My dry eye treatment isn’t working

@pha29205 ask Eye Dr. about:
1 - OCuSOFT Lid Scrub Original Foaming Eyelid Cleanser - I use daily in shower
2 - Zest eyelid treatment - Had this done a mth ago and it has helped tremendously!
3- Intense pulsed light (IPL) for treatment of dry eye disease I have not tried yet. Maybe next winter if needed.

I tried the prescription eye drops and Systane

Yes, I was told that that means your eyes are extra dry.

My opthalmologist put me on steriod drops (Lotemax, and FML) for 10 days prior to beginning Cequa (which is a newer version of Restasis). Loved the steriod drops but just couldnt go ahead. Cant tolerate the discomfort.
I am quite surprised at how helpful this Bruder mask is in easing pain I get more so in the right eye where the meibomian gland dysfunction is worse. It really helps. No comparison with using a warm washcloth compress.
My eyes are very dry but it has been 46 years now with this problem.

@sue225 all eye drops can burn if your eyes are super dry. But some are definitely known to burn a bit like I am on Xiidra which burns some. I find that Meibo doesn’t burn at all (no water in the drop) and also autologous serum tears are good. All options super expensive but it’s what I need to do.

@linda82 I do IPL but it is very expensive and the maintenance is not cheap either. Sometimes they include oil gland expression. I found IPL very painful but I also have sensitive skin. It just hurts so much I can hardly believe I pay hundreds of dollars to put myself through the pain! Oh well, I’ve been told it’s one of the best things I can do for severe dry eye.

@sue225 have you tried IPL?

@ashleyharris728
What is recommended for me are the light therapy treatments.
Thinking about it.

@sue225 I do them and I have no idea if they work. But they are painful for me. I have heard they get less painful over time. They don’t bother some people at all I guess. I have sensitive skin so I’m not that surprised.

@ashleyharris728
The surface of my eye, I guess the cornea, always has some degree of inflammation. With all of these drops Xiidra, Restasis, Cequa you have to wait anywhere from three months to one month depending on which one you use to see if there is a benefit. Still coping kind of. As I say, that non-invasive Bruder Mask two times a day for 15 to 20min has definite positive effect. The opthalmologist feels that if that works for me, the Light therapy treatments would probably be beneficial. You need 3 treatments. And the benefit is not immediate. Here in Canada the treatments are between $300 to $400 each.