Excercise increases tears

[Danny_]

Hello! I am new to this forum. Firstly, I have had dry eyes for ten years now. It started when I was 21 and very, very slowly got worse. I did not know what it was for a very long time and went through all kinds of crap until I found out a few years ago. No drops worked whatsoever. The only thing that had any effect and I hesitate to say it because it was not much was genteel gel.

All of this fish oil/nutrient stuff is a load of cr*p. Excuse my language but it makes me angry when I hear people suggesting this. The only thing that worked for me was punctal plugs. I am quadraplugged and now have an overflow problem in one eye but I can look at the computer again without feeling pain. I have only been quadraplugged for the last few months but because the tears have nowhere to go other than down my face, I can see what has a SIGNIFICANT effect on creating more tears.

One of those things is EXCERCISE. If I go out running, the tears stream down my face. If I walk fast INSIDE (so it's not the wind), tears increase. However, if like me, you are losing too much because it is all going through the punctua (maybe they are too big or something), then maybe you would just lose the extra tears anyway. I just thought I would pass this on to you as I have never heard anyone talk about excercise helping with dry eye. My advice to you is go to a gymn, get out there running or something and see what happens.

Good luck

Danny

[neil0502]

Hello! I am new to this forum.

Welcome, Danny!


All of this fish oil/nutrient stuff is a load of cr*p. Excuse my language but it makes me angry when I hear people suggesting this.

In case it wasn't clear, what Danny is trying to say here is, "Personally, I didn't have much luck with the addition of fish oils or other nutritional supplements. Your mileage may vary."



The only thing that worked for me was punctal plugs. I am quadraplugged and now have an overflow problem in one eye but I can look at the computer again without feeling pain. I have only been quadraplugged for the last few months but because the tears have nowhere to go other than down my face, I can see what has a SIGNIFICANT effect on creating more tears.

One of those things is EXCERCISE. If I go out running, the tears stream down my face. If I walk fast INSIDE (so it's not the wind), tears increase.

If you walk at a 5mph pace--inside, where there is no wind--you are creating a 5mph wind. It may just be the wind. Wind makes many of us tear.



However, if like me, you are losing too much because it is all going through the punctua (maybe they are too big or something), then maybe you would just lose the extra tears anyway. I just thought I would pass this on to you as I have never heard anyone talk about excercise helping with dry eye. My advice to you is go to a gymn, get out there running or something and see what happens.

At the very least, exercise produces endorphins within the body. Endorphins are a natural pain reliever--similar, I'm told, to small morpheine molecules. It's certainly one of my favorite coping mechanisms.

Again, welcome, Danny!

[Danny_]

Well, there is an easy way for me to test whether it was the wind or not and that is to go to the gymn and do weights. Btw, yes, for me and many others that I have talked to, fish oils etc don't work or at best have a very negligible effect but try them if you want. Neither does acupuncture work (In that case, I would say don't bother), but try it if you want. I will let you know how the gymn experiment goes. Btw, Neil sounds like someone trying to sell things to you (might be wrong but they often target boards like this). Thanks for the welcome...er...twice. Again, thanks! No really! Again, Thank you..

[neil0502]

Gee, Danny. It's so nice to have you here.

[Danny_]

Gee, Danny. It's so nice to have you here.

Because I tell the truth?

[Danny_]

Double Post

[EllenJ]

geesh, Danny, simma donna .... and breathe. :) I know the dry eye bit makes all of us a bit uncomfortable and, at times, edgy, but if you'll check around on this board, you'll see everyone is generally willing to help their fellow DES out to whatever degree they can! One thing I know for sure ..... products that "always" work for one person don't "always" work for another -- that's just physiology. But if you've found exercising to be a help for you, then that's fantastic, and thanks for sharing!! Personally, I think I might give it a try! :eek: Good luck.

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi Danny,

Well, I admit it. I'm tired, it's Friday, I'm trying to get dinner ready, and when I saw this I was briefly tempted to respond "Who are you, why are you being rude to one of my best dry eye buddies, and how dare you suggest he's a shill, not a patient". Happily, I saw EllenJ's good example and so I managed to restrain myself in time to rephrase that into:

Hi Danny, and welcome to Dry Eye Talk!

Now, I know dry eye is tough (that's why we're here!) but please try and lighten up a little :) It's easy to misinterpret 'tone' in forums like this.

As I'm sure you've learned over the years dry eye is a complex disease, with many causes and manifestations. That is why when anyone here makes a categorical statement about what "definitely works" or "definitely does not work", other posters are going to jump in and qualify the statement - and rightly so.

With respect to tearing during exercise, actually, I heard recently from a patient who reported the exact same thing. If you do a search on the board you might find others. I might try and pop and thread or to two the top for you. I've been wondering the same thing, whether it's about reflex tearing or something else.

Regarding nutritional supplements: I too get bothered by some of the extravagant claims made for some proprietary dry eye supplements. I do not think it is realistic to suggest to anyone that a supplement will cure or completely turn around their dry eye. HOWEVER, there is no doubt that Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are good for us in general, and it is widely believed that they may be beneficial in preventing or improving some kinds of dry eye. I know many very experienced corneal specialists (who have no financial interest in supplements) who have seen some incremental improvements in some of their patients while taking Omega 3s/6s. It can't hurt and it may help. Lash out at the marketing if you want, but don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

[Danny_]

Rude I might have been but he was talking down to me. "What Danny meant to say..." I'm sorry! Am I not capable of talking for myself now! I thought it was implicit that I was expressing my own opinion about my own experiences and just trying to help others by sharing my insights.

But, I see I have walked into a clique and as the newbie, I don't want to be kicked out for getting annoyed at somebody being obnoxious to me in the very first post I received so I'll just shut up. This wasn't why I came here.

[SusieD]

Hi Danny

Its a shame you feel that way. Of course you are entitled to express your thoughts and if supplements dont work for you, thats fair enough. To be honest, they havent done a great deal for me either - and I understand you feel angry, you can waste a lot of money on this stuff.

I havent been around this board that long, but I dont find it cliquey at all. Neil contributes a lot of information to the board from his own research which many, including myself have found helpful. This may be why people would be upset at your remarks about him possibly being phoney. But again, these people do exist and they do target boards like this - it is always good to remember that, especially if you have been bitten.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experiences about what has worked for you. Im sorry you got off on the wrong foot but really the people on this board are a great bunch.

[kakinda]

Hello,
Well, at least we know one thing for sure, DES really gets us on our nerves... that can be demonstrated scientifically... which makes us either unpleasant hypocondriacs or maybe persons in pain... you decide!
But I have to agree somewhat with Danny on the core of the issue: my own opinion on such supplements (i have tried quite a few) is that the eventual beneficial impact is negligible. Beyond my own experience, the members of my assocation in Europe (Keratos) report either no results at all or very very limited ones.

So maybe worth trying considering that we haven't much to try... but it's certainly no miracle drug... and there is too much marketing efforts to sell it as one and very limited efforts to prove its efficacy... not to cast some doubts on this type of products.

I wonder if it's not even counter-productive since so many laboratories concentrate on selling stuff that doesn't do much -and yet we buy it - and there is really very limited proof of efficacy in medical articles in terms of independant clinical trials.

In France, these supplements are not considered as drugs but are sold as cosmetic products...
the reason why is that laboratories did not (or do not wish to try to) demonstrate its efficacy in clinical trials that would enable them to sell as drugs...
So maybe not worth investing your fortune in it too especially since you can adapt your food to include more omega3 and the like.

But then again this only reflects my own opinion/experience and those of most members of my association (with just one very limited exception i believe). Most of us represent moderate to severe cases... and in those cases it's usually quite easy to notice even the most limited positive effect. Remember: A small improvement for severe dry eye is a huge improvement for one's quality of life!

Maybe laboratories could start by the obvious thing -primo non nocere - first do no harm and stop selling us eye drops with preservatives... and yet these are being bought.... just an idea.

Let's not fight amongst each other but rather "fight" apathetic - but only these - docs and laboratories. Save your strengh then.

take care
Kakinda

[neil0502]

Rude I might have been but he was talking down to me. "What Danny meant to say..." I'm sorry! Am I not capable of talking for myself now! I thought it was implicit that I was expressing my own opinion about my own experiences and just trying to help others by sharing my insights.

I'm going to apologize for having made a post that you clearly viewed as inappropriate and hurtful. I'm sorry. I felt it somewhat inappropriate that ... whoever you are ... your approach was to come in and establish yourself as ... what they used to call "God's gift" and did it with a relatively uncivil tone, and a scorching case of "hasty generalization" that may or may not have any bearing on other people's results ... since we all have very individual issues causing us all to experience some pretty similar things.



But, I see I have walked into a clique and as the newbie, I don't want to be kicked out for getting annoyed at somebody being obnoxious to me in the very first post I received so I'll just shut up. This wasn't why I came here.

And this has me thinking that the apology will be lost/wasted. Any chance that you can reflect on your own contributions to this (tone, speaking in absolutes, etc.) rather than let fear of being kicked out cause you to hold your tongue?

You really WILL find a group of caring, concerned, interested people trying to help themselves AND one another here. I just found it fascinating that the doors flung open and in you walked ... guns a'blazin.

I took that rather poorly, and--again--apologize for having insulted you.

[EllenJ]

Not that it matters or will change anybody's opinion on the subject, but I thought when Neil said:

[QUOTE=neil0502]



In case it wasn't clear, what Danny is trying to say here is, "Personally, I didn't have much luck with the addition of fish oils or other nutritional supplements. Your mileage may vary."

.... he was just trying to be tongue-in-cheek funny, and not offensive or insulting towards Danny in any way. It's like when I go to a party with my husband and he says something a little too abruptly for my taste, I'll sometimes "clean it up" and say "what he meant to say is ...." :) ha ha . Not trying to be disrespectful at all, though. Similarly, in defense of Danny, I didn't think his original post was rude at all ..... the impression I got from that one was just that he was frustrated and venting, as we're all entitled to do. I think he, as a newbie here, was legitimately sharing useful information according to his personal findings. However, his second post, ... clearly, that one was rude. :( Sorry Danny, that's just my take! But, as you'll see from my number of posts, I'm not part of any clique here .... a newbie myself. Please don't go away. I've been a bit a voyouer (sp?) for several months, just reading people's stories and such, and others' responses to them, and I can categorically say that I have not found the board members to be cliqueish!! Instead, I have become quite educated about this condition called Dry Eye, have gained many useful tips for coping, and now look forward to logging on each day to see what I can learn today.

Hope you stay, and post again.

EllenJ

[neil0502]

You read me correctly, Ellen.

I will--most assuredly, this time--let Danny speak for himself :)

[dianat]

But, I see I have walked into a clique and as the newbie, I don't want to be kicked out for getting annoyed at somebody being obnoxious to me in the very first post I received so I'll just shut up. This wasn't why I came here.

Danny, you're going to have to work much harder than this to get thrown off of this site. You've helped shake things up a bit here, but no matter. We don't like to be bored. (Lucy will love this thread when she sees it.)

And please join us as we muddle through our lives with this miserable condition. We learn new things here all the time, and we really are great company.

D