Dry Eye Relief from Ibuprofen

[NYer]

GZ's point about the liver is correct. Tylenol screws up your liver. Ibuprofen screws up your kidneys.
Also, Aleve (Naprosin) upset my stomach big-time.
And if you have asthma and/or gastric issues, stay away from all of the NSAIDs.

[gz9gjg]

"Tylenol for the eyes" is probably Voltaren.

[stella]

To add to the comments on naproxin (which i am on daily longterm)--you also need to take omeprazole or something similar to protect the stomach I am on a combination of both ,called Napratec
Also you need to have 6 monthly kidney function tests done

[curlygrl31]

What about curcumin -- a natural anti-inflammatory supplement? When I went to see Dr. Latkany for ocular rosacea, he mentioned it and I scribbled it down. Anyone try that longer-term with positive results?

curly

[NYer]

Voltaren is an NSAID. Tylenol is a pain killer it is not an NSAID. An NSAID is a non steroidal anti-inflamatory.

I like Curly's idea. Curcumin (a spice) is a natural anti-inflamatory and there are no downsides (other than it possibly not doing anything).

[rubyslippers]

Nyer, does your stomach handle it OK?

[NYer]

Hi Ruby,
I cannot take ANY NSAIDS (neither should you, Ruby). I can take Tylenol, but that's not relevant because it's not an anti-inflammatory, so that wouldn't help our eye issues.
And with your and my gastric disorders, I wouldn't go near curcumin either, but that's because we can't eat any hot/spicy/acidic foods...and curcumin is a hot spice (used in Indian cooking). Hey, I can't even eat black pepper. If I add salt to my food, it's the big excitement of my day.
But for people with normal gastric systems, curcumin is certainly worth a try.
-NYer

[calli66]

Curcumin is another term for turmeric, the yellow colored spice---but it's not a "hot" spice. In fact, it is recommended for its anti-inflammatory effects. Here's a quote from Wikipedia:
"Curcumin is known for its antitumor,[3][4] antioxidant, antiarthritic, anti-amyloid and anti-inflammatory properties."

I take it in a capsule, and it doesn't cause any stomach upset for me. I also use it as a spice. It's also a digestive stimulant. Don't get it as part of "curry" spice--that might be hot. But by itself, it's cool.

C

[NYer]

Thank you, Calli, that's good to know. I have to be careful with everything I put in my mouth because of my digestive problems.

[rubyslippers]

I suspected that NYER but thanks for verifying. No, I cannot take any of those meds either. I can take an Ibuprofen or two for inflammation and it helps a lot, but more than 2 in a day and I do have stomach problems. I always take it with food too. Also, I have never been able to eat pepper. Even as a child it gave me stomach cramps. For me, ketchup on a taco was as spicy as I ever got, and now I can't even do ketchup. Oh well, overall, as a result I eat much healthier than I used to.

[TheJuicer]

I fell across Ibuprofin in a similar way. I used it for wrist problems and then all of the sudden my eyes felt much better but didn't relate it to the ibuprofin. I thought it was because I started using a hand sanitizer all day long thinking I had the eye fishing syndrome and need to keep my hands much cleaner but that was not the case. But the Ibuprofin causes mee to have much less mucus throughout the day and significantly less dry in the mornings. I actually didnt realize it until I read this post. I had gone off it for a few months this summer and things got worse again. I have been taking it again for two weeks now ever since I saw this original post and it definitely made an immediate difference within a few days. Right now I take 2 200mg capsules in the mid morning after a snack like yogurt, apple, etc and then 2 200mg capsules later in the evening nearing bedtime with large glass of water.

So my questions is that if we find relief from Ibuprofin does that narrow down our diagnosis? Does this mean it's NOT allergies because I was on Pataday and it never made this kind of difference. I am going to see Dr. Latkany at the end of the month and will post about my experience/advice.

By the way 27 male here - corneal graft left eye with relaxation incisions and awaiting PRK, sever kc in right eye managable with RGP for now, chronic dry eye sufferer, mucus, no itchy or watery eyes, but was tested positive for indoor allergies suchas dust mites, molds, cats, dogs etc, asthma issues

[calli66]

Ibuprofen is especially effective for nerve pain/inflammation. My dentist told me it's the best one to use for toothache--tooth nerve pain, and I've found that to be true---it works even better than heavy prescription painkillers. The eye/cornea are rich in nerves---and I've heard---when you take it, higher concentrations end up in eye tissue, and more quickly than it gets to other parts of the body.

You have to be careful that you're ******g eye pain that should be alerting you to a severe problem. And too much ibuprofen is hard on your stomach.

But yeah, I often use it when I'm having a really tough day, and can't stand it anymore, and want to get a decent night's sleep.

C

[jlg_uk]

You have to be careful that you're ******g eye pain that should be alerting you to a severe problem.

This is one of my main concerns when I use it. I'd a) like to know how much the anti-inflamation effect occurs (which I'm not sure because of the pain killing element) and b) not run the risk of over doing things with my eyes because I'm not getting any discomfort sensations as early as I would otherwise do.

However, if the anti-inflamation effect is worth it, then taking Ibuprofen is probably a good idea for me as I think it's my main problem.

[TheJuicer]

I can understand that taking it can hide the real problem and make things worse. But I've had these same problems for 10 years. Pretty much started when I was diagnosed with KC and started wearing hard lenses. And the complications are very consistent and haven't changed. So a little ibuprofin doesn't concern me at this point. It makes my life much more functional.

So is taking doryx, doxy or minocyline less harmful harmful to your body then ibuprofin. It seems that every person I know is consistently on some type of prescribed medication and I am actually thankful I might just have to take an over the counter ibuprofin.

As I mentioned before I am going to see Dr. Latkany end of the month and will raise all these concerns. I want him to find the real cause of my problems so I am not tempted to take ibuprofin anymore. He might be able to pinpoint what might be going with the eyes if he knows that ibuprofin makes my eyes feel better.