I had an appointment with an ophthalmologist today. This is the first time I've seen one since all this started. (I went to one a long time ago, when i was a kid, but I don't remember why). I've been really worried about my eyes, partly because of the Sjogren's itself and I was worried that dryness might have been damaging my corneas. But also, since I've been taking Plaquenil, I wanted to be sure it wasn't affecting my eyes. Well, he checked everything on my eyes and said that they looked fine. In fact, he said my retinas looked great, with good pigment. I'm so relieved! He did say that my eyes were a bit dry, and he recommended that I try Restasis. But otherwise, my eyes seem to be ok.
One weird thing is that he said my eyebrows and eyelashes are really thin and light. I also have hypothyroidism, which I know can cause thinning eyebrows. But he's not sure what is causing them to be so light colored. I guess I'll have to ask my regular doctor about that. That is pretty strange. I'm just glad my eyes are ok though!
Hey, great news about the eyes doing well. Yippee!
FYI, Plaquenil can cause bleaching of the hair but I have no idea if that includes eyelashes. It certainly makes my grey spots much whiter and much more stubborn to color. LOL
My insurance is Kaiser and about 3 weeks ago I was referred to the ophthalmologist so they can monitor my eyes for potential risks from the Plaquenil. They now have a baseline and will do a recheck every year to see if there are any changes. I'm not sure if all insurance co. are covering this because it seems to be something new. You should all check with your Dr.
I have some new questions, I have been falling a lot lately and unable to get up without help. Has this happened to anyone else? Second question, I have read a lot about ladies loosing hair. Does coloring or putting hi lights in cause hair loss. My hair is not getting lighter as some have said just very ugly blonde/brown. My hair has always been blonde now it is just ugly. So do I take the chance of getting a better color or take the chance of loosing my hair???? Help if you can!
Hey.... with the obvious caveat that everyone is different, I color my hair since I am not ready to be overrun with gray! I have to follow the instructions for "stubborn grays" and leave it on a little longer but it doesn't seem to have much effect otherwise. I make sure to condition it regularly because of the dryness, which can cause breakage. I take doc recommended flaxseed oil, B12 and biotin which has the additional bonus of strengthening hair and nails, thank goodness. I still go through shedding periods but not the massive amounts I used to get before taking the supplements. These days I color it myself since its just one tone but I don't know that those chemicals are any gentler than what a salon uses.