Dry Eyes can suck it

The BBQ Pit
1

A couple of months ago I noticed that my eyes were occasionally weeping, particularly in the morning. I figured it was just allergies or the incredibly dry winter we had here, or both. One day when I was driving, I realized that I was seeing double- out of one eye. Basically, like a ghostly image of anything bright floating right above anything I could see. It went away pretty quickly. I mentioned it to my optometrist the next time I went in, and he said it was probably because I just rubbed my eye too hard.

Then, just a few weeks ago, I started having trouble seeing. Lots of eye strain, and my eyes were really itching. Lights seemed bright, and I would sometimes have trouble even opening my eyes in the morning. My unaided long distance vision was actually better than when I used my glasses, but my close-up vision seemed worse. Since I work on a computer all day long, this suddenly became a Big Deal.

I looked up the symptoms and apparently, I have dry eyes.

I made an appointment with a dry eye clinic, and they ran a few tests, and they confirmed what I’d found on the internet. My meibomian glands are atrophied and clogged, so I’m not producing enough of the right kind of tears. There’s a treatment, but no cure. Unfortunately, the treatment is about $1300, and the followups every six months or so are $300.

And, of course, none of it is covered by insurance. My vision is getting so bad that I’m having trouble working or driving, but it’s not covered. Awesome.

So I’ve been self-treating to see (hah!) if I can alleviate the symptoms myself. I’ve increased the humidity in my house, which is going to suck in the winter because the windows will freeze over. I use preservative-free eyedrops, take three horsepills of omega 3 oil per day, regularly use a cleaning spray, and a rechargeable heated eye mask which has become my new best friend.

Things are slowly, slowly getting better, but eye strain is a constant now.

Anyone else having to deal with this bullshit?

2

Not yet, but you’re scaring the shit out of me! I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this, it must be miserable.

3

Yes. Though my specific situation is different, the suffering is similar.

I’ve always had dry-ish eyes. When I tried wearing contacts decades ago, I had trouble keeping them set in place; my eyelid would sometimes “scrape” them off. A few tests later, and I was told I had a rare condition where the chemistry of my tears was wrong and they evaporated faster than normal. I don’t remember what this was called; like I said, it’s been years and years.

So I just couldn’t wear contacts. Fine. I’ll deal.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago, and the problem suddenly gets dramatically worse. It’s to the point where my eyes are stuck closed in the morning, until I fumble blind to the sink and apply a warm compress. In the afternoons I’m blinking furiously to clear the double vision.

My ophthalmologist says it can be treated, with these intense gummy droplets, but not cured. I apply them before I go to sleep, and I can open my eyes normally in the morning. Great. And I have these other irrigating drops which I’m constantly using post lunchtime.

It’s awful.

So, yeah. Dry eyes can definitely suck it.

4

I’ve picked up a rechargeable heated eye mask which really seems to help with that. I put it on when I’m in bed and then let it run for 20 minutes, then I put it back on and run it for another 20 minutes before I get out of bed.

It really helps with the gummy eyes.

5

Yep, I had a thread aboit it. I have severe dry eye syndrome. My eyes do not water: the orbits feel like their made of sandpaper. I could not cry at a loved one’s funeral.
Light sensitivity is AN ISSUE.

I’ve been through Restasis, it made it worse. I finally got the treatment of placental film. One eye one week the other the next. You have to wear clear contacts to keep the film in place. However, the film was absorbed into my eyes so quickly that I blinked the contacts out both times. It’s better, but sure not great. I now use Xiidra. I’m supposed to use it twice a day. That is hard as they make my eyes burn like fire, and I can’t really see for a couple hours. I’m the only driver in the house. I really understand; itsucks, is miserable, expensive, and inconvenient. Understatements all.

I also have a mask; mine is microwavable. It’s a wonderful thing.

6

I initially used one of those- be really careful with it. I left it in the microwave too long (because my bed is upstairs, and I knew it would be a little while before I actually got in bed). I picked it up and started up the stairs, and the damn thing exploded on me. Those little pellets stuck like napalm to my palms- I ended up with an incredibly painful series of tiny 2nd degree burns on both of my hands.

Apparently the bag developed a hot spot, and it was some sort of polyester- so it became superheated glue.

7

Holy crap! I don’t think that would happen here cause I usually only heat it for 25 seconds. That sounds awful.

8

Working on a computer all day contributes to dry eyes. You just don’t blink much when you stare at a screen. Try to be more aware of blinking–I put a little sticky note on my monitor that said “BLINK!” and it actually helped a bit.

9

I have a minor issue with dry eyes and hope to keep the problem from getting worse.

My ophthalmologist recommended an athletic sock filled with rice to use as a mask. It works great. I nuke it for 55 seconds, give a couple minutes to cool to the perfect temperature and then use it for 10 minutes morning and night, followed by gel eye drops. This routine has really helped, and the “mask” is easily replaced as needed.

10

I’d quite frankly get a referral to a optometrist or possibly ophthalmologist for a second opinion, because a “dry eyes clinic” wanting you to go to ongoing treatment may or may not be the more unbiased resource. I might be reading too much into your post, but it kind of sounds like the diagnosis was somewhat pre-determined, but I don’t know.

I live in one of the driest places around and got LASIK not too long ago, so Refresh Plus eye drops are on my person at all times. It’s now to where I don’t need them every day but it’s nice to at least do drops when waking up or before bed.

11

I think this is an important point that I had not previously realized. My eyes water. A Lot. But yet, I still suffer from dry eyes. My eye-ologist explained to me that there are two kinds of fluid that bathe the eye - one is watery, the other is oily. I don’t produce enough of the oily stuff, or the ratio is off, or something.

There have been times where I’ve had to pull off the freeway while driving because the pain (and my vision) was so bad due to dryness. I have the drops that help a little bit. I’ve tried the Blink medication just recently and abandoned it after a month. One thing that does help me is a very cold washcloth applied to the peepers.

One other tip. If you are driving, the air from the vents aimed at your face is not a friend of your eyeballs. This exacerbates my symptoms, so I adjust so that any air is vented down below.

Also, if I’m driving and I am suffering, opening up the vehicle’s window gives me relief almost immediately. I’m that guy you saw driving down the highway at 70 mph in February with the window rolled down.

mmm

12

I’ve had to pull over because of pain and light. I also bought myself an enormous pair of wrap around over the glasses, sunglasses. They are one of the best investments I’ve ever made. I don’t need them like I did before treatment, but there are still times they come in handy.

I agree with the suggestion above about a second opinion. I see my optometrist for treatment, and Yes I was seen pretty freaquently. However once she got a handle on
the problem, I don’t go back for six months. Cost I’m not sure about, I’m on the sliding scale fee all I pay for is prescription at a lower cost because of the sliding scale fee. Xiidra stll costs 50 dollars which is problematic for us, but doable. My insurance want almost 400 dollars for the Restasis which unlike Xiidra, was actually 2nd. tier on my formulary.

13

Been there, done that, with the dry eyes. In fact, it’s the major reason I did Refractive Lens Exchange (basically catarac surgery without the cataracs) instead of Lasik for vision correction - lower chance of making the dry eyes worse.

I’ve done some IPL treatments - Intense Pulse Light. It basically helped melt the accumulated oils in my glands so they could be expressed out, so my tears flow better. For me, it was a series of 4 treatments, roughly a month separated. That helped a lot, but was not permanent. I’ve tried an RF version that did not work as well.

I’ve tried a few of the newer drops, but none of them were fixing my particular problem, so they didn’t work.

I’ve also done treatment with doxyclyine, which has an anti-inflamatory property in the eyes, and helps reduce what my doctor calls foaminess. I’m not sure if it helped me, other than as a prophylactic against Malaria when I was in Africa last year :smiley:

Unfortunately, the science is still evolving in this space enough that the treatment still seems to be a lot of trial and error.

14

I bought this one: https://eyecomfortcare.com/
about $80 and find it much more effective than my microwaveable mask. The microwaveable model started out too hot and then cooled off very quickly. You can set the electric eye mask for three different heat modes and times from 20 min to an hour.

There are lots of other models available.

15

Mrs. G-s_I got dry eye about five months ago, with stinging, burning sensations that sometimes happen when driving. She’s done two of four appointments with a dry eye specialist and uses those heatpads that you nuke, but after reading @Lightnin’s post (thanks!) about its explodeability, I immediately got online and bought an UNCLOG heated eye mask so that Babe doesn’t have to worry about her eyes getting blown out. The doctor told her the situation should be improving after the second visit, but she says it’s still as bad as ever.

16

This thread title has a sort of je ne sais quoi satisfying irony.

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What treatment is she having done?

When I did my four sessions of IPL, I was told that I might feel some improvement after the second, but not to expect too much until the third. I did, actually have some after the second, but the third was definitely a lot more.

18

I woke up last night to pee (thanks, prostate), and couldn’t open my eyes. I could pry them open, but I couldn’t keep them open. I actually had a panic attack- the first I’ve ever had, actually. I squirted my eyes and used the mask, and eventually managed to get back to sleep about two hours later.

I’m just going to call today and arrange for IPL treatment. Luckily, I can afford to pay out-of-pocket on this, but it’s still an expense I wasn’t planning on. I just hope it helps.

19

I’m sure I posted in Sylvanz’s dry eye thread. I have the condition, and Xiidra worked great at helping me produce copious amounts of tears. Then my insurance decided to stop covering it, and I had to stop using it after a year or two. My doc then prescribed Restatis, but again insurance said no, so I went to the generic and GoodRX takes the price down to about $90 a month. I get two uses out of each of the one-use vials, so that doubles the life of a one-month box of vials. The doc says he sees improvement after my using it for a few months now.

I still use daily wetting drops 4X a day, and I like this newish iVizia stuff, because it has a magic bottle that keeps the drops sterile even though they’re preservative-free. No more messing with those little vials.

Mr. brown likely has it, but won’t go to a doc, so he listens to my advice on what he can do. He bought some sort of eyelid wipes made by iVizia, and he says using those helps his eyes a lot.

20

Pretty sure IPL - will double-check with her later.