-
Has anyone had significant Dry Eye/Blepharospasm?
I am relatively newly diagnosed as of last fall, have had what I thought was dry eye from before my diagnosis. As time has gone on things have gotten worse. I have visited two different Optometrists and been told it is dry eye. One mentioned that my meds could be part of the problem, so I thought I would ween down on my CL and see if that helped, unfortunately things got much worse. I have since gone back up on my CL and am back to where I was before. That being having problems mostly while driving, not so much during everyday work activities. I have read a lot about Blepharospasm, and it sounds very much like what I have going on. I am just curious if anyone else has had these problems and who they saw for help? Who would have thought that my eyes would be my biggest problem.
-
11 Replies
-
Dry eyes was probably the first PD symptom I had and didn’t recognize. That started over 20 years ago. I have used Restasis ever since. Restasis works well for about 80% of the people with dry eyes, but it is horribly expensive and rarely covered by insurance.
This is not advice, but the ophthalmologist who initially prescribed it told me in a round about way to use up the vial contents. Instructions say to only use one drop per eye and toss the rest of the vial. This is because it has no preservatives and there is a risk of infection because one of the ingredients is an immunosuppressant. I have used it for 20+ years and never had any problem but I am very careful to avoid touching the tip. I get 6 to 10 drops out of each vial which makes the stuff almost affordable..
-
Gee, I’ve never connected my chronic Blepharitis with PD. Like my sense of smell I’ve suffered 20 years before my PD diagnosis. My fix is wash my eyelashes with baby shampoo daily and use otc eyedrops. Works for me.
-
I’ve been diagnosed with P D in 2021 and this past year have developed problems with my eyes. I use Blink eyedrops everyday throughout the day to keep my eyes moist. I also have developed a stuffy nose that at times is drippy I use AYR nasal gel for my nose and it seems to help. I have concluded that both problems are associated with my PD diagnosis and I have to learn to live with it.
-
Dry eyes was among my earliest symptoms. I’ve had it for probably 20 years. I was prescribed Restasis by my ophthalmologist back then and have been using it ever since. As Sherman noted, it is expensive. A generic version came out fairly recently, although it still is costly. My doc also had told me that I could get two doses out of each vial, so one vial is good for one day for me, as I use it in the morning and before bed.
I also have chronic blepharitis and take meds for that (doxycycline) and do warm eye compresses once or twice a day. Blepharitis and dry eyes are among the many symptoms of PD. The Restasis and doxycycline help, but they don’t cure either condition. It’s just something we need to treat and have to learn how to live with.
-
I have a problem with dry eyes. No one seems to know what to do. I use systane eye drops constantly and they help somewhat. I have been to a couple of doctors and they just don’t seem to understand how bad this is.
-
Hi, I was diagnosed with PD 2-1/2 years ago, but I have dry eyes 30 years ago, especially since I have had lasik done. The dry eyes situation has changed, and it got worse. I did some search on the internet and learned it can not be cured. I used the warm compress and over the counter eye drops. I am doing my best trying to maintain it. I also learned that the “tear care” method can help, try it, and not work. I never realized that dry eye Belphoritius is a sign of PD!
-
@Barbara, have you been to an ophthalmologist or just your PCP or optometrist? As in all things Parkinson’s it is important to see the right doc. An ophthalmologist will do a Schirmer test to diagnose the problem. If he prescribes Restasis, it works in about 75% of cases. It is used twice a day, whereas conventional wetting eye drops might be needed 20 to 50 times a day. It is worth trying. My optometrist, who prescribes it now, uses a Canadian mail order pharmacy at about 1/10 the cost.
-
-
Dry eyes and dry mouth were some of my very first symptoms. That started years before I had any inkling of Parkinson’s. I had a lot of trouble with both and lost many teeth because of the dry mouth. I’ve also scarred my corneas because of the dry eyes. Recently I have had all four of the tear ducts that drain the eyes cauterized. That has made the biggest difference of all.Finally, I can wake up in the morning and actually open my eyes without having to pry them open the insert drops. I still use prescription eyedrops morning and night but they don’t hurt all the time now.
-
Dry eyes and dry mouth were some of my very first symptoms. That started years before I had any inkling of Parkinson’s. I had a lot of trouble with both and lost many teeth because of the dry mouth. I’ve also scarred my corneas because of the dry eyes. Recently I have had all four of the tear ducts that drain the eyes cauterized. That has made the biggest difference of all.Finally, I can wake up in the morning and actually open my eyes without having to pry them open the insert drops. I still use prescription eyedrops morning and night but they don’t hurt all the time now.
-
Yes I get awful dry eyes especially at bedtime, I put eye drops in otherwise it feels like grit rubbing in my eyes.
-
Like Kurt, I’ve never connected my chronic Blepharitis with PD. I have struggled with Dry Eyes for at least 15 + years (thinking it was due to the CPAP machine pressure bleeding through my tear ducts at night). This was assumed, because my eyes felt like they had sandpaper in them first thing upon waking every morn.
Lately this same feeling happens more often when: a) I read books late at night, or b) while binge-watching movies on the Tele.
My eye have been damaged in the past while working as a forester in Black Spruce bogs. Following another person who releases a BS branch with it razor sharp needles — snapping back into one’s eyes. Scarring corneas.
I regularly use Lipsomal Eye Spray as I cannot tolerate drops being inserted in my eyes… this spray is spritzed onto the eye lids and leaks into the eye sockets.
Log in to reply.