Eyes still dry!

[cathy8889]

Hi tealeaf, sorry only just seen your reply. When things were really bad the lower and upper rims were ridiculously swollen and when I pressed my finger against them they folded in easily to my eyeball - it's the same kind of fashion as when you have entriopian but I was making it happen, I did panic that I had entropian though! I didn't know if this was normal it not as I'd never been so obsessed with my eyes and took so much notice. But as my left eye, my good eye, (I call the right one a little swine!) got better with dryness I noticed I could feel the rim and when I pressed it didn't fold in. My right eye however, even as I speak now I can feel the swelling and cannot feel the rim, in my left eye it's very defined and in right it just feels puffy and if I press it folds in. I don't think you can tell from just looking, the ophthalmologist I saw in May missed my mgd completely and my lids were ridiculously inflamed then. My lids don't look red at all either, this disease is so sneaky!

I don't use sterilised ones, I didn't know you could get them so thank you will look in to this, I just use johnsons but always put lid back on straight away. I always wipe then with systane lid wipes after too and ten wash the off with warm water.

The doxycycline has helped me a lot, I am holiday at the moment and I can actually go out for a meal now and not have grittiness so long as I've done my hot compress, I also run eyes under shower for a whole in morning and night.

When I was doing warm compresses when they were really bad it didn't feel like warm compress was doing anything but I looking back I think this was because the rim inflammation was so bad, at that time I probably should have been doing ten compresses a day! Gradually over last 5 months things have got better, and since starting doxy a week and a half ago even more so, seen a great improvement and I look forward to taking it each day at midday! I also take omega three triglyceride form made by scope, been taking that for four months and believe that's helping too, they say it takes three months to rely build up in system, also omega 7 seabuckthorn oil capsules. Sorry if you're already taking these things, I just really think they are helping. I felt frustrated doing warm compresses to begin with because I didn't feel anything but now I can feel difference right away, I'd say stick with them and maybe up number you do.
Best wishes
Cath

Cathy, how do you know if your eye rims are inflammed? Are they very red? I can't really tell. I even have my husband looked at my eye rim and he said the same as his ... Do you used sterilised cotton wool bud or the normal one?
Does doxycline help in MGD? I am thinking to ask my opth. for it.


Do you feel the difference after each warm compress? I can't seem to notice the difference

[cathy8889]

Thank you la diva, I'm glad you mentioned about doxy and yeast, I already think I have had a yeast infection and don't want to be taking something that exacerbates things. I really need to look back in to diet, do you mind me asking what foods you don't eat anymore or diets you have followed. I think stress is a big one for me, my life was so stressful over last 9 months for other reasons too and I believe it really played a part in my eye problems, yoga is helping to fix this and reading, lots of reading!

Thank you again

I had to quit Doxy, Cath, as it caused yeast problems, so now I am taking Minocycline, 50 mg daily. I don't know how much it helps. I think the key items for me are diet, compresses, stress levels and hygiene, but I don't dare quit taking it either. I used Restasis for years until my tear film got bad. It caused quite a bit of inflammation the last year that I used it, and so I quit. I am not sure Restasis helps if you are plugged.

[LaDiva]

There is the Brady Barrows diet, which you can download online. It is an elimination diet of sorts for Rosacea. Lots of protein and veggies, very low on carbs. (Under 30g of carbs per day.) I avoid sugar, dairy (except for eggs), gluten, chocolate, avocado, hot spicy foods, all types of peppers, legumes, bad oils, highly processed foods, soy and night shades. I also avoid foods high in histamines. That leaves chicken, turkey, pork, beef in moderation, yams, sweet potatoes. chard, broccoli, carrots, celery, lettuce, green apples, some berries (no strawberries), rice milk, brown rice, pecans, oatmeal, stevia for sweetener. I don't like fish, so don't eat it often. Probably there are other foods, but you need to find out what you can and cannot eat, so either find an elimination diet online, or ask your doctor for one. We are all different and what works for one, might not work for another. Sugar is a top-of-the-list problem for me. Best of luck to all of you.

[cathy8889]

Hi la diva, thanks again I think dairy, sugar and wheat are going to have to go, I will look in to elimination diet.

Cath

There is the Brady Barrows diet, which you can download online. It is an elimination diet of sorts for Rosacea. Lots of protein and veggies, very low on carbs. (Under 30g of carbs per day.) I avoid sugar, dairy (except for eggs), gluten, chocolate, avocado, hot spicy foods, all types of peppers, legumes, bad oils, highly processed foods, soy and night shades. I also avoid foods high in histamines. That leaves chicken, turkey, pork, beef in moderation, yams, sweet potatoes. chard, broccoli, carrots, celery, lettuce, green apples, some berries (no strawberries), rice milk, brown rice, pecans, oatmeal, stevia for sweetener. I don't like fish, so don't eat it often. Probably there are other foods, but you need to find out what you can and cannot eat, so either find an elimination diet online, or ask your doctor for one. We are all different and what works for one, might not work for another. Sugar is a top-of-the-list problem for me. Best of luck to all of you.

[tealeaf]

When things were really bad the lower and upper rims were ridiculously swollen and when I pressed my finger against them they folded in easily to my eyeball - it's the same kind of fashion as when you have entriopian but I was making it happen, I did panic that I had entropian though! I didn't know if this was normal it not as I'd never been so obsessed with my eyes and took so much notice. But as my left eye, my good eye, (I call the right one a little swine!) got better with dryness I noticed I could feel the rim and when I pressed it didn't fold in. My right eye however, even as I speak now I can feel the swelling and cannot feel the rim, in my left eye it's very defined and in right it just feels puffy and if I press it folds in. I don't think you can tell from just looking, the ophthalmologist I saw in May missed my mgd completely and my lids were ridiculously inflamed then. My lids don't look red at all either, this disease is so sneaky!

Cathy, I tried pressing my lids, they didnt fold in and looked very defined. I hope they are not inflammed.
Infact, when looking at the eyes of few colleagues who don' have dry eyes and wearing contact lens, their lids look redder. I guess I will need my opth. to check on my lids.

The doxycycline has helped me a lot, I am holiday at the moment and I can actually go out for a meal now and not have grittiness so long as I've done my hot compress, I also run eyes under shower for a whole in morning and night.

I read somewhere in web that there was a study between patients taking doxycycline vs those taking flaxseed oil. The results do not differ significantly. In conclusion, one can use flaxseed oil inreplacement of doxycycline. I don't know how accurate is the study.
Past few days, I started taking 2 1000mg flaxseed oil capsules IN ADDITION to my usual 3 theratears capsules. Seems like I am using less eye drops. I wonder how that helps. I will monitor and if that really help, will update you people.

I also take omega three triglyceride form made by scope, been taking that for four months and believe that's helping too, they say it takes three months to rely build up in system, also omega 7 seabuckthorn oil capsules. Sorry if you're already taking these things, I just really think they are helping. I felt frustrated doing warm compresses to begin with because I didn't feel anything but now I can feel difference right away, I'd say stick with them and maybe up number you do.

Many thanks for the information. Good to hear that, at least it will keep me doing the warm compress and maybe will see more relief soon.

What's the difference between the normal omega three capsules comparing with omega three triglyceride? What do omega 7 seabuckthorn oil capsules help in? Where do you get the seabuckthorn oil capsules from?

[tealeaf]

LaDiva,
Thanks for sharing the Brady Barrows diet.

Why do you say Restasis made your tear film got bad? Want to know more as I am using Restasis daily and coming to 8 months.

[LaDiva]

Hi tealeaf,
You are welcome. I do not think Restasis made the tear film go bad. The tear film went bad, and then everything bothered my eyes; dust, pollen, wind, perfume, makeup, dry air, Restasis... Once the tear film was compromised, Restasis caused terrible inflammation.

[cathy8889]

Hi tea leaf,

I've hit another stumbling block today, my lid margins are very defined yet my left eye (my supposedly good eye!) is very inflamed when I pull the lower lid down and it's burning, all the little veins are neigh red, I have no idea what's causing this, is this a result of mgd anyone? I don't know if I've been doing my compresses too hot.

Yes please update us on flaxseed oil, I hope it helps, a lot of people make smoothies with it in. It's great that you're using less eye drops too!

This web page describes quite well how they differ, I think there is less work for the body to do to absorb it, it's like getting the omegas straight from the source http://www.scopeomegahealth.co.uk/ma...ocess,content/


Best wishes

Cath
I read quite a lot by Michael lange when I first started researching http://dryeyenutrition.net

[cathy8889]

Sorry I was also meant to say I take these seabuckthorn oil capsules, I think there is evidence that it helps dry eye like omega three does http://www.omega7.co.uk

Cath x

[cathy8889]

Think I've been doing it with warm compresses, going to drop down to 2 a day

Cath x

[tealeaf]

I've hit another stumbling block today, my lid margins are very defined yet my left eye (my supposedly good eye!) is very inflamed when I pull the lower lid down and it's burning, all the little veins are neigh red, I have no idea what's causing this, is this a result of mgd anyone? I don't know if I've been doing my compresses too hot.

So sorry that your eyes are not feeling good. It could be true that your compress was too hot. When I 1st started out with warm compress, I did it too hot (though I didn't find it too hot) and my eyes got stickier and slightly painful. I had to stop doing any compress for few days till the eyes felt better. Now, I am only able to do once in the morning and with really low heat and made my eyes so comfortable.

I know how it feels like when you had done so many things for the eyes and the results are not consistent, some times better and certain days, bad. DES is really full of ups and downs. When the down comes, I always tell myself this is not something I have not faced before and tomorrow will be better.

Cathy, cheer up, we are here for you and we are going the same DES route. Let your eyes rest a day or two and start with warm compress again.

Just sharing, not sure how true - I used to use Q tip to do lidscrub, but I find that my eyes tend to inflame more. I don't understand. Am wondering if the cotton bud is not too clean. Recently, I have switched to Sterilid and with my eyes closed, I used my fingertips to push the eyelids, it seems to work better for me. There are just too many things to try and if a certain method works, stick to it for a while.

[tealeaf]

Sorry I was also meant to say I take these seabuckthorn oil capsules, I think there is evidence that it helps dry eye like omega three does http://www.omega7.co.uk

Cath, have the seabuckthorn oil capsules help? How long have you taken them?