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Menopause

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Original poster

Dry eyes

35 replies

Fififizz · 23/01/2023 05:53

Please hit me with your suggestions of things that work for you. Mine are also sensitive so can only do preservative free drops. I’m trying a lot like upping oily fish, omega 3 in diet, take sea buckthorn caps (not sure if they do anything) heated eye mask, drops, but they’re still a complete pain. Admittedly seem worse in winter though. Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
Fififizz · 23/01/2023 19:45

user1471504821 · 23/01/2023 17:48

I have this. Started at menopause 5 years ago. Held it at bay with hycosan drops at first but now only hycosan night ointment does the trick, is much thicker. Blurs vision momentarily, I use it as and when I feel them 'pulling' and getting itchy. In the Spring/Summer I also use opticrom drops for allergies too.

Yes, mine’s been getting increasingly worse. Draughts triggered it first. I was probably in peri but didn’t realise. I’ve just added a night time cream into the mix. Sounds a similar thing to what you use. It’s an ongoing battle to manage it. I suffer from hayfever eyes too and histamine tolerance can change due to menopause too!

OP posts:
Mum97540 · 23/01/2023 19:48

Walkinginthesand · 23/01/2023 06:33

Wearing glasses when outdoors, they protect against the wind and pollution.

Also, and this isn’t easy, check you’re not allergic to your moisturiser, shampoo etc

I think the water softener makes mine bad.

Plantatree · 23/01/2023 22:18

I have suffered really badly with dry eyes, one side worse than the other. Has gotten worse since starting hrt but this might be coincidental. I wear lenses too , so it's a pain. It seems to flare up and down. I use eye drops a lot, screen use doesn't help, the air con in the car is also bad. The optician basically advised eyedrops and warm compresses. I have switched to high moisture lenses and wear glasses more than I used to.

Original poster
Fififizz · 24/01/2023 06:02

Plantatree · 23/01/2023 22:18

I have suffered really badly with dry eyes, one side worse than the other. Has gotten worse since starting hrt but this might be coincidental. I wear lenses too , so it's a pain. It seems to flare up and down. I use eye drops a lot, screen use doesn't help, the air con in the car is also bad. The optician basically advised eyedrops and warm compresses. I have switched to high moisture lenses and wear glasses more than I used to.

This is where I’m at although this winter I’ve added in an overnight treatment too. I daren’t do contacts because of the problems or eye make up. Reading glasses are ok but now I need them in the supermarket/shops as I can’t see the prices. My right eye is worse and the dry eye situation has worsened as I’ve aged but so has dry everything tbh. For me HRT seems to have helped some things but maybe made my dry eye worse. I dunno really.

OP posts:
Adviceneeded200 · 24/01/2023 06:05

Be careful with dry eyes if you wear contacts. A warming but funny story too.

I wore gas permeable contacts and had dry eye when pregnant . I once went to an interview and on the way, blinked, and one popped out -.never saw it again! Ended up in the interview half blind!! Got the job tho.......

crispinglovershighkick · 24/01/2023 15:18

Xrays · 23/01/2023 16:23

Everyone here should google Sjorgens syndrome.

I have this 👆and lupus (often overlaps) and other autoimmune issues and I have eye drops prescribed - PF drops 0.4% preservative free. Amazing stuff.

I actually started HRT mainly because of the sjorgens issues - vaginal dryness and eye dryness - and I have found it really helps. (I also have internal oestrogen- Ovestin).

How were you diagnosed? If I went to my GP with dry eyes there's absolutely no chance they'd refer me anywhere. I also have Hashimoto's and lichen planus.

My dentist referred me (for suspected Sjogren's) a number of years ago but I didn't feel like it was taken seriously.

Xrays · 24/01/2023 16:30

crispinglovershighkick · 24/01/2023 15:18

How were you diagnosed? If I went to my GP with dry eyes there's absolutely no chance they'd refer me anywhere. I also have Hashimoto's and lichen planus.

My dentist referred me (for suspected Sjogren's) a number of years ago but I didn't feel like it was taken seriously.

Show quote history

I initially went because I kept having recurrent oral and vaginal thrush (stay with me 😆) it got so bad I was actually almost unable to swallow. They kept giving me endless Fluconazole courses but it kept coming back. I did some research and as I already have Addisons and hypothyroidism I did some digging into other autoimmune issues and came across lupus - I pushed for a referral to a rheumatologist. When I mentioned my thrush issues he asked me if my mouth felt dry and then mentioned my eyes. It hadn’t really occurred to me to mention it but I then realised I had been struggling to wear my contact lenses (I’m hideously short sighted -9.5 both eyes and hate my glasses so that was a big deal to me and I’d been back and forwards to the optician about it).. anyway he then suggested sjogrens and it all clicked. I then had tongue biopsies - mainly to check I didn’t have some horrible invasive fungus but it was just thrush caused by the dryness and they also said I have lichen planus - I have a steroid mouthwash for this.

I would definitely ask for a referral to a rheumatologist as that seems to be the way forwards.

Tilllly · 24/01/2023 16:44

My ophthalmologist prescribed 0.5% celluvisk
Individual doses so preservative free. Bloody miracle

Xalin at night is a good call

Flaxseed oil capsules help with various menopause symptoms incl dry eyes - my GP. and opthalmologist suggested it and it's been really helpful

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 24/01/2023 16:49

If you use a monitor all day, take breaks and make a concerted effort to blink.

I'm in the sane boat. My optimism and eye surgeon*, all told me the things discussed above, and the blinking.

  • I looked into having my eyesight surgically corrected, but, amongst other things, my eyes are too dry.
crispinglovershighkick · 24/01/2023 20:48

Xrays thanks, that's very helpful!

Re thrush, I was also treated for years, then diagnosed with vulval psoriasis, then eventually LP, so I understand that trajectory. No sign of LP in my mouth (yet?) though.

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