eye problems

[momof2]

Hello Everyone-
     I am on day 20 from my surgery and my eye is driving me crazy.  I have dry eyes and my Dr. says it will go away.  Does anyone have any suggestions for this?  I know that it is very common after the surgery.  It's just making my life crazy.
   Thanks Lana

[Obita]

Lana:

My eye dried up two weeks after surgery and it drove me crazy also.  What I found worked for me was gel drops durring the day and pm ointment at night.  I couldn't stand taping it or the patch so at night I put the ointment in and covered my eye with a egg shaped piece of plastic wrap.  You can use the ointment durring the day too but you can't see very well with it for about 15 min. 

Good luck.  If you scratched your cornea like I did it will heal in about two days of keeping it moist and the feeling of sand under your lid will be gone.  The eye heals very quick.  By the time I went back to work 2 mo. post op. my eye was closing at night again.

Kathy

[Joef]

I too find the eye issues the worst side effect from AN surgery (I'm not getting the headaches!!!)... stock up on Lacri-Lube .. and check you eye for foreign objects! remember with dry eye , the eyes dont flush out hair and stuff the get in there.  and I stopped using a electic razor helped a lot!!

[Battyp]

I used refresh drops every so many hours to keep my eye moist.  I only use them every once in a while now if I've read too much. 

[Desilu]

Hi Lana,

I too had dry eye after my surgery! It was worse than the tempoary facial paralysis! I used drops and then my brother (who is into taking vitamins) suggested taking Beta Carotene (25,000 IU) and Bilberry plus Lutein (for Visual Function) once a day. Within a week or two, I no longer had to use drops. I was back to work after 8 weeks with no problems at all. Hope this will help! ANN

[Raydean]

Just a word of caution, if you're a smoker please check with your doctor before taking Beta Carotene or other vitamins specially formulated for the eyes (such as I caps).  I can't remember exactly what the risks are but it was strongly stressed that he was not to take this as long as he smoked, nor could he be around second hand smoke as it would also increase his risks.

Raydean

If you're a smoker, or around second hand smoke please do a google search.  In my husbands case it increased the risk of MD by smoking  or  being around a smokerby taking  the vitamens mentioned above.  The google search will also bring up other studies involving serious health issues.  Smoking and Beta Carotene and  other eye vitamens  is serious stuff.

 

[russ]

Hi Lana;
  You could have the 'punctum' ( tear drainage holes ) temporarily plugged by an Opthamologist. Easy procedure and they can stay in indefinitely. I've had one for years.
  Maybe check your eye lubes that they contain no preservatives. Lacrilube can be melted faster with a warm wet pack.
  Just a couple thoughts...
  Good luck to you!
  Russ

[vcschaub]

My opthalmologist had me on Refresh drops and gel with ointment and taping at night. I was also put on Restasis, 1 drop in am and 1 drop in pm (in both eyes). The Restasis is all I use now. At first, I thought it wasn't working but my eye is completely well, if anything it overtears at times (how ironic)!

[Patti]

It's been 5 1/2 years and the eyes are the biggest problem, but I worked most of it out.  I use refresh liquigel for moderate to severe dry eye (after trying many other options).  Its thickness makes vission blurry but the other eye will make do.  Because it is thick it doesn't evaporate right away.  At night it dries and glues my eye shut so I don't tape it or anything.  I also have a gold weight and permanent punctum in my lower lid (which has made the most difference).  I see a cornea specialist every three months who cleans stuff out of my eye which i can't feel.  This helps alot.  Patti