Eyelids shut closed during night-Painful

[oldtime]

Does anyone have this problem?

It's so painful during the night when I can't open my eyelids. I usually try to squirt some drops into the corner of my eye, which somewhat allows me to pry them open.

I have permanent plugs and have had them for a few years now, but they don't work like they did when I first received them.

I hear about re-wetting drops. Is this just a different term for drops used for dry eyes?

I also use the gel drops during the night, and even they don't work anymore.

this goes on every night...sad to write.

Patty in NC

[Melissa W]

Hi Patty,
Maybe you need to get new plugs. Even permanent ones aren't really permanent. You should go to your eye doctor and get that checked out.

When you wake up in the AM and open your eyes does it hurt?
You might have recurrent corneal erosion which means overnight your lids are sticking to the epithelium layer (superficial layer) of your cornea. You should be putting in very viscous rewetting drops and also Rx drops right before you go to bed to prevent this from happening. I'm not sure this is what is going on but perhaps you can go into more detail.

But if this is RCE then there are Rx drops that will prevent this from occuring. Hypertonic therapy which is instilling sodium chloride drops and ointments (2% and 5%) applied to the eye q.i.d./q3h during the day and at bedtime will help to reduce corneal swelling, lubricate the corneal surface and promote healing.

I hope you find relief soon!

Best wishes,
Melissa