Any medics out there who know about corneal ulcers?

[GertrudeBell]

I have an ulcer on my cornea, which I saw the out of hours GP about on Saturday night. He gave me some chloramphenicol eye drops which I take every 2 hours, and some chloramphenicol 1% ointment for use overnight.

So I've been using this medication for about 36 hours and it's touch and go whether my eye is any better at all. The ulcer is still visible, my eye is still red, watery and irritated - but there is less pain which suggests that the ulcer is improving?

Do you think I should go to Moorfields A&E today to follow up? It is recommended for corneal ulcers but obviously I've already seen a GP. I would have gone on Saturday but was (a long) way out of London.

Thanks for any help.

If it doesn't heal up it will need debriding (removing). This is done under local anaesthetic (eye drops). You're then given antibiotic eye drops and drops to stop your pupil contracting (so the movement doesn't interfere with healing).

You have to keep your eye covered with a pad for a few days.

I have to say it's very painful having this done, so ask for some decent pain relief. You also have to sleep sitting up as lying down increases the pain.

After healing has taken place, you'll need to use eye lubrication, particularly overnight, for a few months, to stop the wound from breaking down.

Sorry its now late in the day , so hopefully you have already gone!, but I would say yes go to Moorfields, especially if the drops and ointment are not helping after 48 hours (as it now is). I had a corneal problem recently and they took swabs to see if it was a particular infection - it wasn't phew! Fortunately mine cleared up with only lubricant drops. If you are a contact lens wearer it is particularly important to get swabs done to work out the type of organism if its an infection I think - and of course not wear your contacts. Are you very sensitive to light? I needed help to get to the hospital as even with sunglasses and a hat I could not have managed alone.

I hope you have gone to A&E by now- it could be viral or acanthomeoba.
If you haven't please check that one of your pupils isn't smaller than the other as it may be a uveitis rather than a corneal infection.

GP's don't usually diagnose corneal ulcers unless they have a special interest in eyes.
BTW (if you wear contact lenses) Don't put the same contact lenses in your eyes as you wore preciously, change your case, solutions and go and see your optometrist - there may be a reason you contracted the infection.

Definitely go to A&E or eye casualty. I had a corneal ulcer a few years back. You need someone to use special equipment to look closely at the surface of the eye to determine the size and position of it. I saw an optician first and she made me go directly (as in don't go back to work go now!) to A&E as early treatment is crucial to prevent problems or blindness. Hope you get it sorted.

Thanks everyone. I did go to Moorfields and they were great; arrived at 11am and by 12pm had seen three nurses, one doctor and had a prescription for stronger antibiotics.

There was a fair amount of tutting at the GP for not prescribing something stronger / referring me, but even do the ulcer was starting to heal.

Just finished a night of eye drops every hour - that was fun!