Itchy, swollen, peeling eyelids - Rosacea Message Board

mssewnsew · 11-09-2009, 08:08 AM

Hi, new to this today. Seem imformative, a little difficult to use to post a question, probably because I'm a novice.

Well enough of that and on to my topic. A month ago my family and I were on an outdoor outing. All that good stuff available in the end of summer and early fall floating, invisible in the air. Pollen or allergens whatever you wish to call it. On the way home, after about 6 hours in the stuff, we had a big laugh over something and just kept it up most of the 1 1/2 hours home. I was crying I was laughing so much; tears eyerwhere. I had not had any trouble with my eyes at all. Later on my eyes and eyelids and under my eyes felt like I had gotten fresh, stinging ocean water in them. Mostly my left eye. I also wear contacts and they were so dry I could not hardly see they were so dry. They felt this way for a few days. It got a little better but in the mornings my eyes were all crusty.

Its about a month later and now my eyelids are still burning and swollen and peeling. I read on the site about Blepharitis and wonder if that might be what I have. I did at some time in the last 20 years remember I had to wash my eyelids and around my eyes with J_______ Baby Shampoo because it was tearless and would not sting my eyes but would clean all the bad cuties out.

I've been to the Dr. and dermatologists most of my life for weird skin problems, but haven't been recently for lack of funds. I lost my job - fired, from being a waitress of all things about 2 months ago. One of my old, retired dermatologists would ask me when I had some "flare up" what my "boyfriend had done to upset me?" He assumed that a lot of my problems were nerve associated. Yes that's quite possible.

I also stopped taking all my drugs (ie: vitamins, and herbals) since I didn't need all the "help" keeping me going on my non-existent job. This according to some of the testimonials I've read might be another cause. Lack of iron maybe or some other substance I was getting enough of.

I also remember as a child I had some horrible head type of problem like severe dandruff. Also necessitating some Rx type medicines. That goodness my parents other 3 kids didn't have these type of problems.

I hoping if anyone has any other advice they'd pass it along, SOOOOOON!
Thanks - A -

Brooke12 · 11-17-2009, 11:35 PM

Mssewnsew,

I hope you are still around so I can tell you what has helped me. I had never had a problem with my eyes in any way until almost two years ago (will be two years in Feb). I woke up one morning and my eyes were itchy and swollen so bad they were darn near swollen shut. However, no gooey stuff like pink eye. It was not that. Just swollen and itchy.

By the next day they were red and scaly.

Well, for 3 months I suffered with this, wearing no makeup and spending hours a day online, reading posts and trying every remedy. Saw two different derms and one did an allergy test, testing me for everything imaginable, as I had to bring samples in of different things I was exposed to.

Meanwhile I had thrown out all my makeup and washed all of my brushes (which I do anyway, quite regularly). I thought it was an allergic reaction to nickel, to pink or purple eyeshadow, as well as a myriad of other things. Problem was, I removed these items from my life and nothing changed!

Finally, after 3 months of constant swelling (it sometimes went down as the day went on, but always swollen in the morning and always red and scaly and itchy), I read to try coconut oil. I was so desperate I bought some at Trader Joes, and after washing my face and eyes, slathered that stuff on! Well, overnight I had a huge improvement, and within a week I was completely cured of this.

Okay, cut to two weeks ago. No signs of anything coming back ever, until two weeks ago my husband and I were in the movie theater, after an afternoon of shopping. I had a little itch on my eyelid (right where one would wear eyeliner), and I scratched it. Almost immediately I could feel it swelling up. I panicked and ran to the bathroom and it was swelling, as well as the other eye swelling a bit.

By the time the movie was over and we were home, it was full blown swollen, and by the next morning all scaly again. I was devastated. Could not go through this again!

The itching was even more unbearable this time around than the first.

Well, I keep the coconut oil on hand anyway as it is a good moisturizer I discoverd, so I started using that on my lids again, and was back on the computer after a day because it didn't seem to have helped "overnight" this time. Did more reading, and did the warm washcloth compresses on the eyes to soften up the scales, and then washed with warm water and baking soda. Incredibly fine and not grainy, but it helped to wash off any scaly stuff that was loose. I kept at the coconut oil too. No makeup of course. Did this all day long...washing and more coconut oil. By the next day, I woke and hardly any swelling, and my eyes were so much better. All told, from day one at the movies to when it was COMPLETELY gone, was 10 days, but really I think I can say by 8 I was over it. I added two for good measure.

I credit the coconut oil mostly, but I think that using the baking soda and water probably helped a lot. I never had much look with baby shampoo, and I do have Thera tears eye wash, which I washed with first (oh and also started using Thera tears eye drops, as I read that "dry eye" can cause this problem, by making your eyes shed tears that cause a reaction on the skin).

Anyway, sorry this is so long, but I wanted to help with suggestions, as I know so very well how frustrating it is. I sit here over mine right now...in fear of another breakout. But, I am pretty convinced that I have it figured out now. Am going to continue with the baking soda a couple times a week, and the eye drops twice a day. I do not know if I have dry eye, but these can't hurt.

Brooke12 · 11-17-2009, 11:42 PM

Want to add that if you do try the coconut oil, buy the "unrefined" and it comes in a jar. It may turn to liquid if the house is warm, or may stay a solid if it is cool or typical room temp.

Either way is fine. Now for winter it will probably stay solid. What I do is I use a plastic baby spoon and I wash it with antibacterial soap before dipping it into the jar. I wash it each time, so I am not releasing any bacteria into the jar. Never use the fingers, even if just washed.

You could use a Q tip too if you want, and just throw it out.

After putting it on your eyes and under your eyes, let it sit a minute or so, then gently dab with a clean cloth (I have cloth diapers I keep on hand for this type of thing. Not the prefolded but the big ones). Just dab off the excess and the rest will soak in. I think you should be able to use a kleenex too, if you don't keep them near the toilet (I worry about any bacteria floating in the air and getting on the kleenex...I'm super hygenic in trying to cure this darn thing!).

This last time I also had the scaly red skin under my eyes. The first time it did not travel down there.

Good luck if you get this, but I hope that you are over it by now anyway! It is just misery and it is rather embarassing to always look either like you've been sobbing your eyes out all night or are diseased!!

Dancinboots · 11-18-2009, 06:24 AM

Hi Brooke

I have exactly what you "HAD" going on mostly on my right eyelid. A little on my left. Red, itchy, swollen,dry, peeling eyelids. It's been going on for about 2 months now, and I have tried everything you mentioned, besides the baking soda and coconut oil. I did the baby shampoo scrub, sterilid eyelid cleaner as well as the eye drops. Nothing has got rid of it yet. Sometimes it seems to be settling down a bit and then the next thing I know it's back. I look like a raccoon!!

I am also wondering if it could be Blepharitis which has some of the same symptoms. I have an appointment with my eye doctor on Tuesday. Hopefully he will be able to tell me what the heck it is and what's causing it. In the meantime I think I will try the baking soda and water scrub. Where did you hear of the coconut oil remedy? I don't have a Trader Joes in my area, but I'm assuming any good health store would have the refined coconut oil.

You sound exactly like me, continually search the internet for answers to health problems. There is a wealth of information as long as you search on a reputable site. Thanks for the great post. You never know who it might help, like me for instance.

Sharon

Brooke12 · 11-18-2009, 09:57 AM

Hi Sharon,

I am so sorry you are going through this. You know, when I had this before, for 3 months, I could not believe that so many people were going through the same thing, chronically, and there seemed to be nothing anybody could do about it! You are right, there really is a wealth of information on the internet, and I found that word of mouth and home remedies was my only hope.

I left a lot out of my post about how many different things I tried. Every week trying something else. Only thing I never tried was hydrocortizone, because I was fearful of thinning the skin. However, one of the derms I saw wanted me to use it. But I had read online where people used it and it didn't help.

Sometimes we really have to take our health into our own hands, unfortunately.

Well, regarding the coconut oil (which you actually want "un-refined" and not refined), I read it at one of the sites where people were discussing Blepharitis. Well, after finding out about it, I started "searching" coconut oil and read so much on it, and weeded out the hype and finally decided it was worth it.

I have since discovered that it really is a great moisturizer with antibacterial and anti fungal properties. It actually soaks into the skin better than other oils do. I can even wear it on my face without breaking out, and, amazingly it does not make my skin shiny or oily through the day like other moisturizers! I put it on, wipe it off and the rest soaks in.

However, some people have had breakouts on the face, so it is definitely not for everyone as a daily moisturizer (plus, of course, no sunblock). So, over the last couple years I have read up on it quite a bit as a food source also. Definitely lots of "hype" but some good information too.

I don't use it regularly though, on my body, but it really is supposed to be antibacterial as well as antifungal...so I think that's what is curing this thing!

What really put me off, on blepharitis, was reading how it can come on from not washing the eyes properly. Well, I have always washed my face twice a day and all makeup off at night. Always! So I was determined to believe it was an allergy. That makes no sense though if it doesn't go away when you remove the sources, and also, that I can go back to everything later and it doesn't come back!

It sure is frustrating. Please do post here what your doctor says. I didn't go this time, because I have just read so much that the doctors don't know what to do. If your doctor has you go on cortizone, I would read up on it before you do. From what I hear it thins skin and it doesn't thicken back up. That seems weird that the skin would not "repair" itself later, but I don't want to take the chance!

Do try to coconut oil, and try it for at least a week, although you may see improvement right away. If you get it in your eyes, it will make them blurry, but it is not a worry from what I have read. So, annoying but not a worry. I wanted to really make sure it got into the eyelash line, so it did end up in my eyes some.

Today is the first day I have worn makeup again, and so far so good. No trace of any rough skin coming on. I probably should have given it one more week, and may end up removing it later and going back to the oil for a few more days.

What would we do without the internet? I can't imagine having this and having to rely on only our own doctors. Who would think something like this could really be this complicated for doctors to fix?!!

Good luck and please post back. From what I have read, this can be "chronic" and we can get it again and again, so any and all advice sure helps!

ps. yes, you can get the coconut oil at any health food store. It is becoming more mainstream and even some regular groceries carry it. It needs to be un-refined, but it doesn't matter if it is organic or not. Spectrum is the brand I use.

Brooke