How to handle eye irritation...almost there.

[Machia2332]

I'm about 5 months post op retro-sigmoid.  I've had some good facial nerve recovery on the right side of my face.  There is some good movement around the mouth, cheek, and eyebrow on the affected (right) side.  The eyelid looks like it is just about closing now.  (From my iPhone selfie videos 
There has been some significant eye irritation lately.  After surgery I had trouble taping my eye shut at night, so they said it was OK to use Refresh Plus and wear the moisture dome overnight.  (I also use Refresh Optive drops about once per hour during daytime hours.)   I've been to my eye doc 4 times to have the eye checked out, he said there were some minor scratches on the cornea, but nothing that he was concerned about.  He had me wear a contact lens during the daytime and overnight to help keep more moisture on the eye.  The irritation has been getting worse lately, I'm getting close to the nerve being recovered enough to close the eye, but it doesn't seem to be there just yet.  I've been (succesfully) taping my eye shut overnight for the past week and switched to Systane for the night time ointment. It's helped some, but my eye is getting more bloodshot and the eye on the unaffected side is starting to get dry overnight too.  I know the scleral lens is popular, but my eye doc said they cost $300-$400 each.  (And the nerve may recover before too much longer.)

Thanks very much for any suggestions.
Charles

[Cheryl R]

I tried the Refresh Optive drops as I only do occ day use and they did not work for me.  I use the Refesh Liquigel if needed in the day.    I do use the Refresh pm gel every night.       Maybe try a different day use.                Cheryl R

[Patti]

I have dealt with the same eye issues for 16 years.  I finally settled on refresh liquigel (1%) and it worked, although i needed to use it sometimes every half hour depending on the atmosphere.  Finally, a few years ago, my opthamologist said I needed to stop using liquigel because of the preservatives.  So I started using individual containers of celluvisc and the eye is much better.  The interesting thing is that all these thick eye drops dry at night, glueing my eyelids shut.  So it all worked out without taping.  But taking care of my eye will be an issue forever.   

[Jill Marie]

Since you say you're close to getting full eye closure and don't want to spend the money for a scleral lens you might want to try the lens I use now after using the scleral lens, it's the Acuvue Oasys with HydraLuxe daily lens.  The lens doesn't need to be fitted, put it in your eye in the morning and throw it out at night, no cleaning or soaking the lens. Cost $1 a day.  What you are doing now obviously doesn't work, either your using drops and or ointment that doesn't agree with your eye or your not using enough of them.  When your eye that doesn't close isn't doing well it overworks your other eye and that is why you're having problems with it now.  Everyone is different so keep trying tell you find what works.  I've had severe dry eye for 24 years now and the lens I use now is the only thing that kept me from wanting my eye removed because of the pain, no problem now.  Good Luck, Jill

[Patti]

that is the difference!  i have no feeling in my eye so i have no pain!  patti

[Kristena]

Are you still wearing your contact at night along with the taping?   

[Machia2332]

No, I don't have a lens in when I use the gel and tape overnight. My eye Dr had me wear the lens overnight before when I was wearing the moisture dome so that the lens would dry out instead of the eye.