Need some opinions on Pink Eye... Little Update.

[zakatak]

Hi there,

DD (3) woke up with Pink Eye yesterday so I took her to the Peds. The nurse told me she didn't have pink eye, just circles under her eyes . Ummmm, ok, just ignore that Left Eye that is half swollen shut, red and watery and that Right Eye that is all bloodshot too. But the Docter did confirm Pink Eye in both eyes and prescribed the Eye Drops. 3 drops each eye, 3 times a day.

Yesterday she got the full doses and this morning also. We were just at the Library and she looks like she was punched in the eyes, both eyes are bloodshot and reddish/brown from under the eyebrow to under the eyes. She looks so awful, I hightailed it out of the library, even though she has been on the medicine 24 hours.

I called the Peds and after the nurse talked to a Doctor, she said to discontinue the drops and see what happens. Could the drops make her eyes worse? She isn't draining any yellow pus, and very little crusties.

What does anyone think about this? Smart idea or should I continue the medicine? Does it sound viral, not bacterial without the pus?

As you can see below, I do not need Pink Eye around my house in the next week! I am a washing hands MACHINE right now...

Thanks for any opinions.

Karen & Abby

 

[Pembo]

I had the absolute WORST case of pinkeye about 8 weeks ago. Both eyes were VERY swollen and hurt. I ended up at my eye doctors. He gave me drops that had both an antibiotic and a steriod in them. Within an hour of the first dose the pain was GONE! The steriod eases the symptoms.

Not sure about the viral vs bacterial...but after the first couple days my eyes were watery, lots of crust when I slept. They were swollen and very very red inside. I didn't have much "white" in my eye.

If you have an eye doctor, give them a call. Good luck. And even though "Mom" had this horrible pink eye, none of my 3 kids had it/got it nor my dh. Go figure....

Good luck.........

 

[bananiem]

I'd take her to an opthamologist. My son's eyes get watery and pink with allergies. When I had pink eye several years ago my general practitioner called in a prescription for me. Several days later my eyes weren't any better, I called the pharmacy and they suggested I go to an opthamologist. When I got there he told me I'd been prescribed something they hadn't used for pink eye in years!!! I got a new prescription and felt much better the next day.

 

[4nana]

Poor baby, I feel her pain - it is very difficult for the little ones and their parents. If in fact it is pink eye, I do believe there are several kinds of pink eye....viral, bacterial and allergic. Each requires a different kind of med, therefore one won't work on the other. Sorry, I can't answer your other questions. I sure hope she feels better soon. Would a warm compress to her eyes help?

~ Sandie

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I had a case of pink eye about 2 months ago. The doctor gave me some antibiotic drops and told me if my eyes weren't clear in two days to see an Opthamologist.

My eyes also felt much better about 4 or 5 hours after the first dose. So if your daughter's eyes are worse after two days, it is possible that discontinuing that medication is a good idea.

 

[mrsmom]

I took my dd 10 to the ped for almost the same thing. they told me it was pink eye gave her prescribtion eye drops and sent us home it didn't get better we went to the eye dr and they said it was allergies and prescribed patanol eye drops It helped and got rid of the red eyes.Good luck!
Kim

 

[CarolA]

I strongly recommend an eye doctor.

I was misdiagnosed with pink eye. I had an ulcer on my eye which could have been a huge problem, but I was convinced by friends to see an eye doctor the same day.

 

[Christine]

I had a simple sty last week. I went to the opthamologist who gave me some antibiotic cream for it. It did help my sty, but my eye felt horrible. I think I was allergic to the cream. My aunt had the same thing happen--after she used the cream her eye got so sore she had to stop.

I then used some cortisone cream in my eye (prescribed by the doctor) and I felt MUCH better.

So, it could be a reaction to the drops or it could be viral, which there definitely is viral pinkeye, and it just has to run its course. Bacterial pinkeye usually responds to the antibiotic very quickly.

 

[CBRorBust]

Yup it's happen to me before. I was given drops one time, it made my eyes a million times worse! Only I had to see the idiotic PA instead of the doctor! So when I went back because I could barely open my eyes I told the doctor that I was NOT going to take what she gave me because it wasn't working. Then get this! She tried to tell me that I must have Eczema in my eyes and there was nothing she could give me!

OMG! Now I know why she is a PA and not a doctor! Amazing! So needless to say, that was my last visit to that doctors office and I now have a wonderful doctor who has NO PA'S!

 

[cgcw]

Pink eye does not necessarily have to come with crusty/oozie eyes. The first case my DS had, it was only red/blood shot eyes which would not clear up.

I know in changing pediatricians that there are different medicines which do not all work the same. The pediatricians office we hated would prescribe medication which was not as effective and took a lot longer to work. We changed back to our previous pediatrician and got the better medicine which cleared it up almost instantly.

I've had pink eye several times -- when one of the kids get it in the daycare I always get it right along with them. I don't know if I'm more susiptable to it or not. But, it's not fun.

I hope it clears up quickly for your DS and you don't end up with it. I never thought about going to an optomologist for treatment -- silly me.

 

[Lanshark]

I had a Dr once tell me that pink eye clears up in three days if you use the drops. If you do not use the drops pink eye clears up in..... three days.

DD hated the drops so we discontinued use and he was correct. He said most Dr's prescribe because parents insist on doing something. One of the other Dr's in the practice prescribed them.

I would go to a pediatric opthamologist for what you're describing..

 

[zakatak]

Little Update:

I stopped the drops after the morning dose at 7:30am and her eyes are looking better now. Less red & less swollen. They are still racoonish looking and if that doesn't clear up overnight, then I will find an opthomologist to take her to. But so far, she looks better since I've stopped the drops.

Here's to hoping she improves overnight and wakes up without her eyelids stuck shut!

Karen & Abby

 

[Kermit]

I always have big problems with pink eye because I'm allergic to most brands of eye drops. I've been allergic to every brand of antibiotic eye drops I've ever tried, and I'm allergic to almost all of the over-the-counter drops. Apparently there is some "inert" ingredient in a lot of eye drops that's a common allergen. Anyway, when I have pink eye, I take drops to clear up the infection, which causes something else nasty and irritating to happen, and then I stop the drops and take Benedryl to get rid of the allergic reaction. I'd make a note of what kind of drops these were and try something else next time she needs them.

 

[Christine]

I agree with Kermit, make a note of the name of the drops and don't get it again.

When my cousin's DD got pink eye, the doc prescribed bacitraicin, which is a common antibiotic used for eye infections. Her eyes ended getting much worse so they took her back in and she had scratched her eyes so bad that she had scratched both corneas.

I'm starting to think that a lot of people have problems with drops. During my eye problem week last week I was also using some Opcon A or Naphcon A antihistamine drops and even that started bothering my eyes and the skin around them.