Sjogrens World Forums

Do you need to get up during the night to use eye drops?

Do you use more than one type of eye drop?

I don't use eye drops in the middle of the night, but sometimes when I wake up I can't see the clock because there's a film of some kind over my eyes :(

I use two kinds of drops.  One is a fairly thick gel consistency.

I will be watching this poll.  I am surprised a lot on the forum only use drops twice a day. 

Anna

Really, I keep the humidity way up in the winter, and it's normally very high in the summer.

I use my eye spray (Nature's Tears) during the night when I wake up.

Wash my eyes and massage them with a wash cloth and warm water first thing in the morning.

That about does it.  But I don't suffer like some do, and have only had my dryness for 13 years.

And other things are much worse than my dryness.

Hugs, Elaine

before sleeping and in the morning after warm pads with tea tee oil.
in very dry or windy days, once more in the afternoon. systane ultra

Since I got lower plugs put in I am using less drops during the day. Before plugs, I was dousing my eyes at least 4 times an hour (even on Restasis).

I use Refresh Optive during the day, Refresh PM Sensitive once at night, and of course Restasis twice a day.

A balancing act is I also have allergies. So when the environmental allergies get bad, occasionally have to use Panatol once a day for the itchy itchy itchiness.

I don't usually use drops during the day unless I take a nap. My eyes go immediately bone dry as soon as I drift off to sleep. So I use drops at bedtime and 2-3 times during the night, and when i wake up in the morning.

But I use saline spray to wash the crud out of my eyes 2-3 times a day--mucus strings....ugh.

Calli

Before I go out I put drops on my eyes.  A vial or two, depending on how dry my eyes are.  And in the evening I douse them a couple of times.  I use TheraTears.  While I sleep, I goop them up with Refresh Lacrilube...I think it's called.  I find forced-air heat sucks the moisture straight from my eyes, drops or not, so I use goggles while the furnace runs.  When our furnace broke down this winter over Christmas, we had to use the woodstove.  Oh geez, that was horrible.  Even with the bedroom door shut, the intensity of the heat sucked the moisture from my eyes.  I never wanna go through that again.  And yes, I miss using the woodstove.  It's my favourite source of heat.

I use Viscotears through the day about 10 times,
                     then I have Lacrilube for night, once at night is enough till I wake.

   Enviromental factors can cause problems, such as air conditioning , open windows,

      sometimes even when people rush past me can cause me to squeeze my eyes shut..

     But my mouth dryness is the worst causing swallowing food problems , mouth sores, etc'
           Trial and error seeking relief!  Dolly x

I don't use them at all. But... let me clarify. I hate eye drops with a passion. My eyes refuse to believe I'm not going to poke them if anything pointy is within 8 inches of them.  Seriously.

Also early on the VA (who probably give you inferior eye drops anyway) gave me an ointment which worked far far better than the eye drops ever did. Personally, I feel like using eye drops is like licking chapped lips or using actual medicated chapstick.  It feels to me like it makes my eyes dryer as soon as it wears off in a few minutes.

I also stopped going to the VA recently mostly because I felt I was getting less care than I needed in every clinic there.  They seem behind the times and less informed to me.  I don't know if I will be able to get the ointment elsewhere either because its not what most people were getting. 

One of my goals for this spring is to drag my fatigued butt down to a local Herbalism clinic that teaches classes in making natural homeopathic ointments, tinctures, etc... and find out if I can manufacture my own magical mystic eyeball ointment that is chemical free but healing and safe to put in my eyes. I am hoping if I ask fifty questions I'll find out how to do that even if I learn nothing else in the class. LOL  But I can't imagine a natural ointment wouldn't ultimately be better than putting petroleum products in my eyes several times a day and I'm almost out of the only thing that's ever given me any relief. I will keep you guys posted on my progress because I promise you there has to be a solution that doesn't involve prescriptions eternally that burn or just don't work.

GG

QuoteMy eyes refuse to believe I'm not going to poke them if anything pointy is within 8 inches of them.  Seriously.

Same reason I never wore contacts, but I got over putting anything in my eyes when SJS took center stage and my eyes felt like sandpaper every time I blinked.

Mine varies a lot. There are lots of times when I only use eyedrops once per day - and that's at bedtime, with the thick goop on top.  :)  There are other times when I also use them when I get up in the night. And when my eyes are particularly dry I also use them 2-4 times during the day, but that is a minority of the time. Very rarely do I use more than that. There is no rhyme or reason to it.

I haven't been able to convince my eyes even with dryness. Frankly, I think I'm so used to dry eye misery now I wouldn't care about the dryness if it didn't end up causing a headache once it's bad enough. It's as if my whole eyeball is screaming until it ends up hurting inside my head behind my eyeballs.

Quote from: Ashewoman on March 15, 2015, 01:19:08 PM
I haven't been able to convince my eyes even with dryness. Frankly, I think I'm so used to dry eye misery now I wouldn't care about the dryness if it didn't end up causing a headache once it's bad enough. It's as if my whole eyeball is screaming until it ends up hurting inside my head behind my eyeballs.

In my view, it's worth it to get accustomed to the drops or replacement tears. When I did get to eye doc a few months after SJS announced itself with a bullhorn - I had ZERO tear film (I had been using replacement drops - Systane Balance). Thankfully no corneal abrasions.

Other than the occasional eye lash that gets confused (maybe we need GPS for eyelashes) and grows up UNDER my eyelid which requires eye doc to find it and removed it, I am so thankful that the drops help.

Only use it when mascara get's into my eyes  :o

I use Restasis in the morning about 8 am.  Early afternoon and early evening, Systane.  Restasis again around 8.  BUT, sometimes in the middle of the night, when I wake up and my eyes are burning and so dry, I put the neck of my water bottle over one eye and let the water flush around in it; then I do the other eye.  I know it's not sanitary, but sometimes, I'm just too lazy to get out of bed for drops if they're not on my nightstand.  It burns but feels really good after, at least for a minute or so.  Ok, I do it during the day occasionally too.  My Opthamologist already yelled at me, so you don't have to. ;D

Maria

I've had dry eyes forever.  I've often complained to eye doctors and regular doctors since I've been in elementary school.  They would always recommend eye drops.  Carrying them around and keeping my tips non-contaminated was always an issue at that young age.  So I kind of have gotten used to not using them.  Every once in awhile, as I got older, I would get a recommendation for new and improved drops.  Most of them are the moisturizing varieties.  However, I find that I would not be able to focus on my work for at least 30 minutes after using them.  Again, remember.  I'm very used to having extremely dry eyes.  And I've experienced too many issues with eye infections due to contaminated eye drop containers. 

Quote from: wildforwater on March 16, 2015, 04:24:06 PM
but sometimes, I'm just too lazy to get out of bed for drops if they're not on my nightstand.  It burns but feels really good after, at least for a minute or so.  Ok, I do it during the day occasionally too.  My Opthamologist already yelled at me, so you don't have to. ;D

I sometimes resort to "bed picnic mode" when my symptoms are really bad. That's what I call it when I get in bed, and end up surrounded by all the crud just within arms reach that I need to get comfortable littered around me. Then I refuse to move from my little "spot" until the health crisis begins to fade. I would never yell at you or anyone for making life simpler. I definitely get it. And I tend to hang out here because in my experience the other people here get it too.

But I know what you mean because the doctors seem like they usually don't get it. And sometimes friends and family don't either. :S Hugs, GG

Restasis 1 vial 2x/day (morning and night for past five years). 

Otc drops like Systane at least once, often twice during the day. 

Occasional use of gel drop at night before bed.

Otc drops on dresser, in purse, and in desk at office so if needed they are readily available for use. 

I don't ever want my eyes to feel the way they did five, six, seven years ago. 

THANKS GG! :)

It varies on what I am doing, long car journey will need more, or air con offices
Sometimes I put them in in the middle of the night
I have a horrible cold and painful sinusis this week so have used them more and at night as I feel drier. So average 3-4 times but this week 6-7