Ulcerated eye

[Maureenpearl]

On Saturday I was sitting out in the garden with friends when my left eye started to itch as if I had something or a hair in my eye. I immediately put my sun glasses on and instilled some artificial tears to lubricate my eyes. The irritation continued for hours and at bed time when I turn my head I started to experience a sharp pain in my eye socket.

I eventually fell asleep for a few hours and then awake with so much irritation and pain in my eye that I had to get out of bed and wake my husband for him to take to the A & E at our local hospital. I sat in the waiting room with sun glasses on as the bright lights was hurting my eye.

When I eventually went in to see the doctor and he examined my eye he was very blunt in saying you have a large ulcer on your cornea and it could have been caused by the fact that you have lupus, or Sjogren, or the prednisolone that I take. When he checked my vision I could see more clearly with my left eye than my right eye, which he was very surprised by.

The treatment was antibiotic ointment and fast tracked to see an Ophthalmologist. I saw two doctors yesterday who said the ulcer is caused by the dryness of my eye (s). I was told to continue with the antibiotic ointment and Carmize eye drops. I will see the doctor again on Saturday morning and if the ulcer is almost healed then I will have some steroid drops.

November 14 I saw an Ophthalmologist who wanted to put some plugs into my eyes to help with the dryness but if it didn't work it will cause my eyes to always weep and if the plugs drop they can't take them out so I said no.

Has anyone else had ulcers in their eyes and has anyone had these plugs to help with the dryness?

[Geordie-chick]

Hi,

I get then regularly every few weeks tbh they have told me it the pours in my eyes getting blocked so I have to bathe them a couple of times a way with a hot flannel. Hope this helps ️xx

[EOLHPC]

am glad you posted about this, but i wish it weren't happening to you. i'm seen at the NHS eye clinic annually for monitoring of typical SLE/sjogrens dry eye conditions. i was v lucky to get set up there several years ago with my first consultant having great experience of autoimmune condition patients. he warned me what to do if i ever suspect ulceration like yours...and you've done it all as per his advice. i too have been warned that plugs may be necessary eventually. i'm v conscientious about complying with the treatment plan he put me on. but i know that even so ulceration and other eye probs are real possibilities. am going to follow your thread with great interest.

wishing you all the best

PS if you're interested in details of the treatment plan i'm on, let me know....it's fairly straight forward, but because that consultant was extra good on patients like us, the Rx he ordered may be especially right for us

[Lupieteach in reply to EOLHPC]

Please do tell your treatment plan and what to do!

[EOLHPC in reply to Lupieteach]

Ok, lupieteach, but bear in mind: I haven't myself actually had one of these ulcers yet! I've just been warned that I could get an ulcerated eye due to my version of SLE/sjogrens & my eye conditions. So I do my best to follow my Drs instructions and cross my fingers & toes...and meanwhile I am interested in learning what I can about these eye ulcers...which is why maureen's thread interests me....also, years ago, I nursed our big brave lurcher dog Tommy through an ulcer on his eyeball, and the experience was vvv sobering (he did eventually recover...the vet said treatment was v similar for humans)

Anyway, here is what the NHS eye clinic has me doing for my version of SLE/sjogrens dry eye syndrome (I'm diagnosed with Punctate Keratoconjunctivitis Siccamand Meibomian gland dysfunction with mild blepharitis) & to monitor my eyes for side effects of prescription meds...hope something in this info can be useful to you and others:

Annual monitoring at NHS eye clinic examinations & testing & scans

MGDRx Eye BAG: available from amazon

2x per day for 2wks: 10 min + 5-10 massage strokes as per instructions leaflet

Then 1x per day

Artelac Nightime gel: available on NHS prescription, also available from amazon (replaced lacrilube which is my consultants least fav nighttime lubricant) use before bed forever: one drop each eye, in bottom lid

Hylo tear 10ml daytime eye lubricant: available on NHS prescription and avalable x amazon, 1 drop each eye 3x per day (there are several diff versions of hylo tear, prescription depends on the severity of individual case)

Plus my Drs have told me I can continue with this lifestyle stuff which helps my eyes as well as the rest of me,bapparently:

anti inflammation diet

Anti inflammation supplements:

Vit D3 2000units daily

Omega Fish Oil 4000 mg daily

Vit C 2000mg daily

Turmeric complex 2 caps daily

Vit B complex 1 cap daily

Selenium 100 yg daily

Co-Q-10 100mg daily

Hoping something in there is useful to you...I've researched this subject over the years & my impression is that treatment plans like mine are fairly typical for people with my issues....but the trick is to get onto a regular eye clinic monitoring schedule...my GP referred me initially

[EOLHPC]

so sorry maureen: i was trying to recommend your post because i think you've put so much good info in it and somehow i've messed up: i think i must've pushed the recommend tab too many times...so now it says -5 when it should be saying +....argh...have emailed Health Unlocked asking them to correct my mistake

[Maureenpearl]

That's okay, the swelling of my eye lid is going down and the irritation is getting easier today.

I am now vomiting a lot i feel awful, I don't know if it's the infection as I feel very shaky today.

Thanks for caring

Lots of hugs xx