Make sure you ask your doctor to do a culture of your eyes and eyelids!

[Phillips55]

As I said in a previous post I saw a well known specialist in Tampa who did a number of tests on me. It was costly but worth it because one of the tests he did was a bacteria culture of my eyelashes, eyes and eyelids. I've lost track of the number of specialists at prominent clinics who never bothered to do this. Its turns out I had a long running staph infection in both the eyes and the eyelids. After a week of applying the prescribed ointments my eyes have never felt better since I had Lasik. They almost feel normal again. I am just amazed at the complete lack of protocols for dry eye treatment in the field of Ophthalmology. A bacteria culture is not some exotic test or anything, and yet not one doctor did so until I went to Tampa. All the doctors I have seen were well meaning and professional but the lack of understanding of dry eye and the things that can help astound me. It almost borders on incompetence. 3 years of my life down the tube because of this lack of understanding among most practitioners. For those suffering I would demand tests such as these because you never know what might be the magic bullet that eases the terrible suffering that we all have experienced with dry eyes.

[PotatoCakes]

what were the prescribed ointments you were given?

[littlemermaid]

I have tried all the usual treatments I can think of: Doxy Restasis all 4 plugs lipiflow warm/cold compresses steroids azazite bromday pataday eyemasks antibiotics and practically every supplement listed on these boards.

That's great news, Phillips. Here's your post April 2013 - what is different about these prescribed ointments for Staph? do they eg kill a wider spectrum of bugs? can you remember what dose and duration of doxycycline you took? and which oral/topical antibiotics you used before?

[Phillips55]

Little Mermaid,
Any antibiotics I took before were for an eye infection or off label uses. And they were drops. My staph as I understand was mostly in the eyelids and he had me use Ciloxin ointment on the eyelids for 5 days during the day, and bacitracin ointment for 5 nights during sleep.

[littlemermaid]

Thank you Phillips, so interesting and useful for us. TG you are feeling better. How did you wipe the Ciloxin and Bacitracin ointment onto the eyelids? was most of it on the eyelid margins? or did you wipe it all round the eye socket? rather than dropping it behind the lower eyelid? eg did he suggest avoiding the antibacterial ointments going onto the eye surface?

[Phillips55]

I applied it quite liberally with a Q-tip, and covered almost the entire eye socket just to be sure. I did spread on and inside the eyelid margin and had no side effects from that. Before reapllying it in the morning I used occusoft scrubs to clean the eyelids and flush out my eyes with preservative free saline solution.

[dardar]

DarDar

As I said in a previous post I saw a well known specialist in Tampa who did a number of tests on me. It was costly but worth it because one of the tests he did was a bacteria culture of my eyelashes, eyes and eyelids. I've lost track of the number of specialists at prominent clinics who never bothered to do this. Its turns out I had a long running staph infection in both the eyes and the eyelids. After a week of applying the prescribed ointments my eyes have never felt better since I had Lasik. They almost feel normal again. I am just amazed at the complete lack of protocols for dry eye treatment in the field of Ophthalmology. A bacteria culture is not some exotic test or anything, and yet not one doctor did so until I went to Tampa. All the doctors I have seen were well meaning and professional but the lack of understanding of dry eye and the things that can help astound me. It almost borders on incompetence. 3 years of my life down the tube because of this lack of understanding among most practitioners. For those suffering I would demand tests such as these because you never know what might be the magic bullet that eases the terrible suffering that we all have experienced with dry eyes.

That's nice to know a lot of the doctors don't seem to know about dry eye that's all I've heard so many times is we're not sure alot of them don't have a clue about the connection between the eyes and the gut wish they could find out more it's such a battle

[Mawsky]

It amazes me how proactive we have to be, and become our own Doctors so to speak, My opthamologist has done no testing what so ever. Time to look for someone to help. The last time I saw him he said my eyes would never be normal again...how depressing, to tell someone who has not been able to cry a tear in several years now that it's hopeless is crazy. I'm so glad that you have found help and your eyes are feeling great now.

[dardar]

DarDar

It amazes me how proactive we have to be, and become our own Doctors so to speak, My opthamologist has done no testing what so ever. Time to look for someone to help. The last time I saw him he said my eyes would never be normal again...how depressing, to tell someone who has not been able to cry a tear in several years now that it's hopeless is crazy. I'm so glad that you have found help and your eyes are feeling great now.

That's what they told me to but shame on them for saying that I am proof of that last year I could have cared less if a truck ran me over all my problems started just over a year ago today I'm far from 100 percent but so much better I probably wouldn't have gotten through without my prose lenses that hold moisture on your eyes I'm now trying to wear glasses hard transition I'm going to get plugs out of one of my eyes to see how I do one in the upper left eye fell out already and I'm fine last year if that one fell out it would be hell there is hope don't give up so many things happen to me at once last year I had a balloon ablation done found out my hormone levels were way crazy menopause I think and stopped bulimia after 26 years could have been any one of those things I still think it's a food issue body is not used to digesting properly gonna take time stay hopeful it will get better