Dry eye

[pauline collins]

I have just answered my own question by doing a search on the internet.............and ordered some of these solutions!!!!!!!!! ....fingers crossed.......

BR
Po

[Graeme Stevenson]

Are all these different eye drops available over the counter......my optician has NEVER suggested any drops for my dry eyes......I have been buying Optrex drops for dry eyes off the shelf.......

from a KC sufferer who has had a bad deal so far from professionals............

BR
Po

I like to give out samples to my patients for them to try first.

[Andrew MacLean]

Actually Pauline, my hospital optometrist gives me free samples of drops to try as well. I am sorry that you have not had this sort of service, but I do hope that things may be coming right for you now.

Andrew

[pauline collins]

if only..................i do hope so.....................

BR
Po

[GarethB]

Not all solutions will be on show but if you ask the pharmacist they have some more specialised ones behind the counter.

My hospital told me to start with the over the counter ones first which they could prescribe, but it would ultimatly be cheaper if I purchased them direct.

[rosemary johnson]

Hi Pauline,
DOn't suppose you'll find anyone at Moorfields to give out free samples.
But they dshould be able to put them on prescription - from the hospital pharmacy, and only a month's supply at a time.
WHether it is worth paying the prescription charge is another matter. If you have (or might have in future) a lot of prescriptions, it may be worth getting a season ticket.
Rosemary

[Lizb]

Well my dry eye is back with a vengance and my CL fitter has now got me using Viscotears 2mg/g at night and whenever i havent got my lenses in (which is most of the day still) and also using the Clinitas Soothe thoughout the day and whenever i have my lenses in.
I am also under strict instructions to saturate my eyes with the clinitas constantly - pain in the backside when in an all day meeting.
Am starting to get very fed of my eyes at the moment.

[Andrew MacLean]

I am very impressed by Clinitas products: I've been using Clinitas Ultra at night and Clinitas Soothe during the day for a week or so now, and I have noticed a marked improvement.

My eyes do dry out rather quickly, but I just keep flooding them with artificial tears.

Setting aside the question of cost, I wonder if anyone knows if this level of use is sustainable over the long term?

Andrew

[Andrew MacLean]

Graeme invited some of us to the Scottish contact Lens Society meeting last night. A presentation and talk was being given by the Marketing Director of Clinitas.

There seem to be two causes of 'dry eye': one is inadequate tear production and the other is the rapid evaporation of tears. It is, of course, possible to have both at the same time!

Contact lens use and corneal surgery are often associated with the second cause: an uneven eye-surface can lead to the collapse of the tear structure so that the lipid layer (at the tear-air interface) and the mucin layer (at the tear-eye interface) come too close together and expel the aqueous layer. The aqueous layer then evaporates leaving the eye dry.

Some modern artificial tears attack this problem on two fronts: they hydrate the eye and promote healing of the epithelium so that the eye surface becomes more even and less prone to churn the tears and collapse the tear structure. The Clinitas range fits into this group of products.

Graeme asked my question about the long term sustainability of artificial tear use, and the strong advice was that if we are involved in the chronic use of artificial tears we should use preservative free products. The preservatives in some artificial tears have been shown to have a deleterious effect on the cornea.

Clinitas Soothe is preservative-free, so is hypromelose when dispensed in individual dose 'minims'.

I am grateful to Graeme for his invitation to attend this important meeting.

Andrew

[Anne Klepacz]

Thanks Andrew for such a clear explanation of what happens to produce 'dry eye'. I'm so glad you were able to go the meeting - and thanks to Graeme for the invitation!
Anne