Corneal Edema

[IanJ]

Hi all,

Anyone here have a corneal edema? My right eye is dryer than the left, and with it, it actually gets sore and the vision ever so slight blurred and is much more light sensitive than the left eye. I wondered whether I might have a corneal edema? (yes I know, self-diagnosis isn't good!)

I keep on telling NHS UK about my right eye but all they say is "hmmmmm". But to be fair, whenever I'm there my soreness isn't there that day!

I don't know anything about edema's, just what I read in these forums.......I just wondered if there was any medication/solution.

Maybe I could live better with the dry eyes if it wasn't for the soreness in my right eye.

This whole thing about my eyes is getting me down....seriously!

Ian.

[brd888]

what is it

Ian,
What is an edema? Sorry to hear it is getting you down. It is getting me down too and I understand my condition is not as bad as yours. I seem to have gotten to a stage where I fret over the condition much more than it deserves.
Regards

[Lucy]

Yes, have corneal edema. I cannot give you specifics or describe it for you--but know they prescribe Muro 128 ointment (rather than Muro drops) for it. I'm just telling what my doc recommends and says I can "use it forever." Well, I don't want corneal edema "forever" nor do I want to use Muro forever.

If you're in England, this may not be available.
Lucy

[stella]

Oedema(edema) means fluid retension - so i presume the cornea retains fluid which probably causes some swelling and must rub against the eye-lid causing pain.
Is'nt muro 128 a hypertonic saline ointment/drop ? (We dont have it in the UK to my knowledge)
If it is, presumably it works to reduce the swelling by drawing fluid out of the cornea
Someone correct me if i am wrong
Stella

[IanJ]

Hi,

Visited the eye clinic this morning out of desperation (you probably have a good idea of the past 3 days I've had - worst ever!).........

They can't find any evidence of a corneal edema so that's good news......however, they suggested that I need to go to 4 full plugs.....so they removed the flow controllers and fitted smart plugs....so that's me fully plugged.

No tearing down my face, eyes feel cooler.....I can feel the coolness when I blink.

Here's hoping my luck turns this time.

Ian.

[Lucy]

Good luck, Ian.

[brd888]

Clinic?

Ian,
Would that be your NHS eye clinic at the local hospital? What sort of relationship have you with the people there? Are you known to them and able to get seen to quickly?
Regards,
B

[Judy]

Hope things have ALREADY turned around for you Ian! God Bless. Bring on some more comfortable, happier times!!!

[IanJ]

Ian,
Would that be your NHS eye clinic at the local hospital? What sort of relationship have you with the people there? Are you known to them and able to get seen to quickly?
Regards,
B

Yes it's at the local hospital.

It's pot luck as far as visting the eye clinic is concerned.....you basically have to join the casualty queue..........however I know the tricks!
They open at 8:30am......so I was there at 8:25am on their doorstep, 1st in the queue.......got seen by the nurse at 8:50am.......got bumped a couple of times but was still seen by the doc at about 9:30. It was unusually quiet......I've been before late morning and have sat for 4 hours waiting for the doc. Dry eyes complaints get bumped to the bottom of the list routinely........

It's also pot luck as far as doctors go...but this time I got one of the better ones.....I've had him before in respect to my other eye problems (retinal vein occlusions) so I kinda know him..........maybe he sympathised with me and was able to supply me with SmartPlugs which I heard they don't usually prescribe!

Some of the other docs I've had bad experiences with....well, it felt that way anyways.....they made me feel like I was wasting their time with a dry eye complaint.........it's one of the reasons I avoided the eye clinic and went to David Crystal in Edinburgh (private).

Ian.

[IanJ]

Hope things have ALREADY turned around for you Ian! God Bless. Bring on some more comfortable, happier times!!!

Thanks Judy.........I don't mind telling you that earlier this week (the wife will testify) that I was brought to tears (sic!) over my dry eyes....a horrific couple of days indeed!

Without Tracey I really, really don't know how I would have coped with all this.

Ian.

[dianat]

I'm sorry Ian for your recent problems. You will find a manageable place soon.

D

[brd888]

Indeed

Hello Ian,
I had kinda given up on the NHS but sounds like you had a reasonable result there. How are you with 4 smart plugs?
My last appointment was with one of the several GPs at my surgery, where I was just looking for advice, last September. He asked if I wanted some eye drops <sigh>.
I saw an Opthalmologist, Dr Murgatroyd, at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, in May 2006. That was where I was first diagnosed with dry eye. I had actually been referred by a different GP - I went to see him about my undiagnosed dry eye but he saw some problem with a pupil not dilating properly, resulting in the referral. The Opthalmologist had a long look but dismissed the problem as "just dry eye". Fair enough, but the problem was not as bad then as now.

Problem in Britain is the NHS is the monolithic, unblinking face of healthcare. Trying to find a specialist without help from your GP (who is invariably naive about dry eye) is not easy.

I found David Crystal the most knowledgeable person I've seen so far. It is sad he seems to be the only service available outside the NHS for hundreds of miles around.

[IanJ]

Hi,

4 plugs have been great so far.....no tears down my face whatsoever and I've been out in the wind playing golf and the most I got was a slightly wet feeling left eye.

Tonight we were out at a local club where the heat of the place usually sends me home before 11pm....but tonight I made it to the end no probs without any real issue.

So far so good!

Ian.