Menstruation & dry eye

[Rebecca Petris]

Fascinating study from Italy published in Gynecological Endocrinology (July 2007). See blog for details.

Girls... anybody ever detected a pattern of worse dry eye symptoms at that time of the month? Seems like it could be interesting experiment to have a bunch of us take an OSDI test then and another time of month for a few months running.

[liz56]

Um, yeah.

I just read your informative blog post, Rebecca. I find it interesting that my worst erosions, the original ones back in June, and the new ones happening this month, occurred exactly like the article says. I am quite regular in my cycles, and it seems like I should be on the lookout for problems between the 15th and 20th of each month. Good to know. Every piece of information builds the arsenal for the on-going battle against dry eyes.

[Alexandra]

hey there,

my eyes are also worse when my period is almost done .....
definitely!

[bostonlover]

In my personal experience, I can say there is no doubt a correlation. I am much more miserable in the second half of my cycle. The month before last I was so miserable with my eyes pre-menstrual that I called to make an appointment with my Opthamologist to have upper plugs placed (I already have lowers). My appointment was a week later. By then my eyes were actually feeling great. My Doc couldn't believe just a week before I was in misery as that day, mind you it was in the AM which is always better for me, I was actually having some epiphora with only the bottoms plugged. She plugged the top too that day and so far I am glad she did as my eyes feel ok for about 10 days a month. Which would be after I start my period up until I ovulate.

[WineLady24]

Fascinating study from Italy published in Gynecological Endocrinology (July 2007). See blog for details.

Girls... anybody ever detected a pattern of worse dry eye symptoms at that time of the month? Seems like it could be interesting experiment to have a bunch of us take an OSDI test then and another time of month for a few months running.

My dry eye started after menopause for me. I didn't put the two together until I went back on HRT for another medical problem I have. My dry eye improved by 75 to 80 percent after I was back on HRT. Unfortunately my doctor only wants me to take it twice per week and it doesn't help as much for my dry eye. I also started taking omega 3 and flaxseed which also helps.

Laura

[kitty]

That would make complete sense, as estrogen levels are at their lowest at that time of the month.

[Eli]

I'm suddenly glad I'm a guy......

[dianat]

Eli,

It's good to be glad you're a guy. If you weren't, I'm certain there's another fine web site for that...

D

[Julie1]

That study sounds really interesting!!

I don't really notice a correlation between my dry eye symptoms and menstrual cycle even though I experience significant migraines and acne flare-ups about four to five days before my period. The increase in dry eye symptoms seems random or, as Lucy always says, linked to sock color.

Which phase (menstruation, follicular, or luteal) is linked to increased dry eye symptoms? I could monitor my symptoms better if I knew which phase was proven to be more closely linked to ocular dryness and discomfort. I would think that the luteal phase would be more likely to exacerbate DES since that's when the hormone levels are the highest.

--Julie

P.S. Eli -- I'm glad that you are glad that you are guy!! I would be worried if you were not glad... That's a lot of "glads" for me -- I need to broaden my vocabulary!!

[Lynn1016]

I noticed a pattern with my menstruation cycle way back in 1994 when my erosions started happening. Both my gynecologist and ophthalmologist told me that it couldn't be related, because I wanted an elective hysterecomy to stop the pattern. My gynecologist said that he would do the procedure if I could have documented evidence that the two were connected. Then I saw an immunologist who referred my to my first corneal specialist and talked me out of the hysterectomy. Now, I get erosions all through the month.

Lynn

[kitty]

That study sounds really interesting!!

I don't really notice a correlation between my dry eye symptoms and menstrual cycle even though I experience significant migraines and acne flare-ups about four to five days before my period. The increase in dry eye symptoms seems random or, as Lucy always says, linked to sock color.

Which phase (menstruation, follicular, or luteal) is linked to increased dry eye symptoms? I could monitor my symptoms better if I knew which phase was proven to be more closely linked to ocular dryness and discomfort. I would think that the luteal phase would be more likely to exacerbate DES since that's when the hormone levels are the highest.

--Julie

P.S. Eli -- I'm glad that you are glad that you are guy!! I would be worried if you were not glad... That's a lot of "glads" for me -- I need to broaden my vocabulary!!

I would guess it is luteal. That is when estrogen levels drop and progesterone becomes dominant.

[stella]

Winelady24
Am interested in your experience
i am post menapausal & post hysterectomy :I was on oestrogen patches for years (standard HRT for post hysterectomy -if ovaries are also removed )
I came off the patches 3 months ago when i realized the oestrogen was probably contributing to my DE - I've been miserable ever since with hot flushes etc A friend of mine who also is post hysterectomy ,went on to stuff called Tibolone - It is described as, and I quote from the literature included with the drug
"Tibolone is slightly different to most HRT.Instead of actual hormones ie oestrogen/progestagen, it contains a substance which your body breaks down to make hormones Effects and bennifits are similar to conventional oestrogen/progestagen HRT"
Then and most interesting to us -- The British National Formular (the Uk pharmaceutical bible) says
"Tibolone combines oestrogenic and progestrogenic activity with weak andogenic activity"
In other words it is an HRT that contains some androgen and presumably some sort of pre - cursor to make you produce your own oestrogen /progestagen I'm uncertain how the later works
Anyway -I intend to go badger my doc to let me try it
"Elaine" has some US equivelent on this site which is worth looking up

[liz56]

Thanks, Kitty.

I would guess it is luteal. That is when estrogen levels drop and progesterone becomes dominant.

Wow. Thanks for the information, Kitty. This is helping me to piece together what has happened to me. I was on doses of progesterone to alleviate my menstrual periods, which caused me to become anemic, and three months into it is when I started having my eye problems. I have been off of it since May, so maybe it will work its way out of my system and I will see an improvement. That goes a long way in explaining my problems. I'm going to tell my doctors about it.

[kitty]

You are welcome. I am no expert, just going through perimenopause and learning all I can.

[Kathel]

For all us gals of a certain age:

I'm currently reading a book called "The Wisdom of Menopause" by Dr. Christiane Northrup. I'm really getting a lot out of it so far. She has some very up to date advice/information about HRT and about all the physical and emotional changes of the perimenopausal/menopausal transition. Many illnesses crop up in this period, either related to the hormonal changes themselves, or, as she suggests, due to emotional/thought process changes that are brought about by the hormone shifts. My ocular rosacea didn't rear its ugly head until menopause; now, I'm wondering if this was directly the result of hormone changes or possibly related to unresolved anger and issues in my life that came to the surface. I know it may sound a little nutty, but when we're looking for answers, we have to be open-minded.

Good luck to all of us, men included!

Kathel