1. Community
  2. Allergies
  3. Allergic Disorders

Eye drops for allergies, discharge

Posted , 2 users are following.

karen41245
karen41245

I have allergies and my eyes are constantly burning with mucous discharge in mornings. Crusty eyelids. Eye doctor said its allergies but the prescribed drops don't work.  Anyone used antihistamine, mast cell stabilizer drops e.g opticrom, patanol, alaway?  I'm in Canada so names may be different.

1 like, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • mrsmop
    mrsmop karen41245

    Posted

    Hi Karen,  can I suggest a way of dealing with your early morning eyes?  I have an autoimmune problem with my eyes and have had it for years.  I also have Blepharitis and dry eye syndrome.   Various doctors would tell me how to deal with the Bleph but I achieved nothing, so I spoke to the Consultant in the clinic and he told me to use a spot of mild handwash or baby shampoo in very hot water, as hot as you can tolerate and soak a face cloth in the water and place it on my eyes until it cools, repeat a couple of times.  Do not get any creams near your eyes, this makes things worse and clogs the Meibomian Glands.

    I also use lubricating eye drops - Hyabak [brand name] and VitA-POS [also brand name] 

    I would guess that the burning is due to dry eye.  

    I also use a steroid eye drop because of my eye condition.  I have used Opticrom in the past but it never helped me.

    Something else, I was told many years ago, that the preservative in eye preparations causes more problems than the drops solve.  I use Preservative free drops etc..  The brand is Minims - I am not certain whether it is the same in Canada.

    The Hyabak and VitA-POS are both preservative free.

    I hope this helps you a little.  Good luck.

     

    • karen41245
      karen41245 mrsmop

      Posted

      Thanks.  I will look into the eye drops you suggested.  The patanol and opticrom seem too strong.  But I definitely need and antihistamine eye drop and only use the preservative free ones.
  • Bumblebea
    Bumblebea karen41245

    Posted

    Hi Karne

    I also seem to have alergies to all eye drops, except the preservative free ones. But this is abbout you. Mrs Mops advice is always good on this site, but I would like to comment, regarding the baby shampoo. For many years, I have been allergic to every shampoo on the market. I can use the 'Simple' shampoo, but the company no longer make it, but it is still available in our pound shops. In my quest to find a shampoo, the baby shampoo was the favourite recommended by everyone, including my doctor. However, it was no better than all the others, leaving my scalp with blistery pimples. My eye consultant did suggest bathing my eyelids with it, but when I told him of my scalp experience, he did of course say, no to that procedure. If you want to give it a go, just try it on one eye at first. Hope this helps

    • mrsmop
      mrsmop Bumblebea

      Posted

      Bumblebea, I only mentioned the baby shampoo because that is what the doctors always recommend but, I am allergic to formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers and it always astounds me that the manufacturers of baby shampoo use them in their products.  Simple is another brand that I cannot use for those reasons too.  I actually use my handwash, Nivea or Palmolive.

      The blistering that you mention, is how my allergy manifested itself plus unbearable itching and it was only following a referrral to a Dermatologist and patch testing, that I found out what is wrong.

      It sounds as though there is something that you are 'sensitive' [as the docs say] to.  Have you tried to work out what it is - check the ingredients.  It is laborious but possible!

      And, Karen, try a spot of something that you know you can use, or, indeed, just plain hot water.  The heat is very soothing.

       

    • Bumblebea
      Bumblebea mrsmop

      Posted

      yes it is labourious trying to check. I did start a list years ago, and when the ingredient list got to 300+, I gave up. My hairdresser gave me a name to send a hair sample too. ( I will do that it I run out of the Shampoo. But as I am ok with the Simple, I will be ok. I have bought out the pound shop, and now have about 100 in stock!!! To be be honest, my eye is my priority. I am going to the seminar of the Macular society in September, and this is of course Macular week, and all Vision Express opticians are hosting all week. There is so much info in the quaterly mag, which came yesterday. I wish they had told me about the 'blue' lens which I feel would have been good for me. I would have paid for it if I had too. Yes, to put those ingredients into the baby shampoo is awful. Guess the modern Mum doesnt notice that on the bottle, or there would be a demo outside no !0 !!!!!
    • mrsmop
      mrsmop Bumblebea

      Posted

      These are the formaldehyde releasers

      Quaternium-15

      Imidazolidinyl urea (Germall 115)

      Diazolidinyl urea (Germall II)

      DMDM hydantoin (Glydant)

      2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (Bronopol) 

      Tris(hydroxymethyl) nitromethane (Tris Nitro)

      Hydroxymethylglycinate (Suttocide A)

       

    • Bumblebea
      Bumblebea mrsmop

      Posted

      What does it mean when you state 'releasers'?

      Are there 'non releaseres' ?

    • mrsmop
      mrsmop Bumblebea

      Posted

      No there aren't 'non-releasers' these chemicals just release formaldehyde in certain situations.

      I'm not a chemist, so I don't know how they work I just know the principles of their action.  They are used as preservatives/anti fungals.

      Formaldehyde and the F releasers are used in all sorts of things, for example, in paper manufacture, clothes and beauty products, washing liquids, all sorts!

      I have tried clothes on in a shop and reacted badly to the residual formaldehyde, which is, I am told, supposed to have been removed prior to reaching the shop floor.

      Simple products use/d Bronopol and as far as I know, they still do.  Years ago, 2003 ish, I used Persil washing up liquid and put one hand in a bowl with some in it and immediately started to itch and blister.  They may have removed the formaldehyde releaser from it now.

      I emailed dozens of companies at that time and learned a lot.  Some companies were more helpful than others.

      On the whole, the products I use, are Clarins, Nivea and Ariel and Fairy - Proctor & Gamble products are mostly free of formaldehyde and f releasers

      I also developed an allergy to nickel and discovered that M&S bras are nickel free, unlike Fantasie, which I had been wearing and it hadn't occurred to me that it was the nickel in the bra that was causing a rash.

      I'll get off my soap box now!

       

    • Bumblebea
      Bumblebea mrsmop

      Posted

      Wow, that is so enlightening. I also have an allergy to nickel. I no longer can wear my wedding rings, because of course there is nickel in gold, or it would be too soft. A friend of ours who is a goldsmith told us this. For instance 24ct gold is very soft, but is pure. If it is, for instance 18ct, then the other 6 is nickel. This makes is stronger. I did have quite an interesting conversation with the aneathasist, when I had my cataract op. He said there was no nickel in surgical instruments. However, someone (was it yourself) had put the link on this site to the research, and there was 7 or 8% in all instruments. Some actually were coated in it, rather that being mixed in the metal at the time of manufacture. I guess this may have been needles, or something so fine that the strength was applicable to the outside. So these 'professionals' can always learn something new. Thanks again for that info, I shall definately be looking for it on all sorts of things now.
    • mrsmop
      mrsmop Bumblebea

      Posted

      The other thing, is stainless steel.  The nickel in it stops it from rusting but, it is possible to get nickel free stainless steel.  I bought new cutlery a few years ago, when this all kicked off.  Nickel free is 18/0 ordinary stainless steel is [if my memory serves me correctly] 18/8

      I bought my original cutlery from America but subsequently discovered that Lakeland sold sets that are 18/0 and bought one of those too.

      My specs are rimless with titanium arms because most metal arms have nickel in them.

      I can't wear any jewellery either.  It seems to me that new stainless steel is ok-ish but as it wears and gets older, the nickel must come to the surface.  Back in the days when mobile phones were small, I used to stuff mine in my bra, it didn't occur to me immediately that it was the nickel in the cover that was causing the red patches on my skin.

      I find it all a fascinating topic and the link that you mention, sounds like me!!

       

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.