I have Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (genetic, diagnosed with blood work) and fibromyalgia is part of the overlap. Movement is so important to move the fluids that press against muscles and tendons, presenting referred pain. A daily walk and general stretching make a huge difference. Rest just lets you rust. Keep up with non-processed, low sugar foods, too as sensitivities lead to pain. I got images of sore joints, and no bone issues; it is all soft tissue woes. I avoid supplements for the most part, but magnesium citrate and D3 help.
@marye2 I've had fibromyalgia since the late 90,s Tried ever on the market finally looked into non prescriptions was in a fibro group they suggested isometric exercises and they do also just Light stretching I take magnesium malate. I haven had a flare up in awhi,awhile, but Zim sure you know how it is ,cant do anything and nothing you try helps thank good mine only last 1 day how bout you ?
@cherriann, I just opened your post and saw Systane. That is what I use and I will share my reasons. I have itchy skin and have allergies to sulfa. I only use products that have passed the dermatology guidelines for eye products without sulfa. Systane is one of them. Just an FYI really. Aging eyes are a reality. It is 91% humidity today where I live now and 12% humidity where II used to live. My eyes say thank you to me every day. Thanks so much for sharring.
Thank you for your reply. I'm glad to hear that Systane has worked for you and your reasons for using it. I'm new to using eye drops and not experienced with the types or brands, so really appreciate everyone's guidance. Thank you so much!
@marye2, et al. This has been a long and really difficult journey with these dry eyes of mine. I now, after many years of trying to find something to give me some relief....it seemed to only get worse and symptoms increased and worsened. After visitng my long-term opthomologist and more of the same, I saw the optomotrist at Mayo for glasses w/prisms for double vision assistance
Welll, I reminded her I have Sarcoid, autoimmune disease since I was 40, I'm 74 now, and it hits the eyes often as it does the lungs; I have sarcoid attacks periodically and am always aware it's there.
Funny thing...I had indications of residual sarcoid in my eyes. Missed by my doc and others.....several months ago I went through a couple of weeks when I actually thought I was losing my eyesight, going blind. It was weird, with wosening and long term blurry sight, dull and just off so nothing was clear. Then it cleared up, then back again and I went for several days with much worse sight, buring, dry, itching, light sensitivity was horrid....she prescribed a couple weks ago a steroid eye drop that is amazing. For the first time in years, I can see clearly, with few blurred times and all the other stuff is far less. Now, I live in Fl and we have everything in the world blooming now, so my allergy eyes are having tough time.
I'm tapering off the steroid drops. using Refresh Dry Eye and Systane Dry Eye as needed duriing day, have used PM jel drops and love them. Alwyas ck to be sure no additives, no preservatives, no thimerisol at all.
Also, this doc suggested warm eye patch compresses daily, and an eye mask at night with warm compresses. If you want to think you've gone to heaven, try it. Works wonders for relaxation of body, but also relaxation and pain removal of eyes. Highly recommend. Try Bruder, ordered on-line, got wipes for lids too. Good stuff.
Wishing you all well on this search. elixabeth
My favorite nighttime ointment is Bausch & Lomb "Soothe". Systane has some Lanolin in it, which sometimes makes my eyes itch. B&L is White Petrolatum and Mineral Oil only. No Lanolin.
I gave up filing; notebooks for critical investment info, deeds, medical testing
and such. Scan the interesting stuff and recurring information. I find I can now do with one file drawer.
@marye2, lioness Nice to wake up to such a good suggestion... I am overwhelmed with paperwork, filing cabinet full, desk drawer, boxes etc. and mostly from old and not so old medical files but as my memory is going, can't remember where I filed things when I need them quickly.... but sooo many papers in our files now.
I saw my last doctor for about 2 years and he put my file on usb stick when ended relationship... I decided to print as there was no index.. how can doctors these days find our test results etc. looking on computer when no index and they dont know the date? They cant always do a word search if its a report from another doctor or test result as it hasnt been typed into the computer... word search doesnt work on someone else's addition..... Anyway, 500 pages!! including half printed pages, duplicated info., pages with vert little on and errors.... now multiply that by other doctors, specialist visits .... driving me crazy. I do like getting coy of my patient file tho. and here is an example;
About a month ago i got my previous OPTOMETRIST patient file and only got around to browsing through it yesterday and discovered that during the ten years I saw her for eye exams and eyeglasses, the puff test they did on my eyes for pressure each time had readings mostly 20 and often above and up to 26 and they never told me!!!!! At the end of the ten years I was having terribly dry sore red eyes and they sent me to a new OPHTHALMOLOGIST in town....and I wondered why instead of asking me about my dry eyes specifically he hurriedly did the puffer test and immediately put me on Glaucoma drops, with a repeat prescription for 20 bottles; writing on his short report 'SUSPECTED GLAUCOMA.' I only saw this report last night, 2021 and that report was 2017 and I left that optometrist later 2017 and went to another. She never, ever, mentioned my high eye pressure. Not once. NOW high eye pressure does not mean Glaucoma and low eye pressure does not mean you dont have it... but should she not have investigated? Subsequent to leaving her I went to Toronto and top glaucoma specialist and the rest is history...His optimum reading for my eyes was 14 but current Optometrist says 20 max.
. So extra paperwork or not, good idea to ask for a copy of your patient file ...here in Ontario they have to give it to yu and whether they charge or no is up to provider...I have never been charged whether put on usb , emailed or printed and mailed... glad I did because I trusted her with my eyes... had I stayed with her, what would my vision be like now.. but there was just 'SOMETHING" about her that soured.,,although very pleasant but so glad I left when I did. J. (Ontario)
@marye2, lioness Nice to wake up to such a good suggestion... I am overwhelmed with paperwork, filing cabinet full, desk drawer, boxes etc. and mostly from old and not so old medical files but as my memory is going, can't remember where I filed things when I need them quickly.... but sooo many papers in our files now.
I saw my last doctor for about 2 years and he put my file on usb stick when ended relationship... I decided to print as there was no index.. how can doctors these days find our test results etc. looking on computer when no index and they dont know the date? They cant always do a word search if its a report from another doctor or test result as it hasnt been typed into the computer... word search doesnt work on someone else's addition..... Anyway, 500 pages!! including half printed pages, duplicated info., pages with vert little on and errors.... now multiply that by other doctors, specialist visits .... driving me crazy. I do like getting coy of my patient file tho. and here is an example;
About a month ago i got my previous OPTOMETRIST patient file and only got around to browsing through it yesterday and discovered that during the ten years I saw her for eye exams and eyeglasses, the puff test they did on my eyes for pressure each time had readings mostly 20 and often above and up to 26 and they never told me!!!!! At the end of the ten years I was having terribly dry sore red eyes and they sent me to a new OPHTHALMOLOGIST in town....and I wondered why instead of asking me about my dry eyes specifically he hurriedly did the puffer test and immediately put me on Glaucoma drops, with a repeat prescription for 20 bottles; writing on his short report 'SUSPECTED GLAUCOMA.' I only saw this report last night, 2021 and that report was 2017 and I left that optometrist later 2017 and went to another. She never, ever, mentioned my high eye pressure. Not once. NOW high eye pressure does not mean Glaucoma and low eye pressure does not mean you dont have it... but should she not have investigated? Subsequent to leaving her I went to Toronto and top glaucoma specialist and the rest is history...His optimum reading for my eyes was 14 but current Optometrist says 20 max.
. So extra paperwork or not, good idea to ask for a copy of your patient file ...here in Ontario they have to give it to yu and whether they charge or no is up to provider...I have never been charged whether put on usb , emailed or printed and mailed... glad I did because I trusted her with my eyes... had I stayed with her, what would my vision be like now.. but there was just 'SOMETHING" about her that soured.,,although very pleasant but so glad I left when I did. J. (Ontario)
@marye2, et al. This has been a long and really difficult journey with these dry eyes of mine. I now, after many years of trying to find something to give me some relief....it seemed to only get worse and symptoms increased and worsened. After visitng my long-term opthomologist and more of the same, I saw the optomotrist at Mayo for glasses w/prisms for double vision assistance
Welll, I reminded her I have Sarcoid, autoimmune disease since I was 40, I'm 74 now, and it hits the eyes often as it does the lungs; I have sarcoid attacks periodically and am always aware it's there.
Funny thing...I had indications of residual sarcoid in my eyes. Missed by my doc and others.....several months ago I went through a couple of weeks when I actually thought I was losing my eyesight, going blind. It was weird, with wosening and long term blurry sight, dull and just off so nothing was clear. Then it cleared up, then back again and I went for several days with much worse sight, buring, dry, itching, light sensitivity was horrid....she prescribed a couple weks ago a steroid eye drop that is amazing. For the first time in years, I can see clearly, with few blurred times and all the other stuff is far less. Now, I live in Fl and we have everything in the world blooming now, so my allergy eyes are having tough time.
I'm tapering off the steroid drops. using Refresh Dry Eye and Systane Dry Eye as needed duriing day, have used PM jel drops and love them. Alwyas ck to be sure no additives, no preservatives, no thimerisol at all.
Also, this doc suggested warm eye patch compresses daily, and an eye mask at night with warm compresses. If you want to think you've gone to heaven, try it. Works wonders for relaxation of body, but also relaxation and pain removal of eyes. Highly recommend. Try Bruder, ordered on-line, got wipes for lids too. Good stuff.
Wishing you all well on this search. elixabeth
@ess77. Hi Elizabeth. Is there a Systane gel at night that doesn’t have preservatives or additives? I just looked at what I bought and it has .001% preservative. Thanks
@bustrbrwn22. thanks for being so kind after my lengthy explanation... I just cant seem to say things precisely, but ramble on...
MY diagnosis from the Toronto Western Hospital was NARROW ANGLE GLAUCOMA. The dr. suggested I have an IRIDOTOMY and I might have if continued to go there, but as I got other illnesses and couldn't travel and didn't trust the local eye drs., ... I waited 2 years to finally have it done in a town about 1.5 hours away.
I have an interesting article on the increase in numbers of Iridotomies being performed ... as they did on my husband and daughter via our Optometrist...... they told them it was "preventative" and it's akin to , say, taking out someone's tonsils so they don't get tonsillitis; taking out their appendix while have belly open, to prevent future appendicitis... this is what the article is about
. However, with my high eye pressure the Specialist in Toronto said I was not to take ANY medications that increased eye pressure, so I took myself off Zoloft, could not use steroid nose drops when had nose/ear pain, and just about all meds I needed had a warning -" do not use if have narrow angle glaucoma. " So I really felt I had no choice than to have the laser holes in eyes.
Things is, I still have to use glaucoma drops as was on them before laser, and the holes can fill in over time.. it really is worrying.Also a lot of meds still say not to take if have Glaucoma but doctors still prescribe!!! I was shocked when the pharmacy staff person told me; dont worry the drops stay in your eyes; NO THEY DONT. Drops put in our eyes make their way into. our bodies and can cause side effects.... even the ones I use now.. Latanoprost/MONOPROST.
I have so many medical issues that I now wonder if they are age related, gene related or medication past/present related... its a merry go round and I cant get off and neither can many people especially with multiple illnesses don't you think...
Glaucoma.org (based out of San Francisco) and many other sites have some good lists of the types of Glaucoma drops, and brand name and generic name of each type of drop and show the main side effects.
I also have chronic dry eyes and floaters from laser surgery for holes in vitreous quite a few years ago, plus glaucoma and aging... have woken to double vision when look at alarm clock etc and optometrist is not concerned; but last May I noticed 2 of husband coming up stairs.
So, when have IPAD on lap and looking at it but glance into distance, i get double side by side; yet if I am, say, looking at a vase on my dresser in distance, and i see my laptop in peripheral vision its double. I asked ophthalmologist about it; she did a few tests (not including eye pressure or checking the angles she had lazered 2 months before) she said to me and i am 77;
'You have the eyes of a 25 year old' and when I said what about the double vision she said, get this... it's age-related. I am not going back and when I sent. note to my Optometrist that i had lost faith in her, he didnt answer but my next appointment was not with him but his partner,,,,What do yo think of that?
i now just try and just look at one thing at a time and keep my mouth shut while secretly being very very worried... but living in a small city and not being able to go back to the teaching hospital that is a leader in the glaucoma field, i have no other choice although my daughter said Mum can you try and make the effort and I will drive you back to Toronto to see Dr. T---- at the hospital and pay for our hotel room... and I believe that specialist will see me again... and maybe I could make the trip once... but if he needs to see me more than once I dont think I can do it..
Bless everyone with illness including eye disease, and especially those who because of circumstances beyond their control are not getting the appropriate treatment. Doctors are not magicians and able to detect and treat every single disease, illness, condition... but from my heart I really doubt the knowledge, sincerity and capability of many health professionals.. especially through lockdowns and covid, ageing patients and burn out... and I find for myself anyway I am almost scared to ask questions or speak up , politely, as it isn't appreciated and I find is sometimes held against me/us... but if you go to a clinic that is well known for its knowledge and care,(and I presume Mayor is one of those places,) you can ask all the questions you like... and in fact they encourage it! Together we're better!!
oh dear, too much typing, can see this line but when i glance back up to read its blurry so goodbye for now..my fingers just wont stop typing.....xxx... take care everyone!
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@marye2 I've had fibromyalgia since the late 90,s Tried ever on the market finally looked into non prescriptions was in a fibro group they suggested isometric exercises and they do also just Light stretching I take magnesium malate. I haven had a flare up in awhi,awhile, but Zim sure you know how it is ,cant do anything and nothing you try helps thank good mine only last 1 day how bout you ?
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1 ReactionThank you for your reply. I'm glad to hear that Systane has worked for you and your reasons for using it. I'm new to using eye drops and not experienced with the types or brands, so really appreciate everyone's guidance. Thank you so much!
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Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@marye2, et al. This has been a long and really difficult journey with these dry eyes of mine. I now, after many years of trying to find something to give me some relief....it seemed to only get worse and symptoms increased and worsened. After visitng my long-term opthomologist and more of the same, I saw the optomotrist at Mayo for glasses w/prisms for double vision assistance
Welll, I reminded her I have Sarcoid, autoimmune disease since I was 40, I'm 74 now, and it hits the eyes often as it does the lungs; I have sarcoid attacks periodically and am always aware it's there.
Funny thing...I had indications of residual sarcoid in my eyes. Missed by my doc and others.....several months ago I went through a couple of weeks when I actually thought I was losing my eyesight, going blind. It was weird, with wosening and long term blurry sight, dull and just off so nothing was clear. Then it cleared up, then back again and I went for several days with much worse sight, buring, dry, itching, light sensitivity was horrid....she prescribed a couple weks ago a steroid eye drop that is amazing. For the first time in years, I can see clearly, with few blurred times and all the other stuff is far less. Now, I live in Fl and we have everything in the world blooming now, so my allergy eyes are having tough time.
I'm tapering off the steroid drops. using Refresh Dry Eye and Systane Dry Eye as needed duriing day, have used PM jel drops and love them. Alwyas ck to be sure no additives, no preservatives, no thimerisol at all.
Also, this doc suggested warm eye patch compresses daily, and an eye mask at night with warm compresses. If you want to think you've gone to heaven, try it. Works wonders for relaxation of body, but also relaxation and pain removal of eyes. Highly recommend. Try Bruder, ordered on-line, got wipes for lids too. Good stuff.
Wishing you all well on this search. elixabeth
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Helpful -
Hug
4 ReactionsMy favorite nighttime ointment is Bausch & Lomb "Soothe". Systane has some Lanolin in it, which sometimes makes my eyes itch. B&L is White Petrolatum and Mineral Oil only. No Lanolin.
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2 Reactions@sue225 Thanks, Sue. I'll that. BTW: the Bruder was recommended by the Mayo doc. not me....blessings, elizabeth
@marye2, lioness Nice to wake up to such a good suggestion... I am overwhelmed with paperwork, filing cabinet full, desk drawer, boxes etc. and mostly from old and not so old medical files but as my memory is going, can't remember where I filed things when I need them quickly.... but sooo many papers in our files now.
I saw my last doctor for about 2 years and he put my file on usb stick when ended relationship... I decided to print as there was no index.. how can doctors these days find our test results etc. looking on computer when no index and they dont know the date? They cant always do a word search if its a report from another doctor or test result as it hasnt been typed into the computer... word search doesnt work on someone else's addition..... Anyway, 500 pages!! including half printed pages, duplicated info., pages with vert little on and errors.... now multiply that by other doctors, specialist visits .... driving me crazy. I do like getting coy of my patient file tho. and here is an example;
About a month ago i got my previous OPTOMETRIST patient file and only got around to browsing through it yesterday and discovered that during the ten years I saw her for eye exams and eyeglasses, the puff test they did on my eyes for pressure each time had readings mostly 20 and often above and up to 26 and they never told me!!!!! At the end of the ten years I was having terribly dry sore red eyes and they sent me to a new OPHTHALMOLOGIST in town....and I wondered why instead of asking me about my dry eyes specifically he hurriedly did the puffer test and immediately put me on Glaucoma drops, with a repeat prescription for 20 bottles; writing on his short report 'SUSPECTED GLAUCOMA.' I only saw this report last night, 2021 and that report was 2017 and I left that optometrist later 2017 and went to another. She never, ever, mentioned my high eye pressure. Not once. NOW high eye pressure does not mean Glaucoma and low eye pressure does not mean you dont have it... but should she not have investigated? Subsequent to leaving her I went to Toronto and top glaucoma specialist and the rest is history...His optimum reading for my eyes was 14 but current Optometrist says 20 max.
. So extra paperwork or not, good idea to ask for a copy of your patient file ...here in Ontario they have to give it to yu and whether they charge or no is up to provider...I have never been charged whether put on usb , emailed or printed and mailed... glad I did because I trusted her with my eyes... had I stayed with her, what would my vision be like now.. but there was just 'SOMETHING" about her that soured.,,although very pleasant but so glad I left when I did. J. (Ontario)
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2 Reactions@lacy2. Thanks for sharing. Sorry if this is embedded in your email but what did it end up being with your eyes? Jen
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1 Reaction@ess77. Hi Elizabeth. Is there a Systane gel at night that doesn’t have preservatives or additives? I just looked at what I bought and it has .001% preservative. Thanks
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@bustrbrwn22. thanks for being so kind after my lengthy explanation... I just cant seem to say things precisely, but ramble on...
MY diagnosis from the Toronto Western Hospital was NARROW ANGLE GLAUCOMA. The dr. suggested I have an IRIDOTOMY and I might have if continued to go there, but as I got other illnesses and couldn't travel and didn't trust the local eye drs., ... I waited 2 years to finally have it done in a town about 1.5 hours away.
I have an interesting article on the increase in numbers of Iridotomies being performed ... as they did on my husband and daughter via our Optometrist...... they told them it was "preventative" and it's akin to , say, taking out someone's tonsils so they don't get tonsillitis; taking out their appendix while have belly open, to prevent future appendicitis... this is what the article is about
. However, with my high eye pressure the Specialist in Toronto said I was not to take ANY medications that increased eye pressure, so I took myself off Zoloft, could not use steroid nose drops when had nose/ear pain, and just about all meds I needed had a warning -" do not use if have narrow angle glaucoma. " So I really felt I had no choice than to have the laser holes in eyes.
Things is, I still have to use glaucoma drops as was on them before laser, and the holes can fill in over time.. it really is worrying.Also a lot of meds still say not to take if have Glaucoma but doctors still prescribe!!! I was shocked when the pharmacy staff person told me; dont worry the drops stay in your eyes; NO THEY DONT. Drops put in our eyes make their way into. our bodies and can cause side effects.... even the ones I use now.. Latanoprost/MONOPROST.
I have so many medical issues that I now wonder if they are age related, gene related or medication past/present related... its a merry go round and I cant get off and neither can many people especially with multiple illnesses don't you think...
Glaucoma.org (based out of San Francisco) and many other sites have some good lists of the types of Glaucoma drops, and brand name and generic name of each type of drop and show the main side effects.
I also have chronic dry eyes and floaters from laser surgery for holes in vitreous quite a few years ago, plus glaucoma and aging... have woken to double vision when look at alarm clock etc and optometrist is not concerned; but last May I noticed 2 of husband coming up stairs.
So, when have IPAD on lap and looking at it but glance into distance, i get double side by side; yet if I am, say, looking at a vase on my dresser in distance, and i see my laptop in peripheral vision its double. I asked ophthalmologist about it; she did a few tests (not including eye pressure or checking the angles she had lazered 2 months before) she said to me and i am 77;
'You have the eyes of a 25 year old' and when I said what about the double vision she said, get this... it's age-related. I am not going back and when I sent. note to my Optometrist that i had lost faith in her, he didnt answer but my next appointment was not with him but his partner,,,,What do yo think of that?
i now just try and just look at one thing at a time and keep my mouth shut while secretly being very very worried... but living in a small city and not being able to go back to the teaching hospital that is a leader in the glaucoma field, i have no other choice although my daughter said Mum can you try and make the effort and I will drive you back to Toronto to see Dr. T---- at the hospital and pay for our hotel room... and I believe that specialist will see me again... and maybe I could make the trip once... but if he needs to see me more than once I dont think I can do it..
Bless everyone with illness including eye disease, and especially those who because of circumstances beyond their control are not getting the appropriate treatment. Doctors are not magicians and able to detect and treat every single disease, illness, condition... but from my heart I really doubt the knowledge, sincerity and capability of many health professionals.. especially through lockdowns and covid, ageing patients and burn out... and I find for myself anyway I am almost scared to ask questions or speak up , politely, as it isn't appreciated and I find is sometimes held against me/us... but if you go to a clinic that is well known for its knowledge and care,(and I presume Mayor is one of those places,) you can ask all the questions you like... and in fact they encourage it! Together we're better!!
oh dear, too much typing, can see this line but when i glance back up to read its blurry so goodbye for now..my fingers just wont stop typing.....xxx... take care everyone!