Ocular Rosacea Questions

[Yorkshireguy25]

Hi all,

I've been sort of diagnosed by my GP as having rosacea and ocular rosacea, I say that because that's what i'm being treated for, but treatment is kind of helping...

I take erythromycin 250mg 2x daily and have been for 2.5 months.
Also I do the warm compress massage clean.

My GP was very favorable for me to stop using any form of artificial tear, has anyone experienced advice like this. I'm not overly sure on the rational, apart from perhaps the artificial tears were changing my natural tear film solution to make it worse. I still can't shake the feeling of either burning, stinging, cold, watering, irritable red eyes. Never dry feeling though or itchy. Also I have problems around sleeping in that my eyes constantly blink as open when i'm trying to sleep, unsure of what this is.

Mainly I was curious on the artificial tear theory.

[LaDiva]

Hi Yorkshire,
I would ask the eye doctor about your tear breakup time. If you have plenty of tears, maybe you don't need the drops, or only need them after warm compresses. All of my eye doctors told me to use something after compresses and expression to rinse out the eye. I use sterile saline as regular eye drops used for this make my eyes goopy. It may depend on how healthy your tear film is now. Perhaps your doctor wants you to use drops without preservatives? Guess you need to ask him/her why. Sending good wishes. (I have rosacea too...)

[Yorkshireguy25]

That would be a good idea, I never did question, I am always very conscious of not "riling" or questioning back doctors advice in fear that they make become irritable with me and hence take a different approach or interest, they are still human after all. Out of curiosity what is your compress and express method? Also do you mean you use saline as an eye drop? do you buy vials or saline in that case? Thanks for the wishes, I send you good thoughts

[LaDiva]

I know how you feel Yorkshire. I approach doctors pretty much the same way! I use warm compresses three times a day and express with a Q-tip. If you don't have oil problems, you might not need to do the Q-tip thing, but my oil glands are usually blocked. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbdn4ezJL4U

The saline is to rinse out the bad oil from expressing the glands. I use regular eye drops the rest of the time. Since buying goggles, I only need eyedrops a few times a day. Thank you for your good thoughts. Hoping you won't need to do all of this.

PS- I use the side of the Q-tip and not the point...