I am (or was) a dry eye sufferer too and also had a complete hysterectomy. I do believe there is a strong TMS component in it but also think that age and hormones play a role. In my case at least, I think it was an example of my brain exploiting a milder sensation that was really there and turning it into something that really made me SUFFER. That ultimately is how I realize something is TMS, when I begin wallowing in my suffering over it. So I do still have mildly dry eyes that keep me from wearing contacts comfortably but even that comes and goes (and the coming and going of symptoms is always another red flag for me). I do still use Restasis drops because my insurance covers it but I found all other treatments like the punctal plugs and over the counter drops to just make things worse. My anxiety-ridden and tortuous Schirmer test scored me a near zero and I was referred to a rheumatologist who diagnosed me with Sjogren's syndrome in spite of my not having the requisite autoimmune antibodies. That of course made my eyes hurt more. What snapped me out of it was when I went to an eye specialist to get fitted for these special contacts to keep my eyes moist and he told me that my eyes were dry but that my pain seemed out of proportion to the dryness. My ahaa moment! I took the TMS approach and they eventually stopped bothering me very much. Another thing that helped convince me is that if I took a Xanax, I noticed that my eyes were less dry. If you know you have a TMS personality, I would view dry eyes with a healthy suspicion. Good luck!
Dry eyes are hurting
Posted - 02/24/2012 : 02:09:34
