posted
My daughter has experienced weird eye symptoms since all this started--the sensation that eyelashes are always falling in her eye, eyes foggy in the morning, floaters, and pressure pain.
She always feels like there is pressure behind her eyes, but eye exams always come back fine.
Today she is complaining of "eyelashes" that won't go away. I look in her eye, and I don't see any. I also look at the rim of her eye to see if any eyelashes are possibly poking in, but I still don't see anything.
Her eye does look a little irritated, but it isn't tearing.
She had these problems a lot before we knew she had Lyme--the "eyelashes" pain would keep her up all night sometimes--but they went away with treatment.
Today, she is back to complaining of this after not having this for many, many months.
Anyone else have these sensations? What do you do to stop it?
I've tried giving her bilberry, but she said her throat starting feeling tingly, so I stopped in case of allergic reaction.
She says the feeling is very uncomfortable and annoying, but I don't know what to do to help her.
Could she be herxing? She added Plaquenil 10 days ago.
She has never really herxed on any of the other meds, only slightly more fatigued when first introducing new ones.
Any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.
Posts: 648 | From northeast | Registered: Feb 2009
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Shosty
Unregistered
posted
This was my youngest daughter's one and only symptom. For some reason, due to family Lyme I suppose, my gut told me to get her tested and, sure enough, her Western Blot were very, very positive.
Three months of tetracycline (only) and she has not had this sensation for several years.
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posted
My daughter's eye symptoms went completely away too after only a short time on Lyme treatment. So, I'm surprised now that it is back.
I wonder if it is the Plaquenil, which she started 10 days ago, since that is supposed to be specifically targeting the Lyme spirochetes.
I will keep a watch on it to make sure it doesn't get worse.
In the meantime, anyone else have any tips on how to give her some relief.
Shosty, that's great news that your daughter's symptoms went away and have stayed away after only three months of treatment. She is fortunate to have a mom who trusted her gut and got her the treatment she needed! Thanks for your reply.
Posts: 648 | From northeast | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
I have found that drops like Refresh (they have it at Walmart and pharmacies too)do help some. I like the newest Refresh as it is a gel and it seems to last longer... It is only temporary of course, but it's something. Poor kid, hope it hopes at least give her a little bit of relief!
Posts: 89 | From NC | Registered: Jun 2008
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tick battler
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 21113
posted
You might look into the plaquenil issue as I think one of the side effects is pretty serious with regard to the eyes. I don't know the exact side effect and I doubt anything can happen that fast, but it might be worth stopping it for a few days. I would definitely check with your LLMD on this. I have heard you should get an eye exam before starting plaq so you have a baseline.
Then again, it could be a herx...but if it is not going away, I would be wary.
The other possibility is that her eyes could be very dry. Drops help mine. There are some homeopathic ones...can't remember the name but they help me. I can try to get the name later if you want it.
tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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posted
I will try the eye drops. They don't have steroids in them do they?
What is the name for the homeopathic drops?
I am nervous about the eyes because of the Plaquenil side effects. She did have a baseline eye exam prior to starting.
I would think 10 days is too soon to have any issues, but I am being very cautious.
Her LLMD said that she wouldn't notice the eye issues--loss of peripheral vision--happening, but he also said that we shouldn't worry about it because the side effect is very rare, especially at the child's dose. I do still worry though.
I don't want to pull her off this prematurely because the LLMD said this med would probably be the one that finally gets rid of her headache, but I obviously don't want her losing her vision either!
Ugh--this illness is so frustrating and horrid.
She said that her vision doesn't seem changed or impaired at all, just the eyelash feeling is very uncomfortable and annoying and slightly painful.
Hopefully her eyes are just dry. I will try the drops and monitor her. If her eyes aren't better by tomorrow evening, I'll call the LLMD.
Thanks for your help!
Posts: 648 | From northeast | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
Hi Mom with hope. If she looks under her eyelids and they look inflamed or if the glands seem inflamed it could be sjogren's (sp) syndrome. If that is the case, Plaquenil should help her symptoms and make them go away.
Just a thought.
Posts: 86 | From California | Registered: Oct 2009
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posted
Also, does she have any sensation in the salivary glands? The glands on the lower back jaw.
Posts: 86 | From California | Registered: Oct 2009
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posted
Similasan makes homeopathic eye drops. They are very gentle and don't sting. No steroids or other harsh ingredients.
There are Similasan formulas for allergies, computer, and dry eyes, among others. The dry eye one might be good to start with.
Another good brand is Boiron Optique for eye irritation.
These drops are available in health food and supplement stores, natural grocery stores, and probably some mainstream drug stores like Rite Aid, Walgreens, etc.
Another possibility might be some OTC lubricating eye drops for dry eyes. There are a number of formulas that have no preservatives. Readily available at grocery and drug stores.
Hope she gets some relief.
Nutmeg
Posts: 386 | From WA state | Registered: May 2005
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tick battler
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 21113
posted
Yes, it is the Similason homeopathic drops that I was trying to think of. I use the Dry Eye Relief formula. It seems to help.
Sounds like you are covering your bases and on top of everything. I hope she feels better soon!
tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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posted
Seriously, I think she needs to see an ophthalmologist and get a prescription for an antibiotic eye drop such as Zymar (gatifloxicin). I had the same symptoms and nothing helped until I did this.
However, after a while it came back. It's not bothering me anymore because I've gone onto higher doses of antibiotics (oral). Plus for me, it seems to be related more to Babesia than Bb.
Posts: 975 | From California | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
I should add that the antibiotics are for the "eyelashes in the eye" feeling. (exactly how I felt) The pressure behind the eye is another thing.
Posts: 975 | From California | Registered: Apr 2007
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Her eye is feeling slightly better today, so maybe it is an eyelash? I still don't see anything, but I've had her placing a warm, wet washcloth on it and lightly "cleaning" the rim to see if perhaps it is irritated.
I didn't get a chance to get the Similason today, so I gave her some homeopathic aconite. Not sure if that will help or not, but she is definitely complaining a lot less today. I will continue with the aconite until I can get the drops.
I was up very late with her last night because it was so uncomfortable. She did finally fall asleep.
I will get the drops tomorrow. Hopefully her eye will be feeling better, and we won't have to use them, but I will get them just in case and to have them on hand.
Also, if her eye isn't a lot better tomorrow, I will call the LLMD and/or ophthalmologist for suggestions. I have the knowledge of the Plaquenil side effects lurking in the back of my head and want to make sure her eyes aren't getting damaged by the meds. LLMD said this was rare, but I will stay alert.
Thanks again, and I'll keep you posted in case this can help others.
Posts: 648 | From northeast | Registered: Feb 2009
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tick battler
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 21113
posted
Hi again,
I didn't realize that it is just one eye? That might possibly mean it could be an eyelash...one time I did have similar pain but couldn't figure it out, so I went to the eye doc, and one of my lashes was bent the wrong way and was irritating my eye every time I blinked!
Just another option to consider!
Was it always one eye that was hurting or did it used to be both?
This is just a guess but it would seem to me to be less likely to be a herx or side effect if just one eye is hurting... and more likely to be an eyelash or an infection requiring eye drops directly to the eye.
Glad she is a bit better today. I hope she feels better soon.
tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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canefan17
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 22149
posted
aMomwithhope,
I added plaquenil to my treatment 3 weeks ago and am having similar eye isues. I think it's all just part of the herx.
Plaquenil busts up some cysts... so it can cause some neurological symptoms as well. I have head pressure too.
Plaquenil is good though, imo. So I wouldnt stop.
Posts: 5394 | From Houston, Tx | Registered: Aug 2009
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posted
Just wanted to drop in to give an update on my daughter's eye issues.
Basically the irritation and feeling of an eyelash is still there even after trying homeopathic meds, gently washing of the eyes, and homeopathic eye drops.
I'm bringing her to see the eye doc on Thursday. I need to make sure that this isn't a side effect of the Plaquenil.
Prior to being diagnosed with Lyme, she had similar issues, and the ped gave her an abx eye ointment that we rubbed into the rim of her eyes, and that helped a lot. She would get this symptom a lot, so we would just use any remaining ointment, and the symptom would clear up.
With Lyme and co treatment, this symptom pretty much disappeared, so I'm not quite sure why it would now come back. I thought that perhaps it was a flareup since she only started the Plaquenil 20 days ago, but it still hasn't gone away in over a week.
Anyway, hopefully the irritant is something simple, and the doc can give her drops or whatever to relief the annoyance. I just hope this isn't being caused by the Plaquenil.
I'll let you all know more after her visit with the eye doc.
Thanks again for all your help and suggestions.
Posts: 648 | From northeast | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
I've had the "eyelash in my eye feeling" a couple of times. I couldn't see an eyelash that was a problem. My husband used a magnifying glass and a bright light to find the eyelash that was irritating my eye. He used a tweezer to take it out. My eye was back to normal the next morning.
-------------------- Peggy
~ ~ Hope is a powerful medicine. ~ ~ Posts: 2775 | From MN | Registered: Apr 2001
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Her eyes are not being affected by the Plaquenil. Her vision is still great--phew!
She basically has blepharitis, which is an inflammation of the eyelids that besides redness and swelling causes something similar to a crusty dandruff. When the dandruff flakes off, it falls into the eye causing the "eyelash in the eye" feeling.
Treatment:
Gently wash the eyelids where the lashes meet the lids with a gentle soap (i.e., no-tears baby shampoo). Gently scrub in a side-to-side manner, then rinse well. Do this at least nightly until symptoms resolve, then continue weekly or as needed.
(This is where we failed earlier in that I suggested she wash her lids, but we weren't consistent in it.)
CVS etc. also sells pre-made eye wipes that address this issue, but they are needlessly expensive when the same can be accomplished by a washcloth and shampoo.
If this doesn't help, the doc also prescribed an ointment that we would apply at the lashline. I think it is erythromycin ophthalmic ointment.
The doc also mentioned that Plaquenil can sometimes causes dry eyes, so if the prior steps don't work, or if we are finding her eyes feel dry, the doc can prescribe eye drops. We already have the homeopathic eye drops, which we will use if necessary. Or call the doc, if those don't work and we need a more heavy duty drop.
So, end of mystery and hopefully the eyelash in the eye problem will come to an end.
Hope these suggestions can help others in the future. Thank you again to all that offered suggestions and help.
Posts: 648 | From northeast | Registered: Feb 2009
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Jane2904
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Member # 15917
posted
Glad you found the answer.
Hope she feels better very soon. Posts: 1357 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
I've been dealing with Blepharitis for almost a year now. I use Sterilid for cleaning. Baby shampoo will dry out the skin around your eyes. I also use a hot compress (heated in the microwave and get it as hot as you can take it) for several minutes before washing with Sterilid. The most important thing that I added to my regimen lately that has made bid difference is taking N-Acetyl-Cysteine. I take a 600mg capsule at least twice daily on an empty stomach. My doc didn't mention it but internet research shows a correlation between usage and improvement so I tried it and it seems to be helping.
Posts: 30 | From Kill Devil Hills, NC | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
What have you noticed that the NAC is helping? Is it preventing the lids from drying out, killing the infection, or have you notice a decrease in the "dandruff"?
Glad it is working for you--I never heard of using that supplement for blepharitis, so thanks!
Posts: 648 | From northeast | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
I have those symptoms also. The good news is that they are not nearly as bad as all the other symptoms I have had. The drugs are helping.
Posts: 258 | From Spokane, WA | Registered: Oct 2008
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posted
When I had the eyelash thing my eye doctor said that I had an ulcerated cornea. He gave me antibiotic/steroid drops that fixed it up in a week or so. He said it was badly ulcerated, that I should have come in sooner. He watched it carefully for at least 6 months.
Every now and then it comes back, but the drops will clear it up if I use them promptly.
My other doctor told me that it was just one more inflammation related to my illness. Sigh.
-------------------- DOCTOR: "I don't think you are sick." PATIENT: "We are all entitled to our opinions. I don't think you are a doctor." Posts: 697 | From Northern California | Registered: Jul 2009
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