Manage one thing then another pops up!

tlras · Post by **tlras** » Sun Sep 15, 2013 3:35 pm

Hello all,

Haven't been around much. Been in remission of D since September, 2012 and now have had no issues with bloating for some time so finally I've become totally symptom free and enjoying life again. Then headaches started coming every day...thought it was hormonal...then found out I was low normal on B-12...started taking 1,000mcg of sublinqual b-12 every other day and miraculously my headaches are gone! Thought "yay, I can work out again". NOT....4 weeks ago my eyes started hurting. They usually do when I wear my contacts but haven't worn them in a long time...never knew why my eyes couldn't handle my contacts for the last 4 years. Diagnosis is Blepharitis...of course, it would have to be a chronic condition! So now I'm battling with controlling this little monster which I thought I had till we had a death in the family and the crying brought an eye flare on again. Jeez! So I'm doing an eye regimen twice a day....warm compress, cleaning eyelids with OccuSoft or Cetaphil or Baby Shampoo....haven't tried the Baby Shampoo route yet....then had some antibiotic ointment that I was putting on my eyelids. Well that ointment didn't seem to help and I no longer use it. The warm compresses seem to help the most and artificial tears help if I use them 4 times a day. But I will find a way to manage this just like I did with MC...I figure if I can manage my MC so well then this should be easy peazy right? My eyes are doing good for the last two days so keeping my fingers crossed. I now tell people..."ya know it's hard being me".

If anyone has this condition and can offer me any other regimen that helps, please let me know. Doctor says it's my oil glands malfunctioning in the eyelids. I have an appointment with him next month and he will give me a more thorough examination then. This eye pain is no fun. BTW...I can't read much and it's killing me...have so many books and can't read any of them.

Terri

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Sun Sep 15, 2013 6:25 pm

Someone I know has blepharitis and I know a little about it. She also has rosacea and the blepharitis is apparently related to that. Rosacea is an autoimmune condition as is MC and celiac. The other kind of blepharitis is, I think, caused by a staph infection.

Sorry I can't add more right now because the person I know is out of the country.

By the way, I've suffered with allergy related "pink eye" and washed my eyes with baby shampoo. It wasn't at all irritating and my eyes felt better after using it.

Sheila w

tlras · Post by **tlras** » Sun Sep 15, 2013 6:46 pm

Hi Sheila,

Think I will try the baby shampoo. I don't have Rosacea but a possible infection is more likely...doing much better if I could just nip this in the bud like I had a few weeks ago. Apparently tears and Blepharitis don't go well together. I got this flare right after I went a couple of days of being on the computer way too long and reading way too much. Has happened before but was able to control it easier back then. Now I have to go out and buy all new makeup....ugh! Keeping my fingers crossed this goes away soon! Thanks!

Terri

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Sun Sep 15, 2013 8:02 pm

Hi Terri,
I have blepheritis, which rears it's little head every few weeks, and has been around for about 10 years. I use baby shampoo. It's automatic now. It goes away quickly, and comes back periodically.

tlras · Post by **tlras** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 7:35 am

Lesley,

I'm glad to hear yours goes away quickly. I can't believe how often it comes back though! I had something like this 6 years ago... so this is my second flare up I suppose. After reading your comment, I will definitely have to try the shampoo rather than the Cetaphil and OccuSoft I've been using. See if it'll work better. Eyes were dry when I woke up but for 3 days now there is hardly any pain....hoping it's going to go away for awhile.

Thanks for your response! Like don't we have enough to deal with as it is?! One day my whole day will be occupied with managing all my issues....so frustrating sometimes....I've definitely turned high maintenance...surprised hubby is still around!

Terri

UkuleleLady · Post by **UkuleleLady** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 8:08 am

Hi Terri!

My husband has blepharitis and had a bad situation that required surgery a few years ago, but it was after we went camping in WTX and some weird dust flew into his eye. It was too far gone by the time we got back to Austin.

To clean frequently in a flare he just keeps the kettle going to sterilize the water first. Then he uses cotton balls.

He was told to use cetaphil to wash his eyes rather than baby shampoo. Just throwing that out there if you think it might be easier on the eyes.

Hope this gets under control quickly.

Nancy

tlras · Post by **tlras** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 9:01 am

Hi Nancy...neighbor!

Yikes sorry to hear that your hubby had to have surgery from it! I thought I had something under my eyelids but doctor couldn't see anything. Still think I'm having a reaction to some product I used. It's hard to figure out. I do use cotton rounds when cleaning with cetaphil. And tons of artificial tears.

Thank you! I don't know about you but really wanting our first cool front to come through! And I mean cool, not cold...lol!

How have you been?

Terri

wmonique2 · Post by **wmonique2** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 2:29 pm

Never a dull moment, Terri! Hope you can "see" your way through this one! I know, with certainty, that taking care of my health IS a fulltime job ;-)

Love,

Monique

UkuleleLady · Post by **UkuleleLady** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 2:50 pm

Hi Terri,
I hope I didn't frighten you with his surgery tale. I'm sure it's because we were in the far west Texas dirt for days before taking a good bath.

Thanks for asking, I've been a lot better. Still on Entocort 9mg, I might delay tapering for another month, but I'm at the end of 3 mos in a few days. My doc didn't give me good tapering instructions, so I'm going to do 3 then 2 then 3 for a while, and see how that feels. I have enough meds for another 3 months.

I cut a lot of triggers out of my diet (see signature on left) and while norman is not my buddy, I don't have multiple BMs. And that's a huge blessing. Feeling pretty good and rather normal for the most part. Just concerned about the eventual taper!

I'm knitting a wool sweater in hopes that will encourage fall to visit. My husband and I are traveling to northern New Mexico next month, so I'm sure I will wear it there! We are thinking about moving to New Mexico for cooler weather, seasons, hiking. We will see how it goes out there. I rented a condo really cheap on airbnb (57 a night!) so I will be able to buy/make my own foods rather than eat out.

Best to you!!! I hope that your eye clears out very very soon.

Nancy :)

tlras · Post by **tlras** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 8:02 am

Monique...thank you! Yes, good thing I don't have a job....can only handle one full-time job...lol....gotta laugh or I'll just cry. Eyes are worse today so calling doctor and getting back on the antibiotic drops.

Nancy...surgery tales don't scare me...lol. I just didn't realize you could have surgery for Blepharitis. I can't seem to nip this in the bud....getting my MC to go into remission was easier than trying to manage this crud.

By the way, your tapering of Entocort sounds good. I would taper like Leah did which sounds like what you plan on doing. doctors will have you off the stuff too soon. When my doctor told me to take Pepto, he didn't tell me how much or for how long...just knew from this forum what to do and then I chose to wean off the 3rd month. Thank goodness for this forum!! So glad you are feeling better. I loved Northern New Mexico. We drove through there coming back from the Grand Canyon a few years ago. I hear its a great place to live. I've been in remission for a year and still can't brave a trip....sigh...maybe one day. Enjoy your trip and the cooler weather! Looks like we may get rain from a tropical system in the Gulf...maybe that'll cool things off a bit. Take care!

Terri