Have sjogrens as well as lupus which I was told at my last appointment but wasn't given any advice on what to use that helps. I have tried various eye drops which help a bit but was just wondering if anyone could recommend any and can you get them on prescription.
Thank you
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joannebond360
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My GP gets my optician to recommend what's best for me as she feels they're better placed to do so (after an eye examination).
I started off on hypromellose eye drops during the day (I use lacrilube at night) but after a few years my optician switched me to celluvisc. However I didn't get on well with that, so now I use viscotears which are preservative free, quite viscose, and comforting in my eyes. It is a bit of trial and error, but worth asking your optician.
I get mine on prescription, which as I live in Scotland, is great, as prescriptions are free.
last year my gp finally sent me to our local nhs hospital's eye clinic where i was lucky enough to be seen by a consultant specialising in immune system patients: HE IS MY HERO! i had been coping, well SUFFERING really, with a typical sicca/sjogrens complex of periorbital and eye symptoms for years...being told: nothing wrong allormal,aging etc by my optiticans & my former gp & even my hero rheumatologist (i forgive her: in 2010 she (re) diagnosed my lupus after all and got me started on treatments that ARE helping all over my bod + i forgive my gp who after all did finally refer me to this eye clinic)....well, this hero eye consultant was very specific and diagnosed several different dry eye conditions AND told me to throw the lacrilube my rheumatologist at my (re) diagnosis had given me in the wastebasket (he called it his "least favourite" Rx).
instead he prescribed 3 things, but warned me i might have to get them OTC if NICE hadn't approved them yet:
artelac nighttime gel (available on prescription now: so much nicer than lacrilube: not gummy and smeary at all)
hylotears drops (available on prescription now: fantastic stuff)
Rx MGD eye bag (available from amazon, invented by an eye consultant: WONDERFUL product)
AND MY LIFE CHANGED
perhaps your set of eye conditions is slightly different from mine, but this consultant told me mine are typical of people with our diagnosis. he said i need to use these items conscientiously or my periorbital tissues and my eyes will deteriorate even further. i have been very very conscientious, and boy oh boy do these products make a HUGE difference. at my next eye clinic appt it was all i could do not to HUG this hero dr!
if you want to know more about his diagnosis, let me know. i could go on & on about this!!!!!
You're very welcome Joanne: hope you'll let usknowhow you get on. I'd say that within3 months I could really feel a difference, but the advantages of artelac over lacrilube were obvious immediately.
Also, I've been thinking since my earlier replies...:
You're right to say you'll talk this treatment through with your gp: I do feel totally confident about managing my eyes this way because the various aspects of my version of dry eye have been diagnosed officially.
And finally, gulp, I feel I must add that years ago I FINALLY gave up wearing eye make up altogether....haha, of course, NOW I actually know exactly why I've been struggling to find eye make up products that didn't aggravate my eye symptoms. Well, I'm 60, so no eye make up isn't as much of a frustration as it once seemed to be...I guess (honestly: I seriously miss it: yes, I am at least this vain!). AND I am certain that doing without does help my eyes and periorbital area....BUT I think I'm a lot older than you....
I am finding it hard without my contact lenses at the moment and having to wear glasses but to have no make up too, booo hooo we do suffer don't we? Hope it doesn't get to that point. I seem to go through good spells with my eyes and then bad days. It's all new to me though and still new things and symptoms happening all the time
You're helping me think through my eyes stuff Joanne!
Until you mentioned you have good & bad days, I'd kind of been ignoring the fact that hey haha: I do too....but I have SO many more good days than I have for years + so much fewer bad days...that I am kind of looking at my eyes stuff through rose tinted glasses...I think you were part of the fantastic forum discussions thanks to Purpletop recently re the lupus reality of seldom being without symptoms no matter how effective our treatment is....well, I'm thinking: that's me & my eyes stuff...just felt I'd best admit this to you
AND in no way does realising this put me off continuing to be super conscientious about following my eyes Rx regime!
Thanks for discussing this eyes stuff: you're the first person I've thought about it rather more deeply with!
I was given one without preservative called clinitas, which are in small resealable containers, easy to use thro the day and don't irritate like the one with preservative - hypromellose. Only problem there is barely eneogh in one for a day! i didn't know there were so many choices out there!
My sister has bafloritis and has to do twice daily routines of unblocking and cleaning which if she doesn't do she really suffers. She has horrible burning and swelling. Really horrible for her. Since doing the cleaning routine she has brilliant days with them.
Love being on here, helps me so much speaking to you all.
Quick update. Gp would only give me lacrilube, wow, my eyes feel amazing! Used it 3 times, redness gone! Thank you so much everyone for your advice. Don't know what I would do without you all and this fab forum
I've had severe dry eye problems over the years with the eyelid sticking to the eyeball during sleep and in consequence tearing the surface of the eyeball when I waken; the pain was excruciating. I have had all sorts of recommended treatments without success, but from my own observations I have found a very successful answer to the problem.
Wearing glasses and sun glasses in particular I have regular misting on the inside of the lens which suggested moisture permeating the eyelids and surrounding areas and condensing on the lenses. Sweaty eye socket syndrome for lack of more scientific description. If the same was happening while I was sleeping and the normal lubricating actions weren't in operation this was causing the problem.
I had seen elsewhere, someone recommending putting plastic sheeting under glasses to wear at night, with some success, so I felt I was on the right track. Instead of applying gel called Lacri-lube to my eyes in an attempt to maintain the lubrication process, I applied it to my Eyelids and surrounding areas with considerable, but not total success. The aim was to stop the migration of moisture outwards through the eyelids.
I have now found a compound called EPADERM, a petroleum jelly like ( for god's sake don't use petroleum jelly)
treatment which your local skin clinic uses for dry skin conditions. It is perfectly safe to apply to the areas surrounding your eyes. Last thing at night, I apply a liberal coating to eyelids and surrounding areas and have no more overnight traumas. It may be of some use through the day if not too liberal an application is applied.
I sincerely hope this will be of some assistance to anyone with dry eye problems.
Hi I get Viscotears on prescription, I like these as they are a gel as opposed to a liquid so they tend to stay in my eyes and give me plenty of benefit for a long time, good luck I hope you find something that makes your eyes feel better
Hi I use thealoz eye drops now they are quite new. The bottle lasts for eight weeks but I use mine in about two. I have sjogrens and use these drops every hour. I have quite severe dry eyes. Hope this helps x
Hi Joanne. - I’ve always had problems with dry eye for the last 25 years or so. I’ve tried every treatment on the market and none ever worked. The problem was becoming worse so I paid to have a consultation with my Optician as the stinging in my eyes was unbearable as well. He suggested Hyabak which is preservative free. I’d never tried this before and no Professional had ever suggested it before, but it saved my life! I get it on prescription, but you can also purchase it in an Opticians.
I use Artelac night times, as Lacrilube is unobtainable where I live. Apparently some of my glands that produce mucus are not working, which is why the eyes sting so much - but using the Hyabak as many times possible, helps with this as well.
Give it a try, you never know it may help you. Good luck
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