Zero tears?

[spmcc]

RE: FCT test

To answer your question... No, I did NOT feel any additional tears in my eyes when I tickled my nose with the cotton swab (and hit '5' on the strip). I actually couldn't believe it when she said that I got that high... I wasn't even that high on the Schirmer's test when I first started with dry eye in 1995.

As for doctor's appointments... I now take a pad and pen with me and write down everything... for e.g., I ALWAYS ask what my pressures are (because I use steroid drops) and if he/she conducts any tests, I ask for the name and the result. I would recommend that for anyone.

Good luck with your puncta.

[Mawsky]

Test results

I think it is odd that neither the plastic surgeon nor th opthamalogist offered this test, seems important to me, at least I'd know I was still able to produce tears, with my swollen lids I also wonder about MGD? I did ask the plastic surg. About my lids his comment was could easily be from the restasis. Did you get plugs after the test? Seems like your results would prove them useful. Do you have swollen eyelids? Thanks so much for the information.

[spmcc]

RE: zero tears

In my 15 years of dry eye, I had never had FCT test until recently.

But I've had tons of Schirmer's and TBUTs. And I think that Schirmer's could easily take the place of FCT. So ask your doctor for (at least) one (better two) Schirmer's tests... and ask if you can tickle the inside of one nostril on the second test to see if you get an increased amount of tears in the corresponding eye. It's kind of a cool trick, I think.

Please keep in mind what Rebecca already wrote tho... there's a difference between basal tears and reflex tears (what is stimulated by tickling the nostril). There are more posts on this topic here on DEZ.

Yes, I had cautery of my uppers after that FCT (I already had the lowers cauterized).

My lids swell only when I mess with them (e.g., compresses, scrubs, expression, etc.)

Good luck with your tests and treatments.

[Mawsky]

Thank you so much for the great info, the fact that my eyes never well up with tears, has been so upsetting, are you better with your punctum's permanently closed? I read on here about squeezing and expressing the lids? Also looked up on YouTube, the reason I wonder about this is because, eyelids appear swollen (not all the time as bad) and I use to have a lot of mucus in my eyes, now I never do, so I thought that maybe I have problem with my oily part of my tears too??? So many unknowns right now.

[spmcc]

Your doctor needs to diagnose you and find the treatment that works best for you.

I would say that a plastic surgeon is NOT the right doctor for this.. and if the ophthalmologist is not giving you enough info, I would see another one.

There are a number of DEZ members who are in Washington State and I bet they could tell you the name of some good doctors.