Itchy eyes - Like a Gritty Toad

[mickstability]

I've always been a bit of a wimp when it comes to eyes. I can't bear them to be touched - never have, way before I had my TT in 1982. I tend to avoid posts that might be 'a little close to home ' because even a story about eye damage can make me flinch and turn away. However, you've only got the two, and one of mine's got a pterygium. This may or may not be related to decades of T4 only, although I suspect it IS, as I can't see how 30 years of T4 can entirely replace 30 years of the real thing ( Don't get me wrong - I'd've been dead years ago without the thyroidectomy)

BUT if I'd had T3 as an option/addition - or an Endo - GP only for 20 years - things may have been better. Anyway, back to the pterygium. I've tried viscotears, hypromellose and just rubbing 'Don't keep rubbing your eyes, dear!' and so far just rubbing has proved to be by far the best. So there. Once you have no Thyroid tissue at all, you're open to many or all of the odd conditions around - thyroid orbitopathy, anyone? - unless you can maintain a euthyroid state through medication (pause for hollow laughter) . My magnificent GP has bunged me another load of T3 as he agrees that my Endo is a diabetes specialist waiting to see what happens next.

[Fruitandnutcase]

Hollow laughter indeed!

I have really dry eyes too, last time I was checked out I had staining in both eyes, no tear break up time to speak of and a pterygium in my right eye, none if which was which good news.

Know what you mean about rubbing but I know that constantly putting in eye drops and I mean constantly, not just a few times a day has stopped me from feeling that I have an enormous eyelash stuck in the inner corner of my eye. My favourite drops are Hyco San, they are preservative free and come in a dinky pump action bottle that is easy to use and keeps the drops sterile - I also use a 'gunky' one at night then once it all settles down and I can't feel it any more I go back to eye drops two or three times a day.

I just have to train myself not to stop putting them in because a) my eyes feel ok and b) I can't be bothered keeping putting the drops in, trouble is once you have dry eyes, pterygium etc eye drops are for life

[Fed_up]

Hi there

I read ur post. & feel sad

Had TT 7 mths ago. & my eyes for last few days have been gritty & feeling wrong

Guess it's just another thing I need to get checked

What is pterygium & orbitopathy?

[Piedo in reply to Fed_up]

Hi I have had a T T and suffer very dry painful eyes I have been bit neglectful about drops

Can I also ask what is pterygium and orbitopthy? I need to speak to my Dr about my eyes so would like to go armed with information.

Thanks

[mickstability in reply to Piedo]

Hi Piedo & Fed up - don't worry too much about these - I was being a bit melodramatic including orbitopathy - it's another name for thyroid eye disease and is asssociated with an enlargement of some of the eye muscles which can give that characteristic 'pop -eye' look. I'ts associated with both Grave's Disease and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, however, so can occur in both Hypo - and Hyperthyroid conditions. However as both of these are auto-immune conditions there's no particular reason that I know of to suspect that we TT people are at all susceptible to it. A pterygium is a growth of tissue over the surface of the eyeball which commnonly starts in one corner and spreads until it starts to cover the pupil. It's uncomfortable and can blind you if untreated, so I'll have to confront my fears and get it cut off before long. I believe but can't prove that mine grew as a result of being deficient in T3 for many years, as many other skin conditions I've suffered from have cleared up since I got an adequate dose of T3.

Finally thanks FruitandNutcase for your kind advice - I'll try Hyco San.