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I was diagnosed with Graves 10 years ago. Went through the "hot" phase for a couple years, then had lid-lowering surgery and one more surgery to cut away the puffiness under the bottom lids. It’s been a very long time since then, but to this day I still have terribly red, dry eyes nonstop. The puffiness has not returned, or the bulging eyeballs, although pressure there remains; it’s just not visible on the outside like before the surgery.
I see an opthalmologist still regularly and have been on Restasis for almost a year. I honestly can’t say it has helped. I am also on heavy-duty Oasis eydrops and 2 other regular eyedrops, so use drops about 8 times a day. I really want to get back to normal and I accept that Graves eye disease never really goes away and you just have to learn to live with it, but this "red eye" thing is just really getting to me. I don’t want to look like I’m intoxicated or high or like I have "pink eye" because I don’t.
Has anyone out there had this problem ongoing with TED and is there any current help available? Thank you, I would appreciate any response!
Do your eyes close?? If not that may be something to consider with your eye doctor. If you still have pressure behind your eyes and/or your eye muscles are weakened or impacted, you may be able to force them closed but when you sleep, your muscles relax and they may be popping open, even a crack may be allowing air in to dry them out — have someone check them while you sleep. If they are not closing or staying closed all the way, use PM ointment and a mask and do not allow air movement in the room (such as overhead fans). I have had to turn the air up in the summer and go without a ceiling fans. Also if you live in a dry climate use a humidifier. You may also want to get safety glasses that fit closely to keep air and wind out of your eyes when indoors and add optha. (the kind they give you after eye surgery) sunglasses that fit over them when outside — it is amazing how much air movement there is when it is not a windy day when your eyes are sensitive to it. I also use the safety glasses to dry my hair and to open the oven door. Your optham. should be able to look at your eyes and tell you if they are drying out.
You said you had surgery to get rid of the puffiness under your eyes, do the bottom lids still form a cup for the moisture that your eyes do produce or that you put in?? My lower lids dropped and so all moisture I put in (lubricants every 15 minutes) would run down my cheeks. I had surgery to rebuild my lower lids. But prior to that, I got great relief by having PUNCTUM Plugs put in the lower ducts so that the moisture would go to my eyes instead of down my sinuses, until they could rebuild the lower lid struts. Also, you may want to check into the restasis — could it be causing some of the problems, you say it doesn’t seem to help — you may want to discuss that with your doctor. My doctor kept trying to give me a prescription for restasis but the insurance would not allow it because they require a systemic dry eye diagnosis (where the eyes no longer are capable of producing tears) and my diagnosis was dry eyes due to Thyroid disease in other words it was disease caused, not a system failure (or something like that in the medical fine-lines) — not the same thing. Also be aware if you do get Punctum plugs and you see a restasis add or go to their web-site — it says there is no tested benefit by using Restasis with punctum plugs. It is funny that you mention pink eye, because that is what my original PCP and first Opth. thought I had until they diagnosed Graves and realized it was TED — I never did have pink eye. As implied, in the early stages of trying to find out what was wrong with me, I changed doctors a lot until I got with the right ones that could deal with my symptoms and treat this disease.I know nothing if Thyroid eye but wanted to say I hope you find your answers. I do have a question though.. Do you have allergies? I ask because I know someone that have eye problems year round. I found out that he has allergies to things other than spring time stuff. Just asking, might be something environmental/dust/animal..something that is always around in the house.
((((HUGS))) -
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