Dry Eye

[DebE13]

Thanks, that's good to know. I've used both kinds & can't believe how fast I go through a bottle. I bought a generic brand hoping to save some money. It was a waste- they don't work well for me.

[brandy]

HI Deb,

Know the dry eye thing is frustrating. After 8 months of truly killer dry eye during big flare (systane every hour). I've had a respite from dry eye since December (systane once or twice a day).

I had a one week dry eye flare last week from eating too much sugar. I"m finally improving from the one week flare and will be doing sugar only in moderation in the future.

Hopefully you'll get some relief as you head towards remission.

Do you use a computer at work? I just had my boyfriend lower my monitor and already that seems to be helping. My eyes seem less strained.

Best wishes, Brandy

[Rosie]

I started getting very dry eyes in my mid 40's, and am convinced that it is mostly hormonal. I haven't seen any discussion of using eye ointment in this string of posts, and thought I'd mention it. I get a considerable amount of relief using lubricant eye ointment at night, in addition to eye drops during the day. My perception is that the eye ointment leaves a bit of a film on during the day that helps. Here is my routine.

1. I use Refresh PM Lubricant Eye Ointment because it has the lowest percentage of petrolatum, and isn't as stiff as other brands. I warm it up to body temperature before applying, as otherwise it can still be stiff and difficult to get on the eyeball. Don't laugh, but I put it under my waistband about an hour or so before I go to bed to warm up. After I blink it in for a few minutes, I blot off the excess. Otherwise it gets too gummy.

2. Then I add a drop of my eye drops on top of it. If I wake up during the night, I add another drop. I like to use the preservative free Tears Naturale Free by Alcon. The brand isn't as gooey as some, and works well with the ointment.

3. In the morning I wash my eyes off with Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo. I put some on a wet kleenex, close my eyes, and wash, then rinse well. This keeps my eyes refreshed and avoids a greasy look around my eyes.

Everyone is different, but this has provided a lot of relief for me.

Also, my niece who is an optometrist told me that adding flax seed oil to the fish oil can help. Evidently the flax seed oil provides a different kind of omega 3 oil that adds to what the fish oil does

Rosie

[DebE13]

Great- thanks for the suggestions. And yes, I am in front of the computer all day.

[brandy]

Rosie,

Huge thanks for the detailed tips. I already had some of the refresh PM in my medicine cabinet but your application procedures (particularly the "warm up" are critical. I feel better in two days, not back to normal but much improved--still red but no more "grit".

Much thanks, Brandy

[Rosie]

Glad the eye ointment helped! I've had about 20 years to fine tune my dry eye treatment...... I've slowly improved over the years, and now rarely use eye drops during the day, but still need the ointment at night. Basically I'm pretty comfortable during the day now. I've tried to go off the ointment, but something about not blinking while asleep makes my eyes irritated if I don't use the ointment at night.

And speaking of hormones, I'll also mention that I think that using bio-identical natural progesterone helps.....not a huge amount, but any little bit is appreciated. When my eyes were really dry, I had a problem with broken blood vessels in my eyes on a fairly regular basis. I've found that the natural progesterone helps a lot with that aspect, and with the bloodshot-looking eyes. Several times I've tested going off, and started having broken blood vessels again. I won't say that my eyes are clear, but they definitely are better. I order the Emerita Pro-Gest from Vitacost. It's a cream that you rub on your skin. I like the individual single-dose packets instead of the tube. I use one a day, but you can use two a day.

I hope you continue to improve!

Take care,

Rosie