MGD & lack of tears?

[andreapandrea3]

Well, folks, since my dry eye problems started, I have been trying to read up on MGD and blepharitis and find the root of my problems. I've been steadily seeing an optometrist since the beginning of July. I was on a routine of minocycline (100mg), restasis (twice per day), warm compresses at least twice a day, and expressing the glands immediately after the warm compresses. I also got lower punctal plugs.

I do have some good news: I went to the optometrist on Tuesday and she said my glands look much improved. She expressed them and said that there wasn't all that sludgy buildup! She wants me to stop taking the minocycline now.

However, my schirmer tear test results were not as good as she hoped, I think. I was an 8 in my right eye and a 4 in my left. From what I've been told, 10-15 is normal? She said that when I came to see her first, I was a 1 in both eyes. She thought that maybe my left tear duct plug came out, so she replaced it. My question is: a lot of what I read suggests that people with MGD have watery eyes...is this true? Can you have problems with your oil glands AND not be producing enough tears?

The weirdest part of all this is: I've always had nice glassy eyes. I would yawn, and my eyes would fill with tears. But since putting on some liquid eyeliner that made my eyes burn like crazy, and the resulting bone-dryness that came the following day, my eyes have been almost tearless!

[painless]

I have MGD and lack of tears. I've pretty much done the gamut of conventional treatment -- plugs, steroid drops (short-term), doxycycline, Omega-3 supplements, Restasis, and warm compresses (10 minutes 2x/day, then attempting to express the glands manually, followed by cleaning with Q-tip and rinsing with saline). I've been continuing all but the steroid drops for nearly a year. I just last week decided to discontinue the doxycycline to see if it matters.

In addition to all of the above, I use Azasite (one drop in each eye once a day), and have been for several months. This has been the most helpful treatment in alleviating some discomfort, though I'm still uncomfortable essentially all the time.

Over this past year, my eye condition has not improved at all. Not by any measure. So, personally, I would take it as a great sign that your eyes are showing improvement.

My "dry eye anniversary" is October 21. That's the day my eyes suddenly because unbearably dry and red. I don't know why nothing has fixed them.

[liz56]

Dr. Lange posted some new information on treatment for MGD, just in case you did not see it:

http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?t=10010

--Liz

[judge515]

Does anyone have a list of Doctors that already do the MG probing procedure? (besides Dr Maskin and Lange). I want to do it very badly, but really do not want to fly down to Florida.


Also, for those of you that have had it done. I know it costs about $650 per half of your eye, does this cover the visits after to do the 4mm and 6mm probing?