I had temporary ductal plugs put in my eyes last week, and the eye doctor said that if they're going to help, I'd feel it immediately. Well, I barely felt any difference. My eyes were still very dry and my eye-ointment still only helped for an hour or so. I had absolutely no tear overflow either, which scotched my theory that they were draining away too fast.
My Tear Break Up Time (TBUT) is less than a second. In normal eyes it's 8 seconds. From what I understand, this means that any tears I do have (not many, because my eyes are both 0 on the Shirmer's Test) evaporate instantaneously.
Tears need a mucin layer to make them stick to the surface of the eye. My foggy brain thinks it remembers reading that mucin in produced in goblet cells that are all over the surface of the eye. I'm thinking that my goblet cells (such a great name - I picture minuscule silver chalices that should be over-flowing with a kind of wine for the eyes) are not working.
I've read about meibomian glands problems, and the symptoms listed are blocked glands (dotted along the inner eyelid, where some women put eyeliner) and crusty deposits. I don't have that. I have nothing. All clean, bone dry, and sore.
I'm putting this out there to see if anyone can tell me what I should ask the eye doctor at my next appointment. He's not offering a heck of alot. If I'm not making mucin or meibomian oils, is there any point in trying Restasis?
Is there anything that can help with this problem, aside from constant eye-lubrication? It's getting to the point where I can use up a $10 tube of eye lube in 2 days.
Thanks,
Suzie 8)
Hi Suzie,
Have you tried Restasis? I had the plugs put in a few years ago and it did nothing. But I have been on restasis for 7 months and I have seen a huge differance.
Maybe someone else will post some more information foe you, i dont know anything about meibomian glands.
Suzie, are you using a humidifier 24/7?
Hi JellyB - no, I haven't tried Restasis because it's crazy expensive where I live. And since my daughter needs braces, I'm not likely to be able to try it for quite a while :'(
stephL - hi. I'm running the a/c 24/7 - do I need a humidifier too? The air doesn't feel dry...
Suzi,
Air conditioning takes humidity out of the air, so that might be part of the issue. I think there are some units you can set the humidity level you want in your home (not sure if they are air conditioners or humidifiers). My eye doctor said the Restasis will work if your lacrimal glands are still working but if they are too far gone it might not work any more. It is supposed to increase the amount of tears they produce so it is better to start on it before they are too far gone to maybe get them working better....that's how I understood it anyway.
Nancy
Quote from: Suzie on August 13, 2011, 12:29:49 PM
stephL - hi. I'm running the a/c 24/7 - do I need a humidifier too? The air doesn't feel dry...
Yes, you need a humidifier whenever the A/C or heat is on, or otherwise when the outdoor humidity is low. One of the main functions of air conditioning is to dry the air out. I know it doesn't feel dry but if you buy an inexpensive humidity monitor (
Hygrometer), you will know exactly how dry the indoor air is. You can buy one in places where household thermometers are sold. Humidity should be kept around 50%. Anything more can produce mold in your home. Anything less just doesn't afford the best relief. I've found that I get the most relief from my tabletop humidifier when I keep it within 4 feet of wherever I am. So wherever I go, it follows me. :D
First, you need to be using preservative free artificial tears if your eyes are bone dry. Until you get a routine that works, this is important. Once per hour won't hurt if it keeps you from getting erosions. Can use gel or ointment at night. Humidifier if it will help.
Wear wraparound sunglasses and other glasses if you can find them. Try a Harley dealership for moisture chamber glasses/goggles. Just a plain glass if you don't need prescription. Anything guarding wind, air current inside or out will help. Get your doc to try Restasis, but it can take 6 months to know if it works or not.
**I am like you in that I do not have crusting, eye gunk, mucous or anything looking like infection in my eyes. It is normal for people to have a little "sleep" in their eyes lots of times when they wake up. Since Lasik, I have never once had anything like that and I know that has not helped my eyes.
There is a great dry eye website with lots of info and some things that might help. dryeyezone.com. dryeyestore.com. dryeyetalk.com........I have no interest in this site.
Thank you for the advice everyone. I'm grateful to have such good suggestions, and I'm off to look for a Hygrometer now! Great idea, before I invest in a humidifier. My house is open plan, with high ceilings, and I think all that lovely moisture will just float up and hide 10 feet above my head. I should move to a nice damp cave.
I don't know if I've tried preservative free artificial tears. Eye drops sting my eyes. Any brands you can recommend, eyeamdry?
I joined the forum on The Dry Eye Zone. Boy, is there a lot more to Dry Eye than simply having dry eyes.
I think I've got an eye infection, for the first time in years. Aside from the constant ache in my eyeballs, my eyes feel more comfortable from the reflex-tears keeping them nice and wet!
Suzie
I wrote up a nice long response and it's lost in space and it's in the wee hours.
Try: TheraTears, Refresh Tears, Systane (I don't care for that one, but others do.)
Goodnight all. Lucy
I just wanted to let you know that you can get Onion Eye Glasses for about 20.00 to wear around the house. I got these and they help a lot, I also bought some of the little lenses that you can put in them to read with. My eye doctor told me to take flax seed oil and fish oil both 3 times a day. I started the flax seed oil and it made a big difference for me. I take 3 capsules a day. The next time I buy glasses, I want to get the SeeFit Megs which have a moisture chamber and they don't look too goofy either.
SueAnn
Lucy - Thanks for the information about the Harley moisture chamber glasses/goggles. I'm going to check them out this week.
SueAnn - Tell me more about the Onion Eye Glasses. Where can I purchase them?
Such a knowledgeable bunch of folks you are! ;D
Look for them at the Dry Eye Zone on line or google Onion Eye glasses. Just be prepared to look like a motorcycle mama ;D.
SueAnn
Check out the Dry Eye Shop on-line at the Dry Eye Zone, they have some cool new products that you might like.
SueAnn
The Dry Eye Shop also has nighttime goggles. TranquilEyes makes some and there's another brand for $40. They keep moisture in the eyes all night and also keep the eyelids from opening a little in sleep. Same idea but on the cheap side, I use Glad Press and Seal, cut into circles (sticky business) - I put in the viscous nighttime drops (I use Genteal Severe), plop on the circles, and go to sleep (looks bad). To get up in the night, peel back a corner and squint out - press it back when you're in bed. Really, many mornings, my eyes feel NORMAL, at least for awhile. It's great relief. Saving up for the fashion goggles.
I bought my Onion goggles at our upscale grocery store - it wasn't until I got home that I figured out they're used for cutting onions - lol.
Also, Restasis costs me $250 - it's outrageous. That's for 60 vials - use one in the morning, 2 drops and then use a second vial at night, 2 drops, lasts one month. My eye doctor said I could use one vial for two days, 8 drops. That makes each one-month supply last for 4 months, which helps a lot with the cost. Still bad though.
Eyeamdry suggested Theratears; there are two kinds, one is a liquid that lasts only 15 minutes and a liquid jel that is a little thicker an lasts much longer. They will make your eyes a little blurry for a minute, but they sure do help.
Hi Susie:
Ever thought about getting away from eye drops and try an alternative method of stimulating your tear secretion glands? I use TheraLife Autoimmune Dry Eye formula which also seems to help with dry mouth relief. Give it a thought.
Pegasus
This may be a stupid question, but did you get ALL 4 plugs or just 2? Some people try to plug just the bottom two puncta and some do get relief. I personally did not. I ONLY got some relief when all 4 were plugged.
Liz D.
I seem to remember that the first time I had plugs placed they used the wrong size on one of my eyes and I didn't get a good result (obviously!). Another time, they didn't put the plug in far enough and it scratched the living daylights out of my eyeball all night long. So my suggestion would be to ask them to check the placement. It should only take a minute, then you could see if the plugs are actually still where they're supposed to be.
Great ideas everyone, thank you all ;D
I've been spending alot of time on The Dry Eye Zone website and sheesh! but there's ALOT of great eye info there. I even got a reply to my posting from an opthalmologist.
I've got eye gel and a sleep mask on order from them, and Rebecca Petris - the site's founder - is so generous with her time and advice it's unbelievable. She really cares about fellow dry-eye sufferers and is more concerned about helping than making money. Amazing woman. If you haven't been there, take a look.
My eye doc says that plugs aren't for me right now because I'm not making enough tears to conserve! Any I do make just evaporate right off my eye. I need something that will compensate for the oil I'm not making and the terrible tear quality. I'm hoping the eye stuff I ordered - Oasis Tears Plus - will do the trick. Here's what they say on their website:
Unique Lubricating Formulation
Oasis TEARS Lubricant Eye Drops coat, lubricate, and moisten delicate eye tissue. With each blink of your eye, a special substance in Oasis TEARS combines with the active ingredient, glycerin, to keep tears on the eye surface for a long time. This unique combination coats and recoats the surface of the eye for continued relief of dry, irritated eyes.
Fingers crossed. 8)
Suzie
sometimes the best thing to do is the KISS principle,, KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID,, not that your stupid but I heard that last night,, sometimes we overdo things looking for the right thing,, I was asked if I wanted my eyes plugged,, no thanks,, my luck you would blind me
Ha, Really! I was rather worried about that, but I actually enjoyed having the temp plugs put in. Weird.
glad it worked out for you
I also have a lot of problems with my dry eyes. Especially at night. I have to be careful how I open my eyes because the lids stick to the cornea and can actually pull off pieces of make splits. Really hurts. I also tried punctal plugs - which didn't help and kept going through. The only thing that seems to help even a little bit is the Restasis - once in the morning and once at night with lots of eye drops in between. I have ordered a mask from the Dry Eye Zone and can't wait to see if it helps.
Good luck.
I've ordered a sleep mask from them too, Becky! The one I have now leaps from my head when I'm asleep.
For a few weeks now, I've thought the weather was humid to the point of being swampy outside. Silly me. Turns out my air-con is making the air in my house so dry that the difference in the water content of the air in and out is insane.
I'm going to borrow a humidifier and see if it helps. And I'm probably going to get moisture-chamber glasses with my eye prescription in, to use in the house.
Suzie