I am also new to the forum...have been clear of erosions now for almost 4 months after several months of hell. Here's my brief story... I somehow injured my eye while sleeping in April and a spent several months with worsening eye erosions. Tried artificial tears of varying degrees, Muro drops and ointment, room humidifier, etc. all with little or no effect...or so I thought...every few days I would wake up with another erosion and my focus would be shot for a day or two until it healed, only to happen again a few days later....I figured the Muro was not working, so I decided to stop using the ointment at night and the next morning awoke with an extremely painful tear on my cornea that sent me to the ER. What I learned is that the mix of things I was doing was somewhat helpful for me...Muro drops during the day, ointment at night and cool mist room humidifier next to the bed. I also had a small plug put into one of my tear ducts, because the damaged eye was dry. This was a simple painless procedure (took about 10 seconds and plugs come out just as quickly) and helped to lubricate the eye.
However, I suffered a severe erosion again, while I was out of town again a few weeks later, after I went most of the day without using my Muro drops....I went to the ER and the eye doctor put in a bandage contact lens. When I got home and saw my eye doctor, I told him I was planning to go on a family vacation to Las Vegas (DRY Climate) and Hawaii the following week...the bandage contact lens felt pretty good and I asked if I could keep it in, as I began to think that it protected my eye while I slept. He gave me a combination of
Acular drops to treat pain and inflamation and an antibiotic drop, and told me that I could leave the lens in until I returned from vacation. He also said to use the Muro drops religiously. I have never worn contact lenses, but I found that after a day or two, I didn't feel the bandage lens at all and my eye came into focus with it, so it felt as if it was not there.
I had no problem for the 10 days I was away and I kept the lens in for total of 14 days with NO erosions. This was a major change of events for me, as I had been having them every couple of days. At that point, I wanted to keep the bandage lens in forever. When I returned from my vacation, my eye doctor removed the lens and the next morning I had a very slight erosion, however, I continued to use the Muro drops 3-4 times a day and ointment every night. I have been erosion free now for 4 months. I am convinced that the use of the lens for two weeks game my epithelium the jump start it needed to adhere to the eye. I also met with an eye specialist who suffered from recurring erosion himself a few years ago. He said one of the problems was that my expectations were not set up correctly. He said that it could take 6 to 9 months for the eye to heal correctly and he told me to continue the Muro routine (3-4 drops per day/ ointment at night) for at least six months. I have about two months left before I can begin tapering off the Muro.... Also, I still have the plug in the tear duct of the affected eye. My non-affected eye is often drier and I am considering placing a plug in that eye's tear duct...you cant see these plugs, unless you look very closely for them, but they are a pretty simple, cheap way to treat dry eye, without resorting to systemic drugs. I still also use artificial tears when I feel extra dry.
I wish you luck in treating your erosions...I know at times it seems like your helpless, but there are things that seem to work.... I was ready to undergo the lasik procedure, but the bandage lens and Muro routine did the trick for me...
Quote:
Originally Posted by annammas62
dear friends,
I am new to this forum.I injured my cornea with my own finger nail 4 years ago.It healed without any problems in less than 48 hours as I was told by the ophthalmologist.I thought that was the end of it.Problems started one week later.I don't have to describe.You know all about it.Recurrent corneal erosions continued at varying intervals.I started using refresh liquigel at night and after waking up every time.I was free of symptoms for about one and a half years and i thought i was healed completely and stopped using the drops.Again it was ok for few more months. but i had 2 episodes recently when i had to sleep at an unfamiliar place.
I have found that to prevent erosions,some tricks are really more helpful.1.After putting the drops in the eye,I have learned to keep my eye tightly closed(not too tightly though) and keep it like that till I fall asleep.
2.On waking up ,do not open the eyes. Immediately start washing the eye with water gently.Repeatedly apply water to the eyes.After sometime we find the eye opening easily.After that it is ok.If i go back to sleep I put the drops again. I hope it helps someone.Prayers for all of you. Bye.
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