itchy red swollen eyelids,,,not Blepharitis - please help me!!!!

[kwinn]

here i go....so for the last 6 months i have had itchy eyelids...my eye doctor told me it was due to mild allergies and prescribed eye drops which didnt help in the least so i turned to over the counter allergy medicine which hasn't helped either (so i dont think it's allergies) and in the last 3 weeks not only are my eyelids itchy but when i wake up in the morning my upper eye lids are bright red and swelled up so bad that its embarassing!!!! i have switched makeup brands, stopped wearing makeup all together, changed pillowcases religiously, done the compresses, used mild baby shampoo on my eyes to clean them now, i take my vitamins, gone to the dermatologist who again prescribed more allergy medication (hasnt worked) went to an Ophthalmologist who said he didnt think it wasnt blepharitis but really wasnt sure what was going on so he prescribed me bousch & lombs neomycin and polymyxin b sulfates and dexamethasone ophthalmic ointment USP to apply to my eyelids which if anything in the last 4 days of using it has actually caused the swelled upper part of my eyelids to burn...typically the swelling goes down thru the day but by the time night hits theyre back to being all swelled up again...im 25 and done as much research as i can...this is literally killing me...(and i hate not wearing makeup!!!) please oh please if you have any ideas of what i may be doing wrong or what i can do to help my poor eyes let me know!!! anything will help at this point!
thanks
~~k~~

[mmacomson]

Ocular Rosacea!  

I have had the same symptoms as most of you since february of this year.  5 diff eye docs couldn't find anything wrong with my actual eyeball.  Then I went to an allergist and was tested for everything and am apparently not allergic to anything.  I was also tested for Sjogrens disease (which causes mainly dry eyes and a dry mouth), and that came out negative.  Doing research, the last thing it could be is Ocular Rosacea.  You can't test for it, you just have to try out the medicine and see if it helps.  They prescribe a low dose of doxycycline and if after a month or so the eye issues clear up, it's rosacea.  I've only been on the meds for a week so I can't tell yet.  But I have a feeling this is what it is.  If anyone is still having issues it couldn't hurt to visit your dermatologist and see what they think.

You can search the net and compare pics of other people diagnosed with it to what your eyes look like.  

[catomboy]

Okay....I am gonna post here again. About an month or so ago my eyelids got red and itchy and dry. The more I messed with them, the worse they got. They were so swollen and ugly I couldn't stand it. I work in a hospital so I went to the ER and the PA there gave me some prednisone (SP) That worked within one day BUT when I was done taking it, my eyes went back to being swollen, red and itchy. I hated it!  I already feel old cuz my boyfriend is 38 and I am 43. This problem was making me look older!  I found this site and tried some of the things people listed...cotton balls soaked in milk, Aveeno for exzema, vasoline, Cetaphyl, the whole yeast infection theory, countless creams and lotions for sensitive skin....NOTHING made it better. Some things controlled it but it was never better!  I just figured I would have to deal with it until spring when the air wasn't so dry.  That was rather depressing!  I did read a couple of posts about Mario  Badusco control cream and like a lot of you, did not want to spend that much money ($30 at Ulta) Then one night I was on Amazon and saw that product and I read the reviews. There were so many positive reviews. I went right to Ulta from work and bought the whole redness kit....the control cream, calming mask (which I still haven't used) and the cream wash. Seriously.....the next morning my eyes were so much better!  I am just a regular person like all of you!  Not a spokes person for any product!  I just know how it affected me and know how you guys must feel too. I don't know if this cream will work for everyone or every situation but it worked for me. I still use it everyday along with the wash. I never put anything else on my eyes and wash my hands every time before touching my eyes. My eyes haven't been red or itchy or dry or swollen since the day I started using this cream.  You don't have to buy the whole kit like I did....just get the control cream. I think it is cheaper on Amazon or from the site. I just wanted to try it right away so I didn't want to wait to order it.  I don't care what caused the itchy dryness. It hasn't come back and this cream has gotten rid of it. I hate knowing that so many people are suffering from this like I did.

[cmn53]

I like the idea of comparative, collaborative research which is exactly what we're doing here - all of us.  It is after all one of the best ways to narrow down a root cause.  Some times it takes a more simple approach especially since the highly educated professionals can't seem to get a handle on it.  I think we should also note, witthout exact detail, a little geography just to see how widespread this is.  I can tell there are hundreds, probably thousands of us just on this one string but what if we are similarily located or if not geographically joined, maybe some of us live in the same type environment where a cause coud be naturally occurring??  Forget the PhD stuff,  I live in Northern Virginia about an hour outside of Washington DC.  Has anybody ever tried to get the CDC involved?

[Novella84]

I have the same exact problem. I feel as though I could have written this. Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to why it happens. I haven't obtained relief that lasts, however, using neosporine (sp) does help with the pain and helps to heal the skin. It doesn't prevent the swelling though.  

[cmn53]

I also started using Similastin homeopathic eye drops t the same time I started the oil and new cream.  These drops are labeled for use when you have a stye however they are not a medication to treat a stye.  What they do is relieve redness, burning and itching in the eye.   This product works better than the allergy drops I have used in the past, especially with the itching inside the eye itself.

[Deb9729]

you know what, we all have ways of dealing with the flare ups, what bugs the hell out of me is none of us know what is causing this

in the last week i've ruled out, capsicum, chilli, nuts, soap and shampoo

i'm keeping it well under control with antihistamine drops, antihistamine tablets, eledil cream at night, and dermalex cream during the day - but i'm really depressed that it feels as if this will be my routine for the rest of my life