Post Your Daily Routine

[Judy]

Hello skygoddess,

Welcome!! I got tired just reading your routine too!! It sounds as though you have quite a routine going on though and are devoted to sticking with it, which is probably wise. I wish I could stick to mine better, although it seems my needs are constantly changing.

I just wanted to mention that two of the treatments you are using have steriods in them: Alrex and Tobradex ointment. I've used both of these as well. Over the last several years, I've been on and off Alrex. I also used the Tobradex eyedrops after my last lacrimal duct surgery for several weeks at Dr. direction. Both of these seemed to help my eyes quite a bit, but I developed steroid-induced glaucoma as a result. I was treated with several types of eyedrops for this condition and it appears to be about gone, although I am monitored fairly regularly...

Just wanted to mention this. You may not have this issue, but I hope you are seeing an opthamologist on a VERY REGULAR basis.

Take care and have a FANTASTIC non-dryeye day, week, year....

[skygoddess]

Judy,
Thanks for the info on the Tobradex. I try to limit it ,to only when I am at my worst. I see my Dr. so much , I think we will be doing the holidays together next year. I am sure you understand.

[Adar]

Very interesting, reading everyone's routines!

Mine:

-- I carry Dakrina all the time and use as needed. I'm in a dry climate, and some days I will use the drops 2-3 times during the day.

-- I have sunglasses that go over my eyeglasses that stay in the car. (Actually, as with the drops, I've got them scattered all over my life.) The second-worst moment for me most days is when I drive from the shady parking under my apt building into the bright eastern light on my way to school or work. I *always* wear shades for that.

-- If I'm feeling particularly "dry" at school, I wash my face with warm water and/or make a warm compress of paper towels for my eyes.

-- Night routine: rinse eye area with plain water, put in Dwelle drops, put on the Tranquileyes. Drops handy at bedside, in case.

-- Morning routine: Open eyes as gently as I can. Put in drops, whether I "need" them or not (I need them, just sometimes I'm impatient and will regret it later.)

-- On a hard morning: If I have pain in the left eye (for some reason, the "bad" eye prone to corneal erosions) then LOTS of drops, get up and do whatever I have to do, baby it, maybe hot shower with steam, and if the pain gets worse instead of better, lie face down, eyes shut, and meditate. Keep the eye as still as possible to give the cells a chance to knit. Ditto if later in the day I start suddenly feeling that "erody" feeling.

Multivitamin, Omega-3 capsules, lots and lots of water.

For air travel (I commute from Oakland to LA once a week, so I spend about 2.5 hours a week on an airplane) -- I carry sample-size bottles of my drops and my Tranquileyes in a separate ziplock baggie instead of the can that it comes with. That way the security folks can SEE it without handling it (so it is still clean if I need it on the plane.) I turn off the fan over my seat on the plane, apply more drops as soon as I'm seated, and close my eyes and meditate or doze while in flight. More drops if needed.

And that's it.

[Jeff H]

Just diagnosed with DES so here is what the Dr has me doing:

> AM 2 Pills (HydroEye Supplment)

> ALL day Every Hour or more 2 Drops of Thera Tears In Each Eye

> Dinner Time = 2 more pills

> Continued Thera Tears Each Hour

> At Bedtime 4 Drops of Thera Tear "Gel" in each eye

Just had lower collagen plugs put in today...

Jeff

[stella]

5-7am - Wake -- put in minims artificial tears
Try to sleep again
Wake properly - activate tranquieyes gel and "warm up" the eyes (while still in bed)and massage the lids and yawnto produce tears
after breakfast - sterilid eye scrub + celluvisc and
then apply " oil of Ulay anti- aging gel "on lids (this is new to try to moisten the lids ) It contains camomile and cucumber which are meant to be soothing
9am ----------------- 10 pm
mostly minims artificial tears + occationally celluvis
On a really good day - none
On a bad day 2-6 times
(10pm) -- 5 mins steaming followed by Dr latkany,s method of lid hygiene (see book)
11pm BED
1 Use either tranquieye goggles with moisture pads - NOT the gel pads - I use them as soon as i wake in am seperately
2 OR (more recently) a soft cotton eye mask with a clean hankerchief inside
3 OR a combination of both
I find night difficult and am experimenting !!
MostlyI wake 2x in the night and use Minims artificial tears
Stella
PS I have found a new trick that temporarily helps!!!
Cup your hands and place over the eyes and hold for a while - the heat from your hands + your moist breath will give temporary relief

[KimH]

AM:
-Hot shower using warm compress/washcloth while in shower
-Restasis

THROUGHOUT DAY:
-Refresh Celluvisc (Bad day-every hour or so, Good day- 4 or 5 times during day)

Evening:
-Restasis
-Refresh Celluvisc as needed

PM:
Lacri-lube

[darcie]

My eyes have felt much better (moist, liquid sort of feeling) afer using this regimen for the past few weeks:

daily hot compress
homeopathic eye drops (similasan for dry eyes) several times during the day.
Bion tears once each day
Flax seed oil capsules (I take 6/day). I also put freshly ground flax seeds on my meals (approx 1 tsp) whenever practicable.
Chlorella capsules, 8 -12 each day with meals
holy basil capsules, 2 with breakfast
vitamin A - 10,000 units
yoga pose - inverted lake
dwelle at night

This may seem like a lot but once you get into a routine it doesn't take much time at all.

I've also played a little bit with reflexology. The relevant point is between the middle and ring fingers on each hand.
Of course, I drink lots of water.

[TRiBaL]

Everyone seems to have to do alot more things for there eyes lol.

Morning - Take theratears in a bottle, use presevative free eye drops by theratears then i try to drink more water and yawn more. I rinse my face alot too with cold water. Oh ya and take a vitamin for my eyes.

[cityhunter62]

Wake up in the morning, pretty late because of a big lack of motivation. The left eye is already gritty and scratchy...
Going straight on to the shower, where I can do the home eye spa in its "lazy version".
Taking lots of supplements : Vitamin A, Omega 3, Oligo Zinc, quantum medication, and a supplement for dry skin.

Going to work - surprinsingly, travelling by car doesn't bother me. I'm not staring, I'm looking around in all the directions so it's ok.
Arriving at work - big apprehension. Going to spend 8 hours or more in front of a computer with the air conditionning. Wondering why I've choosen such a job - didn't have dry eyes when I chose that I wanted to work in an office... Well, it's time to start, already late !!!

Spending half the day on the internet, looking for solutions to the disease and reading forums. Working the other half, not so efficiently, but hey !
After a boring day, come back home. The left eye (and sometimes both when the day was harsh) will bother me during all the evening , until I go to bed -early, in order to face another day.
Looking forward to the w-e, when I can see friends and familly...

[LianaT]

daily routine:

warm compress to clear out the lacrilube

flush with saline
rinse with genteal moderate
one drop restasis
one drop pataday

genteal moderate drops hourly
genteal gel at lunch and dinner

saline flush at night
one drop restasis
1/4 inch of lacrilub each eye

On a bad day with lots of outdoor late night games upgrade the genteal to systane and wear wrap around safety glasses or sun glasses

[Isis]

I do an eyelid scub after waking and use Gental geldrops. A few hours later, I do a hot compress. Before I go to bed, I repeat the process only this time hot compress first, then eyelid scrub and drops.

[cathleen]

Morning:
-Take shower and use TheraTears Lid Scrub in shower. (Let foam sit on lids and lashes for 1 minute while in shower before i rinse it off)
-Put 1 drop of TheraTears Gel (single vial, preservative free) in each eye
-Take 3 TheraTears Nutrition (ie. Omega-3/Flaxseed Oil supplement) orally

Throughout the day (i sit in front of a computer for 8 hours at work), put TheraTears Gel in eyes as needed. (Note: i keep the same vial all day)

Night:
- Once a week, put a hot washcloth on lids (with eyes closed) for 5 minutes.
- Nightly, wash face then use TheraTears Lid Scrub again, letting foam sit on lids and lashes for 1 minute.
-1 drop GenTeal Gel before bed
-Sleep with a Humidifier on (at least 50-60% humidity)

I have been on this routine for a month religiously and have found that there are many time during the day that I don't even notice my dry eye. I really stand by this routine. Would love for someone to try this and see how it works for them. -- I do still, though, get very red veiny eyes during the day. This is gone in the morning, but develops during the day.

NOTES:
I used to use Bion Tears. Became ineffective after several months. Switched to TheraTears. I found TheraTears Gel to last longer between drops than the regular TheraTears.
Have tried systane, but don't find it lasts but a few minutes, and the preservative bother my eyes.
I used Restasis before and after my Lasik surgery (which was Jan 2007). I personally did not find Restasis to do a bit of good. Was on it 3+ months. At the end, I would wake up at night with BURNING eyes. So, i stopped using it.
I have plugs in my bottom punctum.
I have been using TheraTears Nutrition for 6 weeks and have found an amazing improvement in the way my eyes feel in the morning and have found to need less drops during the day.
I don't use TheraTears Gel at night just before bed because I have found to to clump in the corners of my eyes. It does not do that during the day with my eyes open.

[Terri]

I am experimenting and modifying my routine in an all-out assault on my DES. I'll come back and edit this post as I eliminate things that don't work and add or replace them with things that do:

5 AM: Some days I wake up feeling great and don't need drops until later in the day. Other days, I need to use drops from the beginning. In this case, I'll use a single-use vial of Refresh Plus Tears because I bought a lifetime supply at Costco and I'm trying to use them up.

Most mornings, I put on a pair of sports goggles that seal around my eyes and take the dogs for a 45-minute walk.

7 AM: Shower and get ready for work. Use Restasis (one drop in each eye). Put opened vial in shot glass in refrigerator to use again in the evening.

Breakfast, followed by multivitamin, NAC and fish oil supplement. Just ordered TheraTears Nutrition based on other reviews and plan to see if they work better than the fish oil supplement I've been taking. Just started NAC, so I can't say if it makes a difference yet.

Throughout day: As needed, I'll use one drop of Bion Tears in each eye (a bicarbonate-containing drop that's supposed to promote healing) followed 5 minutes later by one drop in each eye of TheraTears (single-use vial; selected because TheraTears are moderately hypotonic, which is also supposed to promote healing). I was also using Celluvisc because of it's increased viscosity, but I didn't like the way it blurred my vision. I also believe that it increased my need for artificial tears, although it could just be coincidence that after I stopped using it, my need for drops has declined. I carry one single-use vial of each brand with me in a small, wide-mouth Thermos filled with crushed ice. When at home, I leave the opened vials in the refrigerator with the Restasis.

Environmental changes: Just bought a humidifier for my office and just picked up some clear wrap-around glasses to wear around the house and/or office to help block air currents.

7 PM: One drop of Restasis in each eye.

8 PM: Wash face and remove eye makeup. Use rice baggy or Eye Spa pad as warm, 5-minute compress. Clean lids with Q-tip as described in Dr. Latkany's book.

9 PM (or so): Toss out all remaining open vials of drops. Warm pads and put on Tranquileyes goggles. I have lagophthalmos and was previously using ointments at night. I agree with DEZ's opinion that ointment use over time makes things worse, and I was glad to find a better alternative. (Note: I experienced the problem with vision blurring reported by other Tranquileyes users. I believe it's because I tightened the straps too tight. For the next few nights, I'm going to tape my right eye shut and use the goggles without the pads. Once my vision is clear, I'll try them again with pads and much looser straps.)

Coming soon: Getting a plug installed in my dry eye on Dec. 20.

[stella]

5-7am - Wake -- put in minims artificial tears
Try to sleep again
Wake properly - activate tranquieyes gel and "warm up" the eyes (while still in bed)and massage the lids and yawnto produce tears
after breakfast - sterilid eye scrub + celluvisc and
then apply " oil of Ulay anti- aging gel "on lids (this is new to try to moisten the lids ) It contains camomile and cucumber which are meant to be soothing
9am ----------------- 10 pm
mostly minims artificial tears + occationally celluvis
On a really good day - none
On a bad day 2-6 times
(10pm) -- 5 mins steaming followed by Dr latkany,s method of lid hygiene (see book)
11pm BED
1 Use either tranquieye goggles with moisture pads - NOT the gel pads - I use them as soon as i wake in am seperately
2 OR (more recently) a soft cotton eye mask with a clean hankerchief inside
3 OR a combination of both
I find night difficult and am experimenting !!
MostlyI wake 2x in the night and use Minims artificial tears
Stella
PS I have found a new trick that temporarily helps!!!
Cup your hands and place over the eyes and hold for a while - the heat from your hands + your moist breath will give temporary relief

THIS ROUTINE IS NO LONGER APPLICABLE 11/20/07
I now do eyelid hygiene once daily only - at night
I use celluvisc once or twice daily - only if i feel burning
I use claramist frequently during he day
I wear onion goggles at night
I wear "cocoons" (sun glasses over Rx glasses)when on the computer
I am much better and feel my DE is under control

[Rebecca Petris]

[B]
I am much better and feel my DE is under control

That is so awesome. Love to hear it.

[Rory]

I dont believe that the eye scrub and heating and all the supplements do anything for anybody.

Can anyone honestly say that their eyes are less dry from doing any of the numerous above rituals?

The supplements companies make billions and it is just the standard nonsense dished out by the medical community. Dry eyes = no solution...so tell them to rub their eyelids

[Judy]

Hi Rory, I have to tell you that my eyes are doing SO MUCH BETTER since I've been faiithfully using my warm rice baggie (heated in microwave with cup of water included) and my eye scrubs. My eyes are still very dry at times and I have some pain at times, but in the long run I am on the road to recovery or at least to a better place than where I was initially. Also, since doing both of these treatments and using Unisol 4 PF Saline to rinse my eyes in the shower and sometimes clean my eyelids gently with a q-tip also using the Unisol 4, my eye lashes which were very very sparse and coming in crooked, etc. have started filling in a little more and are no longer coming in crooked. As a (once kind of vain) woman, I am so very grateful to have these tools and really believe they are helping.

[calli66]

I definitely notice an improvement in blepharitis when I do the compresses twice a day. The area above my eyes loses all the "puffiness," my lid margins feel much cleaner and "more alive," and my eyes don't produce nearly as much goop.

The only supplements I take are the Omega-3 oils--and I don't know if that's helping my eyes, although my doctor likes the fact that my blood pressure figures are good (she said maybe because of the Omega-3).

Rory, you sound really discouraged, and we all go through bad times with our eyes. I figure I spend at least a couple of hours a day messing with my eyes, experiencing some sort of "problem" or "maintenance" ritual. I get sick of it and have my doubts sometimes. Compresses and supplements are pretty simple and inexpensive compared to Restasis and OTC drops, and they don't involve much hype from drug companies. On the other hand, positive results are subtle. Sort of like the difference between drinking coffee and drinking herbal tea.

Calli

[Judy]

Hi Calli, I like your reply to Rory better. Such positive words and so very helpful to hear! Rory, hang in there, keep pluggin away and slowly the subtle changes Calli discusses will come about. You are in my prayers...

[stella]

Hi Rory
Welcome to this site - sorry for your problems which are v serious when they interfere with your career like that
I too am from UK -and have a son who is a solicitor - so I really feel for you- I would HATE him to have this problem
There are quite a few of us from UK - and we all struggle with an unhelpful NHS
RE - eyelid hygiene - I have to say my recent improvement - of some 2 months standing now i definately put down to regular eye -lid hygiene
I have MGD which causes my DE
It is probably important for you to get a correct diagnosis ,especially since you dont respond to eyelid hygiene
How about a trip to Dr Latkany in New York ? Have you got his book "The dry eye remedy"?
or Proff Baudouin at Quince Vingts Hospital in Paris ?- How's your French?
Both are world experts on DES
Nearer home - In London someone sang the praises of a Dr Michael Guillon -a corneal specialist
(I had these people lined up for myself ,but thank God it looks like i wont need them)
Lastly never give up hope - you may have to live with this but you can greatly reduce the symptoms and effect it has on your life -progress is v slow and its sort of detective work - trial and erorr
but you will get there - lots of us have
Just for your encouragement several of us from the UK have started to report improvements lately
Keep us posted

[dave25]

I'll try to make this as detailed as possible and if anyone has any questions please feel free to ask.

1) Upon waking in the morning I use 1 vial of Tears Naturale eye drops
2) Then I use two prescription eyedrops Nevanac and Restasis - (one drop in each eye twice daily)
3) Then I use the warm heating pad in Dr. Latkany's book for 10-15 minutes.
4) I take a hot shower followed by 2 vials of Bion Tears eye drops.
* I usually do not use any more artificial tears throughout the day
5) Come home and use Nevanac eye drops and then another warm compress for 10-15 minutes.
6) Take my second hot shower of the day, followed by 2 more vials of Bion Tears. ( I almost always take 2 showers daily, find that this helps me a lot.)
7) I put in Restasis right before I go to bed and if necessary 1 vial of Tears Naturale.

Oops, I almost forgot. I take 100mg Doxycycline twice daily and Theratears Nutrtion Fish/flaxseed oil gel caps twice daily as well.

I use Bion Tears and Tears Naturale because they have similar ingredients and are preservative free. I find that the active ingredient [B]hypermellose in these artificial tears works best for me. I'm experimenting with Dwelle eyedrops for nighttime right now and will let you all know what I think. Also, the past couple of years during the winter months my doctor has prescribed me a steroid eye drop called Solucortef. It is a preservative free steroid that must be refridgerated and it has helped me a lot through the winter season. (By far my worst symptoms are during the winter.) I am usually on that for about 3 months and then I stop taking it.

There are still many things I have not tried yet and although I like my doctor and he works at one of the best hospitals in the country, I still wonder if I should try to go to New York and see Dr. Latkany. There are times where I feel rushed in and out of the docs office and it can be frustrating. Anyway, I hope this helps and if anyone has any questions please ask me.

[rubyslippers]

Wake up and eat breakfast followed by 3 Flaxseed oil capsules
Hot shower. Use a wet washcloth during the shower to allow hot water to permeate the lids. I hold the cloth on my eyes as the water runs over for 3 minutes. Grab a Qtip and proceed with Dr. Latkany's Eye Spa procedure in the little mirror I installed in my shower. Put in contacts. At work I can sometimes only wear my contacts a couple of hours and some days I can get through the day. Sometimes I use Refresh or Refresh Plus every 2-3 hours, but most days I use it every 10-15 minutes.

Come home and remove contacts. 3 more Flaxseed capsules before bed. On bad days I use Gen-Tel Gel in my eyes just before bed. Other days I forget it.

[deannalynn24]

I use a warm compress upon waking in the a.m. and also one drop of Restasis.
Throughout the day I use Refresh Tears when needed.

I use another warm compress at night and another drop of Restasis before bed.

I recently went to my first opthamologist appointment and she prescribed a 2 week course of Alrex, but I've been scared to try those yet! (This is all so new to me!)

Question re: eye lid scrubs....what do most people use to do these? Are these done after removing eye makeup? (Please excuse my ignorance!)

I was on Alrex at first when I discovered I had dry eyes. Don't be scared to try it, it helps some and you were prescribed it for a reason! don't feel bad about your ignorance i'm right there with you! :-)

[Mika]

very good idea flick for creating such an interesting thread. and good though for making it sticky thread rebecca

Well for me:
Morning:

1-when I wake up i steam my face for 3min with my steamer.. feel good !
2-then off I go to clean my eye lid with cotton bud dip with warm water. then I splash my face with plain cold water.
3-10min before i go to work/university i rinse my eye with saline (which is my favorite and currently ONLY used eyedrop).
4- put some few ointment on the corner of my eyelid and check for "ass pinching" eye lash which has fallen and may be irritate my eyes.
5-take some seven seas cod liver oil liquid form + vitamin C

During the day
I regularly splash my face with cold water to wash off some debris which may have stuck

Evening:
1- rinse my eye
2- do some eye steaming
3- put my face under a hot bath
4-rinse eye with some saline
5- sleep with eye mask (which i fink is helping a bit for me to sleep and rest deeply)

[lasiksurvivor]

AM eyelid scrub with Johnson's Baby Shampoo.
Warm compress for five minutes.
One drop of Restatsis in each eye.
Bausch & Lomb Soothe XP eyedrops periodically throughout the day.
I really like these drops and they stay in my eye a long time. Much longer than Systane or Theratears
One Lutein and four flaxseed pills per day. Both are from GNC
A VERY SMALL amount of refresh PM in each eye before bedtime.

[portrgirl]

I took a break from focusing so much on my eyes (while still caring for them well), but I'm back here because I've been thinking a few things lately...

I've been on Restasis for about four months. I don't attribute any improvements in my dry eye to the drops but rather to changes in the care of my eyes:

• I rinse my eyes out at night after taking my makeup off, so no particles linger.
• I don't use powder eyeliner anymore, so none of that is getting in my eyes throughout the day.
• I use a wax-free mascara, which comes off completely.
• I haven't worn contacts in over six months.
• I use Genteal Gel at night.
• I use Walgreens brand equivalent to Refresh Plus, NutraTear and Dwelle throughout my work day.

I find that staying up late, using the computer, watching TV, lowered water consumption, and alcohol consumption exacerbate my dry eye. Also, when I don't take breaks every 30 minutes at work to look away from the computer and blink and put a drop in each eye, my eyes are significantly worse. When I go an entire weekend day without putting drops in, my eyes are significantly worse. Also, I tend to hold my breath and breathe shallow and, as strange as it may sound, I think that my eyes feel better on the days that I consciously breathe regular and deep.

I was going to a doctor every other week for a few months during the summer to try to help this condition. He passed me off to a corneal specialist, who told me to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm supposed to go back next month for a follow-up appointment and to possibly get plugs put in.

I think I'll go for the appointment and finish up my last box of Restasis (should bring me to 5-6 month on it), but I want to be done with doctors and prescriptions. Nothing that they have done for me has helped. They want me to keep up with Restasis, which hasn't done anything for me and is expensive. The specialist told that regardless of whether or not I had improvements with temporary plugs (I had no improvement), he believes all people with dry eye should have plugs put in (this makes no sense to me). Also, they act like it's horrible to not have contacts as an option. One doctor is so sure that Lasik would be great for me.

I truly believe that my dry eye is due to my genetic makeup made worse due to long-term contact wear (including when my eyes were very dry and telling me to take them out), improper contact care, long-term heavy computer use, sleeping with my eyes partially open most nights, and infrequent blinking. (But mainly the contacts.)

I really think that if I put a bit more attention into my eyes (such as trying Tranquileyes or something to keep my eyes closed at night, committing to putting drops in even at night and on the weekends, trying compresses on a regular basis, consciously blinking more often especially at work...), I could make a huge leap in comfort. And truthfully, I think I can get by even where I am now. I have my bad days and I can't wear contacts, but when I'm taking care of myself well I have way more good days and glasses aren't the worst thing in the world (at least I can see!). I don't know that I would ever go back to wearing contacts even if my eyes healed completely.

I don't know that I'm asking anything here but rather stating what I've been feeling to others who can relate and being open to any comments. Thanks!

[bernmee]

So here is my daily routine...I will up date this as I improve (hows that for positive thinking)

On waking, Refresh plus p.f. drops, then every hour or two.

Warm compress, massage and scrub, three times per day.

Dwelle, morning and afternoon.

Azacite, one drop per day (week 6)

Doxy, 50mg (month 4)

Genteal pm at night (going to try using Dwelle instead)

Plugs, top and bottom.

Flaxseed, 4000mg per day.

Wileys throughout the day, eye mask at night.

In addition to this I'm having acupuncture once a week, and being very careful about my diet. I've started drinking wheatgrass juice and veggie juice throughout the day, it tastes so bad it just has to be good! I'm also taking spirulina , grapeseed and bilberry and a probiotic.

[Lucy]

Portgirl-It helps when you post your routine, especially for newcomers who are at a loss where to begin. Your post is great and can be simply followed by others, changing it up a bit if they want.

About the contact lens wear, I don't know if you'll ever return to them and that's your decision. It certainly sounds possible after awhile if you choose to. Please be aware (I'm sure you are) that many people in your position will turn to laser surgery (Lasik) as "a solution" for this problem. Many people on the forum were like you, unable to wear contacts and thought Lasik would fix everything. Doctors don't always mention dry eye is not especially friendly for Lasik.

Please keep us posted with your success. Lucy

[autumnn]

Hi All-

Am I the ONLY one who is trying to manage dry eyes WITHOUT drops? As much as I try, I cannot tolerate lubricating drops (tried more than 10) and the days when I use any drops are filled with dry "rebound" sensations! As I have posted before, my right eye is pretty much "normal" again and my left is (fingers crossed and a prayer sent up to God) I think slowly catching up.

My big question is- do I need drops even if I dont think they help? Am I causing a vicious cycle of dryness without them? All I remember about having this problem in the past is that it went away when I gave up on treating it with drops and eye doctor visits.

Anyway, my daily routine is this:

Wake up- hot shower, eye lid massage and cleaning with Steralid, wellbutrin 300xl, Orthotricycline Lo.

Smoothie with a lot of flax

Daytime- perhaps a drop of Freshlote in left eye once or twice, Doxy 100mg

Dinner-ish time- often a drop of Pataday (my eye doc doesnt seem to think I have an allergy but I look at my dogs and think- better safe than sorry!)

Before bed- warm compresses (5 minutes) lid scrub with steralid, half an ambien and eye mask.

Careful with diet- avoiding what I have been told causes me inflammation (mainly eggs, dairy and wheat)

Please note- in the past I have stopped all medicines thinking that they caused my dry eye and had no improvement. It has been almost 2 months since going back on them- I am not aqueous defficient so maybe this is why there is no effect from them.

Sorry to be redundant- but if any of you also feel drops make your days harder and have improved mainly with lid hygine please let me know because I sure feel like the minority here!

[Jen72]

Just curious- What is wax free mascara and what brand? I have pretty much had to give up eye make up, plugs and eyeliner dont mix. When I do wear mascara its different now.

Re. the plugs- For me, it has been the only thing that has worked for me. I noticed immediate improvemnt and now its bearable but my eyes are still uncomfortable. I think that Restasis is starting to work a litttle, I notice more tearing lately.

Thanks for the reminder of daily routine, I have been lazy lately with all of my compresses and potions. Even though I am feeling more comfortable I could probably feel better if I really committed to water, oil, compress etc.