I was woken up last night by a sharp pain in my eye, again.

Posted , 37 users are following.

I was woken up in the middle of last night by a sharp pain in my right eye. It felt like someone stabbed the inside of my eye with a needle. It was very painful. It happened few more times afterward throughout my sleep though in lesser intensity, but they still hurt terribly. The pain in my eye lasted almost the whole following day. I have no choice but try to bear it when the pain isn’t too strong, but I’d definitely need medical attention when it gets as strong and painful as that last night. The problem is I need to make appointment to see a doctor and won’t be able to get help right away. It happened frequently in the past. I had been to the doctor few times for treatment and examination because of that. My doctor thought my eye problem was simply due to dryness in the eyes and nothing else. So he prescribed eye droplets to me and sent me away. I really disagreed with his diagnosis but I couldn’t offer any other explanation. I did use the droplets as instructed but evidently it didn’t work, just like last night.

Unfortunately it is only one of many symptoms that associate with my sleep disorder for the past ten years. I’ve been getting this highly focused poking-like sensation which hits all over my body including my ears, nose and eyes. This sensation has different degree of intensity ranging from strong and powerful which hits me like a hammer to sharp and prickly which stabs me like a needle. It causes me great pain and seriously interrupts my sleep.

Can anyone out there offer me a better diagnosis or explanation as to what’s happened to my eyes? It seems that my doctor has underestimated the problem and downplayed my symptoms. I tried to convey to him how painful it was, but sadly he just casually dismissed it as dryness in the eye and nothing out of the ordinary. It is obviously wrong.

Please help.

4 likes, 53 replies

53 Replies

Prev
  • Posted

    I have the same thing as soon as I open my eyes about every 3-5 months. Finally went to the eye doctor and it turns out I have a corneal ablasion... and that pain is my eye lid tearing off part of the cornea thats healed back.
    • Posted

      Sounds like it might be corneal erosion (RCES = recurrent corneal erosion syndrome) if it is not healing.  First course of treatment is usually muro 128 ointment.  Check with your doctor.  In the meantime, when you awaken before opening your eyes, consider putting artificial tears in your eyes (right up against the top of your nose while on your back so that the tears gently drip into your eyes before opening them). Subsequently open them slowly so as to avoid erosion. 

      The other possibility is to check your pillow for feathers (which can poke through the pillow and stick out and scratch your cornea (in which case it's just an abrasion and not RCES).

       

  • Posted

    Sounds like what I experienced and it took several visits before I got the right dianogist. Turned out to be erosion of the cornea. I had to have two surgeries to fix it. I ended up going to duke eye center which I highly recommend   Good luck
  • Posted

    I just stumbled across this and I had the exact same condition. In 2002 I had sinus surgery which went horribly wrong. I had 6 procedures done at one time. The soft paper like bone the eye sits on was broken during surgery when I arrived home I was using saline to soften my nasal passages and get some of the coagulated blood out. I exhaled through my nose my entire face swelled up ten times it's normal size instantly. Back to hospital ICU 5 days. Took three months for swelling to go down. Shortly after I started waking up with major eye pain like a needle rammed into my eye. It became progressively worse I was in the ER up to 5 times a week. This was no headache my BP would spike to 190 over 110 my pulse would be 180 beats a minute. The ER docs knew me so they would literally knock me out. I was diagnosed with RSD right eye. Literally one in a million diagnosed a year. My pain doc did twenty astellet ganglion blocks on me and it worked. He shot cortasteroid marcain directly into my carotid artery twenty times one per week. He explained it was re setting the nerves behind my eye like rebooting a computer. 

  • Posted

    I write more later but I’ve been going through hell at least 5 nights in 7 with eye pain in night

    I have been told my hospital now I have dry eye and cluster headaches, I had never even heard of this,

    I have a brain scan next week.

    My eye hurts between 3am and 7am and it’s a 30 minutes of screaming, my wife gets ice and I take a diazepam and co codermal. And it leaves me exhausted after wards, also I have to be careful on eye movement on waking, 

    I have loads of info as it’s took over my life last 12 months, 

    I find it hard to believe I’m having cluster headaches and will not take a medication for cluster until after my brain scan, I have three different eye drops but now like the 1 day ones from the docs, hyrameds they are the best by far for dry eye and you can keep in your pocket all the time.

    I can write more into another time if anyone is interested.

    I also been to hospital 3 times in last 4 weeks for conea tears, and no idea what is causing them.

  • Posted

    I have had the exact same issue, turns out i was poking myself in the eye. I know how stupid that sounds, so should probably keep it to myself, but i know how much it sucks when it happens. Buy a good sleeping mask, they dont cost a lot, make sure it has padding though. It not only protects your eyes, i have never slept better.

    anyway hope it helps anyone who finds this.

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.