Dry eye, tinnitus and tmj....is there a link?

[Guest]

I cannot explain how tired I am...I'm just tired of this whole dry eye thing. Just as I'm getting a grasp on this eye condition, I start noticing tinnitus and it seems since the initial insult to my eye (corneal abrasion) my tmj got worse. I thought it was just the pain and inflammation being so hard to bare, I was literally clenching my jaw too hard.

So im just confused, I was just given the antibiotic moxaflaxacin two weeks ago and just noticed my tinnitus peak. I've had it mild before, but this time it's as if my ear went def and could only hear a loud ringing.

I found out that everything im taking for my eyes could be ototoxic (toxic to the ear). The BAK, the lotoprednol and the moxafloxacin....all could cause tinnitus. So what do I do now?

I literally just thought the other day, after reading medical studies on lotoprednol, I'm going to be ok. My future is good, I can take steroids like this and be rejetively safe. Now I feel like that idea has been shattered.

the emotional ups and downs are destroying my life. I don't know what to do...any advice would be helpful. I'm stopping the antibiotic regardless. My cornea is healed it was the most superficial abrasion, I was lucky. I called my doctor waiting on a response.

[diydry]

I have all these symptoms as well (TMJ, tinnitus, dry eye) but they developed at different times. I also read somewhere that there was a link between them but I'm too lazy to find the study. The dry eye is the one that affects my life the most so I'm concentrating on that at the moment. I have not noticed any direct correlation (i.e. dry eyes get better when TMJ gets worse or vice versa). What I try to do is focus on the symptoms separately, a bite plate device has helped my TMJ for example. I would guess these toxic side effects to the ear fro your antibiotic are also pretty uncommon. Have you see an ENT doctor (for tinnitus) or oral surgeon (for TMJ)? I also am a strong believer that stress makes my TMJ worse, so worrying too much might cause you to clench your jaw more even unknowingly.

[diydry]

Actually I will correct that, I did notice that when my dry eye symptoms are particularly bad the TMJ actually feels better. My theory is that when I'm in a bad mood, I'm generally not laughing or smiling or even talking much. All of those activities stimulate and exercise the TMJ joint and muscles which makes the situation worse for me. That's my theory anyhow...

[hopeful_hiker]

I got my tinnitus before I got my dry eye. So naturally, I’ve spent hours researching it. Yes, many antibiotics are ototoxic. I have not come across this info regarding dry eye meds. Also, getting off anti-anxiety meds such as antidepressants or benzos can result in tinnitus, hopefully temporary. Ironically, the same types of medication also help decrease tinnitus.

You could also be clenching your teeth more from stress causing louder tinnitus. If you can hear the tinnitus pitch change as you more your jaw or clench your teeth, that may be the case. Some had success with massages to relieve tension or acupuncture.

Stress, in general, can cause the brain to go a bit haywire resulting in louder tinnitus.

[farmgirl]

Bausch and Lomb make a preservative free steroid. Of course it costs more and isn't covered by my drug plan.

[Guest]

Ok, so I have anxiety if you guys can't tell by now lol..so here's what I've concluded...the ringing is from extended xanax use 5+ months. I never knew benzos were so dangerous and hard to quit...however I have already reduced my dose 25% and I'll be doing 10% drops as I see fit until I'm off xanax.

My frust reavtion is to assume, what is the most recent change I made...it was the antibiotic eye drop. So I assumed that's what it was initially...however after researching backwards all the way to the xanax, I realize it's toxic. F me right lol...anyway, just a heads up for anyone out there unaware.

Im pretty sure that's what it is at this post so we start the descent down the mountainside.

[Hokucat]

Dowork, I totally hear you how tiring it is dealing with dry eyes day in and day out. I felt like you did, especially for 3+ years when my tear film was virtually nil and I was homebound, and was told by all doctors they couldn't do any more for me.

It's tough to know what is causing your tinnitus and TMJ. I actually had both for a few years while I had severe dry eyes, but attributed it to stress like others mentioned above. I was on antibiotics a short time, and steroid eye drops (yes, at that time with BAK) on and off, but nothing else, so never assumed the tinnitus and TMJ was due to meds. I can tell you after my eyes got better from probing and diet changes, both went away completely.

In case any of this helps you, the things that helped me get through those exasperating years was:
1) finding some things to help ease my symptoms even a little, like Genteal Severe Dry Eye Gel and initially sclerals
2) having hope by continuing to search for and try different treatments and diet changes
3) quitting my job and limiting use of electronics, reading, or anything that required staring a lot and therefore causing reduced blinking, which would worsen my condition
4) accepting I was temporarily compromised and relying on support and care from others (friends drove me to doctors and brought my family dinners, my husband helped research treatments and doctors and had to do much more like operate like a single parent, etc,)
5) doing things to physically relax me, like getting massages and taking daily hot baths where I could also close my eyes
6) knowing I needed to push through if I wanted any hope of enjoying quality time my family again, as my kids were quite young when I was going through all this.

There's so many reasons for dry eyes and we're all different, yes, it can take a long time to find what thing(s) help. For a period I was using multiple OTC and Rx drops and meds and doing different treatments all at the same time, and a doctor friend looked at everything I was doing, and told me often it is just one or two things that will help resolve the underlying issue. I was thinking he just didn't understand my situation at first, but that's how I started keeping a daily journal of everything I ate and drank, supplements and meds taken, treatments, how my eyes felt that day, etc., making changes only one thing at a time. It took awhile, but that led to finding probing plus specific diet changes could manage my MGD. And in general, I limit taking any drops or meds unless they are absolutely helping me...there's too many potential side effects they know about now and also end up discovering later.

Although it was a long, painful, physical and emotional journey for me, it was worth it to be able to come out the other end. You seem like a very disciplined individual, with a loving wife to help you and a baby to look forward to see growing up, so I think you have a good chance at overcoming all this too. Hang in there!

[Guest]

Dowork, I totally hear you how tiring it is dealing with dry eyes day in and day out. I felt like you did, especially for 3+ years when my tear film was virtually nil and I was homebound, and was told by all doctors they couldn't do any more for me.

It's tough to know what is causing your tinnitus and TMJ. I actually had both for a few years while I had severe dry eyes, but attributed it to stress like others mentioned above. I was on antibiotics a short time, and steroid eye drops (yes, at that time with BAK) on and off, but nothing else, so never assumed the tinnitus and TMJ was due to meds. I can tell you after my eyes got better from probing and diet changes, both went away completely.

In case any of this helps you, the things that helped me get through those exasperating years was:
1) finding some things to help ease my symptoms even a little, like Genteal Severe Dry Eye Gel and initially sclerals
2) having hope by continuing to search for and try different treatments and diet changes
3) quitting my job and limiting use of electronics, reading, or anything that required staring a lot and therefore causing reduced blinking, which would worsen my condition
4) accepting I was temporarily compromised and relying on support and care from others (friends drove me to doctors and brought my family dinners, my husband helped research treatments and doctors and had to do much more like operate like a single parent, etc,)
5) doing things to physically relax me, like getting massages and taking daily hot baths where I could also close my eyes
6) knowing I needed to push through if I wanted any hope of enjoying quality time my family again, as my kids were quite young when I was going through all this.

There's so many reasons for dry eyes and we're all different, yes, it can take a long time to find what thing(s) help. For a period I was using multiple OTC and Rx drops and meds and doing different treatments all at the same time, and a doctor friend looked at everything I was doing, and told me often it is just one or two things that will help resolve the underlying issue. I was thinking he just didn't understand my situation at first, but that's how I started keeping a daily journal of everything I ate and drank, supplements and meds taken, treatments, how my eyes felt that day, etc., making changes only one thing at a time. It took awhile, but that led to finding probing plus specific diet changes could manage my MGD. And in general, I limit taking any drops or meds unless they are absolutely helping me...there's too many potential side effects they know about now and also end up discovering later.

Although it was a long, painful, physical and emotional journey for me, it was worth it to be able to come out the other end. You seem like a very disciplined individual, with a loving wife to help you and a baby to look forward to see growing up, so I think you have a good chance at overcoming all this too. Hang in there!

Really appreciate the encouragement...man the single parent part really cut to the bone. I try my best to help but if I don't sleep, my eyes are destroyed. My wife has taken care of a new baby and her husband for months...she's a literal Saint.

So ive seen you post about sclerals...I'm considering these now because I want to drive with my window down or go to Disney world in the future without being a hassle to my family. Those are my fears...I thought I was going to be the dad that played ball with his daughter and taught her how to ride a bike, but those things are difficult for me now. I feel like sclerals are a great option because it's not more medicine. I'd even consider plugs if I wasn't so sensitive and I may still try them. But anything foreign in my body sets of inflammation and sometimes and immune response.

So question...how do you feel about sclerals? Do you still use them? If not, why not?

Thsnk you!

[Hokucat]

Yes, I usually wear my sclerals daily, but during those worst years was not able to tolerate them.

I first got sclerals when my eyes were moderately dry. I was still working but beginning to have difficulty driving the long distance to work and using the computer. The sclerals worked pretty well for half a year or so. The week after I got them, I was able to go to Disney World for several days with my family, and ride the windy roller coasters and walk around all day. I was so happy. But my MGD and aqueous deficiency continued to worsen to the point where I had almost no tear film, and then I could no longer tolerate the sclerals in my eyes.

Several years later after the probing and diet changes, I have some tear film now, which enables me to wear the sclerals again. I still have dry eyes, and it's not perfect, but it helps with daily functioning, and enjoying activities and vacations with my family again.

Some people cannot tolerate sclerals, but it's worth a try going for a consult to see how they feel and if it helps you. I would highly recommend going to a fitter who has extensive experience fitting sclerals, to give you the best chances of wearing them. I went to a Boston PROSE specialist, who got my fit right on the first try, but other reputable fitters per Rebecca and those in this forum are EyePrintPro and Dr. Gemoules in Texas with his LaserFit lenses. These last two the lenses are custom made for the shape of your eye, which many people have found superior. PROSE worked well for me, the fitter was local, and they are great at working with insurance (I only paid a few hundred dollars of the ~$7,000 bill), so overall that was my best option.

So it's important to continue to look for resolution to the underlying problem, but sclerals can help you manage your symptoms and feel better, if you can wear them.

I thought I read in another post that serum tears helped you a lot? If you are able to wear sclerals, it might help further to put a few drops of serum tears in the sclerals, along with the saline, which is what I used to do and would start doing again if I get serum tears again. I've read some people in this forum find it beneficial to put several drops of serum tears in their sclerals, or completely fill their sclerals with it.

If you need more info or resources on sclerals, I or others in this forum would be more than happy to help you with this. Please don't hesitate to ask.