Desperate for answers, please help!

[kymbo71]

I have posted this on the patients only and have gotten no responses which makes me feel like I am the only one with this problem. Here is a quick summary of what is going on and I hope someone can shed some light! Last March I began having bad irritation with my eyes. Some days it was so unbearable that I could not open them. After months of misdiagnosis I was finally diagnosed with SLK. In January I had Conjunctiva Resection surgery. Well since the surgery I now have extremely dry eyes. I have never had any dry eye problems before this surgery. I believe that my dry eye was either caused from the surgery or from the medications I have used over the last year. For the last year I have been on some sort of steroid, either Pred Forte, Lotomax, Tobradex, etc. I was also put on Lastacaft. All of these drops contain the preservative Benzalkhoium Chloride. I just learned that this preservative can actually induce dry eye and reduce tear production. I have been off steriod for about 5 wekks and just stopped the Lastacaft 2 week ago after learning this informatoin. Before the conjunctiva surgery my schrimer's score was 12mm both eyes and now it is less than 1mm both eyes. The SLK is significantly better but now I am left with severe dry eye. My corneal specialist does not feel this was caused from the surgery. I have my doubts!

My question is this possible to of happened from the surgery or from the long term use of this horrible preservative? If the damage has been caused from the Benzalkhium Chloride, is the damage reversible? Will I get better the longer I am off the meds?

My eye routine now is Retasis, Oasis Tears Plus, Omega Supplement, Hydro Eye, eye lid scrubs and warm compresses. Getting plugs next week. Any information would be great!

[lizlou29]

I have posted this on the patients only and have gotten no responses which makes me feel like I am the only one with this problem. Here is a quick summary of what is going on and I hope someone can shed some light! Last March I began having bad irritation with my eyes. Some days it was so unbearable that I could not open them. After months of misdiagnosis I was finally diagnosed with SLK. In January I had Conjunctiva Resection surgery. Well since the surgery I now have extremely dry eyes. I have never had any dry eye problems before this surgery. I believe that my dry eye was either caused from the surgery or from the medications I have used over the last year. For the last year I have been on some sort of steroid, either Pred Forte, Lotomax, Tobradex, etc. I was also put on Lastacaft. All of these drops contain the preservative Benzalkhoium Chloride. I just learned that this preservative can actually induce dry eye and reduce tear production. I have been off steriod for about 5 wekks and just stopped the Lastacaft 2 week ago after learning this informatoin. Before the conjunctiva surgery my schrimer's score was 12mm both eyes and now it is less than 1mm both eyes. The SLK is significantly better but now I am left with severe dry eye. My corneal specialist does not feel this was caused from the surgery. I have my doubts!

My question is this possible to of happened from the surgery or from the long term use of this horrible preservative? If the damage has been caused from the Benzalkhium Chloride, is the damage reversible? Will I get better the longer I am off the meds?

My eye routine now is Retasis, Oasis Tears Plus, Omega Supplement, Hydro Eye, eye lid scrubs and warm compresses. Getting plugs next week. Any information would be great!

Kymbo I can't find a study that says long term use of Benzalkhium Chloride can cause irreversible damage, I assume no pharmaceutical company would want to fund such a study. I hope someone on here can answer your question about dry eye after conjunctiva resection surgery. I personally believe that your condition will start to improve now you are using preservative free treatments, it will just take time.

I spoke to a Spectrum Thea rep the other day (joint UK and French supplier of eye drops, cleaning solutions etc) who said that they hope in the next five years all eye drops will become preservative free but I think it may take a while.

Wish I could be of more help. Good luck in your recovery, sounds like you have a good eye care routine now. I have four punctal plugs, don't want to know how much worse off my eyes would be without them!

Liz

[kymbo71]

lizlou29 Thanks for your response. I was beginning to think no one out there was listening. I have been so frustrated and am desperate for answers. I know I have severe dry eye, but I want to know why? How can you wake up one day and have it this severe? I feel that the Conjunctiva resection surgery caused it or the extreme use of meds with Benzalkonium Chloride in them. I guess I will never have an answer and just hope that if it is caused by one the two that with time it will get better. The most frustrating part is that I can not wear contacts anymore and can not have LASIK now. I have a condition called anismetropia which is an imbalance prescription so I can not wear glasses with correction in both eyes. I have been wearing glasses with only the right eye corrected and I am legally blind in left eye, so my vision has been compromised tremendously because of this. Thanks for your response.

[PAllen]

Kymbo, sorry to hear about your struggles. I have SLK as well. I was fortunate in finding that contact lenses provided me with relief. Plugs in both the upper and lower provided me relief almost immediately. All but one kept falling out, and I wouldn't consider cauterization, so plugs weren't a long term solution. In addition to contacts, I use Refresh PM at night. I went from severe dry eye to being hardly aware of dry eyes today. I don't check this site much these days. If there's something I can do, feel free to message me. I hope plugs will give you the relief you need. Don't give up. You'll find what works for you.

[littlemermaid]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxKP2...emtqLr4wBkq6Nw Video explaining action of BAK (benzalkonium chloride) 'damage... can be reversed by removing the daily exposure to this preservative'.

Wish you good healing with your punctal plugs and helpful lubricant drops.

[kymbo71]

littlemermaid, Thanks for the link! I am not sure this is what caused my dry eye, but I feel it is a big possibility so I wanted all the info I could get. Thanks so much!!!