posted 10-12-2003 11:54 PM            

I just need some support and suggestions. I just don't think that I can spend the rest of my life like this. Surely there has to be something that can be done in order to have normal eyes again.

By the way it has taken me 3 different doctors to get this diagnosis. The last one told me to do the lid scrubs ( never explained how), gave me the meds and out the door he went.

posted 10-13-2003 03:00 AM            

I think that's good your doctor started you on a cycline derivative. I have been using doxycycline for two months now (100 mg/day) and have experienced dramatic results. It has really helped to reduce the amount of redness I had in my conjunctivae (they're actually starting to look white again!). You just have to be patient for it to kick in and start working (maybe one month?). As for the Blephamide, I would just be extremely careful with this drug - it is a steroid and can affect intraocular pressure. PLEASE stop taking it immediately if you have any pain because it can permanently damage your cornea and/or optic nerve. This is what almost happened to me. Thank goodness I stopped taking it in time!

I think the most important things to do if you have this disease, as I mentioned earlier, are the warm compresses and lid massages (at least 4x/day). You should also drink tons of water throughout the day and maybe try some of those eye nutrition supplements. I take a couple of those TheraTears Nutrition pills every morning and night. But if you decide to use these supplements, DON'T take them within two hours of having taken your minocyclene - I think there may be some absorption issues. Another thing I do is use a prescription medication called MetroCream. My ophthalmologist told me to put it on my nose, cheeks and forehead once a day. This cream is usually for people who have the facial form of rosacea (which I don't have), but my doctor says it is of some benefit to the ocular form because it helps reduce inflammation somehow (not exactly clear on this). And finally, NEVER use any eye drop that has vasoconstrictors (drops that "get the red out") - this will only make your condition much worse!!

Also, are you experiencing any dry eye symptoms? The warm compresses and lid massages should really help with this. And you should use an artificial tear that is preservative-free (you probably already know all of this).

I hope you start to experience some relief soon. If it's any consolation, I've been there and I know what you're going through. It took me months to figure out what was happening to me - the first ophthalmologist I went to could never give me an answer, and I suffered greatly. I am so happy I'm seeing this new doctor now. He has helped me a lot and seems genuinely concerned about seeing me get better. I hope you find a doctor like this, too. Please be patient - there is hope that you will get your symptoms under control.

posted 10-13-2003 05:57 PM            

I think the absolute key things for you to do right now are the lid massages and warm compresses (I don't do the lid scrubs anymore because they just caused further irritation to my eyes). Doing these two things has helped me 10x more than any drug I've been put on -I'm not kidding you. I got rid of every single symptom of meibomitis, except the red eyes, doing just these two simple things at least 4x/day (my red eyes started to clear up more once I started the Doxycycline). Compresses and massages are absolutely essential for you to get your symptoms under control (have I made my point?). I'll explain how to do these in a little bit.

Another thing that I think would benefit you a lot is to wean yourself off of the Visine - I know it's hard to face the public with red eyes, but these drops are only doing you more harm than good in the long run. You may have noticed that when the Visine wears off, your eyes are redder than they were when you first put them in (this is called the "rebound effect"). Over time, the blood vessels in your eyes become permanently damaged as they lose their elasticity. Then they remain red and engorged with blood because they have completely lost their ability to constrict. As I said, I know how difficult it is to have red, bloodshot eyes - I'm sure people must have thought I was high on pot all the time! But you really don't want your eyes to become dependent on these drops. Just give them some time to clear up on their own, and try not to worry too much about what other people think (I know this is really difficult, though!).

I would definitely ask your ophthalmologist about the MetroCream. You should also ask him if he supects you have the facial form of rosacea, too, and whether or not you should consult a dermatologist. My ophthalmologist doesn't seem to think I have the facial form, though, so I never went to see a dermatologist.

As for the lid massages and warm compresses, try to do these at least 4x/day, definitely in the morning when you wake up and at night right before you go to bed. This will help to unclog the meibomian glands and get them functioning properly. For warm compresses, I would put a couple pieces of those cotton makeup removers under warm water then place them over my eyes. I would leave them on my eyes for about 10 minutes and just rewarm them under the water if they got too cool. While having the cotton on my eyes, I would gently massage the lids by pressing down on them and rubbing them. This helps to push out all of the clogged oil of the meibomian glands that line the inner rim of each eyelid (you can see these glands if you pull your lower eyelid out a little bit). After the compress, I would take my index figure and GENTLY push my eyelid against my eyeball to squeeze out any remaining oil. My ophthalmologist taught me how to do this and it works REALLY well - maybe you can ask your doctor about this next time you see him/her. I hope I explained this oaky - let me know if this explanation was too confusing. I should mention that the warm compresses/lid massages may seem irritating at first, but you will start to notice their benefits within a couple weeks.

Okay, keep in touch and let me know how you're doing. Stay hopeful and patient - this disease is tough to get under control and it takes a long time to get to a point where you're not experiencing any symptoms anymore. Believe me - I know. My doctor told me that the healing process was really slow, but he kept reassuring me that things would eventually get better. It's not like having a sore throat where once you start taking the medicine you feel well again in a couple of days. With this disease it takes weeks to notice just the slightest, tiniest bit of improvement. Honestly, with some extra effort on your part, it will get better. But don't expect the drugs to do it all for you!

posted 10-13-2003 09:14 PM            

Not to make you feel any worse about this, but to give you an idea of how long it will take to get through this, I've been dealing with this since January. It's probably not quite as bad as it was in January, but I've noticed no improvement for months now. Then again, I've yet to go on doxycycline.

As for the Visine, well...I know how you feel. I've broken down and used it a few times, but I try and stay away from it. I don't know what to tell you about the redness. I'm dealing with the same problem.