In case there's somoneone else who didn't realize it...

Tash · Post by **Tash** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 3:33 pm

One medical issue exacerbated by my use of APAP is dry eyes (YMMV). I changed contact brands,and three days later ended up with a scratched and inflamed cornea. One week of wearing glasses and using eye drops healed the cornea issues, but my opthamologist then advised I have dry eyes (which has never been previously an issue).

After some discussion, I realized that since starting APAP I have slowly transitioned from being able to wear my contacts first thing in the morning to not being able to wear them until I've been awake for an hour or two. And, I have been feeling tired, even though I am getting good sleep, and my AHI is staying under 2. My leak rate is low, and I tape every night. However, I have been becoming more and more sensitive to any type of air blowing on my eyes (especially the exhaust from my Activa, but even if my hubby leaves the ceiling fan on, it irritates my eyes).

So, after discussing with my opthamologist, he suggested I use "Genteal Gel" drops (NOT "Genteal PM") in my eyes each night before hooking up to APAP. My eyes this morning felt SO MUCH better, and I feel more rested. In retrospect, the tired feeling I have had is from my eyes being dry and irritated, which made me want to keep them shut.

Anyhow, if this helps one person, then it was worth sharing.

Have a Happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Sleep well,
Tash

inacpapfog · Post by **inacpapfog** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 3:46 pm

I've tried different brands of tears, and most were OK, but, I'll sure try this brand and hope it works for me too! Thanks!

Maryb · Post by **Maryb** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 3:51 pm

Maybe you've already tried this...
but why not use a sleep mask over your eyes? Then wayward mask leaks wouldn't affect them.
I've done this on nights when I just haven't been able to get rid of a mask leak shooting into my eyes.

Maryb

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 4:52 pm

Dry eyes are so uncomfortable. Sorry to hear you have that because of CPAP.

I also have the dry eye problem from CPAP. Not only do I have the leak from the mask, I get air going up from the sinus cavities through my tear ducts!! Believe it or not, the ENT doctor confirmed this. Great, huh?

The eye drops that are the PM version have mineral oil and white petroleum in them. Those drops make a protective layer on the eyes, and they won't dry out as much. However, in the morning, things might be blurry until you get that out of your eyes. Just have to be careful to use a tiny amount and don't put it in your eyes until you are ready to turn off the light. My eye doctor told me to use the PM ointment, but you should definitely do what your doctor recommends for you.

There are also prescription drops for this problem.

Catnapper

Catnapper · Post by **Catnapper** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 4:56 pm

Not sure what happened, but that guest and I are the same person.
Catnapper

RachelM · Post by **RachelM** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 4:57 pm

I wear contacts and earlier this year (before CPAP) had severe dry eye problem. Age can be a factor in this condition. Optician explained that the eye has 3 layers of moisture and that ordinary eye drops only touch 1 layer. I'd been using drops that only touched 1 layer. She recommended Refresh Liquigel at night, and Systane during the day. It cleared up the problem in a week or two. Continued use has kept problem away. Since CPAP, I'm extra diligent to put drops in before bed. See your optician to see if this might help

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