Guest veryblue Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 Does anyone else expericence severe dry eyes...this just seemed to hit me over night too. One day I'm fine the next my contacts are itchy and my eyes are red. Thought it might be the contacts but I have been wearing them for years with no problem. Maybe this will give me insight to my problem, cuz I'm sure it is all realated.I thought about sojerns syndrome, but I dont have a dry mouth, and I have had a ANA test which would have shown any autoimmune problems, but it turned out totally negative. Let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoGiuliana Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 very blueThere are probably many possible causes for this. Could you simply have an infection? Have you seen an opthamologist? I have a good friend whose mother has Sjogren's syndrome. My understanding is that it is hard to diagnose b/c there is no blood test for it and symptoms and intensity can vary greatly from patient to patient. Dry eyes are one symptom, but since it attacks the moisture producing glands in the body, there are other symptoms associated with that as well. It is not life-threatening, but it can't be cured--just managed with eye drops, etc. Anyway, you are pretty young for the profile of the typical patient--it generally affects women in their 40's and older. It would be diagnosed, btw, generally by a rheumotologist.BTW, an ANA test does not rule out all autoimmune problems. I believe it only rules out lupus-- perhaps there are some others as well. But there are many autoimmune diseases.I would suggest seeing an eye doctor as soon as possible and not to wear your contacts until then in case it is an infection, or if not, to prevent one.take care,Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yogini Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 I had severe dry eyes when I first got POTS, and I have read (although I don't remember where) that this is a symptom. It could also be a side effect of any meds you are taking. I used eye drops (Refresh Tears?) for a few days and it went away, but I don't have contacts. I agree with Katherine about talking to the eye doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan617 Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 actually there are tests for sjogrens, but only 30% accurate in people, so it tends more to be dx by symptoms. it can raise your ana titer, but not always. my eyes are so dry, i had to have my tear ducts cauterized shut. ahhh the aroma of your own burning flesh. however it is only stinky, not painful. i think it could easily be a pots symptom. i have such a dry mouth i have to use fake saliva, yummy, and gi tract and vagina also need extra fluids. however my ana is elevated, but not the sjogrens serum. so go figure. try using the single dose eye drops. they are more expensive and tend to blur for a longer period but seem to help more. the regular ones you buy in a bottle have preservatives and that can exacerbate the problem..i use celluvisc, which is otc, but there are others. good luck. morgan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamyla Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 I have continuous problems with dry eyes (but not dry mouth). I use eyedrops as needed with the disappearing preservative. My eye doctor said that she often sees patients with connective tissue disorders that have dry eyes. That goes along with my EDS diagnosis.I also have a friend with Sjogren's Syndrome and I don't think the dryness I have is as severe as hers. She ended up getting her tear ducts plugged. Hope it gets better for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Girl Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 I also have had dry eyes as well,even before developing POTS, I stopped wearing my contact lenses because of the problem (could only tolerate them about 3 hours). It just got worse with the POTS. My mouth has also been somewhat dry in spite of drinking over 64 ounces of fluids a day ( I usually drink 46 ou. before lunch). I have been to the dentist for a crown and a cap since develping POTS (no coincidence I believe). I have had two full normal eye exams over the last 2 years. No one has ever mentioned any relationship to a disease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethansmom Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 My eyes get dry, but I think it's mainly from my contacts. It started a long time before I had POTS, and has actually gotten better over time. Now if I could just make the thirst disappear.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michiganjan Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 There are many reasons for dry eyes. Sjogrens, aging, medications, and more.My eyes are dry too. Dry eyes MUST be corrected. My eye doctor warned me that it can affect vision. Some symptoms of dry eyes include tearing and poor acute vision. I was having trouble seeing to thread a needle so went in to see if I needed a new prescription for my glasses. It was due to dry eyes. The doc told me to use drops twice a day. I went back a month later and my eyes were wonderful.It is only recently that dry eyes have been recognized for the problem that they really are.The drops work really well for me, but I do know others who have had their tear ducts sealed. Anyway, it may be harder to take care of with contact lenses. You may need to add moisture several times a day to replace the thinning tear layer as the day wears on.I gave up my contacts some years ago because of dry eyes.Michigan Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackwolf Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 I also have dry eyes. I regularly use eye drops and if I forget it gets really hard to see, especially on the left side. It gets blurry and feels really weird.Blackwolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opus88 Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 I have dry eyes and mouth, though not necessarily at the same time. Both will come and go. My eye doctor told me to use HypoTears drops - said she doesn't recommend for most things, but for dry eyes it seems to work best. And you can use them as often as you need.I didn't know about dysautonomia at the time, but after 2 attempts at contacts (about 3 years apart), I had to give up on them. At least now I understand why! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opus88 Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 I have dry eyes and mouth, though not necessarily at the same time. Both will come and go. My eye doctor told me to use HypoTears drops - said she doesn't recommend for most things, but for dry eyes it seems to work best. And you can use them as often as you need.I didn't know about dysautonomia at the time, but after 2 attempts at contacts (about 3 years apart), I had to give up on them. At least now I understand why! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 The dry eyes and red eyes i also suffered during my worst periods. I had eyelid lag as well - as i was so fatigued i couldnt keep my eyes open - shocking feeling.It goes when i started to improve, but the vitroeus floaters continued. They were so bad during my bad phase that i couldnt see without looking through a 'sheet' of vitroeus floaters.They improved with my symptoms.The way it attacks your eyes like thyroid disease almost suggests some sort of autoimmune condition in my opinion - time and research will tell i guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leah1321 Posted October 27, 2004 Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 i have very dry eyes. I get cysts that rupture and ulcerate the eye when I sleep. Here is something that my eye doc gave me that helps a lot! (only use it at night because it is yucky in the eyes during the day, so you need a different type of eye gunk for daytime. Use it when you nap too. Sleep is when we dehydrate and bodies just need fluids. The eyes lose fluids too. When the heat turns on, the dryness gets so much worse.) So the stuff is called Muro 128 5% ointment (sodium chloride hypertonicity opthalmic ointment, 5%). It is like gatorade for the eyes. Put it on the inside of your lower lid before sleep. It is gunky, gross, and difficult to get used to. Your vision is a little blurry right after application (you are sleeping, so who cares). It is a bit $, (20$, I think). You can find it with the eye stuff or ask the pharmacist for it because sometimes they keep it behind the counter, but an Rx is not necessary. It is actually a hypertonicity agent, but I find that it lubricates the eyes for 6-8 hours. Nothing else I have tried OTC seems to do this. My autoimmune diagnosis is inconclusive thus far. Looks like I have something, but what is unknown. Also, my blood tests are not too bad yet, so they are not treating the autoimmune side. A Sjogren's test might be good for you. If you just have dry eyes (which feel awful), I think Muro ointment might help. Also, eye allergies are something to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddyLeesWife Posted October 28, 2004 Report Share Posted October 28, 2004 My optometrist recommends Systane for dry eyes. It is also best used in the evening or when you have some down time as it is thick and will make your vision blurry for a while. Available at the drug-store with the contact lens supplies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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