Is it dry eye?Or could it be something else help

[Milo007]

This doc I'm going to is a dry eye specialist I dont really know what to do this is my 5th or 6th doctor I have been to, I do have another appointment with another doctor on Friday I'm in so much pain everyday I might have to stop working

Let's hope for the best. A couple of things you may ask or request your doctor for :

1. Meibography (preferably lipiview). Tell him politely you have come to know about MGD and you are so concerned about the present condition of your glands.

2. What's the actual problem(s) with your eyes?

Ask for time if the doctor suggests lipiflow (because it's a costly procedure). You may try IPL because it will help with both blockages and inflammation if you have MGD.

You must keep looking for a doctor who can help you treat your condition. It could be costly initially but it's so important. Don't lose hope and even if you don't find a good doctor immediately you can try various things that are potentially safe to try to manage your condition. You need to have access to some drugs for this.

[Dryeyes1984]

Actually sclerals or lipiflow can make the situation worse if inflammation is not brought under control before trying them.

I would suggest you to find a doctor who specializes in dry eye treatment. A normal opthalmologist won't care much for a dry eye patient. Dry eyes are a specialty now and a specialist must have extensive experience and training on how to treat this rapidly evolving complex medical condition.

This doc I'm going to is a dry eye specialist I dont really know what to do this is my 5th or 6th doctor I have been to, I do have another appointment with another doctor on Friday I'm in so much pain everyday I might have to stop working

[Milo007]

Thank you for your help I will ask my doctor about steroids. So even if I get scleral lens and lipiflow it wont help with the swelling of my eyelids I will still be in pain? This dry eye thing is so confusing

Actually sclerals or lipiflow can make the situation worse if inflammation is not brought under control before trying them.

I would suggest you to find a doctor who specializes in dry eye treatment. A normal opthalmologist won't care much for a dry eye patient. Dry eyes are a specialty now and a specialist must have extensive experience and training on how to treat this rapidly evolving complex medical condition.

[Dryeyes1984]

I saw the pictures of the inside of your eyelids and it seems you have a lot of inflammation (the inside of your eyelids are pretty much like mine). They are bright reddish and healthy tarsus should be of the color of pale pink or light reddish.

Doxycycline is not a steroid. It acts as an antibiotic and anti inflammatory at doses of 100mg or more and only as an anti inflammatory at doses less than 50 mg. Your doctor prescribed it primarily as an anti inflammatory. But it didn't make you feel better because you have a lot of inflammation which needs to be calmed down aggressively before doxycycline or azithromycin can make some significant impact. So I would say use a safe ocular steroid like loteprednol 0.5 % (drops) twice daily for two weeks or loteprednol 0.5% ointment once daily at night for 10 days at most. And you can resume your doxycycline simultaneously.

Despite everything I think moisture chamber glasses are a must for you all time. Because your glands are reeling from inflammation they are not producing enough lipids and the cycle of MGD will damage your glands further.

It's great you are trying sclerals but saving your glands and possibly revive them with supportive care is the best bet (it takes time).

Don't use the alrex drops that was opened months back. It can develop a serious infection. If the bottle was unopened and sealed then you may use them.

Thank you for your help I will ask my doctor about steroids. So even if I get scleral lens and lipiflow it wont help with the swelling of my eyelids I will still be in pain? This dry eye thing is so confusing

[Milo007]

Doctor gave me doxycycline monohydrate 100mg I dont know if this is a steroid hasnt help at all plus he gave me xidra drops oasis drops and probe my eyeglands that didnt help so now I'm waiting on scleral lens this week I'm going to try to post pics I dont really know how but I'll try



ust found some alrex eye drops from last summer when I went to my 1st doctor at the time they didn't help should I try them again

I saw the pictures of the inside of your eyelids and it seems you have a lot of inflammation (the inside of your eyelids are pretty much like mine). They are bright reddish and healthy tarsus should be of the color of pale pink or light reddish.

Doxycycline is not a steroid. It acts as an antibiotic and anti inflammatory at doses of 100mg or more and only as an anti inflammatory at doses less than 50 mg. Your doctor prescribed it primarily as an anti inflammatory. But it didn't make you feel better because you have a lot of inflammation which needs to be calmed down aggressively before doxycycline or azithromycin can make some significant impact. So I would say use a safe ocular steroid like loteprednol 0.5 % (drops) twice daily for two weeks or loteprednol 0.5% ointment once daily at night for 10 days at most. And you can resume your doxycycline simultaneously.

Despite everything I think moisture chamber glasses are a must for you all time. Because your glands are reeling from inflammation they are not producing enough lipids and the cycle of MGD will damage your glands further.

It's great you are trying sclerals but saving your glands and possibly revive them with supportive care is the best bet (it takes time).

Don't use the alrex drops that was opened months back. It can develop a serious infection. If the bottle was unopened and sealed then you may use them.

[Dryeyes1984]

If your eyes are light sensitive they are most probably inflamed. I had light sensitivity my when my cornea was inflamed. Once the inflammation got addressed light sensitivity went away.

I am familiar with lacrisert but never used it. It's not helping you because your eyes are inflamed and putting some foreign object inside your eyelids will only aggravate inflammation. You need to address the inflammation.

Do you have access to steroids like loteprednol etabonate for a short time application?

Can you share a good close up picture of your eyes and the inside of your eyelids?

Doctor gave me doxycycline monohydrate 100mg I dont know if this is a steroid hasnt help at all plus he gave me xidra drops oasis drops and probe my eyeglands that didnt help so now I'm waiting on scleral lens this week I'm going to try to post pics I dont really know how but I'll try



ust found some alrex eye drops from last summer when I went to my 1st doctor at the time they didn't help should I try them again

[Milo007]

I tried sharing the link but dont really know how I dont want to get banned from the forums here's the link again, I went to the mall today to test my eyes plus to get away from the house and man it wasnt good my eyes started getting so uncomfortable and painful due to the air inside the mall my eyes are so sensitive to wind and I had lacrisert in my eyes I dont know if you're familiar it's like tiny rice inside your eyes that's supposed to keep them moist but it doesnt work for me light sensitivity wasn't too bad though

https://www.amazon.com/Pyramex-Safet...safety+goggles

If your eyes are light sensitive they are most probably inflamed. I had light sensitivity my when my cornea was inflamed. Once the inflammation got addressed light sensitivity went away.

I am familiar with lacrisert but never used it. It's not helping you because your eyes are inflamed and putting some foreign object inside your eyelids will only aggravate inflammation. You need to address the inflammation.

Do you have access to steroids like loteprednol etabonate for a short time application?

Can you share a good close up picture of your eyes and the inside of your eyelids?

[Dryeyes1984]

Can you share the link again?

It redirects me to the amazon home page.

Yes if the fit is good then it will certainly help and MCGs should be worn all waking hours (both home and work) to protect the eyes from getting drier due to evaporation. It's not about just air getting around your eyes but evaporation will take place even if you stay in a windless environment. So you should wear moisture chamber glasses all time you keep your eyes open.

I tried sharing the link but dont really know how I dont want to get banned from the forums here's the link again, I went to the mall today to test my eyes plus to get away from the house and man it wasnt good my eyes started getting so uncomfortable and painful due to the air inside the mall my eyes are so sensitive to wind and I had lacrisert in my eyes I dont know if you're familiar it's like tiny rice inside your eyes that's supposed to keep them moist but it doesnt work for me light sensitivity wasn't too bad though

https://www.amazon.com/Pyramex-Safet...safety+goggles

[Milo007]

I got these from amazon yesterday 1 day after ordering them, I'm going to be using them at my job alot of heat and air from fans we make car mats, do you think they'll help me at home too barely any air comes in really sealed up compare to my other safety glasses

Can you share the link again?

It redirects me to the amazon home page.

Yes if the fit is good then it will certainly help and MCGs should be worn all waking hours (both home and work) to protect the eyes from getting drier due to evaporation. It's not about just air getting around your eyes but evaporation will take place even if you stay in a windless environment. So you should wear moisture chamber glasses all time you keep your eyes open.

[Dryeyes1984]

MCG stands for moisture chamber glasses. They are special kind of spectacles that cover up the area around your orbits creating a chamber that retains moisture around your eyes. This reduces the rate of evaporation of your tear film and makes you feel comfortable and prevents further inflammatory damage.

I got these from amazon yesterday 1 day after ordering them, I'm going to be using them at my job alot of heat and air from fans we make car mats, do you think they'll help me at home too barely any air comes in really sealed up compare to my other safety glasses

[Milo007]

I take xanax whenever I feel anxious and really dont notice a difference if my eyes get dryer when I take them or not my eyes are dry all the time and even worser at night they feel like they're glued to my eyelids when I wake up to pee.Like i said i feel like xanax eases my pain for some reason doctor tells me to take 3 a day but I only take them when necessary it also helps me from going insane with this disease that no 1 seems to take serious just last month I went to the hospital my eyes were hurting so bad they gave me a chart eye test and looked at my eyes with a flashlight and told me to follow up with my doctor 2 hours of waiting for nothing stay strong friends now I know why alot of dry eye patients feel suicidal 1 question what are mcgs

MCG stands for moisture chamber glasses. They are special kind of spectacles that cover up the area around your orbits creating a chamber that retains moisture around your eyes. This reduces the rate of evaporation of your tear film and makes you feel comfortable and prevents further inflammatory damage.

[Dryeyes1984]

Have you ever considered taking any anxiety meds to help cope with the stress and anxiety this disease brings on a daily basis? I’ve been thinking about taking the leap, however I’ve heard that they can further dry out the eyes making me not want to do it at all.

Also so in regards to the MCGs do people notice they’re them? Have people commented and or pointed and laughed? I’m saving up for a pair and wanted to get your honest opinion on them and how they look if there worth it and suitable for public I would love to go into public without wearing sunglasses and looking weird to everyone wearing them inside at night time

I take xanax whenever I feel anxious and really dont notice a difference if my eyes get dryer when I take them or not my eyes are dry all the time and even worser at night they feel like they're glued to my eyelids when I wake up to pee.Like i said i feel like xanax eases my pain for some reason doctor tells me to take 3 a day but I only take them when necessary it also helps me from going insane with this disease that no 1 seems to take serious just last month I went to the hospital my eyes were hurting so bad they gave me a chart eye test and looked at my eyes with a flashlight and told me to follow up with my doctor 2 hours of waiting for nothing stay strong friends now I know why alot of dry eye patients feel suicidal 1 question what are mcgs

[Milo007]

I’ve been thinking about taking the leap, however I’ve heard that they can further dry out the eyes making me not want to do it at all.

That's exactly why I won't take anxiety relieving drugs ever. It also slowly damages your CNS and the brain over long term. So a big NO. I think it's better to rely on people's support and meditation if possible to cope up with the anxiety. But for me anxiety is not the real issue it's the fact that this disease is going to toss my career badly if I can't manage it well. So anxiety is bound to exist.

Also so in regards to the MCGs do people notice they’re them? Have people commented and or pointed and laughed? I’m saving up for a pair and wanted to get your honest opinion on them and how they look if there worth it and suitable for public I would love to go into public without wearing sunglasses and looking weird to everyone wearing them inside at night time

Honestly I don't give a **** to anyone who will laugh at my medical condition. I will walk up to them and say "hey man do you think it's funny to have a medical condition that disrupts your life to the point you contemplate killing yourself? I have dry eyes and there's nothing funny about it in the eyes of a sensible person (unless you are an immatured fu**er)" . So I don't care what people would think or react of my MCGs. They are your eyes man. You certainly don't want to let your eyes get damaged just because people might think you are a weirdo. What about physically handicapped persons?

Is it sensible to laugh at a person with a walking support whose legs have been damaged by polio?

It's your life and you must decide in favor of your personal benefit irrespective of the opinion of others.

Go for zienna since they are the most acceptable ones if you still have a sense of awkwardness. I would personally roam naked in the streets of UK or US if somebody offered me a dry eye "cure" at this moment (I am serious).

[Topher3]

Have you ever considered taking any anxiety meds to help cope with the stress and anxiety this disease brings on a daily basis? I’ve been thinking about taking the leap, however I’ve heard that they can further dry out the eyes making me not want to do it at all.

Also so in regards to the MCGs do people notice they’re them? Have people commented and or pointed and laughed? I’m saving up for a pair and wanted to get your honest opinion on them and how they look if there worth it and suitable for public I would love to go into public without wearing sunglasses and looking weird to everyone wearing them inside at night time

[Milo007]

I’m really sorry to hear that, I bet this tea tree oil is going to help you. But you need to get some kind of moisture chamber glasses. That’s the only thing that’s provides me any comfort at the moment. If I didn’t have these I don’t know what I would do. I have so little oil that I purely rely on these to stop/slow the evaporation of my aqueous layer. I bought them off wish.com $5 Wileyx glasses that have a foam insert that stop any air coming in. You cannot be going into air con man, not without something, I wear sunnies into every store (wrap around) I get funny looks but **** them. I wear my Wileyx clear glasses at home. You need to stop the evaporation so your glands can get a rest. As much as the steroids help with the glasses you won’t need steroids I don’t think as the glasses will help act as your oil. I feel you man, I really do. Makes me want to cry when I hear what we all have to go through. This world is cruel.

Thanks for your support! I really appreciate it. I don't know if it was the anti inflammatory effect of TTO or mite control that made me feel so good for a short term. I also don't know if it's due to an in general suppression of inflammation that resulted in the glands to pump good lipids. But one thing is for sure my glands do pump good volume of lipids sometimes. So possibly inflammation is the key. Everything got screwed up heavily after the ointment got inside my eyes.

Anyways I do have ziena nereus with me. They make me feel comfortable but I can't wear them while working or reading because they fog inside when the temperature is cold outside (AC spaces). Don't know how to address the fog issue. My vision gets blurry while on MCGs in AC environments.

I don't know Topher3 what is our fate after all. But we are in severe distress that's for sure. It makes me sad to think I might go housebound. This will affect my life severely and I can't think of recovering from the damage even if my eyes get 100% cured after a few years. Once I discontinue with my career there's no point of return to where I am now. I cried many times. I do have at least 3-4 panic attacks every night and my sleep is a nightmare basically. If this continues I will die of a heart attack before I even decide to kill myself.

You know what's the worst thing?

I still can't believe I suffer from a disease that's practically incurable and also totally disabling at the same time. Even cancer patients have the liberty to perform their basic life activities. This hopeless disease leaves you with no options other than to sit and cry. The one thing I haven't tried are scleral lenses. I don't know if I can tolerate them. Life is at standstill.