OT-Pinkeye

[adventure_woman]

Ugh...I have pinkeye and went to urgent care today and now have a ointment I put in my eye 4 times a day. My friend had it and she was given drops. Is one more effective than the other? The ointment is awful and I'll make an appt. With my PCP if the drops are ok too. I keep praying my girls don't get it. I think I got it at the pediatrician office (how they didn't get it I have no idea...)

 

[mcgrawfan]

You should see an optometrist. They are better at treatment of eye related illnesses. Sometimes pink eye is viral and sometimes bacterial. If it is viral the meds won't do anything anyway. It just needs to runs its course.

 

[sherry7]

My DD (age 2) had bacterial pink eye twice during the month of March. The ointment adheres to the eye better than what the drops do. This probably matters more for a small child that doesn't cooperate well though.

After you've been on the medicine for more than 24 hours, you should no longer be contagious. Be sure to wash your pillowcases, sheets, etc with hot water. Throw out your eye makeup too, and buy new stuff.

I'm relatively certain that my DD got it a second time because I failed to wash her sheets and pillow cases after the first time. Well, I did wash them, but in cold water which wouldn't have killed the germies.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

You should see an optometrist. They are better at treatment of eye related illnesses. Sometimes pink eye is viral and sometimes bacterial. If it is viral the meds won't do anything anyway. It just needs to runs its course.

Bacterial pinkeye will respond to the antibiotics quickly. You should notice improvement in 24 hours. If you don't see improvement, then I'd recommend seeing an opthamologist. Optometrists really only deal with the refractive exams and fitting glasses and contacts. Opthamologists are MDs which can treat eye diseases and prescribe meds.

When DD was an infant, she brought home a nasty form of viral pinkeye from daycare. It was called EKC. I had horrendous eye pain along with the gunk, plus flu-like symptoms that started about 4 or 5 days after the eye gunk. It was the weekend when my symptoms first appeared and so I went to the Urgent Care. They gave me the standard drops and sent me on my way. Two days later, I was still miserable so I called my PCP and asked for a referral to see my opthamologist. They told me I had to come in and see my PCP first. I did and he gave me another script for a different brand of antibiotic drops, but no referral. Two days after that I was so sick I could barely get out of bed and my eyes felt like someone was stabbing them. I finally got a referral from my PCP and got in to see my eye doc. He was horrified it took my so long to come in to see him. Unfortunately, EKC is viral and the antibiotics were doing nothing. But my opthamologist was able to accurately diagnose me and prescribe a painkiller drop that helped make me more comfortable until I recovered. I decided then I would never again go to an urgent care for anything eye related. It would have been worth it to me to pay out of pocket to see my opthamologist and tell the insurance company to shove their referral requirement where the sun don't shine. Live and learn...

 

[zurgswife]

Like a previous poster pointed out make sure you wash any towels, sheets, pillow cases and towels in hot water. Pink eye is very contagious.

 

[Gigi22]

In addition to using an antibiotic, my eye doctor advised me to carefully wash the area around my affected eye with a cotton ball moistened with water and a couple of drops of baby shampoo. You have to be careful not to get the shampoo in your eye. It seems to speed up recovery from pink eye, it did for me.

 

[Marionnette]

Bacterial pinkeye will respond to the antibiotics quickly. You should notice improvement in 24 hours. If you don't see improvement, then I'd recommend seeing an opthamologist. Optometrists really only deal with the refractive exams and fitting glasses and contacts. Opthamologists are MDs which can treat eye diseases and prescribe meds.

You are sadly misinformed on that point. Optometrists treat pinkeye on a regular basis and do it for less than what an ophthalmologist would charge if you are uninsured. In some states, optometrists can even prescribe narcotics for pain (not that you should need it for a simple case of pinkeye). And getting in to see the optometrist will probably be easier than getting an appointment with the ophthalmologist.

 

[adventure_woman]

Well...I woke up this am and was able to open my eye! Pillowcases changed, towel in laundry. I may try to call the optomistrist today to see if they should see me too. I want this gone and to never come back!! Lol

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

Just a fyi- Ive had pink eye 34 times since the age of 10. I use the over the counter stuff and it works like a charm. Takes under a week and Im fine.

 

[adventure_woman]

Just a fyi- Ive had pink eye 34 times since the age of 10. I use the over the counter stuff and it works like a charm. Takes under a week and Im fine.

What stuff do you use? Do you also wear contacts? (I am going CRAZY having to wear my glasses! I think I may try to just put a contact in the good eye and go blind in the other!!!)

 

[chris31997]

What stuff do you use? Do you also wear contacts? (I am going CRAZY having to wear my glasses! I think I may try to just put a contact in the good eye and go blind in the other!!!)

Throw out your contacts. You will infect yourself again.

If meds already are working than it probably is not related but keep it in the back of your mind. We get pinkeye when our allergies are super bad and have not had our meds. It usually will clear up as the day goes on. I can't wear contacts anymore due to my allergies