recurrent pink eye

[tearless2]

Hi,

I have sicca syndrome, possible sjogren's. For the last two months, I have had recurrent pink eye. Every time I get a cold (and it's 3 times in the past 2 months -- I have a toddler) I get it at the tail end of my cold.

My optometrist has treated me with antibiotic drops that clear it up in only a few days. I am wondering why all of a sudden after a whole life of never having pink eye, I am getting it all the time.

At first, I thought it was restasis, but I haven't taken my restasis in 3 weeks (since my last bout of oink eye) so I guess it's the autoimmune component combined with severe dry eye. I also wear contacts but I throw away the cleaning component and get new contacts each time I am done with this. I wear glasses while I have it.

What can I do to prevent this bacterial pink eye?

[tearless2]

Just wanted to add that my husband suggested the plugs (I have 4 ducts plugged) could also be contributing to this recurrent pink eye issue. He wondered if removing one set would help.

Any thoughts or recommendations on what I can do are greatly appreciated. Does anyone else have this issue?

[Rebecca Petris]

This is a new one to me. It would be interesting to hear some opinions from really good eye docs.

Are you fully occluded or only partly occluded in the uppers?

[tearless2]

Thanks for responding Rebecca.

I didn't know a person could be partly occluded in the uppers. I only know I have 4 punctal plugs. I will ask my optometrist when I see him today. I have been on the antibiotic drops since Friday and my right eye is worse today - very gunky and red. I don;t know what I did wrong that it won't go away and why do I keep getting them? I am really having a hard time with this. My right eye is so itchy I can't sleep right now.

I had a lot of burning over the weekend that seems to have morphed into severe itching. I really hope my optometrist can help. I wonder if using a neti pot could have influenced this?