[emmtee]

#1058842

I grew up with cats, and I have one now. I’ve never had any problems. In fact, according to a blood test I had several years ago, I don’t have any allergies at all (maybe a mild allergy to sage, but that’s the only thing the blood test indicated.) On windy days during hay fever season, I do get a little stuffy, but nothing like my friends who have real allergies.

Since being diagnosed with GD in October, my right eye waters a lot. My right eye also had eyelid retraction, which has almost disappeared after 2 months on methimazole, but the eye still waters. The only times I’ve had watery eyes in the past, it was both eyes, and after realizing that it they only watered in bed, I washed my pillow and the problem went away. Now, my right eye waters at random times, at home or away. It’s not a huge problem; I just keep a tissue handy. Sometimes when I wipe away the tears, I notice a bit of pain in the inner corner of my eye, but it’s not bad.

So, anyway, yesterday I had my first shift volunteering at the local humane society helping with cat adoptions. It was great. I handled a lot of cats but always washed up between cats because sanitation is a big concern. My eye watered, but not really any more than normal. I had some headaches that day and took some Excederin for it. I was okay until bedtime, when my headache became excruciating and it seemed to be centered behind my right eye, just to the right of the bridge of my nose. My eyes were watering and my nose was running. It finally occured to me that I might have a sinus headache, and I took some Sudafed. That took the edge off enough for me to sleep, but the pain came back later and I took a Claritin and 4 ibuprofen. I was all better for several hours, but I’ve been fighting the same kind of pain tonight. I tried the Sudafed and then the Claritin/Ibuprofen combo earlier, so it’s not as bad tonight.

So here’s my question: Are my symptoms typical of Graves’ patients, or might I have suddenly developed an allergy to cats?

[Bobbi]

#1170355

To find the truth, you need a doctor. But I can give you generalizations. When we have thyroid disease, the quality of our tears can change. Normal tears are gooey (the term is viscous, actually, but gooey works) and they stick to the eyeball providing lubrication. We are only aware of these tears when we are crying, but the tears are apparently on the eye, all the time, they just don’t “run.” When we have thyroid disease, tears run out of the eye much more frequently. It is, in part, due to the fact that our less gooey tears don’t lubricate our eyes as well as the normal tears did. They do not sit on the eye, unknown to us. They run. So, the eye dries out, and more tears are formed as the body tries to keep the eyes from feeling dry, itchy, what have you. So, the first thing you should do, if you are noticing unusually runny tears, is to get yourself some artificial tears at your local grocery or pharmacy store. This is a protective measure. If your tearing issues ultimately turn out to be allergies, you have done no harm. But if you have thyroid eyes/tears, then you will be helping to protect your corneas from scratches that can occur from the eyes drying out too much. It seems counter-intuitive, I know, to suggest that you put more drops in your eyes when you are seeing tears pretty constantly, but it can be an indication that your eyes are dry. And, these are not the “get the red out” types of drops or those marketed for allergic eye issues. These are “artificial tears.” If you have trouble figuring out which ones to buy from all the choices, consult the pharmacist.

[emmtee]

#1170356

Thanks for responding. I’m having another episode tonight, and I remembered reading that cluster headaches are centered around your eyes and can cause them to water. I looked it up, and all the symptoms fit. My symptoms (excruciating pain, tearing, and runny nose) are all on one side of my face. I’ll call my PCP’s office tomorrow and try to get in asap. It looks like a lot of the treatments are the same drugs that they use for migraines, but they also suggested 10 mg of melatonin, so I’ll try that for tonight.

[LadyGrey]

#1170357

Good suggestion – please see a doctor! In addition, when choosing drops, please be sure to check the country of origin for a US manufacturer. Another reason to keep the eye lubricated is to prevent a detached retina. I have been having some issues with that even though every morning when walking my dogs the tears run down my face and it is not from allergies. I was treated for Graves in 1985. Take care:)

[susanne13]

#1170353

It seems like your question has been answered and you are going to your PCP and it, but YES, I had crazy watering of just one eye when I was in the “midst” of my Graves’ symptoms (thanks, Bobbi, for the in-depth explanation, I never knew exactly WHY ). It was just drip, and I wouldn’t even feel anything until the tear would run down my face!! Best of luck to you!

[susiej]

#1170358

Thanks for the indepth info, Bobbi. My mom was recently diagnosed and I came across this forum while searching for information on Graves. Sometimes just one of her eyes waters, but often both. I will get her some artificial tears drops.

Good luck, emtee, and everyone else.

[snelsen]

#1170359

There was a question about tape, for taping eyes. I use Mepitac, which is very, very expensive, but wonderful. Ordered it online.
However, I just had another idea that I will explore tomorrow. There used to be a pink tape that was used in beauty parlors to tape hair down, cause it did not hurt at all when removed. I am going to look into that tomorrow. What I found tonight is that it is called Scotch hair set tape. I’ll report again after I find it and use it.

I have had plugs in tear ducts in the past. They did not help me at all. The doctor charged $500/each to install, and it was not a complex or even sterile procedure. Later they disappeared, were not in the ducts anymore. They were in the lower ducts.

For Emmtee-I know you plan to see a doctor, but I am not aware that a headache is associated with any TED symptoms. Perhaps it is. But my daughter has migraine headaches, and they are only on one side of her head.
Could you have them, along with everything else? (i:

Shirley

[emmtee]

#1170360

I haven’t been to the bulletin board in a while, but I’m back to follow up.

I had a day and a half without headaches, so I put off calling the doctor. Then the headaches came back and my right eye started getting really red. I had a solid red patch that spread over almost half the white of my eye. I called on Thursday for an appointment, but my Dr. was out Friday so, rather than see a different doctor, I made my appointment for Monday the 13th.

By Monday, the redness was just starting to clear. (The middle was turning yellowish, like how a bruise looks when it heals.) I was really there to see the doctor about the headaches, but my doctor was more concerned about my eye. I explained that I had the headaches for several days before the eye redness. Since none of the OTC drugs helped the pain, I had been putting a cold, wet washcloth over my eye to take the edge off. When I wet the washcloths, I could smell the fabric softener in them, and I really think something got in my eye and caused the redness. But my doctor seemed to think that both the redness and the headaches were caused by an eye problem and insisted I see an opthamologist that very day, or I might risk losing the sight in my eye.

They made me an appointment and I went directly to the opthamologist. After a few tests, he told me that I had an infection and gave me drops to put in my eyes for 2 weeks. He said that my eyes “looked like they might get glaucoma someday” (whatever that means) and advised me to have my eyes tested annually. I have no family history of glaucoma, but I did some research to see what my doctors were all worked up about, and I see that my symptoms did resemble those of “Angle-Closure Glaucoma.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002587/ They really had me in a panic over nothing, but I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Anyhow, the headaches and the redness are all gone now. My eyes aren’t even watering any more. I volunteered at the Humane Society twice last week and had no symptoms at all.

BTW – When my eye got red, I did try some systane eyedrops, and even though they didn’t help with the redness, they were soothing and my eye hasn’t watered since. So I finally understand what Bobbi has been saying about our tears. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s true.

And, Shirley – I’ve had migraines for over 20 years, and these headaches were definitely different. From what I had been reading online, a lot of the drugs they use for cluster headaches are the same drugs they use for migraines. I was really hoping my doctor would give me a prescription that I could use for either kind of headache, but she thought my eye was causing the headaches.

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