My New Low Tech Anti-Brain Fog Tool

Sometimes it is the simple things that can help.

I recently got a dry erase board with a magnet that attaches to my refrigerator.  It has become my new organizational and anti-brain fog tool.  My memory used to be pretty amazing.  I was even resistant to keeping a calendar, but now lists are a must for me.

I have been using it to write down the simplest tasks that need to get done--even loading and unloading the dishwasher, taking out the trash, and basic errands to the market and pharmacy.  It helps me remember  and also adds a sense of accomplishment to those days when I am exhausted and can't do much.  If I just check one or even two items of the list, the day doesn't feel like a waste.  I am thinking of getting another one strictly for my medical related to do lists.  Obviously, creating new lists and making any changes to an existing one is easy.  And the the best part is that it is stuck to the refrigerator so unlike a notebook, I can't forget where I left it!

Here's a link to the one that I have and it is pictured above, but any will do.

The Blepharitis is Back

Photo Source

Well, it actually never really left.  But I had a period since mid April where the symptoms seemed to have partially subsided.  My eyelids were not visibly red or puffy and the symptoms were not particularly bothersome.  So I got a little lazy and gradually stopped doing my daily morning and evening hot eye soaks and cleansing routine regularly (earlier post on Sjogren's and Belpharitis).  I know I know -- just because there is some improvement does not mean to stop the routine that helps keep it under control.  What a bad patient I can be.  Subconsciously, I was hoping that the previous 8 months of pretty continuous uncomfortable blepharitis might have vanished.  And I do get frustrated with how long my going to bed eye and medicine routines take so I guess that I just started to slack a little bit.

Yesterday, my right eye was feeling more light sensitive than usual and my eyelid also felt numb (this is often an indication for me).  And this morning when I woke up the lower and upper lids were back to being red, swollen, and achy.  So starting today I am back on my blepharitis control routine.

When I went the eye doctor in May, she gave me a new medication regimen to try for when the blepharitis was particularly symptomatic.  At the time, she saw more inflammation in my left eye than my right, but I wasn't experiencing symptoms so we decided to wait before using it.  Now, I am going to need to start the treatment.

I was prescribed Lotemax steroid opthalmic drops for 10 weeks -- 4 x a day for 2 weeks, 3 x a day for 2 weeks, 2 x a day for 2 weeks, and 1 x a day for 4 weeks.  I had used Lotemax ointment in the past for blepharitis, but only for 2 weeks at a time and each time the symptoms came back almost immediately once I stopped taking it.  With this new routine, I will be tapering the drops similar to what is done with oral steroids to prevent rebound.  I will also have to get my eye pressure checked because steroid drops can cause an increase in intraocular pressure, which can lead to super serious eye complications.

Lesson learned for today.  When something improves, don't stop the routine that helped!

New Eye Drop: Refresh Optive Advanced

There is a new refresh eye drop available called Refresh Optive Advanced. My favorite eye drop, Refresh Endura, stopped being produced in the US in 2010 and I was in quite a pickle looking for an alternative. With other drops, nothing seemed to soothe my eyes as much as Refresh Endura which has active ingredients of Polysorbate 80 and Glycerin (1%).  I eventually found  that I was still able to order preservative-free Refresh Endrua from Canadian website www.well.ca (similar to sites such as www.drugstore.com in the US).  I order these in bulk every couple of months. 

It turns out that Allergan replaced Refresh Endura with Refresh Optive, which a wonderful blogger Sjoggie Stahmer recently wrote about in more detail. Refresh Optive's active ingredients are 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose and 0.9% glycerin. I did try these drops and did not find them to be as effective in alleviateing my dry eyes. So I was pleased to see a new Refresh drop at the drugstore called Refresh Optive Advanced.  It's active indgredients are really a combination of those found in Refresh Endrua and Refresh Optive: Glycerin (1%), Polysorbate 80 (0.5%), and Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium (0.5%).  Allergan advertises the drops as working on all three layers of the tears--the outer  lipid layer, the middle water or aqueous layer, and the bottom mucouid or mucuous layer.

The drops come in a bottle, not individual vials, which is an indication that they do contain preservatives.  I called Allergan and spoke with a medical representative to find out if Refresh Optive Advanced comes in a preservative free version or if there are plans to bring it to market soon.  As of now, these drops all contain preservatives and the representative was not aware if a preservative free version would become available. She recommended waitng 15 to 30 minutes before switching between different types of eye drops.  In my case that would be between the Refresh Optive Advanced and the Refresh Endura.

I do like the feel of the Refresh Optive Advanced, but when I did try to switch between them and Refresh Endura,  my eyes began to burn and sting.  I am not sure if this is a result of the preservatives in the Optive Advanced, but in my case it seems that I have to stick to one drop or the other to prevent that reaction.  Drops with preservatives can cause irritation, redness, and additional dryness for some patients.  I am hoping that Allergan will bring a preservative free version of the Optive Advanced to market.




*I have no relationship with any of the companies whose products are mentioned in this post*