Does your fatigue level correlate with dry eyes?

[chaki90]

I recently noticed something very interesting. I suffer from dry eye symptoms. I noticed that my dry eye symptoms correlate a lot with my fatigue and low mood. When my fatigue and mood is better my eyes feel better, if my feel dry I often feel tired and my mood is low. I'm not really sure what comes first, but I find this really interesting. I recently read some studies that connect dry eyes with depression like this one: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6314109/

Do you experience something similar?

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Do you experience something similar?

I"m a bit in denial. My eyes- mostly- pour constantly...like for hours on end...but then at times will: dry out entirely.


For me, this is a key debilitating symptom. My eye issues track the whole trajectory- my right eye is worse, and is the "indicator" that i'm getting worse, or crashing, or must not- read much or long. Its painful-my eyes ache much of the time.

I went to eye doctors twice- they- offered me- nothing.

 

[xebex]

Would this not be a symptom of sjogren’s?

I do get dry eyes but can’t seem to relate it to fatigue levels, it was a lot worse when my ME was milder too, so not sure what that means!

 

[andyguitar]

Would this not be a symptom of sjogren’s?

Could be.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Would this not be a symptom of sjogren’s?

could very well be.....in my case- I occupy frequently the chair of denial.

so why did the eye doctor: not give a hoot? Thats my experience- nothing happens, so why bother seeking any care. Nothing happens.

 

[Judee]

Do you experience something similar?

I haven't thought about it that much so I didn't vote yet. It's just my eyes are almost always dry and I haven't had a really good 3% day in a very long time. (With ME/CFS I can't use a 1-10 scale. I never have improved 10% so I have to use a scale of 1-100 instead.)

so why did the eye doctor: not give a hoot? Thats my experience- nothing happens, so why bother seeking any care. Nothing happens.

There was a doctor that hinted at autoimmune for me but my insurance only lets me go to him if I have an eye ER otherwise I have to go to Walmart to get my eyes tested and glasses made.

My last PCP, as well as a Rheumatologist, ran some of the tests for Sjogrens like ANA but they came back negative. There is an early test which is more sensitive but no one seems to know how to order that. So I think many of us are in the same boat with that unfortunately.

There is a lab nearby that does it but the current cost is $1445.00.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

With ME/CFS I can't use a 1-10 scale. I never have improved 10% so I have to use a scale of 1-100 instead.)

Perhaps I was not supposed to have found that...funny!

 

[sometexan84]

I've definitely had dry eye issues. But don't recall how it correlated w/ my fatigue.

Also, not much depression here.

I do recall having conjunctivitis, which I believe was viral. And that was around the time my CFS started

 

[Wishful]

I too have had dry eye issues, but didn't notice a correlation with anything else.

 

[maple]

I have dry eyes and this improves substantially when I get a bit of traction and very gentle neck realignment

 

[pattismith]

dry painful eyes is one of my first symptoms and is still there after 35 years.

The difference for one year now is that I wake up with a front headache and then after some minutes, my eyes start getting full of tears and the headache starts to leave. It lasts about 1 hour...

 

[maple]

Dry eyes can give you a headache- my optometrist alerted me to this and it’s true. I use lubricating eye drops and this helps a lot.

 

[Pyrrhus]

I get dry eyes towards the end of each big PEM episode. A pretty consistent symptom.

Fortunately, they only last 1-2 days.

 

[wonderoushope]

I’ve been suffering from dry eyes the last 4-6 months. I’m in the biggest crash since I first got sick 7 years ago. Lack of sleep seems to bring it on for me, plus because I’m not sleeping I’m on device more which strains eyes.

 

[MikeC]

Small fiber neuropathy can cause dry eyes and supposedly many who have ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia also have SFN. It might be worth looking into.

 

[Hannah5]

Hi
I have severe dry eye syndrome and Sjogren's Syndrome as well as CF. If anyone needs any ideas for treatment of dry eye, would happy to throw in a few suggestions...

 

[MikeC]

I'm using gel drops called Systane. It's helping more than the other brands I've tried in the past.

 

[chasingmytail]

My dry eyes started about 7 years ago, coupled with dry nose, snoring, dry throat. I looked it up and sjorgens was mentioned I have had all tests for the condition and comes back negative. Did Schirmer's test and I had negative moisture. Tried various eye drops and very little helps also found the more drops I put in the condition seemed to deteriorate. I have started using the ointments. Im not 100% convinced it is sjorgens as been part of the FB pages and most ladies (98% ladies) seem to be suffering from more serious autoimmunes.

 

[MikeC]

Have you checked for small fiber neuropathy? Like you, I have dry eyes, mouth, nasal and skin and turns out I have SFN. Systane drops help the eye dryness and I use a saline nasal gel for the nose by a brand called Ayr.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Anyone else notice that their dry eyes correlate with any other symptoms?