Could thyroid medicine cause dry eyes?
• Q: I have dry eyes and take thyroid medicine. What causes dry eyes? Can the medicine be the cause? • A: Dry eyes worsen with age and can be due to numerous causes. Dry eye can be a temporary or chronic condition: Dry eye can be a side effect of some medications, including antihistamines, nasal decongestants, tranquilizers, certain blood pressure medicines, Parkinson’s medications, birth control pills and antidepressants. Skin disease on or around the eyelids can result in dry eye. Diseases of the glands in the eyelids, such as meibomian gland dysfunction, can cause dry eye. Dry eye can occur in women who are pregnant. Women who are on hormone replacement therapy may experience dry eye symptoms. Women taking only estrogen are 70 percent more likely to experience dry eye, whereas those taking estrogen and progesterone have a 30 percent increased risk of developing dry eye. Dry eye can also develop after the refractive surgery known as LASIK. These symptoms generally last three to six m
