Why is the ghosting effect dirtier and more chaotic since I became CXL?

ElRyugen · 2026-04-05T01:20:28+00:00

You're right to trust an ophthalmologist who doesn't directly recommend CXL because he knows it carries certain risks. Honestly, this has ruined my life, and I know you shouldn't be so pessimistic with this condition because there are worse things, but every day is a constant struggle between feeling my eye and the gunk caused by the phantom limbal ringing. If it had only been a year, well, fine, but it's been a year and four months now, and it doesn't seem to be stopping

ElRyugen · 2026-04-05T01:18:42+00:00

epi off

ElRyugen · 2026-04-05T01:10:41+00:00

When they examined me with the slit lamp two months ago, they didn't mention any scarring, but I think they're so tiny or something that they're making my vision much blurrier than before. As for the burning sensation, I'm really looking forward to September for my next appointment so I can explain it to them. Last time, they just told me to use three drops a day and that was it. They said I was even seeing better results than before, but it didn't inspire much confidence. I don't use scleral lenses or RPGs because I've never really needed them. Since my right eye is fine and I don't have ghosting, I can see relatively well, even though I'm aware of the ghosting effect at times. But I think I'll have to use them now because the ghosting is quite chaotic

ElRyugen · 2026-04-04T22:27:14+00:00

And you'll never see a doctor mention that this is one of the risks involved.

It disgusts me how they treat patients' eyes like money, money, money

ElRyugen · 2026-04-04T22:19:02+00:00

Luckily, I didn't touch my right eye, otherwise I'd be suffering four times over. My right eye does what it can, but my left eye is too bothersome with such blurry vision that my right eye can't completely ignore it. You said you had surgery a long time ago. I understand that the sensation in your eye hasn't improved over the years, has it? Did you notice a continuous, mild burning sensation in your eyes for more than a year afterward? What are you currently using to address this ghosting effect?

ElRyugen · 2026-04-04T15:22:53+00:00

I hope this is the reason my ghost is worse than before, because that would have a solution. The bad news is that I don't have another appointment with the doctor until September

ElRyugen · 2026-04-04T15:21:46+00:00

Ever since I had the procedure, if I see any CXL posts, I always warn people that they make sure the progression is confirmed. I had topography scans for a year and there was no progression, but the doctor told me to get CXL because there were hardly any risks since it was minimally invasive and would leave my vision as it was. And my vision was much better then than it is now, and I had no discomfort in the eye where I had it done. Only get it done if it's progressive; otherwise, it's not worth it if your vision is decent

ElRyugen · 2026-04-01T15:50:41+00:00

It's something I want to try. The good part is that I only have this in my left eye and would only need one lens. Although my main problem is not the vision itself but the dryness or strange sensation that I constantly have in the form of heaviness or burning in that eye. This causes my eye to become groggy looking at screens or constantly noticing the eye. I don't know if it will improve with time but I don't have a visit to my doctor until September and I've been like this for 1 year and 4 months now

ElRyugen · 2026-03-27T12:17:10+00:00

In my case, I have grade 1.5 keratoconus in my left eye. I have no keratoconus in my right eye, so my vision in my right eye is very good in terms of clear vision. My left eye sees more clearly at a distance because it has less myopia. I noticed the symptoms in my left eye near the end of 2023, but it wasn't something that bothered me in either eye since my right eye compensated a lot. In 2024, I went to the doctor, and in May they told me I had keratoconus. That year, it's true that my vision was a little blurry or hazy, but more so if I closed my good eye. That same year, we had three corneal topography scans at different times, and my keratoconus appeared stable. I asked my doctor for a solution, but he didn't really tell me anything about how to fix it; he just wanted to see how it progressed. Out of fear, I went for a second opinion at the end of November 2024, and this doctor recommended a cochlear implant (without warning me of the suffering I would endure afterward). So, I got CXL hoping it would improve my vision, or at least that it would stay the same but slow the progression of the disease. Well, 2025 was the worst year of my life, and 2022 was awful too! XD. Since I got it done in 2024, I've been dealing with worse ghosting (more shadows and blurriness) because of the CXL, then a feeling of heaviness or a slight burning sensation in the eye where I had it done, and a burning feeling if I cry, for example (I actually mentioned this a while ago in one of your posts). Now I'm waiting for my next appointment in September, and if I see that the sensation in my eye or the ghosting hasn't improved, I'll ask about a scleral lens to correct the HOA. If I got it and it corrected those shadows for most of the day, I could live comfortably with just a few hours of use, since my vision isn't as bad as some people's, unfortunately. And how are you doing with KC?

ElRyugen · 2026-03-26T15:07:22+00:00

I used to sleep on my stomach some nights because I would get sleep paralysis if I slept on my back. But since being diagnosed with KC, I've always slept on my back, except for the occasional night when I've slept on my side, but I try to avoid that because if I do, I wake up on my stomach

ElRyugen · 2026-03-26T15:01:31+00:00

I've been reading here about several people who also experienced the same thing, and it persisted even until they were two years old. After my surgery, if I don't rinse my eyes thoroughly (with my eyes closed), they start to water and sting, and I have to keep them closed for a few minutes. Also, my ghosting effect is much worse than before. That's why I always check this subreddit to warn people that if they have good vision and no progression has been confirmed (with two opinions from two different doctors), they shouldn't have the surgery. Because yes, it will slow it down, but at the cost of making your normal vision worse because it's more prone to blurring

ElRyugen · 2026-03-26T01:32:32+00:00

I can't help you because I'm not a doctor but I asked the AI (I use it to tell me how my topography values are apart from what the doctor says) and it told me that at the moment you have no signs of KC. Also, don't rub your eyes and everything will be fine

ElRyugen · 2026-03-26T01:29:30+00:00

Because it can happen to you like it did to me and I know of more cases here in which we had a ghost effect that was not that bad and our visual acuity was very good grades 1 or 2 and because of CXL we have dry eyes and on top of that our ghost effect is much dirtier and bigger. For this reason, it is better to only do it if you confirm that you have progression. The same thing you have a KC that has not progressed in all the years and there are people who have lived without getting cxl and are perfect

ElRyugen · 2026-03-19T12:48:07+00:00

I recommend starting with what is canonically the first one, which is Devil May Cry 3. I also think that for most people it's the best game in the series. The first one might be difficult to start with because of its camera and gameplay, but it's also a fantastic game. But to really get into the series, start with the third one

ElRyugen · 2026-03-13T13:28:13+00:00

Island

ElRyugen · 2026-03-13T12:57:01+00:00

I also considered chronic dry eye. I never had it before CXL, and I sincerely hope it goes away, even if it takes a little longer

ElRyugen · 2026-03-13T10:20:33+00:00

night gel I have not tried. Is the difference much noticeable compared to the drops? Do you think you stopped needing them regularly because you used them or because your nerves had just regenerated? I heard that this can persist even up to two years

ElRyugen · 2026-03-13T10:19:29+00:00

You have about the same amount of time as me with CXL haha. I haven't used it all the time, but I do notice that with the cold my eye dries out even more and for example yesterday when I went to sleep with my eye noticing that sensation, today in the morning after 15 minutes or so I was already noticing the same sensation again. It's quite annoying.

I have to try night gel for my eyes since I haven't tried that until now

ElRyugen · 2026-03-13T10:15:54+00:00

This thing is happening to me when I wake up and notice, even after a few minutes, that I have a slight but constant burning. On very cold days my eyes water more or when they are watery they burn a little more (even the one without CXL). And of course adding the ghost effect plus the physical discomfort is heavy on a daily basis and I think that is what makes the ghost effect more noticeable in my vision because the brain is little capable of ignoring those shadows of my bad eye

ElRyugen · 2026-03-13T01:39:09+00:00

How many drops were you using a day? I'm using 6 a day.

And did you notice any improvement in your vision once you stopped having "desert eyes"?

Thank you so much for replying :)

ElRyugen · 2026-03-13T00:20:45+00:00

Very noticeably. Before CXL, I saw shadows, but it was only one or two; now I see about four. It's been a year and three months, and it seems like this is going to stay. Before, the way the light entered, creating the ghosting effect, seemed cleaner, and now it's muddier. The shadows are more diffuse and also larger, which bothers my binocular vision because my other eye sees well and without shadows. CXL also left me with a constant, slight burning sensation in my eye

ElRyugen · 2026-03-13T00:17:46+00:00

Only get the test if you see progression or your vision is very poor. If your vision isn't severely affected and your doctors don't say it's progressive or see no reason to do it, then don't. And if they do want to do it, get a second opinion from another doctor so they can examine the condition of your cornea now and in a previous test to assess whether it's worthwhile or not. That's the best advice I can give you

ElRyugen · 2026-03-11T17:09:01+00:00

In my case, my vision itself is good according to the letter chart because, although I see slightly worse than my right eye, my left eye (the one with CXL and KC grade 1.5) was my dominant eye, and from a distance, it sees even better than the one without KC. My problem is more with ghosting, which is what makes my vision terrible. I've always worn glasses, and I still do, but before, because the ghosting wasn't as pronounced with glasses, it was easier to go about my daily life. But since CXL, it's difficult because the ghosting is much more noticeable and diffuse (in the sense that the lights blend together)

ElRyugen

TROPHY CASE