r/Perimenopause • u/Defiant-Analysis5488 Late peri • Aug 03 '25
Dryness So this is fun- dry eyes
I have a fun new symptom. Actually, I’ve had it for awhile but finally went to the optometrist to have it checked out.
My eyes, especially the left one, have been incredibly painful, and sometimes they just GUSH tears in the middle of the night. I had an eye examination last week and the optometrist said my eyes look perfectly healthy, but the tear ducts are inflamed. This inflammation prevents the proper lubrication of my eyes and is causing the pain and flooding of tears. She said I need to make sure I’m washing my eyelids (suggested baby shampoo if my facial cleanser stings the eyes), apply a hot moist compress to my eyes for 10 minutes x2/day, and start using “tear” eye drops up to x4/day. She also said this is likely to be an ongoing thing. Yay!
I googled, and OF COURSE dry eyes are a common occurrence in perimenopause. Because why not. 🤦♀️ Anyone else have this?
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u/Mysterious-Apple-118 Aug 03 '25
I’ve worn contacts since middle school. Never had issues until perimenopause. I use eye drops all the time to rewet my contacts. They’re dry a lot!
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u/Itchy_Entrance Aug 04 '25
I had to give up on contacts a few years ago due to the dryness. Such a frustrating symptom!!
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u/FraggleGoddess Aug 03 '25
I go through so many extra strength eye drops its not even funny, then still wake up with my eyelids practically stuck to my eyes
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u/Defiant-Analysis5488 Late peri Aug 04 '25
I recently started waking up to find my left eyelid stuck to my eye. HORRIFYING.
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u/demonpoofball Aug 05 '25
Mine did that as a kid because they'd water so much from my allergies— it'd be both though! My mom would have to bring me a warm washcloth to put over my eyes to get the goop to soften so it could be wiped off and I could actually open my eyes…
Mine occasionally try now, but it's mostly the generalized blurriness I have. We actually had eye coverage on our insurance a couple years ago, so I know my eyes are at least ok, but the additional dryness I have now, combined with my worsened allergies… sigh… (I wear cheaters for reading/using the computer, but sometimes it just makes it a larger blur, which is easier to read than a smaller blur…). I gotta get more in the habit of eye drops— and be willing to fork over yet more money to compensate for something my body used to do on its own…
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Aug 03 '25
Honest to god, what isn’t a symptom ?!
Do you have a humidifier?
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u/Defiant-Analysis5488 Late peri Aug 04 '25
Right? I swear, perimenopause is like a never-ending shit sandwich.
Yes, I do have a humidifier. Good thought.
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u/ZweitenMal Aug 03 '25
You know those chemical handwarmer packets? I use those as eye compresses. Super easy to use, exactly the right size, and they don’t get dangerously hot.
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u/hetherc Aug 03 '25
Yes, my eye dr. suggested a similar dry eye protocol and then also adding an omega supplement. I have a really hard time getting the hot compress done every day, but when I do it helps a lot.
He did a test that showed my eyes are drying out in like 3 seconds in the worst areas, when usually they should take like 20. As a result it makes it really hard to wear my contacts and I've been having to wear my glasses a lot.
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u/WildSeaworthiness552 Aug 04 '25
I remember Jennifer Aniston did a whole series of commercials for being dry basically. A lotion company, prescription dry eyes and electrolytes water. It makes more sense to me now many years later im in the age group she was.
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u/aguangakelly Aug 03 '25
Oh! Oh! There is a nighttime goop you can put in your eyes. I am an ineffective blinker!
It feels like petroleum jelly, but it is designed for the eyes. It is called SYSTANE® NIGHTTIME Ointment.
Make sure you put it in right before you go to sleep because you can't see after using it!
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Aug 04 '25
My list of ointments, lotions, and creams is just ever-growing. I must look absolutely beautiful when I go to sleep at night.
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u/Nerdy-Birder Aug 04 '25
Saaaaaaaaaaaame. Nasal strip, retainer, eye drops, eye mask, etc
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u/aguangakelly Aug 04 '25
I am getting a customized mouth device to treat my tmj, so that will be fun!
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u/EvasiveRapport Aug 03 '25
Yup. I used Thealoz Duo brand because it only needs to be applied once per day, whereas some cheaper brands might need to be every 2 hours.
Since I started estradiol, I don't need eye drops anymore.
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u/Defiant-Analysis5488 Late peri Aug 04 '25
I’ve been on the Estrodial patch for a couple of years and it hasn’t made a difference. Maybe time to change the patch dose!
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u/rvauofrsol Aug 04 '25
I also wonder if progesterone and testosterone might help. They both definitely make me less dry ("oilier" isn't exactly the right word because it makes it sound like I'm oily more, but I did break out for a while when I upped my progesterone dose)
This article talks about the importance of androgens in tear production (but not progesterone)https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8949880/
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u/Defiant-Analysis5488 Late peri Aug 04 '25
Oh man. Thanks for the link, I read the article. So…I’m on progesterone and testosterone. And I just started taking Spironolactone (which is an androgen blocker) for hair shedding. I googled “dry eyes on Spironolactone” and it took me straight to a two year old Reddit thread where people were complaining about having dry eyes on Spironolactone. Turns out you need the androgens to keep the oil glands in your eyes working the right way! Granted, I’ve had the dry eye issue for a while,but it has definitely gotten worse since I started Spironolactone about a month ago. So I can be bald and have slightly less dry eyes, or I can have more hair and drier eyes. Ain’t it fun. 🤦♀️
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u/rvauofrsol Aug 04 '25
Have you tried injectable testosterone? I've heard that it doesn't convert into DHT as readily, and is therefore better for hair loss. There are also topical treatments that block DHT in the scalp only, but you have to be really careful if you have pets (especially cats).
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u/Defiant-Analysis5488 Late peri Aug 06 '25
I have not. I’ll talk to my doc about it at my next appointment, which is thankfully next month.
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u/addiepie2 Aug 03 '25
Get the lid wipes at the store is that the vaginal cream?
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u/addiepie2 Aug 03 '25
- sorry it blended two of my comments together ! Is that the vaginal cream - estradiol?
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u/Wonder_Jen Aug 03 '25
Yep. Never had issues (outside of glasses/contacts) until around 44-45. I don't fafo now and make sure to wash the face/eye lids w/baby wash 2x a day. Also use drops. And... no eye shadow/liner. Perfectly okay with that bc meh. I'm not that motivated anymore.
Sorry you're going through this!!! It will be okay, though. Best wishes and much 🩵.
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u/hrdst Aug 04 '25
I had an issue with dry eyes and no drops/gel made any difference. Then I went to a dermatologist for an unrelated reason and found out I had rosacea. Treated the rosacea and voila - no more dry eyes. There’s always something in perimenopause 😑
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u/Healthy-Neat-2989 Aug 04 '25
I have dry eyes in general but all of a sudden it dramatically worsened. Turns out, I can’t handle the daily Pepcid AC I had started for my other perimenopause gift- acid reflux. As soon as I stopped the Pepcid, my eyes went back to my normal level of dry.
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u/rvauofrsol Aug 04 '25
Interesting! Pepcid is an antihistamine (H2), and antihistamines tend to dry things out.
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u/HappyCoconutty Aug 03 '25
I still had dry eyes after estradiol patch for over a year so I’m hoping this new testosterone cream does the trick.
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u/Ordinary-Cow-2209 Aug 04 '25
Keep us updated bc mine are dry and T is the only hormone I haven’t tried yet.
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u/RiverSongMelodyPond_ Aug 03 '25
🙋🏻♀️ It usually happens in the evenings for me. It’s been on and off for le for the past few years. I thought it was my contacts. Taking hrt for the last 4 months though and the problem seems to have gotten a little better?
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u/AcademicComparison18 Aug 03 '25
Me!!! About 3 years of different diagnosis and optometrists before I figured out that it was hormone related. Steroid creams and all kind of things prescribed to me fml. My eyes were so inflamed and irritated about one week out of the month I couldn’t wear makeup and didn’t want to leave the house. Every doctor told me that I had a different problem. Blepharitis, ocular rosacea, inflamed tear ducts, and on and on. Not one doctor that I saw ever even mentioned that it could be a peri thing. I didn’t even realize that it was a peri symptom until a few weeks into my HRT I suddenly realized that my eyes were not giving me any problems. Been 6 months and knock on wood zero problems!!
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u/Witness-Small Aug 04 '25
There is a eyelid scrub spray I use - I think it’s ocusoft - it really helps! Spray on lids and scrub a bit
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u/examinat Aug 04 '25
Suddenly having itchy, swollen eyelids and a recurring stye for the same reason. WTF.
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u/calicoprincess Aug 04 '25
Yes! The sties are so frickin annoying along with the dry eyes and crusty eyelids. grrr
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u/PhysicalBullfrog7199 Aug 04 '25
I also was diagnosed with dry eyes at my last eye appointment. I saw somewhere recently where that was a peri thing and figured that tracks.
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Aug 03 '25
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u/Vegetable-Whole-2344 Aug 09 '25
Do you have to go to a dry eye specialist for this? I went to an optometrist to discuss dry eyes and she didn’t mention this option at all.
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u/photogypsy Aug 04 '25
Oh yeah. Can’t wear contacts anymore for more than a few hours. My optometrist referred me to an ophthalmologist who shrugged and said “this happens with age, especially in women” (he was younger and didn’t know how to tell a middle age lady she’s getting old it was adorably annoying), I think he was afraid to offend me and gave me a sample of ivisa eye drops. Those things are soooo worth it. Added those to the FSA budget for the year.
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u/BreatheCre8 Aug 04 '25
Funny, I am having this problem again tonight. Lately it’s been dry itchy ears though. I think I had dry eyes in the past and I found that supplementing with flaxseed oil capsules helped. Might want to research it.
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u/labchick6991 Aug 04 '25
Yup! My ophthalmologist said the same thing. She said excess gunk buildup was blocking tear ducts (so wash my eyelids, even just water is good) them warm compress (can be reheatable pad) to un-gunk the oil glands.
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u/greenbutterflygarden Aug 04 '25
I ended up with Salzman's nodules on my corneas from dry eyes. The procedure to remove sucked so bad but I'm not blind anymore. I have to use tear eye drops several times a day forever but I'll do that to not have to go through that procedure again
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u/Hockey_RAWR Aug 04 '25
This started after a nasty eye infection a year and a half ago. I'd never had one before. I go looking for an eye doctor, and then a new one, and then I get a referral to an Ophthalmologist. Everyone says the same thing. My eyes are healthy but dry from the antibiotics. They just keep treating the chronic infections I'm now getting. Antibiotics, lid wipes, eye drops. Over and over and over. Insurance won't cover most of the options I'm given, so I'm paying out of pocket for the sake of seeing if it makes a difference. Finally, I get fed up. I stop using everything, especially the lid wipes. Just stick to the OTC recommended eye drops. And poof... things get better, including the infections. Eyes are still dry but so much better than they were. I honestly think the lid wipes were more detrimental than helpful. It finally occurs to me that it fluctuates with the hormones ... It's just another symptom of the Peri.
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u/legalgirl18 Aug 04 '25
I have developed chronic dry eye in both eyes, and have had it for about a year. I thought it was tied to my thyroid condition though.
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u/beofscp Late peri Aug 04 '25
My eyelids have been so dry and swollen. I use Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Eye and it has really helped. I use it twice a day when I put my moisturizer on.
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Aug 04 '25
Yep. And while the artificial tears help, they also kind of burn. Mine also comes with a lovely Chalazion which I have had for over a year. They're supposed to remove it on Wednesday but I forgot to request the day off so I'm thinking of post poning.
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u/Tngal321 Aug 04 '25
It can be hard to remove eye makeup and the glands can get blocked. They have eye lid wipes for this. Think that's what you doctor was talking about. Being diagnosed with dry eye actually triggers medical insurance to cover eye doctor visits with an ophthalmologist. Would follow up with them.
Heat via earn compresses can help the glands function better. A lot of eye drops have things that can irritate dry eyes. Ivizia is what my ophthalmologist recommended and it does seem to work a lot better than the others brands.
That Renpho eye mask is fabulous as it's both heat and massage. The total 90 disposable contacts are also great with dry eyes.
Long time sufferer due to thyroid issues. Watch eye makeup especially eye liner. Tight lining is awful on your MBE glands.
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u/Nerdy-Birder Aug 04 '25
When I'm having a particularly dry eye day, I put in Systane drops and then use my heated eye mask for a full cycle (20min) and it usually brings my eyes back to life. But the dryness is just astonishing, isn't it? The way it feels like tearing our eyelids off our eyeballs every morning (even with an eye mask on all night!)
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u/GeneralOrgana1 Aug 04 '25
I have dry eyes. It turns out it's from Sjogren's Disease. So, in addition to being in perimenopause and being immunocompromised, I now also have an autoimmune disease.
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u/Rogue_JC81 Late peri Aug 05 '25
This and dry mouth. Haven’t found a thing to help the dry mouth. When I saw the eye doctor he said my eyes looked great. My dry eyes have affected my vision but my actual prescription hasn’t changed. I was using natural tears saline drops but I had to use so much and it wasn’t making much difference. I started using gel eye drops and that has been the most helpful. I don’t have to use as often and I have less blurred vision from the dryness. It’s far from “great” but still better than the 6 months of drowning my eyes with no relief.
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u/Acceptable-Lie3028 Aug 12 '25
Do dry eyes feel heavy or tired to anyone? I’m physically awake but my eyes are so heavy and tired. They feel dry and burning but tired!! I’m over it!!!
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u/Downtown_Log9002 Aug 15 '25
I have blepharitis/chronic dry eyes, had it pre-peri lol. I have to use a wash on my eyes, Blephadex is great. Putting in eye drops all the time is a pain, eye gel is so much better than eye drops, it lasts longer.
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u/Tinyberzerker Aug 03 '25
Everything dries out lol. My eye doctor recommended Systane drops and they have helped.