any one have eye pain after treatment?

[krys]

Has anyone else noticed eye pain? I have read reports of swelling of the eye area, but how about any pain actually in the eye, vision problems or discomfort IN the eye?

I had a spot test done on my forehead to see if this is something I would want to do. The dermatologist uses a low setting which is non-pupuric (I hope that is the correct term). I would not want to do anything which causes bruising and burning and major swelling with who knows how much downtime. In my mind, that means damage, and I know I would be stressed out and freaked out and worried about possible long term damage.
They guaranteed me their machine will not bruise or scar me.

Well, I am a little freaked out now even with the low dose treatment that they swore was completely harmless, has no downtime and no bad side effects. It didn't hurt too much during treatment (although the flash of the laser was scary and startling), my skin was a little red afterward, and then it felt like a sunburn... just kind of like trauma had taken place there, but no major pain. However, I did notice my eye hurt a bit.

I have had a headache behind my eye for 3 days now and it is itchy and dry, i am constantly rubbing it or washing it or holding an ice pack against it for relief. that whole side of my forehead is actually where the headache is, but mostly behind my eye. I did notice the beam during treatment through my eyes closed and goggles on. I am curious if the beam can get around, under or through the goggles and damage your eye? Or is this side of my face and eye just healing from the trauma of a laser blast?

I do not have anymore redness and there is not bruising. But I DO notice a little dent in my skin. The skin is smoother in that one spot already, but there is a little indentation-- like a little dip-- in the skin. It catches a shadow at certain angles.

I am going back in to see them on Monday. I don't know what good it will do (and I am hoping it is gone before then), but I want it on record that I had side effects. Over the phone they told me," Wow... that is really rare."

No one ever asked if I had just taken aspirin or anything like that. I'm kind of annoyed that they just do it with no real prep or information given. I had to tell her I had a little bit of moisturizer on. I figured my face should be clean, right? She never even warned me when she was starting, so the first blast startled me and I jumped a little. I'm hoping my eyes were closed for it, but I don't remember. Before the spot treatment, they wanted to treat my whole face right then and there as if it was nothing more than waving a wand over my face and off i go with perfect skin, problems solved-- never to have bad skin again. I said," But I don't even know what it is or what to expect!" So they did the spot treatment. After reading around the internet about the difficulties people have had, I am a bit annoyed that they would just let people do this uninformed. And,"it's normally $400, but if you do it today it is $250." Do they even explain to people what it is so they can evaluate their options ???

well, hopefully I won't have to go to an eye doctor.

I will definitely not be doing any more treatments. I am just too scared of it. If anyone has had headaches and eye problems, please let me know!

[Aurelia]

Hi Krys and welcome to RSCom,

Sorry to hear about your very upsetting experience. I've never had V-Beam or other pulsed dye laser treatment, so cannot comment on it. However, David (our board-owner) wrote the following in 2006. Note the reference to "Symptomatic eye swelling" under Results.

pain, swelling and redness after pulse dye laser treatments

This paper is stating that even though the latest versions of the Pulse Dye laser don’t produce the same amount of purple/black scabbing as previous versions, it can still produce a lot of redness, swelling and pain. I know that I looked like a koala with a black scabby nose after my pulse dye laser treatment a few years ago. Sadly my treatments didn’t really help my symptoms, but the Pulse Dye Laser has had several technology updates since then.

Clinically Significant Facial Edema After Extensive Treatment With Purpura-Free Pulsed-Dye Laser, Alam M.; Omura N.E.; Dover J.S.; Arndt K.A., Dermatologic Surgery, Volume 29, Number 9, September 2003, pp. 920-924(5)

Background. Long-pulsed pulsed-dye lasers permit treatment of facial erythema and telangiectasia with purpura-free technique, which may be more comfortable for the patient than purpura-inducing treatment. However, there are anecdotal reports of treatment-associated discomfort even when purpura is not elicited.

Objective. To determine whether patients experience clinically significant erythema, edema, and pain after purpura-free treatment with pulsed-dye laser.

Methods. In this prospective, controlled study, subjects included 15 patients who were undergoing purpura-free treatment of diffuse erythema and fine telangiectasia of at least half the facial surface area with purpura-free pulsed-dye, and it included 15 age, gender, and skin-type matched control subjects who were undergoing similar treatments but with the induction of trace to mild purpura. Patients were seen in person and were surveyed by phone regarding symptoms and signs during their postoperative courses.

Results. Postoperative erythema of a mean 3.3-days duration and 3.4/5.0 intensity was reported by 73% (11 of 15) of the purpura-free patients. Among purpura patients, the duration was 5.6 days. The intensity was 4.0, and again, 73% of patients reported this finding. Postoperative edema occurred among 87% of purpura-free patients, but such edema occurred in all of the purpura patients, in whom it lasted longer and was more intense. Symptomatic eye swelling and uncomfortable/painful edema were seen in 27% and 20%, respectively, of purpura-free patients, but in 40% and 53% of purpura patients. Among purpura-free patients receiving fewer than 250 laser pulses per treatment, erythema and edema lasted less than 1 day and 2.5 days, whereas the mean durations were 3.4 and 5.0 days for purpura-free patients receiving greater than 250 pulses.

Conclusion. Extensive purpura-free treatment for erythema and telangiectasia of the face with the long-pulsed pulsed-dye laser can lead to clinically significant erythema, edema, and discomfort in patients. The duration, magnitude, and frequency of these undesired effects are markedly less with purpura-free treatment compared with purpura-inducing treatment and are also less for less extensive purpura-free treatments.

http://rosacea-support.org/pain-swellin ... pulse.html

Underneath are 26 comments, including one dated yesterday, so you might like to browse through them and see if that helps at all.

Kind regards,

Aurelia

[WrinkledClue]

I've had almost 100 IPL treatments and a year of purpuric V Beam, so I guess I'm sort of an expert on lasers for rosacea.

I remember being absolutely freaked out and terrified for my first few ones and incredibly sensitive to anything that could have possibly gone wrong, so I can certainly understand how you feel.

As my rosacea progressed and I needed more treatments, I got less frightened and more comfortable with the procedure and I knew what to expect.

IPL and V Beam, in my experience, have to be turned up pretty high to get any results. Turning it up high leads to serious (but brief) pain during the procedure, and to temporary redness and swelling afterwards.

Your laser folks should have warned you about this, IMO, they should have told you that V Beam involves serious pain and serious down time if it's going to do any good.

Maybe they don't know that themselves; maybe they were trying to reassure you; maybe they were trying to make a sale, I don't know.

Regardless, if you go the laser route, please expect considerable pain, swelling, and post treatment flushiness after you get treated.

I've never had eye pain of any kind after the lasers, but I've been so swollen I almost couldn't see out of my eyes, and so swollen that I could look down and see my cheeks. I've been bruised, too. That just means that the problematic blood vessels have been ruptured.

I've been helped a lot by these treatments, so I've always been happy to put up with the misery afterwards.

Sorry I can't be more help to you. Please do keep us posted on how you are.

[NannyBug]

Deep boring eye pain to the extent you're describing sounds more consistent with sinusitis than any eye damage.

I do remember having a strange afterimage the day after my first V-beam. No ocular pain though. I did get eye swelling, but that's only because they zapped me adjacent to the eye area.

The skin dent is normal. It may take MONTHS to fill in with collagen. Don't worry about it.

If the laser had hit your actual eye surface, you'd have pain like no pain you've ever experienced. There's a lot of pain receptors on the surface of eye eye, especially the cornea. Also, you'd have vision loss if this type of laser hit the surface of the eye.

I also saw lots of light during my treatment and it was bright. To me, it appeared to penetrate bone. Again though, the intensity was nothing worse than seeing car headlights. Totally harmless. The ablative aspects of the laser cannot penetrate bone or the metal goggles.

If they eye pain persists, see an eye doctor. Deep boring eye pain plus vision loss plus nausea and vomiting indicates optic neuritis, an inflammatory condition of the optic nerve. I've NEVER heard of optic neuritis being triggered by a skin treatment though. Optic neuritis is a serious, but treatable condition. It's also extremely rare.

Again, sounds like sinusitis. Plugged sinuses often refer pain to the eye or orbit. Best to get an eye exam if you're worried.

[NannyBug]

I've had almost 100 IPL treatments and a year of purpuric V Beam, so I guess I'm sort of an expert on lasers for rosacea.

Holy mackerel!