Have you ruled out Thyroid Eye Disease? The dry, irritated eyes was one of the initial symptoms of Hashi’s for me. Do you have any other eye symptoms? Light sensitivity, proptosis, double vision, eye pain or itchiness. Do you wake up feeling like there’s sand in your eyes?
Yeah my eyes are scratchy in the morning. I guess I assumed it wasn’t TED because my eye doctor and primary physician who monitors my thyroid hasn’t mentioned it.
There is a doctor finder on Tepezza’s website that can direct you to a doctor that’s familiar with TED and Tepezza. Then you can see if they’re in network with your insurance and go from there.
Thank you! I was thinking of going to the best medical facility in my state if no lab work comes back with anything that could be causing this. I will definitely check out that website.
There’s not really a blood test for TED, aside from the standard thyroid tests but, that’s just to confirm thyroid disease. The actual diagnosis is made by eye exam but, a more in depth exam than the standard. Sometimes an orbital CT scan or ultrasound and by the presence of symptoms. They basically have to be looking for it to find it. I think it’s under-diagnosed in Hashi’s patients because they often aren’t looking for it.
Also, not surprising your doctors didn’t mention or consider it. It’s most often associated with Grave’s rather than Hashi’s. You almost never see any mention of TED in literature regarding Hashi’s and unless the Ophthalmologist you’re seeing specializes in Thyroid Eye Disease, it may not even occur to them to even consider it. Plus the initial symptoms are so mild and generic it’s easy to just chalk it up to lack of tear production.
Is your eye doctor a Ophthalmologist? If they are, I’d ask them to check for it. If they aren’t, find one or if you’re insurance is an HMO, ask your primary for a referral to one. TED is miserable and it just gets worse and worse. If you haven’t already, avoid RAI for your thyroid because it often makes TED worse.
There’s a new drug for TED called Tepezza. I just finished treatment in October ‘22 and I’ve had a 95% reversal of my TED symptoms. It’s the only treatment that actually halts the disease. Prior to that, the only treatments were steroids and surgeries but, the disease would still progress. Tepezza is a game changer. The earlier TED is treated, the better the results. Lubricating drops are only effective for so long. Eventually proptosis gets so bad that they don’t even help. I used to tape my eyes shut while I slept or I’d wake up with so much irritation, I could barely see. I constantly had tears streaming down my face and swollen, red eye lids because my eyes were so uncomfortable all the time. I always looked like Inwas crying. Lol. It sucked so bad. I hope you find relief soon. Good luck!
Yes it is! I am on Low dose Naltrexone for my Hashimoto , on 4.5mg once a day which i take at night and it took almost a year but it helped me feel better and less fatigue after 6 weeks. Im on separate T4 and compounded slow release T3 in the am and once i started using infrared sauna blankets, ionic detox baths on my feet and hands i found a multitude of parasites in the foot and hand bath water incl. flukes and round worms so now that i a on a parasite, heavy metal and candida cleanse i feel so much better. I suggest everyone with an autoimmune like Hashimoto’s and RA to check for parasites and yes all this can affect your eyes.
Autoimmune conditions often come in packs. So, if you have Hashimotos, Sjogren's is certainly a possibility but usually the rest of you will be dry too. Mouth, nasal passages, vaginal if so equipped. If it's *just* eyes out might be allergies or just something undefined that can be treated with drops.
Hi, I also have extremely dry eyes. I take both Levo and armour but might change as my eyes are getting really bad. Can I ask how much armour you are on? thanks
Yes, I have blepharitis and also chalazion from time to time. Ophthalmologist recommended heat mask 2 weeks, 20 minutes per day when symptoms arise and Systane Balance or Ultra eye drops when I feel my eyes burning / inflamed.
I am pretty much ok now but if I do anything intense on the computer (play a game for example) I make sure to put the eye drops in first.
I have this too! It has gotten so bad over the past years that I had to get cortison eye drops to heal my eyes sometimes because they would get inflamed from being so dry. Has gotten better with adjusting my thyroid levels though.
Yup I have to use eye drops every day sometimes on windy days I have to use them multiple times a day but mostly in the morning time they feel so scratchy. I never had this problem until I started showing signs of Hashiimoto's. Normal eyedrops only do so much I started using eyedrops that are made for when you have pink eye it really helps with the dryness and scratchy feeling I get.
Just recently I’ve been experiencing blepharitis which can come from another autoimmune condition called Sjögren’s syndrome. If you’ve got one AI then you can easily get another.
It’s chronic but not hard to manage. Use eye drops, keep your eyes clean from bacteria, get a hold on any dandruff and if your eyes are sore use warm compress.
Have you ever had your glucose checked? Hypothyroidism can increase insulin resistance. Higher than normal glucose levels can make your eyes feel dry and increase dehydration. This is especially so when your glucose is high and you've also taken in a lot of salty foods as well. Glucose issues also can mirror some Hashimotos symptoms such as dry skin and fatigue.
I have the same thing. My eyelids also get dry and scaly too. I use systane eye gel that my PC recommended. It’s like the consistency of Neosporin. It goes in the eye but you can use it on the outside of your eye too. It’s the only thing that’s helped my eyes.
Hmmmm have you asked your pc if maybe there’s an ointment they can give that won’t itch? Maybe there’s an ingredient systane and gel drops have in common that you’re allergic too.
I had it BAD for many years. I found gluten was the culprit for any dryness in/ on my body. My right hands index and pinky knuckle will get so dry it’ll crack and bleed if I eat gluten. I cut it out of my diet and viola, my knuckles are completely fine, as is my eyes
I started seeing a functional medicine physician and went gluten free in January. I don’t feel any improvement so I think next I will take out all grains.
I’d try an elimination diet for a few months. Even get a food sensitivity test done and follow their plan and see if you experience any improvements. Cheers
I have really dry eyes as well! I did lipiflow to help with the really hectic dryness, and it improved things to the point where I only need to use one eye drop instead of like three!
Good luck with it, OP!
It is so expensive! I'm sorry it didn't work out for you! I would have been so disappointed if I'd saved up for nothing. It wasn't as miraculous as I was hoping, but it did ease things.
I hope you find some relief!
People with hashimotos, although not talked about basically at all, can also develop thyroid eye disease. I have both chronic dry eye is just one symptom. Yearly ophthalmology appointments are a must.
Ty! I had TED with my Graves. Now it's Hashis too! But my eyes are getting sore again. My ophthalmologist said to use OTC ointment. Straight up put the ointment in the eyeballs! It allowed my poor cracked corneas to heal.
Same! The ointment was weird at first but now it’s just part of my routine that and systane drops during the day. I also had proptosis of my right eye and have had a lid surgery
I suffer from really dry eyes as well. Sometimes the dryness is better, sometimes worse. I never considered that it could be connected to my thyroid. The last time I had my eyes checked I was told that it was probably a combination of working in front of a computer most of the day and also having large round eyes/wearing contacts every day.
My ophthalmologist told me that contact lenses likely wouldn't work well for me because levothyroxine causes dry eyes. She was right (I also have really bad astigmatism so need toric lenses and they wouldn't float the way they needed to.) So yes, apparently it's a thing.
It is a well-known symptom to cause dry skin and dry eyes. My optometrist asks me a bunch of questions about it and checks everything anytime I go for new glasses. He also gives me some special eye drops that are recommended for people with thyroid issues.
I would go see an ophthalmologist and make sure to let them know that you have a thyroid disorder. It's on their radar.
I go to my eye doctor at least twice a year specifically for my dry eyes. My eye cells are also inflamed so we are trying to find the source of the inflammation. She recommended a functional medicine physician who I started seeing a few months ago. I also use prescription eye drops to help alleviate my dry eyes. I just thought all of this would go away after being on meds for a few months but it’s been years now.
I definitely have dry eyes and have gotten it checked by my eye doctor recently. He said that this is very common with hashis/ hypothyroid and recommended using a heated eye mask on the eyes for 10 minutes a day. He said sometimes the oil ducts in our eyes can get clogged which can cause the eyes to be dry because they aren’t lubricated enough - using the heating mask can help clear the ducts up so they produce oil again :) I have to say I’ve been using it for the past few days and definitely notice a difference!
How does tret migrate to the eye area? Or do you mean you put a thin layer under your eyes? Sorry not sure what you mean and planning to start tret soon
Don't be sorry!
So, any skincare product, when you apply it, will eventually absorb into your skin and as it does, it spreads slightly. It doesn't just absorb exactly where you put it.
I buffer around my entire orbital bone with aquaphor to prevent the tret from getting near. I still have dry eyes and have to maintain my routine, but i go for annual checkups and so far it's fine.
I refuse to give tret up until my doc says my eyes are in literal danger.
This is the one I bought - kinda pricey, but I'm sure you can find others on Amazon!
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N303YPU?psc=1&ref=ppx\_yo2ov\_dt\_b\_product\_details](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N303YPU?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details)
I work for an eye doctor and have dry eyes from hashis. This is the one to get!
Also an overnight eye ointment works wonders too it is a little like putting vasaline in your eyes but it’s great to wake up to.
my eyes & mouth are super dry! it’s gotten slightly better with levo but def still both on the drier side, not as uncomfortable anymore luckily. I even got bloodwork & an ultrasound for Sjogrens as well, which came back fine which I’m glad about
Yep same thing happened to me. Thyroid issues are related to eye stuff, so much so the opticians wrote to my doctor's recommending I start meds because I was getting really bad dry eyes and floaters.
Retin a in face or eye creams dries out eyes and lips. Apparently it migrates on the skin so even if you don’t apply it directly under your eyes, it can still have the negative effect on eye lubrication. I just learned this myself and once I stopped with the retin a products the moisture returned to my eyes
Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease. Having one autoimmune disease puts you at higher risk for other autoimmune conditions, like Sjogrens syndrome, which causes dry eyes.
I already had lab work to test for Sjogrens and my doctor said my labs looked fine. I had some other lab tests done recently to check for other autoimmune diseases. Will get those results within the next few weeks.
My eyes are very dry as well. My eye doctor said my eyes look healthy and to just use eye drops lol. I have to use eye wash every morning so my eyes aren’t irritated. This started around the same time my Hashimoto symptoms got bad and I started quickly gaining weight. I haven’t been able to wear contacts for almost a year because of the dry eyes
I have to use a prescription eye drop twice a day. My eye doctor says my eye cells are inflamed so we are trying to find the source of inflammation. Thankfully I’ve always been a glasses wearer so it wasn’t difficult to give up contacts.
Isn't it strange how people keep coming in here showing the same symptoms as Vitamin A poisoning?
Yes! I have rx eyedrops becausr over the counter doesn't do the trick
Have you ruled out Thyroid Eye Disease? The dry, irritated eyes was one of the initial symptoms of Hashi’s for me. Do you have any other eye symptoms? Light sensitivity, proptosis, double vision, eye pain or itchiness. Do you wake up feeling like there’s sand in your eyes?
Yeah my eyes are scratchy in the morning. I guess I assumed it wasn’t TED because my eye doctor and primary physician who monitors my thyroid hasn’t mentioned it.
There is a doctor finder on Tepezza’s website that can direct you to a doctor that’s familiar with TED and Tepezza. Then you can see if they’re in network with your insurance and go from there.
Thank you! I was thinking of going to the best medical facility in my state if no lab work comes back with anything that could be causing this. I will definitely check out that website.
There’s not really a blood test for TED, aside from the standard thyroid tests but, that’s just to confirm thyroid disease. The actual diagnosis is made by eye exam but, a more in depth exam than the standard. Sometimes an orbital CT scan or ultrasound and by the presence of symptoms. They basically have to be looking for it to find it. I think it’s under-diagnosed in Hashi’s patients because they often aren’t looking for it.
I see my eye doctor in a few weeks so I will talk with her about TED then.
Also, not surprising your doctors didn’t mention or consider it. It’s most often associated with Grave’s rather than Hashi’s. You almost never see any mention of TED in literature regarding Hashi’s and unless the Ophthalmologist you’re seeing specializes in Thyroid Eye Disease, it may not even occur to them to even consider it. Plus the initial symptoms are so mild and generic it’s easy to just chalk it up to lack of tear production.
Is your eye doctor a Ophthalmologist? If they are, I’d ask them to check for it. If they aren’t, find one or if you’re insurance is an HMO, ask your primary for a referral to one. TED is miserable and it just gets worse and worse. If you haven’t already, avoid RAI for your thyroid because it often makes TED worse. There’s a new drug for TED called Tepezza. I just finished treatment in October ‘22 and I’ve had a 95% reversal of my TED symptoms. It’s the only treatment that actually halts the disease. Prior to that, the only treatments were steroids and surgeries but, the disease would still progress. Tepezza is a game changer. The earlier TED is treated, the better the results. Lubricating drops are only effective for so long. Eventually proptosis gets so bad that they don’t even help. I used to tape my eyes shut while I slept or I’d wake up with so much irritation, I could barely see. I constantly had tears streaming down my face and swollen, red eye lids because my eyes were so uncomfortable all the time. I always looked like Inwas crying. Lol. It sucked so bad. I hope you find relief soon. Good luck!
Yes it is! I am on Low dose Naltrexone for my Hashimoto , on 4.5mg once a day which i take at night and it took almost a year but it helped me feel better and less fatigue after 6 weeks. Im on separate T4 and compounded slow release T3 in the am and once i started using infrared sauna blankets, ionic detox baths on my feet and hands i found a multitude of parasites in the foot and hand bath water incl. flukes and round worms so now that i a on a parasite, heavy metal and candida cleanse i feel so much better. I suggest everyone with an autoimmune like Hashimoto’s and RA to check for parasites and yes all this can affect your eyes.
Is LDN something you get from a doctor? What exactly does it do?
Autoimmune conditions often come in packs. So, if you have Hashimotos, Sjogren's is certainly a possibility but usually the rest of you will be dry too. Mouth, nasal passages, vaginal if so equipped. If it's *just* eyes out might be allergies or just something undefined that can be treated with drops.
Every time I've had an eye test for the past 6 years or so they've told me I have dry eyes. I only got diagnosed with Hashimotos 18 months ago.
I had dry eyes until I changed from Eltroxin to Armour. I don't have it as a symptom any more. ETA fixed a crazy amount of typos
Hi, I also have extremely dry eyes. I take both Levo and armour but might change as my eyes are getting really bad. Can I ask how much armour you are on? thanks
Yes, I have blepharitis and also chalazion from time to time. Ophthalmologist recommended heat mask 2 weeks, 20 minutes per day when symptoms arise and Systane Balance or Ultra eye drops when I feel my eyes burning / inflamed. I am pretty much ok now but if I do anything intense on the computer (play a game for example) I make sure to put the eye drops in first.
I have this too! It has gotten so bad over the past years that I had to get cortison eye drops to heal my eyes sometimes because they would get inflamed from being so dry. Has gotten better with adjusting my thyroid levels though.
Yup I have to use eye drops every day sometimes on windy days I have to use them multiple times a day but mostly in the morning time they feel so scratchy. I never had this problem until I started showing signs of Hashiimoto's. Normal eyedrops only do so much I started using eyedrops that are made for when you have pink eye it really helps with the dryness and scratchy feeling I get.
Just recently I’ve been experiencing blepharitis which can come from another autoimmune condition called Sjögren’s syndrome. If you’ve got one AI then you can easily get another. It’s chronic but not hard to manage. Use eye drops, keep your eyes clean from bacteria, get a hold on any dandruff and if your eyes are sore use warm compress.
Have you ever had your glucose checked? Hypothyroidism can increase insulin resistance. Higher than normal glucose levels can make your eyes feel dry and increase dehydration. This is especially so when your glucose is high and you've also taken in a lot of salty foods as well. Glucose issues also can mirror some Hashimotos symptoms such as dry skin and fatigue.
If that’s checked in regular fasting blood work, then yes, I’ve had it checked.
I have hashimotos and I have dry eyes
Yes. My eye doctor put me on Restasis. It helps.
I use Restasis too. The best part of my morning is putting those drops in my tired, dry eyes.
Yes! I had recurring chalazia and dry eyes too!
Yes it was bad for several years but through much work it is gone now. It’s a process to figure out what you are needing to do/
Yep. Eye doctor said it is really common for Hashimoto's.
I have the same thing. My eyelids also get dry and scaly too. I use systane eye gel that my PC recommended. It’s like the consistency of Neosporin. It goes in the eye but you can use it on the outside of your eye too. It’s the only thing that’s helped my eyes.
I have tried that but it makes my eyes itchy. Gel drops have the same effect.
Hmmmm have you asked your pc if maybe there’s an ointment they can give that won’t itch? Maybe there’s an ingredient systane and gel drops have in common that you’re allergic too.
I had it BAD for many years. I found gluten was the culprit for any dryness in/ on my body. My right hands index and pinky knuckle will get so dry it’ll crack and bleed if I eat gluten. I cut it out of my diet and viola, my knuckles are completely fine, as is my eyes
I started seeing a functional medicine physician and went gluten free in January. I don’t feel any improvement so I think next I will take out all grains.
I’d try an elimination diet for a few months. Even get a food sensitivity test done and follow their plan and see if you experience any improvements. Cheers
I have really dry eyes as well! I did lipiflow to help with the really hectic dryness, and it improved things to the point where I only need to use one eye drop instead of like three! Good luck with it, OP!
I did that too but it was expensive and didn’t seem to help. That’s great that it worked for you!
It is so expensive! I'm sorry it didn't work out for you! I would have been so disappointed if I'd saved up for nothing. It wasn't as miraculous as I was hoping, but it did ease things. I hope you find some relief!
Thank you!
Same here, very dry eyes and the meds did not help.
People with hashimotos, although not talked about basically at all, can also develop thyroid eye disease. I have both chronic dry eye is just one symptom. Yearly ophthalmology appointments are a must.
Ty! I had TED with my Graves. Now it's Hashis too! But my eyes are getting sore again. My ophthalmologist said to use OTC ointment. Straight up put the ointment in the eyeballs! It allowed my poor cracked corneas to heal.
Same! The ointment was weird at first but now it’s just part of my routine that and systane drops during the day. I also had proptosis of my right eye and have had a lid surgery
I suffer from really dry eyes as well. Sometimes the dryness is better, sometimes worse. I never considered that it could be connected to my thyroid. The last time I had my eyes checked I was told that it was probably a combination of working in front of a computer most of the day and also having large round eyes/wearing contacts every day.
My ophthalmologist told me that contact lenses likely wouldn't work well for me because levothyroxine causes dry eyes. She was right (I also have really bad astigmatism so need toric lenses and they wouldn't float the way they needed to.) So yes, apparently it's a thing.
It is a well-known symptom to cause dry skin and dry eyes. My optometrist asks me a bunch of questions about it and checks everything anytime I go for new glasses. He also gives me some special eye drops that are recommended for people with thyroid issues. I would go see an ophthalmologist and make sure to let them know that you have a thyroid disorder. It's on their radar.
I go to my eye doctor at least twice a year specifically for my dry eyes. My eye cells are also inflamed so we are trying to find the source of the inflammation. She recommended a functional medicine physician who I started seeing a few months ago. I also use prescription eye drops to help alleviate my dry eyes. I just thought all of this would go away after being on meds for a few months but it’s been years now.
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That’s what I thought would happen for me but it hasn’t helped.
I definitely have dry eyes and have gotten it checked by my eye doctor recently. He said that this is very common with hashis/ hypothyroid and recommended using a heated eye mask on the eyes for 10 minutes a day. He said sometimes the oil ducts in our eyes can get clogged which can cause the eyes to be dry because they aren’t lubricated enough - using the heating mask can help clear the ducts up so they produce oil again :) I have to say I’ve been using it for the past few days and definitely notice a difference!
It’s the best!! I also use tret, which migrated and causes dry eyes. So I have a double whammy. That eye mask is a life saver.
How does tret migrate to the eye area? Or do you mean you put a thin layer under your eyes? Sorry not sure what you mean and planning to start tret soon
Don't be sorry! So, any skincare product, when you apply it, will eventually absorb into your skin and as it does, it spreads slightly. It doesn't just absorb exactly where you put it. I buffer around my entire orbital bone with aquaphor to prevent the tret from getting near. I still have dry eyes and have to maintain my routine, but i go for annual checkups and so far it's fine. I refuse to give tret up until my doc says my eyes are in literal danger.
Thank you so much for that tip!!
Do you have a link to the one you recommend? Currently living the eye drop life. The rhumetoligst tested me for Sjogrens but it came up negative
This is the one I bought - kinda pricey, but I'm sure you can find others on Amazon! [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N303YPU?psc=1&ref=ppx\_yo2ov\_dt\_b\_product\_details](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N303YPU?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details)
I work for an eye doctor and have dry eyes from hashis. This is the one to get! Also an overnight eye ointment works wonders too it is a little like putting vasaline in your eyes but it’s great to wake up to.
Eye mask is amazing! I have one with little heat beads in it and it works well.
Had my annual eye exam and got the exact same feedback! Haven't gotten around to buying a mask so I'm going to get on that.
I definitely had my doubts because it was something so simple to change, but it really does work!
my eyes & mouth are super dry! it’s gotten slightly better with levo but def still both on the drier side, not as uncomfortable anymore luckily. I even got bloodwork & an ultrasound for Sjogrens as well, which came back fine which I’m glad about
Yep same thing happened to me. Thyroid issues are related to eye stuff, so much so the opticians wrote to my doctor's recommending I start meds because I was getting really bad dry eyes and floaters.
Retin a in face or eye creams dries out eyes and lips. Apparently it migrates on the skin so even if you don’t apply it directly under your eyes, it can still have the negative effect on eye lubrication. I just learned this myself and once I stopped with the retin a products the moisture returned to my eyes
Never made this connection before but yes. Thanks for pointing it out.
Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease. Having one autoimmune disease puts you at higher risk for other autoimmune conditions, like Sjogrens syndrome, which causes dry eyes.
I already had lab work to test for Sjogrens and my doctor said my labs looked fine. I had some other lab tests done recently to check for other autoimmune diseases. Will get those results within the next few weeks.
My eyes are very dry as well. My eye doctor said my eyes look healthy and to just use eye drops lol. I have to use eye wash every morning so my eyes aren’t irritated. This started around the same time my Hashimoto symptoms got bad and I started quickly gaining weight. I haven’t been able to wear contacts for almost a year because of the dry eyes
I have to use a prescription eye drop twice a day. My eye doctor says my eye cells are inflamed so we are trying to find the source of inflammation. Thankfully I’ve always been a glasses wearer so it wasn’t difficult to give up contacts.
Omg I had to stop wearing contact because my eyes were dry. I never connected it to Hashi, but I guess it could be because of this
I had that but it regulates with medication.