Dry eyes in peri

[BedRot]

Has anyone else experienced this? I am 43 and just started a trial of HRT that has successfully tackled all other symptoms (thank fuck). But the dry eyes haven’t improved. My eyes themselves are dry but I can cope with that. However the skin around them has been sore and irritated for months and nothing topical sorts it. I now have lines all around my eyes and makeup really drags and sits in them. I look like I’ve aged about ten years overnight. Has anyone experienced this and found anything that helps??

@43ontherocksporfavor thank you

My optician prescribed eye drops with hyaluronic acid in them.

It does sound like blepharitis. I really struggled after my severe dry eye got rapidly worse after a bout of flu with conjunctivitis. I muddled on with hycosan and microwave eye mask the optician advised but had frequent problems with flare ups, scary red eyes in the morning and intense, constant, horrible itching. I discovered Optimel Manuka Honey eye drops after seeing some reviews raving about them and it's no exaggeration to say that they've changed my life entirely. I put them in 3 times a day and need nothing else except maybe hycosan once in the night if I wake up. They work by stabilising the eye surface so I rarely have any 'attacks' as I call them. They're not cheap, mind, but my god, I can't live without them now.

I’ve recently been to the optician about it. She said the surface of my eyes were beginning to be damaged. I was waking up with my eyes stuck together in the night and also a kind of headache all the time.
I now put eye drops in 5-6 times a day and then gel in my eyes going to bed. It’s improved a lot but it’s a pain. Sometimes now my eyes become spontaneously wet now which they weren’t before.

Yes, I use lubricating eye drops first thing in the morning and before bed.

Is blepharitis an infection? I just looked it up on the NHS site and am not clear. The symptoms do sound quite similar (without the weeping eyes).

Oh no! I’ve only put the one drop in as I only got it today. I’ll see how it goes tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up

You can also get a heated eye mask that you heat in the microwave which solves this.

@BedRot

www.pharmanord.co.uk/all-products/eye-health/omega-7

I’ve used these but you can get cheaper sea buckthorn that’s just as good. And the heated eye mask works too.

Another vote for Pharma Nord - it made a massive difference when I used it.

There's currently a deal at Holland and Barrett - buy one get one half price:

https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/pharma-nord-omega-7-sea-buckthorn-oil-capsules-60032631

I've had this recently but never realised it was a peri menopause symptom. I'm 44 and have some other symptoms so it fits

Sjögren’s syndrome is very common in women of menopausal age. Worth a google. I have it (and other autoimmune issues) and get PF drops 0.4% on prescription- they’re double the strength of the hycosan red ones.

I have this and it drives me crazy with the sore eyes. The nurse gave me some hydrocortisone cream which helps clear up the sore skin. I get it on my eyelids and in eyebrows when bad.

I’ve tried the hydrosan drops and they did help a bit. Not used them for a while.

my eyes water anyway but perimenopause has made the skin so sore and the dry eyes constant. I do find being in the office with heating/air con makes them worse some times.

i also use my rosacea cream as I do think sometimes it’s this as well.

if it gets really bad again I will see an optician. Have to wear makeup which doesn’t help. Generally under my eyes is dry and no creams/serums seem to help!

Thank you all so much! I’m at least feeling like there are things I can try to help with this after six months of being at a loss. I’ll be buying some of the sea buckthorn today and also making an appointment with my optician.

@somethinginthewater which collagen supplement do you use please?

Another one for Omega 7 Sea Buckthorn oil supplements.

@BedRot I like Ancient & Brave

Is there any truth in the sea buckthorn helping intimate areas too?

Yes! I bought it for dry eyes but noticed that effect.

Takes 4 capsules a day to have that effect for me, but yes.

A quick update on this - I bought the omega 7 supplements that pp recommended (Pharma Nord from H&B) and think I am already feeling an improvement a few days in. Thank you all so much!

I swear by hycosan night ointment

I bought the omega 7 tablets too...but my word I have had to limit my intake to two, they have a somewhat laxative effect 😯

I've also bought some 'thealoz duo' eye drops from our local optician as I realised I opened my hycosan last August and they are only good 6 months after opening.

So far I prefer them to hycosan, they are less slimy and they don't make my contact lenses go blurry. And you can use them more frequently.

placemarking x