Any optometrists in the house?

I went to the optometrist in March for pains in my left eye, I thought due to contacts being dried out or a bad batch. Went to Europe, wore my glasses for most of it, didn't notice any pains except when I put in my contacts. But then again, I was busy and not really noticing much - having too much fun. Seemed like everything cleared up and my contacts were fine. But then my left eye would hurt and I would wear my glasses. For the latter half of my trip I wore contacts most of the time, with little to no irritation. Nothing major, but feels like a pressing sensation - sometimes worse sometimes just irritated.

 

Come back to the States, and my contacts are really bugging me in my left eye. Swapped out sets, even changed L/R eyes - I can keep them in at times for a few hours but the pain seems to really come in out of nowhere, and I take them out and put on glasses. I've worn contacts for years, even with this same type of contact, and never had any problems.

 

Went to eye doc today and stumped him. Eyes were identical left to right, both had lots of dryness. Gave me some drops for day and night, and some new dailies to try out. Told me to let him know Monday how it went.

 

The pain comes and goes, but as I write this it's quite noticeable under the left eye, right on the bone.

 

Any thoughts?

Have you tried to stop lens wear for a least a week? If you're wearing dailies try the new Tru Eyes by Acuvue.........best one day on the market. If dryness is the issue, have your doctor start you on a 1 week course of anti-infamatories ( ie Lotamax, Fml, ect..) and restart lens wear in a week. Lubrication needs to be used frequently, then tapered down accordingly. Some patients can get away with one or two drops a day, others require rewetting every hour or two. Getting away from your lenses, anti-inflamtories, and the new silicone one day shouls solve your problem. If you consistantly need to rewett, you may benefit from punctal plugs. Let me know how it goes.......

Have you tried to stop lens wear for a least a week? If you're wearing dailies try the new Tru Eyes by Acuvue.........best one day on the market. If dryness is the issue, have your doctor start you on a 1 week course of anti-infamatories ( ie Lotamax, Fml, ect..) and restart lens wear in a week. Lubrication needs to be used frequently, then tapered down accordingly. Some patients can get away with one or two drops a day, others require rewetting every hour or two. Getting away from your lenses, anti-inflamtories, and the new silicone one day shouls solve your problem. If you consistantly need to rewett, you may benefit from punctal plugs. Let me know how it goes.......

 

Thanks for the advice. I tried going glasses for several days - did the eye drops including the gel ones for nighttime and it seemed to help some, but I still have a soreness behind my left eye that I just can't get rid of. It's only my left - like I said, both eyes appeared the same to the Doc, both dry, but my right is fine!

 

I'm going to go back this week and see what can be done. But never had this much of an issue with contacts.

 

Also - the problem with my eye DID occur without contacts, but it was not as noticeable.

Thanks for the advice. I tried going glasses for several days - did the eye drops including the gel ones for nighttime and it seemed to help some, but I still have a soreness behind my left eye that I just can't get rid of. It's only my left - like I said, both eyes appeared the same to the Doc, both dry, but my right is fine!

 

I'm going to go back this week and see what can be done. But never had this much of an issue with contacts.

 

Also - the problem with my eye DID occur without contacts, but it was not as noticeable.

 

 

 

At any point did you wear your contacts for an overly-extended period of time and/or sleep with them in?

Not to get too personal, but how old are you? Have you ever heard of recurrent corneal erosion (RCE)? Wiki it but basically it usually strikes people in their 40-50's where the cornea loses its elasticity and makes you feel like you have dust in your eye. But you don't, cuz what happens is your cornea dries around the edge and is actually peeling a bit. Can gradually peel around the edges and something as easy as a wipe when your eye is excessively dry, or like when you sleep cuz you are not blinking and re-wetting your eye, can cause irritation from RCE. My wife got it as a fluke when she was in her mid 30's and it went diagnose wrong for two weeks by two different eye doctors including an additional eye specialist at the ER in the hospital until she went to an eye surgeon on a referral when her eye doctor couldn't figure it out. Needless to say, two procedures later by the surgeon and she was fixed, but painful burning eye for over a month. Hope this isn't you cuz repair takes over a month where basically you are blind.....

At any point did you wear your contacts for an overly-extended period of time and/or sleep with them in?

 

No, I usually pop them in an hour after waking up and take them out an hour before going to bed. Always wear great contacts. Never had these problems before.

 

Not to get too personal, but how old are you? Have you ever heard of recurrent corneal erosion (RCE)? Wiki it but basically it usually strikes people in their 40-50's where the cornea loses its elasticity and makes you feel like you have dust in your eye. But you don't, cuz what happens is your cornea dries around the edge and is actually peeling a bit. Can gradually peel around the edges and something as easy as a wipe when your eye is excessively dry, or like when you sleep cuz you are not blinking and re-wetting your eye, can cause irritation from RCE. My wife got it as a fluke when she was in her mid 30's and it went diagnose wrong for two weeks by two different eye doctors including an additional eye specialist at the ER in the hospital until she went to an eye surgeon on a referral when her eye doctor couldn't figure it out. Needless to say, two procedures later by the surgeon and she was fixed, but painful burning eye for over a month. Hope this isn't you cuz repair takes over a month where basically you are blind.....

 

I'm 24. Never heard of RCE - but I'll mention it when I ask my doc next time I see him. It's an odd pain because it's been on/off for several months, but I haven't had excessive problems - just irritation. Sometimes I don't even notice it because it's been so persistant, until I put contacts in then it shows up again.

No, I usually pop them in an hour after waking up and take them out an hour before going to bed. Always wear great contacts. Never had these problems before.

 

 

 

I'm 24. Never heard of RCE - but I'll mention it when I ask my doc next time I see him. It's an odd pain because it's been on/off for several months, but I haven't had excessive problems - just irritation. Sometimes I don't even notice it because it's been so persistant, until I put contacts in then it shows up again.

 

 

RCE is generally found in patients with a history of corneal trauma or are predisposed to it because of basement membrane disease. Patients will generally be woken up at night in the middle od REM sleep because of a spontaneous errosion of their cornea. This sounds more like a typical overwear syndrome from CL overuse. Steroids and changing to single use silicone cntacts will generally solve this problem. If you don't treat the inflamation, the problem will linger.

RCE is generally found in patients with a history of corneal trauma or are predisposed to it because of basement membrane disease. Patients will generally be woken up at night in the middle od REM sleep because of a spontaneous errosion of their cornea. This sounds more like a typical overwear syndrome from CL overuse. Steroids and changing to single use silicone cntacts will generally solve this problem. If you don't treat the inflamation, the problem will linger.

 

Okay thanks. I'm going to email my Doc today and see what he says. Wearing my glasses until then. Have any favorite eye drops?

RCE is generally found in patients with a history of corneal trauma or are predisposed to it because of basement membrane disease. Patients will generally be woken up at night in the middle od REM sleep because of a spontaneous errosion of their cornea. This sounds more like a typical overwear syndrome from CL overuse. Steroids and changing to single use silicone cntacts will generally solve this problem. If you don't treat the inflamation, the problem will linger.

 

 

FYI-

 

My wife NEVER had any problems until she got RCE. She was 35, occasional soft contact wearer, kind of a freak about care for her eyes (always used drops, yearly exam, never slept in her contacts), and in very good health (does usual triathalons/5k 7k runs every year.

 

Just one night she felt like she had something in her eye..two weeks later still felt it. Then one day, bad burning leading us to the ER because she had burning pain. Then the whole ordeal.. Just mentioning cuz it can happen and since she was in such good health and never had eye problems, her eye doctor/ER eye specialist, etc never considered RCE until 3 ecruciating/agonizing/frustrating weeks later when finally the eye surgeon diagnosed it correctly....

 

HOPE you don't have it STIG, but good to rule out.

No, I usually pop them in an hour after waking up and take them out an hour before going to bed. Always wear great contacts. Never had these problems before.

 

 

 

Hmmm, I'm not sure then. Keep doing that though, take good care of your contacts

I recently slept with my contacts in for 1 night...

Apparently some contaminant got under my lens, and when I took my contacts out the next morning, my eyes burned all day long. Naturally, I went to my Optometrist the next morning - eventually got referred by her to the eye clinic at the hospital - etc

 

 

Long story short - sleeping with my contacts in for 1 night left turned into 2 corneal ulcers in 1 eye - which were treated and are now just teeny scars on my eye that may or may not "get a little better" over the next "3 years"

 

I sincerely hope your eye gets better soon

Hmmm, I'm not sure then. Keep doing that though, take good care of your contacts

I recently slept with my contacts in for 1 night...

Apparently some contaminant got under my lens, and when I took my contacts out the next morning, my eyes burned all day long. Naturally, I went to my Optometrist the next morning - eventually got referred by her to the eye clinic at the hospital - etc

 

 

Long story short - sleeping with my contacts in for 1 night left turned into 2 corneal ulcers in 1 eye - which were treated and are now just teeny scars on my eye that may or may not "get a little better" over the next "3 years"

 

I sincerely hope your eye gets better soon

 

There is always something that predisposes patients to RCE........the pathophysiology of the condition is a weakening and/a redundent basement membrane that creates a poor adhesion of the corneal epithelium. Probally less than 10 % of patients with basement membrane disease will prersent with RCE. Even these patients are completely asymtomatic till they suffer from one of these. This is not a difficult to diagnose if you just listen to the patient..........

Thanks for the tips guys. The problem went away for now. Did a mild dosage of steroid eye drops to my left eye for 5 days, and it went away.

 

Appreciate the help though.