I'm just wondering. Can we do a poll? Like that thread that polled what age everyone is? I just feel weird because, for instance, one eye doc has this slip of paper he hands to everyone with recommendations and it says use drops 5 to 6 times a day or more.
I use 300 single use vials per month, but I cap them and re use them until they're empty. Let's say I can use each one 4 times (8 drops). That's 1200 times (2400 drops) per month. Or 40 times per day. If I don't do it my eyes start to feel dry then they start to itch then they start to burn then they hurt, all within a matter of a couple minutes. I use them constantly. Sometimes my eyes wake me up in the middle of the night.
That's not including restasis.
Before restasis an average of every two to three hours....quite often 1/2 to 1 hrs though. After re stasis maybe twice a day BUT a couple of times at night. It would and does depend on sunlight exposure ,air quality elements, types of extraneous environments....and if fireplace is going. 5 to 6 times a day ON restasis seems a lot. I say---stay comfortable. If that is what it takes for you, keep on keepin' on. ????
Hi Spangled -
I added a poll for you about your eye drop question
https://sjogrensworld.org/index.php?topic=27680.0
As far as eyes go, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I use OTC eye drops only (have never had a prescription) - and use them about 3 -5 times per week. As C3 said - there are times when I use them more often - e.g. travel to hotter/drier weather climates. We live on the West Coast of BC - mild temps and fairly humid - so that may help.
My eyes burn every single day (have for at least 7 years), but eye drops do not provide any relief for that. The only thing that brings blissful relief to my burning eyes is a washcloth run under HOT water. Lid wipes help in emergency situations (while in the car or at work) - but they don't provide (even remotely) the same degree of relief as hot water clothes.
Eye drops do help when my eyes feel gritty or if I get water in my eyes.
My heart goes out to you. I can't imagine having to use eye drops 40 times a day :o
Head2Toe, that actually sheds some light on it, possibly. If drops don't help some people, maybe that explains why there are people using them only once a day on a forum that seems to be dedicated to eye problems!
People have talked about before/after restasis, before/after plugs. Plugs did nothing for me. I tried going off restasis recently for a couple weeks because I couldn't tell if it was really doing anything for me. That's when I found out what it does. If I don't use restasis, the drops stop working. I was out of town for a weekend when it happened and I didn't bring any restasis with me. I was in constant pain and could barely open my eyes for any length of time. It was awful. When I got back I started using restasis again right away, and the OTC drops started working again.
Heat, my eyes love that too. The best thing is OTC drops (single use vials) that have been sitting in a hot car on a hot summer day all day long. Mmmm. Also of course, opening a hot oven, sticking my face over a pot of boiling water, and opening the dishwasher while it's on the drying cycle.