Recurrent Corneal Erosion

glassgirl

I just discovered this bulletin board in my search for what to expect from a puncture procedure. I have had RCE for about a year, had PTK in March which work great, except there was still an area with some cysts that needed treatment (why they didn't take care of that with the PTK is still a big question in my mind) so now I need a puncture procedure. I have had 2 episodes now, am just waiting to have an episode when the dr is availabe to puncture me. I can't really find good information on how painful that is and what recovery from it is like. I found the PTD to be way more painful than the doc let me to believe, although it healed like a charm and that area has been great. I just wish they could have done that procedure to more of my eye and taken care of the entire problem at once.

Chuck, how are you doing? I would enjoy hearing about the procedure and your recovery. I hope all is well.

chuckcap

Funny I just had a MAJOR RCE last night almost 2 weeks from the debridgement and puncture. I saw the doc this morning got a BCL and he wanted to perform another debridgement (I said no way lets try the BCL for now) The initial debridgement was painless (numbing drops) and he put over a 100 punctures in the area of the eye. I was out for about 3 days with extreme pain for the first 4-26 hours and discomfort for 2-4 days. I had a BCL for a week then started using the muro everynight and for somereason last night got woken in extreme pain from a RCE BAD! I am following my steps from what I did yesterday. I worked in a dusty environment but did not feel any discomfort and used refresh tears numerous times??? Still no ryme or reason as to why, but I missed another bid day of work again. THis is really a nightmare so far. I have to go back again in 8 days to recheck it. The only thing that I can't recall was my sleeping position? I know I had some dreams light sleep last night if that matters? Maybe REM sleep did me in? THanks for your concern and I will keep you all posted from now on.

squirrel2349

Glassgirl, how painful was the PTK? Hours/days? Do you know how big an area they did? My doc says the best is to do the entire cornea but that's a really scary thought for me. I had the puncture procedure 3 separate times. After he did it the 1st time I got another really bad erosion and he said it was in a different area from where he did the 1st puncture so he repeated the procedure in another spot and again a few weeks after that when a blister developed under the epthilium, possibly from the BCL he gave me after the 1st procedure. The pain was pretty bad for awhile after the anesthetic wore off after about 4 hours and uncomfortable for several days. I continued to have erosions, I think from the cornea sticking to the BCL, even though the BCL was supposed to help the healing, and was suddenly getting erosions anytime without warning and not just at night. After the 3rd procedure he removed the BCL, patched my eye for the 1st 24 hours, and after that it felt better. I've still had some minor erosions but nothing like it was before and they tell me that the next step is PTK but I'm hoping to avoid that option since I'm allergic to oral pain medication. I found that after the PTK, warm compresses helped with the pain. I used one of those Bed Buddy sinus packs you just heat up in the microwave.

chuckcap

Something I don't understand. How is it you can go weeks inbetween errosions? Why doesn't it happen nightly? Could something in the eyelids or something else be contributing to the errosions? Just wondering because you can't predict it. Far as the BCL sticking to the eye, my doc said the contact sits on the tear layer thus avoiding such occurences. Could you have dry eyes instead that causes the BCL to stick? Did the doc give you antibotic drops as well? Just wondering.

squirrel2349

I don't understand why either, although I was having erosions just about every night and sometimes several times/night before the puncture procedure, but at times I'd go several days without and could never figure out why those days were different than others. I was on an antibiotic drop when I had the BCL. Even though I was never officially diagnosed with dry eye, I believe they are somewhat dry but I do use drops during the day and both drops & gel at night. I now find that using the gel at night tends to crust on my lashes and make my lids stick together which I think is helping to keep my eye shut at night. It seems that the erosions happened right before I would awaken, probably from my lids opening a little before I was aware of it but with the gel they are more adhered shut.

chuckcap

Good info squirl, I also read some articles on the web that artifical tears actually make the condition worse... This is interesting because when I first got diagnosed the doc said to use tear drops and eye lube ointment at night which I did then things got worse...I had more RCE than before the start of treatment. Lastly, when I went back in with pain from the last RCE the doc wanted to perform another debridgement and puncture again (2 weeks after the last one) I opted for the BCL instead hoping it will take. Has anyone had luck using the BCL for an extended period over just using MURO at night? MY BCL allows me to sleep in any position with no RCEs
Is there any supplement available to help the cells in the eye heal better?

Evie4

Hi Chuck, sorry to hear you are still struggling with your erosions.

I have had the first full week of not wearing my BCL (at night) and not having an erosion. I had some problems before then a milder erosion at which time I changed into a fresh contact the next morning, but two days later when I reinserted it, my eye was irritated and red (redness isn't something I generally experience). This forced me to sleep without it and so far so good. Allergeries (hayfever) are bad right now, but suprisingly as long as I take my antihistamines I'm alright--when they wear off, my eye feels irritated, but so does my other one. Also, I'm taking Donnatal (for IBS) which I thought was contributing to my RCEs before , but now I wonder. Could it be that it is actually helping prevent the edema under the cornea that I've read make the cells unstable? The Donnatal definitely keeps the white of my eyes very white. I've noticed this some years back. The mystery goes on....

moshpit

Hey chuck cap. I must be about 9 months into BCL therapy now. And I can go months between erosions (this to me is a success). My optho wants a complete 9 months with no erosions (no mild ones or big ones before we try without the BCL in). I use less and less eyedrops now. Maybe once or twice during the day and 2 or three times at night (everytime I wake up). I am heaps happier this way than wearing a pirate patch every second day. I havent had a proper erosion since November last year (6 months wahoo!!) and only maybe 3 mild ones since then (only like a 2/10 on th pain scale) and nothing since early march. Its a very strange feeling when i get the contact changed (every 14-21 days) but i guess my cornea is just so unused to feeling my eye lid on it after so long wearing the contacts. I havent had a debridement or PTK although I have considered both options and if i hit the two year anniversary of my injury (fingernail across cornea) and the contact still hasnt fixed it I will reconsider those options.

Janet S

Moshpit,
Congratulations on being erosion-free for such a long time...I hope that this success continues.

I send you all wishes to stay erosion-free.

Janet

Evie4

Moshpit,

Glad to hear things are so much better for you. Unfortunately, the morning (3am) after I posted one week of no erosion without the BCL, I had two erosions. Guess I spoke too soon. I'm getting close to one year of my injury. Just doesn't seem like I can avoid these erosions if I don't wear the BCL. I have thoughts of PTK. My vision is affected enough that coupled with erosions, PTK is sounding appealing. Wouldn't be able to do it for a while even if I wanted to (have to travel etc.) I'm curious to see how things go once you get out of the BCL.

Evie

moshpit

Damn Evie. Thats really sucks that you had an erosion after a week. To be honest I scared of what its going to be like without the contact. Life kind've sucked for the first 9 months of my RCE without it.

Ill be interested to see how it goes without it as well.

chuckcap

It seems most who use the bcl have no problems...The issue is how long does it take to fully heal? My doc said it takes 3-6 months for the cells to take and form deep to prevent rce. I love my bcl in but I also know its a false sense of security. I went monts with the bcl only to go back to rce again. The real question is does the eye heal properly with the bcl in? If it takes 3-6 months then why not wear a bcl for months? Recently I told the doc to leave in my bcl for a few more weeks due the dusty environment Im working in. Dust seems to bring on RCE for me, even with drops 12x a day. Good luck to all! Evie hope all is well!

moshpit

f&%#!!!

6 Months and then bang last night a mild erosions. Enough to make me know it aint healed but only a 4/10 on the pain scale.

Must be the commentators curse huh?

Evie4

Ah rats Moshpit! Sorry to hear that. I'm on my nightly contact still. Allergies have made it feel a little touchy, but all in all I can't complain.

When I first started reading about RCE (in medical literature), it said such things as 'erosion can occur years after initial injury'. This makes me wonder how, without something like PTK we can really truly recover from the injuries with no further erosions(?)

Hang in there, hope everyone else is doing okay!