a problem - causing itching like you describe and many other eye problems - they live in the glands where your eye lashes are and in the pores of your skin. When you said "It feels "alive" like a thousand tiny ants" you're not too far off - not ants, but mites. The good news is there are treatments that can get rid of them (I have them too as do lots on the board.)

[Marika05]

But would you not be able to see them? Have been examined by several eye doctors and specialists. Also I Think it is Strange that one exact spot have been itching constantly for five years. But I Will look in to your suggestion. Have read a little about it before.

[alisonW]

The thing about seeing them is that they only come out when it's dark. They burrow down into the skin when there is any light.

[Marika05]

I will definately talk to my eye doctor about this. But Can you have it without much redness? It does sound like a possibility. But my eye often feel better in the morning, but that might be due to the dry eye.

[alisonW]

Not sure. I hope you figure it out. I know how frustrating it can be to get the right diagnosis.

[Marika05]

Thank you for your help. I am thinking like my eye specialist that all the different drops and creams has been to much for my scin which is very sensitive. Therefore it is overreacting. I also think that the stuff I got in my eye at the hair dresser can have done some damage, because it is very strong. But no one has been able to answer this. I have also seen a neurologist that could not give me any answers. He Said that it could be nerves acting up but it could also be anything Else. He Said that the nerves there was to small to examin.

[Roe72]

Had the same experience. My diagnosis was ocular rosacea.

[Marika05]

Roe72 how does the rest of your scin look like? I have very fair light dry skin. No red spots and no Blepharitis. Have you been able to relief the itch? And was it an eye doctor that diagnosed you?

[Roe72]

I am very fair. I do have rosacea on my face. I think the whole problem was exacerbated by an allergy to the hair gel I was using. I am using Restasis. I was diagnosed by an opthalmologist. 4 of them to be exact. You may want to get allergy testing done.

[NotADryEye]

If it were an allergy, it would most likely be bilateral, in both eyes, and not specific to one spot.

I used to have that same feeling you describe, crawling ants at the lid margins, millions of them. It would start around 3 or 4 pm. Alprazolam (xanax) helped me to tolerate the sensation. But I later learned that alprazolam can contribute to aqeous deficiency and stopped taking it. Eventually I was diagnosed with demodex and have been treating them on and off for two years. Tea tree oil is an effective treatment, but it can take a long time. When you start the treatment, I suspect that with the mites dying and releasing bacteria, the sensation is very bad. But in time, maybe a week or so, it is tolerable.

I use a commercial scrub, called Cliradex. It's probably not available in Denmark. You can concoct a mix of pharmaceutical grade mineral oil and pure tea tree oil. Start with a very low percentage of tea tree oil - 2%, maybe up to 5%. But be careful, since you already know you have sensitivities, so start with a very low percentage. Dip a sterile cotton swab (Q-tip) into the mixture so that the q-tip is just barely moistened and rub it alon the base of the eye lashes, at the roots. Be careful not to get any into your eyes. Your eyes will water and so it will be difficult but in time you will learn. The upper lashes are hardest to reach, particularly the lashes opposite the hand that you use. Keep at. You will eventually figure out how much to apply and how to apply it. It takes some practice.

But it is best to get tested for demodex mites before starting a treatment or at least get evaluated. The mites leave behind debris and shafts that can be seen in the lashes, a good indication of infestation. The mites themselves are almost impossible to see under a slit lamp and they may be hiding in the roots, so not visible on the surface. The definitive test consists of pulling lashes, roots and all, and examining them under a microscope. The test is painless.

Some additonal indications of mites include lashes that are colorless and lashes that fall out, but other diseases can cause these symptoms.

[alisonW]

NotADryEye - it's interesting that you mention "colorless" lashes since I've had a few of those for years and when I asked all the eye docs I've seen if they knew why, none had a clue. Last week my doc prescribed Cliradex for me (I posted my experience earlier). They dimmed the lights in the room for about 20 minutes and then he was able to see two demodex mite tails under the slit lamp.

Also, I've only used the Cliradex wipes 4 times now (at night) and my eyes feel better. They are not constantly burning anymore and feel a little less dry. I'm hopeful that after 6 weeks (when I go back to see him) they will feel and look significantly better.

[zuzu70]

The lower lid margin on my bad eye has itched, on and off, for at least 10 years now. It is only in one spot on the nasal side of the lower lid margin that itches. In this same spot, I have had a tiny notch for years (it is only since my dry eye problem started that I learned it's due to a meibomian gland problem). This same spot seems to be problematic for me: when I had a reaction to either Restasis or ocusoft, I ended up with a chalazion in this area, and now again this same area is red and swollen, with 2, maybe 3 additional meibomian glands now out of commission. When the itching gets bad I do a hot compress. Not sure if it helps, but I am too scared to try ocusoft again.