LipiFlow device - what the????

[MGD1701]

Just curious, did Dr ******
1) express your glands (after/before) probing?

2) tell you WHAT cause your blocked glands?
I do know allergies could cause blocked glands.

3) recommend you take/increase Omega 3, do LipiFlow again?

[linguininess]

Have you ruled out other possible causes (inflammation, medication, health issues, Vit. D, E, A etc)??
Otherwise IPL etc are unlikely to help.

****** probing: If done by Dr ****** why not consult him see what he says - should be part of service?
What are his treatment plans for you?

Other treatments:
BlephEx, Mibo, in-office Expression (which is effective, studies show).

Omeg: Good to test your omeg 3 & 6 levels to make sure if you have enough. Good to add GLA with omega.
Not all Omega supplements are the same.

Good luck!

Thanks for replying! I went to a rheum and got test for almost everything under the sun. Levels came back normal for vitamins, though I could increase my D3. I have been texting and emailing with dr ****** since my probing done in march. He tells me in addition to probing, we have to address other issues to help the probed glands stay dilated. These treatments include addressing allergies and or chalasis.

[MGD1701]

Have you ruled out other possible causes (inflammation, medication, health issues, Vit. D, E, A etc)??
Otherwise IPL etc are unlikely to help.

****** probing: If done by Dr ****** why not consult him see what he says - should be part of service?
What are his treatment plans for you?

Other treatments:
BlephEx, Mibo, in-office Expression (which is effective, studies show).

Good luck!

[nori2015]

I recommend you keep your appointment with Toyos and just see what he says. I've never met him but he's meant to be the best in the business

[linguininess]

yep, steroids, restasis, autologous serum, etc etc blah blah. Doxy for 2 months, then tapered off for maybe an additional 2 weeks. I don't have rosacea on my face, but I do have random broken capillaries. I honestly feel as if I have some kind of ocular rosacea , but who knows.

[Faith1989]

I'm assuming you have done the steroids/Restasis route as well? Doxy for longer than two months? I'm getting probed soon by a doctor in Canada as I have done everything except probing and IPL. Do you have rosacea?

[linguininess]

I've done what I could with my blocked glands. My glands at the moment are still there, they are just blocked with toothpaste oil. I've tried tons of treatments:

- lipilow
- ****** probing
- 6 months of fish/flax oil
- 2 months of doxy
- cold and/or hot compresses
- lid wipes/cliradex
- moisture chamber glasses
- gels and ointments = absolutely hell for me
- given up gluten and sugar for 2 months

At this point, I'm literally just checking off boxes for every other over-priced treatment there is for MGD. I have only tried 1 treatment of IPL, but I am wondering if I should try the entire 3-6 treatment course of IPL. I am a bit skeptical since my skin is olive skin (I'm latino/asian, which is why I discontinued after only 1 treatment), but if you compare my skin's darkness color, it's pretty much the same as caucasian.

I have an appointment with Toyos this weekend and would like to hear anyone's opinion on whether or not the cost is worth it.

[MGD1701]

Hi Dkott,
I did LipiFlow which helped greatly, mainly opened glands. I did not do probing prior or after given the fact that I do not scar tissue issues, I was told.
It is wise to know your causes, problems so you can solve them more effectively/economically.
Some people did LipiFlow, probing, IPL still not much relief later did Mibo x4 times then helped.
Some peple just need BlephEx. How about inflammation, Omeg 3, warm compress, lid scrubs/lid cleanser which also play important roles.
Good luck!

[Hokucat]

Once you find a doctor who does probing (or other procedures), you can usually ask them to check with insurance whether it's covered and how much you would have to pay. Some doctors do not take any insurance at all.

During my worse years, Genteal Severe Eye Gel helped give me a little relief when nothing else did. It stays on the eye longer than drops, and I found it soothing:

https://www.amazon.com/GenTeal-Sever.../dp/B0000534X3

Here's a post where I outlined what helped me get better and continue to be able to manage my symptoms, including food, in case there's something here you want to try:

http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/forum...ccumulate-info

I hope you get some relief soon.

[DKott27]

Would Medicaid cover it? So my diet is very good. But maybe what I eat isn't sitting right? I eat the same thing everyday. Always eat chicken for dinner. Protein shakes in the morning. Veggies, brown rice, pasta....I do not eat unhealthy. I'm just trying to do something right now, I can't handle this anymore.

[Hokucat]

There is meibomian gland probing info on Dr. ******' s website, who created the probe and the procedure:

http://dr******.com/

Probing is not as widely available as Lipiflow, and is more invasive, but it is slowly becoming more available. It was the last treatment I turned to after trying almost everything else that didn't work, especially because almost all my glands were severely blocked and I had scar tissue in several glands.

I actually had the procedure five times over two and a half years, until I was able to find the right diet changes for me that made my oils flow so my glands didn't get blocked up again. Each time I think it was ~$1,200-$1,400 total for probing top and bottom eyelids on both eyes, and including the consult (I did not go to ******, but to 2 doctors in California and Hawaii). The majority of the costs were covered by my insurance.

Like anything else, probing does not work for everyone. Even if it does unblock the glands, if the oil is thick, of poor quality, scant or non-existent, it may not work. The key is to also find something to make good quality oils flow, whether that be diet changes, meds like doxycycline, steroids or testosterone cream, IPL, etc. I prefer diet changes when possible because it's natural, usually has no side effects, and in general have experienced many health issues can be resolved from the inside out with food.

[DKott27]

Can you tell me more about this probing? My glands are also severely blocked.

[Hokucat]

Hi DKott. Yeah, it can reach the stage of unbearable. I can relate. Several years ago it cost me $1,200 USD for both eyes, likely has gone up in price. Unfortunately for me, it didn't help at all, probably because I had severely blocked glands, including many with scar tissue. I had to have probing to unblock this.

But like anything some people Lipiflow helps and others not, more often not, based on what I've read in this forum. However, seems it works better for those in the earlier stages or milder cases of MGD.

[DKott27]

I have MGD, dry eyes, blocked glands, etc. I've had this for a long time. Good days, bad days. But this last week it's been unbearable to the point where I want to die. It is so bad I can't take it anymore. I feel like I'm going to rip my eyelid off my eye at any moment, Luckily it is only one eye so I only need to do the one. How much does it cost?

[MGD1701]

Hi
Do you guys also feel oil secretion when perform Blephasteam or other sorts?
My dr finds it hard to believe which is to my suprise.

After using the facial steamer/44C, I always feel oil flowing in about 3 min.
today I tried Bruder - no oil feeling & actually did not feel so great as with Blephasteam
- maybe becasue of dry heat??

Massage:
Many doctors do not recommend massage (to avoid damage cornea) but
my doctors consider massage is better. I therefore come up with an idea:
forcefully blinking for about 3 min. when do Blephastem= LipiFlow? (kind of), I think.

Blephastem is great to monitor oil status.