Post Your Daily Routine

[Flick]

I thought it'd be helpful if people post what they're doing, then others can see and ask questions and such. Here's mine:

AM: Restasis drops in each eye
eye lid heat and massage (if not feeling lazy)

throughout day: Systane preservative free and TheraTears in a bottle

lunchtime: doxy 100 mg

PM: Restasis in each eye
eye lid heat and massage
eye lid scrub
doxy 100 mg
Erythromycin ointment right before bed


Wow, so much now that I look at it. Sometimes I wonder if maybe less is more . . .

[kitty]

AM- Wake up and flush eyes with Saline, then Thera Tears in vials.
Thera Tears in vials instilled another 3-4 times before I leave for work. I have a hot shower rather than doing a hot pack.

Throughout the day, about every hour or so, Thera Tears in vials or in the bottle, depending on where I am. It's more often when my eyes are especially hot and irritated.

In the late evening, I take another hot shower to sooth my eyes.

1/2 hour before bed time, instill TheraTears in vials. Wait 15 minutes. Then one drop Restasis each eye. Wait 15 minutes. Then one or two drops of GenTeal gel and off to bed I go.

Around 2 or 3 am, I have been waking up needing to put in either more gel or TheraTears.

[Gaye]

For my routine, it goes like this - first thing is a flush with sterile saline, then Systane. Five minutes later it is a drop of Lotemax in each eye. If my eyes feel particularly bad, five minutes later it is Acular in each eye. After that, (depending on how dry I feel), I use NutraTears if not too dry or Dwelle if I am very dry. This is usually about every 2 to 3 hours all day long. All of this is supplemented with HydroEyes and an essential fatty acid supplement morning and night. In the evening, it is once again Lotemax in each eye, then Dwelle a bit later, then GenTeal Gel right before I turn out the light and go to sleep. So far, I have not had to get up for more drops or gel during the night.

[Flick]

Gaye - How long did the steriods take to start working? Are you on them indefinitely or are you tapering off?

[mef]

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!)

[fernellen]

I don't know how long anyone's productive day is. Mine certainly became shorter once I developed surgery-induced DES.

4:00 a.m. restasis in both eyes
5:00 a.m. genteal in operated-on eye; drops in eye that uses contact
6:00 a.m. shower/lid massage
6:30 a.m. out the door and work

If a bad-eye day - Systane or Refresh at about 9:00 a.m.

1:00 or so - Systane or Refresh (whatever I started with)

7:00 p.m. contact out
restasis in both eyes
close eyes/listen to books on tape or news/warm compress or
ice depending on need

I can usually go a day on one vial. The operated on eye is the one that needs the major help. Unless I have a late meeting that lasts until 9:00 p.m. (then another squirt), I am asleep by 8:00 p.m. I am still trying to keep up some of the activities and projects from before the surgery, but it's a day to day challenge. I am cautious about where I spend time (humidity, stressors, etc). I do not go out at night if I can help it due to GASH.

I am thinking about starting a saline wash. Also, I liked the discussion about refrigerated meds. Please continue it. My doctor told me to put the open restasis in frig. It stays there for about 9 hours while I sleep. I know where it is in this cycle of care.

[Jessica Adams]

6:30 a.m. a big glass of water with Cellfood and put on my protection glasses
7:15 a.m. flaxseed supplement
(I usually do not instill my eye during the day unless it is really dry and in that case I use Dwelle on a need by basis - I live in a very humid climate in Central America )
9:00 p.m. hot compresses and Dakrina.

J

[Chris]

What a great idea to post these. Very interesting and helpful.

Morning:

Hot compress
Rinse with Saline
Freshkote drops (used every 2 hours throughout the day, more or less)
2 Tbl. Flax oil
1 1000 mg. fish oil
900 mg. Neurontin
Drink water throughout the day (I just took a big gulp right now)

Afternoon:

1 hour rest/nap using genteal gel in right eye.
900 mg. Neurontin

Evening:

900 mg. Neurontin

Before bed:

Rinse with Saline
Dwelle and then Refresh PM in right eye only.

Occasional lid scrubs


I don't think I forgot anything. It's become so routine now.

Chris

[Rebecca Petris]

What a great idea to post these

Agree!! I just "stuck" the thread to keep it visible. I'd invite all new & old users to post here with their routine... very interesting reading & always brings up some fresh ideas.

[Amy09]

AM:
-Hot shower using warm compress/washcloth while in shower for about 15 minutes
-Restasis
-Serum drops
-Refresh tears
-2 BioTear tablets

THROUGHOUT DAY AND EVENING:
-Refresh Tears and/or Blink Drops

PM:
-Restasis
-2 Biotear tablets
-Refresh Celluvisc for sleeping
-Goggles for sleeping

[shells]

AM:
Let hot water run over my face in shower for a few minutes then lid scrub
Restasis
Hydro Eye, fish oil, borage oil (with food)

During day:
Bion Tears or Systane Free (usually every 2 hours)
Wrap-around sunglasses for eye protection outside
Similisan drops for allergies when needed (just started giving those a shot!)
Drink lots of water

PM:
Eye wash after work (if its been a bad day)
Compress after work (if its been a bad day) - warm or cold depending on pain
Restasis
Hydro Eye, fish oil, borage oil, 2 tbsp. flax seed oil (with food)
warm compress and lid scrub before bed
Sleep with Genteal gel and sleep mask

[Gaye]

Hi Flick - I have sent you a private message about the steroid drops.

[Lucy]

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

Most people=?........As for me, I use Eye Scrub "Sterile Eye Makeup Remover & Eyelid Cleansing Pads." They are expensive @$11.99 for 30 scrub pads.

If I am out of these, I'll use Q-tip moistened with Saline and run the Q-tip over the edge of the eyelid lashline. There is much info on the bb about using diluted Baby Shampoo and cotton balls as scrubs, too. Some people find these a bit harsh. They are more economical than the "Eye-Scrub" by Novartis!

You would use lid scrubs of any kind after washing your face and/or removing any eye makeup. Be sure to rinse well after you do the scrubs.

[mef]

Thank you!! I just now saw your response. I appreciate your good information!

[Missy]

Morning:
- Shower - Let the hot water run over my face to remove dried gel on lashes.
- Warm Compress - about 10 min.
- Lid Scrub w/ Ocusoft scrub pad
- 1 Drop of Restasis in each eye

During the Day:
- BION TEARS when needed
- 100 mg. Doxycycline at lunch (sometimes dinner if I forget)
- 6 Thera Tears Nutrition Gelcaps

Night:
- Warm Compress - about 10 min.
- Lid Scrub... if I'm not too lazy
- 1 drop of Restasis in each eye
- Genteal Gel
- Sleep Mask

This is my routine. Ugh! I get so tired of it sometimes.

[Flick]

Time to update my daily routine. To see my old one, scroll down to the first post.

Restasis: first thing in the morning, and last thing in the evening

Systane preservative-free single use vials: throughout day as needed

Theratears Nutrition: one serving 3x/day (one serving is three or four pills, depending on which bottle you buy)

I should probably be doing lid scrubs and warm compresses but I have lower plugs that stick out a little bit so I'm too scared to scrub my eyelids. I'm going to work on these plugs, either get rid of them or try a different pair or get cauterized.

I still think that Dakrina is the best eyedrop around but my eyes have been feeling a little better recently (probably due to summertime humidity) so I've been able to get by with just the Systane. Also, now that I've discovered that you can re-cap the single use vials it is much easier to carry them around and re-use them for half a day.

I honestly think the high dose of omega 3's is helping. I was on lower doses earlier in the year and never really saw any relief. Not a cure or anything, but definite improvement. And Restasis seems to be helping as well.

The main thing I've learned is that each therapy takes time. Before I would try something for a few days and expect to see results. Now I know to wait at least a few weeks, and to not change other things during that period to try and isolate the effect of one therapy.

[Silverlady]

Daily Routine:
AM: wash goggle pads in baby shampoo and hang to dry.
wash first one eye then the other with a clean washcloth
soaked in very warm water.
Apply Restasis (1 drop each eye)

Rest of the Day:
Bion eyedrops all during the day. (lots)

PM: Wash eyes the same way I did in the AM schedule.
Apply Restasis (same dose)
Soak pads to Eyeeco Moisture Goggles in really warm,
almost hot water in a new papercup.

[Silverlady]

For some reason I didn't finish my routine. Must have been late at night.

PM Cont'd:
While soaking goggle pads,
I put otc eye ointment around the eye area to keep them from getting chafed. I don't put it in the eyes. Then I put in a liberal amt. of Genteal GEL for severe dry eyes from the tube
Then I squeeze out almost all of the moisture in the pads and put the pads in my goggles. Then put the goggles on and go immediately to bed. If I have to get up in the night, I put more gel in my eyes.

Sometimes if my eyes are hurting/burning really bad, I use another clean washcloth soaked in really warm water and wrung out over my eyes for about 15-20 min.

This is all I do, and it has worked well for about 6-8 months. Oh yeah, I could wish for more tears, but it's not going to happen for me, so I cope. I could not live without the goggles or the Genteal Gel. I'm packing 2 pair of goggles and lots of the Gel for the trip to Mayo in Dec.

[William53]

My current regimen is:

~ use Genteal Moderate eye drops upon waking and then throughout day as needed

~ before breakfast, hot compresses, eye scrubs w/ diluted baby shampoo + restasis

~ 50 MGs of doxycyclin once a day w/ breakfast + eye-health multi-vitamin + 1,000 MG of omega-3 fish oil

~ after breakfast, one drop in each eye of Acular; two more drops of Acular for each eye in afternoon, and then again in evening (Acular is a new part of daily regimen; am working with my ophthalmologist to figure out anti-inflammatory needed to deal with condition while minimizing side effects)

~ during day, rest eyes every hour or so depending on computer use, reading

~ in evening, hot compresses, eye scrubs w/ diluted baby shampoo + restasis

I also try to eat healthy foods

[Silverlady]

Do any of you ever get really dry, itchy eyelids (skin in the eyesocket area) when you use the scrubs? I'm having a lot of residue collect in my eyelash area due to the increased inflammation and a lot of my eyelashes are falling out. I have had to quit using the eyelash scrub in the past due to my eye area getting so irritated. Oh..I have super dry skin everywhere due to the Sjogrens. I'm looking for another way to clean the eyelash line.
Billye

[Ben]

I have never been that good with routines, some call it lazy! No comment!

That said certain things are starting to become normal practice:

The joyous morning of eye..

Wake and attempt to peel eyes open.
Rub them to get the feeling of lubrication going.
Blink lots.
V hot shower washing away effects of whatever it is goes on with the little bighters over night.
Fill sink with hot water, submerge face and attempt to drown myself for 30 second bursts, despite not be able to breathe, feels lovely and warm on the eyes.
Have been kown to then do a lid scrub, usually with sterile saline solution, recently tried baby shampoo(stung), however my eyes are very fussy in the AM and don't like to be messed with too much. Sometimes scrubs make them worse.


A good day at work- use Refresh Soothe & Protect single use vials every few hours and keep a smile on my face.

A bad day at work - use Refresh Soothe & Protect & wash single use vials every few hours and wash face at numerous intervals to make eyes feel less red, dream of getting away from work and computer screens, no trace of a smile anywhere.


The evening return..
Depending on how red and irritated with PC Use, a rice baggy is a must!

Sometime in the hour before bed..
Wash face in hot water
Do lid scrubs, as mentioned usually with saline solution.
Rinse face off
Drop of Refresh Soothe & Protect in each eye.

Go to bed, read for too long, wake up and find eyes have been off partying all night again.

Weekends
All of the above but not in any particular frequency or order.

I know i need more for the eyes overnight, just don't know what is best. had a bad experince once with Lacrilube and have always been very apprehensive about what i put in there when i sleep.

cheers
ben

[Deniz]

I have lower plugs.

- Wash face with lancome cleansing gel (10am)
- one drop of Theratears to clear the RefreshPM gel residue from the prior night (10:05am)
- Lotemax drops to each eye (11am, 2pm, 5pm, 10pm)
- Theratears once in every hour till bedtime
- Refresh PM before bed (midnight)

Sometimes I wake up to reapply the refresh pm at night.

[Elegiamore]

Plugs were all I needed until now. My doctor is absolutely no help at all with a routine.

How do I get started? I am without insurance and a job, so money is really tight and Restatis is out of the question. My doctor said flooding my eyes every two hours should heal the dry spots on my cornea; one doctor said no Refresh PM and one said to do it. Had pain from Dakrina - should I try it again? I see very few people here use the Dakrina and Dwelle products - how come?

Trying to educate myself, but would LOVE some advise. Stopped using eye makeup because sterile eye scrubs too expensive and trouble putting in drops all day.

Thanks for the help!

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi there and welcome!

Plugs were all I needed until now. My doctor is absolutely no help at all with a routine.

...Trying to educate myself, but would LOVE some advise.

I'd start with getting a new doctor. If that isn't possible, have a look at our treatment summary sheet for some ideas, and also the pain management page. While some of the best things for dry eye are rather costly, there are quite a few things you can do to work on improving eye comfort that are very economical. Many people with evaporative dry eye get good mileage from warm compresses, which don't need to cost anything.

Had pain from Dakrina - should I try it again? I see very few people here use the Dakrina and Dwelle products - how come?

Actually quite a few do (check the poll results). If Dakrina disagrees I think it is still worth trying Dwelle. Dakrina is just Dwelle plus Vitamin A, but it has a different consistency that does not agree with everyone. Kind of a love-it-or-hate-it thing. I have had times when Dakrina worked very well for me and other times when it made my eyes uncomfortable. I'd also hit up your doctor for free samples of any other artificial tear products he has that you can try out. - Re ointments, I'm personally not keen on them at all for regular use but you might try Genteal Gel. It is not greasy like ointments but many people here find it helps them at night.

[Elegiamore]

Rebecca,

Thank you for your response. Today the Dakrina feels fine! Maybe I am healing up. My doctor suggested the dry eye was environmental and gave me no information about glands. Should he have checked this with me? Thank you for the information on Genteal Gel, but I haven't seen it at any of the stores I've frequented yet.

I have dry spots on my cornea. If the pain is gone, should I assume the dry spots are also or do you have to be re-examined to be certain?

This is a great site and you do a fantastic job! I feel at home here and hope to contribute some myself after I do my research.

Thank you,
Elegiamore

[laine]

Hi,
I too have Sjogren's and I use just a few grains of salt with about a quarter of a cup of water and use a q-tip to apply along the lashline and the smooth area of skin just below the lashline. I have tried lidscrub and baby shampoo and found both to be extremely drying to my eyes and the skin around them.
I notice that you use 'biontears' as well.

[Steve]

I've posted my ongoing experiments to http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?k...Sf0SAkiTd2nmRA and to the "My Dry-Eye story" forum.

Google Spreadsheets are awesome -- anyone can publish an excel sheet for free and link to it on the web. Sign up at http://docs.google.com/

Thanks so much to all of you for saying what works for you!

[IanJ]

6:30AM: Apply Ocumed eye drops. Doc says it's important to hydrate the eye for any losses of tear film through the night.

6:45AM: 1 Aspirin to combat retinal vein occlusions (I have one in each eye already), 3 theratears nutrition Omega 3 pills. Any other pills I'm trying.

7:00AM: Apply more Ocumed eye drops to really hydrate the eyes and set them up for the day. (PS. Before I did this I used to get really dry eyes in the car drive to work).

ANY AM: Apply eye drops as and when required. Usually a couple of times....sometimes more. Depends on air-con/heating at work.

ANY PM: As above.

BEFORE BED:-
Hot compress on the eye-lids for 5 minutes. Then using the massage technique to clear the lid glands.
Wash eyelids with STERILID (baby shampoo a waste of time).
Then, and very importantly, wash the eyelids down with COLD water....this is to close up the glands agains otherwise they can just run empty!
Finally, Ocumed drops once again to hydrate the eyes before hitting the sack.

Ian.

[YGB]

BEFORE BED:-
Hot compress on the eye-lids for 5 minutes. Then using the massage technique to clear the lid glands.
Wash eyelids with STERILID (baby shampoo a waste of time).
Then, and very importantly, wash the eyelids down with COLD water....this is to close up the glands agains otherwise they can just run empty!
Finally, Ocumed drops once again to hydrate the eyes before hitting the sack.

Ian.

Ian - this is an interesting, methodical routine. I do warm compresses for 15 minutes. Perhaps this is too long although I thought I saw somewhere that this was an appropriate amount of time. How did you come up with 5 minutes? Also, washing the eyelids down with COLD water to seal them up again is something I have never come across, but sounds interesting in concept. Did your MD recommend this? Thanks for sharing.

[skygoddess]

Hi,
My routine varies, depending on how bad things are, but the most important lesson I have learned the HARD way, is when I actually reach Nirvana,
( otherwise known as maintenance ) This is NOT the time to slack off. Three months of hard work, can be lost, ( sorry can't resist) In the blink of an eye!
Seriously, I get all happy and think ," Hallelujah! I am Healed! " Only to have the whole vicious cycle come back on me again.
So every day,
A.M. Hot shower .or Hot compresses with chamomile tea bags, (gentle and reduce puffiness)
Minocycline 50- or-100 mg, depends on my condition
Cod Liver Oil 2x daily, Fish Oil 2x daily

Alrex drops 3x daily ( these really helped me)
Systane or Refresh plus throughout the day

Late afternoon, Sterilid scrubs and rice baggy compresses, eyelid massage.
Tobradex ointment , when times are tough

Lid scrubs ,compresses and massage before bed
Humidifier in bedroom
Laci lube at night , systane drops always within bedside reach.
I get tired just looking at all this, no wonder I get Lazy