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New posterior blepharitis diagnosis... help!

Posted , 10 users are following.

girl32479
girl32479

After attending a specialist eye hospital I have just been diagnosed with blepharitis. I had been using chloramphenicol and then fusidic acid as my doctor thought I had bacterial conjunctivitis. These treatments weren't making my eyes better at all, so I went to the eye hospital. The specialist there said I don't have any infection and the drops have caused an irritation in my eyes and I have blepharitis...

My symptoms are as follows:

- eyes more or less feel fine all day, except a couple of days when they were terrible and hurt to blink (before I first went to the GP).

- Sometimes a bit teary

- slight crustiness in the morning (not throughout the day)

- no visible redness - however if I pull down my lower lids, it is very red

- I keep getting styes and/or cysts (one every few days)

- apart from a bit of swelling from my current stye, my lids look fine 

- vision is fine

- not itchy 

I am 20 and have never experienced any eye problems or sensitivity before despite having eczema. I think my eyes are the only place I dont typically experience eczema! I have always worn different eye makeups etc with no problems or soreness at all, even if I wear a lot for a special occasion. I wear contact lenses 3-5 days a week (daily disposables). The only issue I remember ever having is wearing fake eyelashes for a party once a few years back and waking up the next morning with awful, gunky eyes (far worse than this) - the pharmacist gave me something and it was gone in 24 hours. 

I feel totally doomed as my online research ( why did I bother looking rolleyes) has basically told me I will have this forever and it will only get worse.Ive just ordered an eye mask and have started doing the massages/hot soaks etc. I know I definitely shouldnt try the baby shampoo thing as my skin is SO sensitive to shampoos (due to my eczema), even a plain E45 shampoo irritates my face if it comes in contact ... so rubbing it on my eyes sounds like a terrible idea for me. 

Will this ever get better??? If so, when will I see improvement? When can I wear my lenses again? When can I wear eye make up again? If i were to wear a bit of eye makeup now, what would happen? I feel like because it's only just occurred now after using antibiotic drops that it can't be a case of it lasting forever cry i feel desperate! My mum said she was told at some point that she had blepharitis (she has super sensitive eyes and has never been able to wear eye make up because it makes her eyes itch, and the thought of lenses touching her eye horrifies her.. I don't have any of those issues!). My eyes look normal to the naked eye currently.. the main issue is recurrent styes/cysts and crusting in the mornings

It's taken 8 weeks to finally get this (hopefully correct) diagnosis and i'm just desperate to go back to my normal life! i feel so uncomfortable wearing my glasses all the time!! heeellppp...

0 likes, 25 replies

25 Replies

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  • jasmine51150
    jasmine51150 girl32479

    Posted

    Try allergy eyedrops. They seem to make the not difference for me. Also I switched to organic shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, soap etc. I also have eczema and the baby shampoo doesn't effect my extremely sensitive skin and seems better than just hot water. I also used massage and hot compresses. I started with a bacterial conjunctivitis and was on same stuff as you. 3 months on I am pretty much back to normal with my eyes and have just started wearing mascara every day again (also organic) I never wore other makeup. Xx
    • girl32479
      girl32479 jasmine51150

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply! 

      Im currently using allergic conjunctivitis drops for the last couple of days of a 10 day course recommended by the doctor. Really hope I'll be better too xx

  • Gwynny
    Gwynny girl32479

    Posted

    Hi

    have you tried capasal tea tree shampoo ?  Can also get it with the coal tar but I found that was a bit strong......it keeps the crustiness at bay on my eye lids....I use this every morning on closed eyes....I also use blephagel lotion diluted in boiled cooled water to clean my eye lids and after the heat treatment I also dip cotton buds in it and clean along the lash line ......I use blephaclean wipes to clean the lid too.....just keep trying different routines you will find one that works for you...don't give up.... I thought I would never wear eye make up again ....but I am..I use the disposable eye liner brush and mascara brush ...I use a dark eye shadow in place of eye liner.... Good look Hun.....X 

    • girl32479
      girl32479 Gwynny

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply! 

      I haven't tried that, but maybe I should. I'm trying to keep things as clean as possible i.e. just natural products like clean boiled water etc. However i'm not getting much improvements to the redness if i pull my eyelid down. No cysts around my eyes for a week though! I think i'll try blephaclean.

      I find it hard to know what routine will work for me as I hear it is normal to take 2-3 weeks to see improvement. That means i won't know if a treatment is working for a few weeks. It's only been 8 days and feel like i've been doing compresses etc for a lifetime :-(

      I must confess i've used a bit of liquid eyeliner at the outer side of my eyes. No pencil liner or mascara though!

  • andy22.aj
    andy22.aj girl32479

    Posted

    You have posterior blephartis or also known as melboian gland dysfunction.. I prefer to call it the latter as too many people get confused with with anterior blephartis as they don't know the difference where the doctors don't explain anything well.. the reason your having the styles is because your glands will be severely blocked. The oils are not flowing onto the eyes so there just expanding inside your eyelid because the oil has no where to go.. I used to get them but I managed to unblock my glands with a pricey pair of forceps I brought online. no amount of heat and massage will unblock them if they are badly blocked. The oil your producing must be very thick for the glands to be getting blocked in the 1st place, can I ask you what is your diet like.. I mean do you eat healthy? Also unfortunately if you want to see Any improvement your probably have to ditch the contact lenses as they do seem to make symptoms a lot worse.
    • girl32479
      girl32479 andy22.aj

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply!

      Yeah i do feel the doctors didn't explain well at all. Basically everything I know is what i've read online. 

      My diet is usually healthy with the odd weekend where it is terrible. I haven't developed any new styes/cysts for a good week now, the one I had is gradually reducing. I actually felt my symptoms were a lot better while i was wearing my contact lenses, but doctor told me to stay away sad

    • bar58538
      bar58538 andy22.aj

      Posted

      Hi

      please can you give me info in regard to where I can get the forceps and how much?  

      I've got Mibomian gland disfunction and I'm using v expensive blepha eye steaming glasses - I've also tried a long low dose of antibiotics, drops, lubricants - you name it!  Any help would be very gratefully received.

      thank you.

  • fiona51388
    fiona51388 girl32479

    Posted

    Hi, I also have blepharitis, for about three years approx and it took me a long time to find anything that helped, but currently I use blephagel, I keep saying this to people, it comes in a large tube so you can afford to be generous with what you apply, and its also good and thick and I feel sure has cooling agents in it, which for me at any rate bring down the inflamation and help great ly with most of the symtptoms, and also when things got really bad recently to the point where I couldn't even bare the gel anywhere near my eyes, my doc gave me some antihistamine tablets and they cleared it up really well, they are now just slightly gunky and a little sore first thing in the morning and need a little blephagel applied, then back to normal (??), 

    Now I should warn, but probably don't have to, as you'll already be aware, that what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another, and I have particularly found this to be the case with bleph, but I hope it helps, both remedies, used in conjunction, have helped enormously, I would say 80/90% reduction in symptoms, hope this is of some help, best wishes, Fiona

    • fiona51388
      fiona51388

      Posted

      PS  I am able to wear eye make up now as I feel I need it to go on stage for my LIVE poetry recitals and talks I give.
    • girl32479
      girl32479 fiona51388

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply!

      So glad to hear you wear eye makeup. I know the feeling, when I've been clubbing etc with friends it just feels wrong to be out in fancy clothes and heels etc but no eye makeup at all. Just feels wrong to me! :-( I've always loved playing with make up, especially eyes. 

      In these 8 days I've not noticed any improvement in the redness that is on my waterline kinda area when I pull my lid down. However for the first time in ages I havent developed any new styes or cysts in a week. The big one I had is gradually reducing in size and pain. 

      I think I'm gonna try blephagel or blephaclean. Im just a bit hesitant as I wanted my treatment to be as natural as poss i.e. just boiled water, not lots of formulas. 

      I do usually take antihistamines for my skin - maybe starting to take them again could help my eyes. Thanks so much for your help... I have been naughty for a couple of hours on 2 occasions by wearing some eye makeup, but not too close to the lid and more towards the outside of my eyes (just some eyeshadow and liquid mascara... no pencil liner or mascara) x

    • fiona51388
      fiona51388 girl32479

      Posted

      Hi, I feel exactly the same, I always had classic "big" eyes when in my twenties, long time ago (!!) and confess my clubbing days are over but need to go on stage for performance poetry, I feel sure the blephagel will help, it certainly worked pretty well for me, understand not wanting to take potions etc but it is a recognised complaint and sometimes you just have to have something a bit medical, oh, the particular type of anti histamine my doctor gave me, also as I hear it available in Boots but they are called Cetrizine Hydrochloride, and its possibly worth bearing in mind that personally I have tried other makes, brands and found they didn't work as well, hardly at all, so although reluctant when doc prescribed these, they do work pretty well so maybe as i say, worth getting this particular type, again, not every thing works for different people but good luck if you decide to try the blephagel and indeed the anti histamines, all the best, Fiona
    • fiona51388
      fiona51388

      Posted

      PS I have seen some posts on here about tweezers, up to you but I personlally would not take tweezers however medical or come to that expensive to my eyelids, sounds damn dodgy and i feel needs to be done only by someone medically trained and supervised, don't know if you were reading them but there you go, ill advice in my book
    • girl32479
      girl32479 fiona51388

      Posted

      Do you have any experience with the blephaclean wipes? I believe they're the same brand as blephagel. During my online reading i found LOTS of people who say they swear by the blephaclean wipes. 

      I actually took Cetrizine for around 10 years, sometimes even twice a day, so perhaps I should go back to taking it again. I have plenty of it in the cupboard at home so might as well. 

      I did see the tweezer advice. Sounds very risky to me, especially so close to the eye, and keeping the tweezers sterile etc sounds like a nightmare. Don't think I'll be trying that out! x 

    • fiona51388
      fiona51388 girl32479

      Posted

      Hi again, if you feel happier trying the wipes by all means do, the only thing I found, is the lovely thick cooling gel really hit the spot for me, good luck anyway x
    • andy22.aj
      andy22.aj fiona51388

      Posted

      There expensive forceps, not tweezers!! And there made especially for expressing the glands.. hench the price, I am currently down to one heat soaks and expressions a week now, best investment I ever made, what do you thinks more dodgy, applying heat to your eyes twice a day and the applying pressure on your eyeball to express with little or no improvement or one heat and soak session a week, there's no pressure applied to the eye ball as the one side of the forcep sits inside the eye lid so your just squeezing the glands. There never blocked anymore, I obviously massage my eyelids whileI'm in the shower every morning just as maintenance so if keeps the glands open and the oils flowing.. if it's done properly whice is very easy I can't see there being any dodgyness about it.
    • fiona51388
      fiona51388 andy22.aj

      Posted

      OK I get they are forceps but personally I would only allow a medically trained person to do this, you see all sorts of stuff advertised on the internet and this ones a definite no for me, that's all I'm saying
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