Eye discomfort and swelling .. UPDATE

[jazzlover]

I'm just wondering if this is from SJS or not???

Sometimes I wake up to a swollen eyelid .. esp near the nose. My eye was feeling especially scratchy the day before. Is that Sjogren's or something else? It's happened about 3 times in the past few months.

Thanks... I'm still kinda green here!

Thanks!~!

[Scottietottie]

Hi Jazz 

I've been having trouble with puffy eyelids. Before they puff they itch horribly especially near the nose. In my case I think they are mini eczema flares but I don't really know. I saw a doc when one was puffy once and he suggested eczema although his face had that "I dn't really have a clue" look on it.  he said to use mild hydrocortizone cream and to moisturise with an emollient. It's happened about six times in the last year.
When the itch is over the eyelid gets dry and papery and peels.

Hope you feel better soon.

Take care - Scottie 

[anita]

Have you considered allergy?  You don't have to have itchy or watery symptoms in the eyes for it to be allergies. 

Does it go down on it's own or are you doing warm compresses?  How long does it last?

[valene2009]

Jazz.. i would say yes.. i wake up with swollen itchy eyelids a lot--i even did yest like u. i ivein Southern Indiana and today it was in the 50s. my sis said she had bad allergies too.. i dont know where u live but i knowu can get allergies anytime.plus sjogrens dry eye just complicates the matter... hope u feel better.. my eyes are my worst symptom. if they were halfway ok i could probaby work and function a lot better.
Let us know whenyou start to feel better

[jazzlover]

Hmmm... it does itch. I thought that was from the swelling, but who knows??

You would think if it was an allergy, both eyes would itch. The swelling usually goes down by early afternoon. Today that eye is still irritated and sensitive.

Doesn't sound like SJS then?

--editing to add--  So Valene thinks it is. I'm thinking so too. I just don't know much about what SJS means for ME. 

PS .. I'm in the Midwest too.

and thanks for the reminder to do hot compresses. I always forget about such things!

[season]

Sounds like blepharitis to me as that is what I have and had to see a doctor for it. You can get more info on WebMd for blepharitis.

I was miserable with this. I was prescribed an ointment that contained hydrocortizone and antibiotics. It really did the trick.

I was also told to wash my eyes daily with baby shampoo as with all the drops in my eyes, I needed to keep them clean.

[jazzlover]

Uh oh...it's worse this morning. I think you're right about blepharitis. Dang, what next??

editing... I managed to get an appointment with a doctor at the vision place my husband goes to. My Dr is in the next city. I don't feel like making the trip 40 miles away today.

[valene2009]

go to your opthamologist..  they usually have you do warm compresses, sometimes cold.. maybe take antibiotics.. i deal with this daily on top of dry eye.im so sorry.. i would def at least call your doc.. !

[jazzlover]

I hope I don't need oral antibiotics. Sounds like overkill. UGH

[anita]

IF it is blepharitis, warm compresses and washing with baby shampoo is very helpful and may resolve it by itself.  There are also topical antibiotics...after all, the source is on the outside of the eye, not inside.

Really need to get it checked.  But won't hurt to start warm compresses and baby shampoo until you get in.

[soycoffee]

Warm (not hot) compresses are cheap and easy -- and messy and wet. I kept looking for something better, and found the Thermalon Dry Eye Compress on Amazon -- use the Sjögren's World tie in from the main web page. It ties around your head, produces damp warmth, from 20 seconds or less in the microwave. No mess, less fuss.

The big thing is that I continued to use it morning and evening for meibomianitis -- a form of blepharitis -- until the eyes were vastly improved. Now that I know what meibomianitis looks like, I can restart the warm compresses easily.

If there's a cheap clean easy no muss no fuss way to do warm compresses without buying a product, that's good, too.

I hope you find out what it is, and what (else) to do about it.

Soycoffee

[lighthouse33]

Thank you, soycoffee.  I just ordered two of the Thermaolon Dry Eye Compresses.

[jazzlover]

Well, he said it's basically from Sjogren's .. dry eye. Gave me an expensive tube of Tobradex. Hard to get that stuff in the eye the way the pkg says! GRRR. It should work, though. My eye is swollen below the eye too.

Also gave me a script for my illegally tinted car windows! Whew! I have to go to the state hwy patrol to get a sticker for my car. My eyes get literally burned when we travel.

[valene2009]

eww.. exciting some illegal tinted windows.. lol.. my best friend's boyfriend who is a mechanic actually suggested i get tinted windows for my car as the summers are murder here.. i should but i dont drive too far when its so hot anyway and cant afford it on my SSD checks..lol.. good idea though.. would prob help. let me know ifu do it.

[jazzlover]

I was afraid to post that!! lol .. Actually they WERE illegal (already did it!) but now with his script they are legal.

I know they will help, just wish I could do something about the danged windshield!