Latest advice I've been given - Your thoughts on Doxycycline????

Eye care
1

Hi everyone.  I haven't been here for a little while but went to see the Consultant two days ago so thought I'd feed back.

I've been using Lotemax (a steroid drop), Azithromycin (latest "wonder" antibiotic), Hyloforte (eye lubricator) from hospital plus I've been taking cod liver oil and flax seed oil in high doses.  I've also been doing a sugar/wheat/yeast free diet in the hopes of starving out the bacteria!  All this as well as hot flannels day and night and washing eyelid margins with unscented baby shampoo.  I haven't been wearing any eye makeup.

So, on first look with the naked eye, the doctor thought my eyes were much better - the eye balls are less red.  However, when he looked using the special orange goo and ultra violet light, he could clearly see the bacteria and blepharitis.  Hmmm.  So disappointing.  He went through the usual banter - do you do the hot compresses blah,blah,blah.  So, his advice:

Use baby soap, not shampoo as too drying.

Wash eye lid margins day and night.

Use hot compresses daily.

Scrub eye-lid margins after hot wet compresses as this has loosened bacteria.  Use something like blephaclenz.

Don't use a hairdryer!!!!! *****  Or fan or air con or hand dryer of any kind.

Don't use any facial products which contain powder of any kind.

Don't use any facial products which contain lipids.

He has given me another antibiotic - Doxycycline - ANYONE HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE OR INFO ABOUT THIS???

The cause of my bleph is apparently dry eyes and until this is sorted, the bacteria doesn't get washed away and causes the problem.  I go back in 4 months for the verdict on these latest antibiotics then he's going to discharge me as no further treatment is available.

I can't use wet ones as am allergic to some of ingredients.  I have started using the Optrex which has same ingredient that many of you think works so we'll see how this goes.  My eyes don't look too bad but the bleph is still there.  How can I get my eyes to moisten???

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Hi,  I know how you feel about the usual banter from the eye hospital.With regard to Doxycycline I have heard that some people say it great for this condition, others not.

The only thing I can add is that I changed form baby shampoo to bicarbonate of soda a few months ago and my eyes have been loads better. Rims are not so red

and the gritty feeling has gone (guess this ties in with dry eyes).  The hospital have never mentioned about bacteria though.  I have been extra careful with hot flannal routine to loosen up blocked oil glands and massage afterward followed by cleaning using the bicarb solution.  Shampoo I always felt was a bit harsh.  I also use celluvisc indivdual phials for for lubricating eyes.  They are preservative free and were prescribed by opthalmologist.  I use them 4 times a day but I must admit because my eyes feel so much better I sometimes forget.  When I went to the eye hospital much earlier this year they said all my glands were blocked and there was a lot of debri.  When I went back they said the glands were all open.  So give the bicarb a try.  A beaker of cooled boiled water and 1/2 teaspoon of the bicarb.  It might not work but worth a try.  I think the massage helps as well to spread the oil

and reduce the dryness.  I note you have been using lotemax steroid drops.  I have some experience of these.  I had to use them after cataract surgery.  I believe they have less side effects than some steroids but I did find them drying.  Hope this helps a bit.  All the best to you Oh I forgot don't know if this helps at all but I also soak a cotton wool make up pad in the solution and wipe over the entire eyelids.

 

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Hi haircrazydaisy, did you actually see the Consultant, or one of his team?

I can only tell you what my Consultant would do and has done for me.  Re all the drops that you have been given from the hospital,  my doctor would give me preservative free drops, generally single use vials.  Mine told me not to use anything near my eyes, ie creams, makeup etc..

I use preservative free ocular lubricants.  I don't take any drugs or supplements that haven't been prescribed for me.

I am surprised he is going to discharge you in 4 months because there is no further treatment available.  They ought to see you at least once a year following this.

Back to the dry eyes, antihistamines can cause dry eyes, as can air con, so if you work in an office, for example, you may have air con.

Do you drink plenty of water?  That helps.

Has anyone thought of lookinf for a different cause, like, for example, Sjogrens?

https://patient.info/doctor/sjogrens-syndrome-pro

Doxycycline:  https://patient.info/medicine/doxycycline

I think that if it was me with your condition, I would do as the doctor said and I wouldn't take any supplements etc, and see how it goes.

Good luck..

4

Hi

Yes I was on that antibiotic for quite a while.....I dont think it did a lot of good to  be honest but it didnt do any harm.....no side effects

Love

Eileen

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Thank you, Libralady.  I will give the bicarb a try :-)

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Thank you, mrsmop.  That information is very useful.

The Consultant (A "Mr" but not the team leader) actually sugggested Flaxseed and cod liver oil supplements - apparently it takes around a year to see any effects.  I definitely don't drink anywhere near enough water so I will try to increase my intake.  I've read about Sjogrens and will ask my GP about a test for that.  

 

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Thanks, Eileen.  I haven't had the prescription dispensed yet.  I'm still waying up the pros and cons.  x

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You probably saw one of the Consultant's Registrars, he would also be known as 'Mr'! 

I took Doxycyline for 18 months as part of a trial for my skin disease.  It didn't do what they wanted it to do but I didn't suffer any adverse effects from it, though you do need to take it after a meal because of the side effects and you also have to stay out of the sun but, the doctor or Pharmacist should tell you this and make sure you read the info leaflet that comes with it.

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Thanks, mrsmop.  I'm one of those people who hates taking antibiotics and anything synthetic so am still weighing up whether I should bother with them or not - especially as the results for people are very mixed.

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Hi there, I've had two bouts of this the first one lasting nearly a year (mainly because It wasnt correctly diagnosed!) I was finally given Doxycycline and it cleared up within a week, about 6wks ago it started again so I explained to the doctor I had had it before and that the treatment worked, she then prescribed it to me again but only enough for a week (the previous time I was given a months worth) Having taken the course it has returned and I am due back at the doctors this afternoon, so fingers crossed!

It is so nice to know I am not the only one suffering with this (getting complete strangers in the street asking if i've been crying/wearing sunglasses constantly/everyone telling me its conjuntivitis!)

 

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Hi I know that doxycycline is prescribed for this condition however I have no experience of it as I suffer side effects for these types of antibiotics.

I wonder how long you took it for.  I have blepharitis but also used to suffer with a facial skin condition called rosacea which can also affect the eyes.  You can have rosacea with out eye problems the eye problems on their own or both together.  I do remember taking a 3 months cause of erthymycin (sorry wrong spelling) which gradually tapered off.  I wonder why they have only given you a 1 week course

this time.  Hope this helps.

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Dear  Haircrazydaisy,

I took doxycycline for a month and noticed that it helped my Blepharitis. I talked to 2 different eye doctors and both said that it does help blepharitis but they do not know why.

I ended up using the wipes to kill it but not everyone can use them as allergic to some items.

I do know that the antibiotics should be put on the eyelashes and not in the eye as that is whee the problems is at. The online eye doctors called it off label use and said the same thing.

I was at the Dentist today and she said that quite a few people were allergic to Doxycycline. The reason I asked is that the dental application of doxycycline has a long lasting affect on the staph.

I personally think it will kill Blepharitis on the eyelashes but you will need a doctor to try that one.

Don't forget tea tree oil kills staph too and it is used on the BlephEx machine. It does have to be watered down. The doctor could tell you the ratio for that.

Hope this helps you,

Lynda79

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Hi Jojoglasto,

So, every time you've used the Doyclycine it's cleared the blepharitis but it's then come back?  Have I read that properly?

I know what you mean about strangers diagnosing the condition - very irritating.

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Hi Lynda79,

Yes, the doctor has prescribed Doxycycline & I've got the prescription ready to be fetched, but I'm so fed up of trying all of these antibiotics that I'm given that I'm loathe to just take another one on the off chance that it'll be my miracle.  I just wondered what other people had found from taking it and am weighing up pros and cons.  Looks like it works at the time but the blepharitis then returns?  

I tried tea tree a little while ago but burnt my eyes really badly and had a reaction - prob not watered down properly.  

Thanks for your advice xx

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Dear Haircrazydaisy,

If you are not allergic to doxycycline you could try it on your eyelashes and see if it kills it in a one time use. The dental application of the liquid doxycycline said it had a long lasting effect on the staph but they didn't know what that meant or what good would come of it is what I got out of it.

If it works internally on Blepharitis, why not topically. Doxycycline is the antibiotic (low dose) that is used for people with acne.

I have the Doxycycline capsules at my house but do not have the Bleph anymore or else I would try it. They use antibiotics on the lashes. I read it on an online eye doctor site and as I said they called it an off label use.

I would mix a capsule with a few tablespoons of water and use a cuetip (cotton bud UK) and just use on lash area. They use other antibiotics on the eyelashes. 

Just a thought if really desperate. I have presented all of this info to several doctors. One asks me for info on people who are using the wipes. Some people are allergic (dentist told me) to doxycycline so try it

internally first as prescribed by the doctor. 

I used antibiotics (in the eye) 3 times. I told one doctor about why it wasn't put on the lashes and he said some gets on them. I thought to myself  "Not coming back here."

This is just what I would do if I was allergic to the wipes.

Remember too that watered down tea tree oil does kill the staph.

Hope my rambling on helps just a little,

Lynda79

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Thank you, Lynda79 xx

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Hi Haircrazydaisy smile

Sorry if I was a bit unclear, was prescribed the doxycycline after finally been told it was Blepharitis after over a year of different doctors giving me eye drops etc - after using doxycycline for only a week (even though I was given a months worth and took the full course) it completely cleared up for around 13mths. Just had another bout of it and the doctor I then saw would only give me 1 wks worth, again it cleared up but personally I feel a longer course would have been better as It has now returned - I went back to the doctor again on monday and she has now reffered me to an eye clinic - Can you believe that I havent been reffered before now (this has been going on since Mar 2013!!!) x

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Hi Jojoglasto,

Sadly, nothing surprises me about doctors/consultants etc... anymore!  I was first diagnosed with this over 20 years ago and still have flare ups and haven't found a cure.  The problem is that the consultants don't seem to know exactly what causes it, anyway.  They have a list of things that they tell people to do and that usually seems to start with the eye hygiene (baby shampoo), hot compresses and antibiotic drops.  Then if that fails it seems to be some kind of tablet form of antibiotic plus reminders of eye hygiene.  Next, the steroids seem to come into play along with maybe another antibiotic tablet or drop and lubricating drops of some sort.  I just feel like they're stabbing in the dark and throw everything into the mix just in case they hit the jackpot.  I really hope you get more joy than I have.  xx