Sudden Severe Dry Eye Symptoms Due To An Acute Infammation Of The Tear Glands

**beeinformed** · 02-19-2010, 10:03 AM

Hello!

I had an acute, severe inflammation of my tear glands in which I lost seventy to eighty percent of my tear glands with a period of twenty-four hours. The symptoms included severe pain, tearing, redness, dryness, swollen upper lids and photophobia.

Until I had this acute inflammatory attack of the tear glands, I had very mild dry eye symptoms and have had to adjust to these changes in my eyes which occurred as a result of the damage done to my tear glands.

I would appreciate hearing from any of the members who have experienced similar symptoms such as mine. Thanks.

**elephant** · 02-19-2010, 10:09 AM

I had eye pain for six years. Went to 8 or more ( can't remember) eye doctors and they all said blocked tear duct dry eye's. So they put my on cyclosporine for the eye ( restatisis). It helped my eye to be less dry.

**JanW** · 02-19-2010, 10:13 AM

Never had any eye symptoms but am wondering whether any of you see an eye doctor who specializes in auto immune diseases and in what ways an eye exam should be different if you have WG.

**elephant** · 02-19-2010, 10:23 AM

No, my new eye doctor is familiar with Wg but not an expert. He is really great! I can't complain. My WG even looked at my recent CT scan of my eyes (orbitals) and no sign of WG tumor.

**Sangye** · 02-19-2010, 10:49 AM

I see a neuroopthalmologist regularly because chronic elevated intracranial pressure (a very rare complication of Wegs) affects my vision.

I also saw an opthalmic immunologist at JHU for a general evaluation. I don't have Wegs eye involvement so I don't need to go back to him. He's the Weggies Eye Guy at JHU. Too bad he has absolutely NO sense of humor. Can't appreciate the title I bestowed on him.

**LilyPony** · 02-20-2010, 02:54 AM

My Weg has been, so I thought, contained only to one tear gland and mildly in the duct. I was told that I was probably the only person who ever has, and ever will, get it there but now I'm seeing I'm not! So glad I found this message board yesterday! When i flare up, tear production is hampered and eye is terribly dry. It feels like there's sand in it and won't get out. Eye drops help for a few minutes. My vision is always a tad blurry on that side from what they believe is pressure on the optic nerve, but when I get the dry eyes my vision also gets worse. I'm revving up the last few days for a big flare up and each day my eyes get dryer and vision gets worse. The only medication I currently take is bactrim and prednisone for about two months gets it back to the usual nearly okay state.

**LilyPony** · 02-20-2010, 02:59 AM

Before diagnosis, I'd been to many many eye doctors desperate for a biopsy of the mass protruding from under my eyelid. My eyes upon examination were totally normal and they all said that the condition wasn't in the scope of their knowledge. Had one tell me "it's not my problem". I am always slightly blurry. My good eye is so good that I can read the entire eye chart, as a kid both eyes could do that. Now everyday, i can read the 20/20 line but it is blurry from the bad eye. When I flare up it gets much worse. A few days ago, when I close my eyes, the bad eye has a green spot that I'm seeing. If you close your eyes and press on top, you get a spot on the bottom. It is excalty the same as that spot. I don't know how else to explain it. The workign hypothesis has been that the inflamed tear gland was putting pressure on the optic nerve. I'm interested in knowing about your intercranial pressure and if it might be an explanation for my symptoms.

**elephant** · 02-20-2010, 03:40 AM

Prednisone can give you the intracranial pressure, glaucoma and cataract's. I have glaucoma secondary from the prednisone.
That is how my eye's felt too sand in them...the re stasis drops worked for me.
I would see a really good eye doctor who specializes in WG... if your able to..
Between having WG and side effects of the medicines...I forget all the symptoms/problems that I have because there are so many!

**Sangye** · 02-20-2010, 07:56 AM

LilyPony,
You really need to find a rheumatologist who specializes in Wegs to oversee your care. No eye specialists can manage the disease, even the ones who specialize in Wegs. They're only there to co-treat, but really need the expertise of a qualified rheumy to guide the treatment. Taking only bactrim and pred might be okay with mild involvement, but I'd only let a Wegs rheumy make that call.

You also should have diagnostic tests (MRI and/or CT head) to rule out Wegs behind the eyes or other Wegs involvement. That is somewhat common with Wegs, especially when you have one eye affected more than the other.

The elevated intracranial pressure began as an odd tightness in one neck muscle. Within a few days I noticed my vision was strange. If I looked at a tile floor with grout lines, some of the lines looked wavy. An opthalmologist confirmed swollen optic nerves and thought it might resolve on its own. (We did a brain MRI to rule out brain tumor-- the only other thing that would cause bilateral swollen optic nerves) A couple days later I developed projectile vomiting, excruciating headache and within a few hours began losing my vision completely in both eyes.

Usually the condition resolves in a few months as you take diuretics to maintain proper intracranial pressure. For whatever bizarre reason, mine has never resolved (2.5 yrs later). If we decrease the diuretics the pressure rises within a day. I might have to stay on the diuretic for life. It's not a very strong drug, so it wouldn't be the end of the world.