Plugs scratching eye

[Missy]

I don't know how they'll remove them! My fingers are crossed that they are already gone so you won't have to worry about it.

[Annie]

Hi Everyone,

I had Eagle Vision lower plugs put in this morning. This is the first time I've had the ones with the little cap on them. She tried two different sizes and then said that she found a good fit and that I shouldn't notice them. Well, initially it just felt a little scratchy against my eye. But it got worse after the numbing drops wore off I think. Both of my eyes are very red and bloodshot in the corners near the plugs and I can feel the plugs scratch when I move my eyes. It seems much worse in the left. I figure that maybe since it is the first day, my eyelids are still a bit swollen or something from being dilated and once the calm down, the plugs won't scratch anymore? Anyway, I'm gonna try to ice them and see if that helps, but at what point should I decide that I need to try different ones? Does it sometimes take a few days for them to get comfortable, or should that happen right away. Thanks!

-Shells

Hi there,
My eye doctor said that when I got them in if it hurts when I look straight there is something wrong. I had the side to side discomfort also but when I got 2 sizes bigger in the plug it was much much better

Annie

[Annie]

To answer your question, my schrimmer tests were at a .3, it was horrible, I didn't even wet the paper and when they pulled out the paper it was stuck to my lower lids I put drops in all day and night, preservative free drops and my medicine drops. When I awake in the morning my eyes are so dry they are stuck to my lids and I can't open them normally. So I have to run to the sink and pry them open and put drops in to get them to open, I call this my morning routine. I just didn't think that having to deal with plugs would be a good thing for me, since my doctor is in Salt Lake and its a 2 hour drive from where I live. I'd rather just keep on like I am, although the castor oil eye drops are working pretty good along with the restasis. Laters D

Your case seems like mine a bit in that when ou wake up in the a.m. I got started on the erythromycin ointment at nite. The only problem with that is that for some of the morning my vision was blurred. I have ocular rosacea, recurrent corneal erosions and severe dry eye. I have had stromal punctures twice and my lower lids have permanent plugs and I have one silcone plug in my upper left. It is now one of the longest pain free periods I have had since this all started 7 yrs. ago. I do warm water with Johnson's baby shampoo at nite and the a.m. and just lightly over the lids to prevent blepharitis. I can honestly say the plugs are what saved me from the severe pain. I had some discomfort first off with the plugs but then my eye dr. changed the size and I have been ok for about 2 months now.

Annie

[shells]

Hi Annie,

Thanks for sharing about your plugs. I'm so glad that they helped you so much!

I'm about to give up on them. I saw the occuplastic surgeon yesterday, and things went well at first. No signs of infection, so she did irrigate (not sure why the other doctor said she wouldn't originally?) and she said things were flowing freely, so she thought everything was OK. So, she put in two new plugs, let me wait until the anesthetic wore off to see if they were comfy. Just like last time, they weren't. So she used a q-tip and put a little ointment on each one to see if that helped. She said I could tough it out for a few days, but to use the ointment to prevent an abrasion until they settled down and to call if they were bugging me in a few days and I could come in and try new ones.

However, my left was still very painful and already had gotten very red and bloodshoot. So, seeing that was gonna be a problem, she pulled the plug and tried another smaller one. She was hesitant because apparently I have large punctum and she thought that a smaller cap might be too small, but she tried it anway, and it was a bit more comfy.

Then this morning when I'm putting on the ointment (I swear I was so careful), the plug in my left eye disappears. I checked the q-tip and it wasn't there. It must have sunk back into my punctae. I'm so disappointed. I guess it must have not been a good fit and too small. Just to get it all taken care of and the next morning I'm back where I started. I just really hope she can irrigate again and it will work out like it did with the other two that got lost down there. Just not sure what we will do now. She did mention possibly being able to trim one of the larger plugs, so maybe that is the next step. I did like her alot and she did try to work with me to get a comfy plug. I just hope that everything is OK with this other one sinking in now, and that she can find a good fit that is still comfortable.

-Shells

[indrep]

Shells,
I can almost guarantee that the plug did not migrate into your canaliculus. The larger plug had already dilated your punctal ring and the smaller plug just fell out. It is absolutely the most important step in punctal occlussion with silicone plugs to measure and put in the smallest plug possible FIRST. Once the punctal ring is enlarged it has a better than 50% chance of not returning to its original size. I hope she is not intending on cutting at the cap. This could leave a sharp point on several facets of the cap. You might ask her about her experience with the OASIS Form Fit or Medinium Smart Plug.

[shells]

Indrep,

Thanks for the advice, but I don't think my doctor (or this occuplastic surgeon) does intracannicular plugs. Which is fine by me because I don't want intracannicular plugs. Unfortunately despite my attempts at avoiding them, I keep ending up with them! I see that this formfit one is made of a special material that is supposed to be safer, so I'll think about it once the other options are exhausted. My original doctor that got me into this situation in the first place is the one who screwed up. She dilated my punctum before insertion and then forced them into my punctum. Now wonder the openings are currently so large and hard to fit. I didn't realize that they would stay stretched.

I am almost sure that the plug did migrate down because it was there one second...I touched it with the ointment covered q-tip, and the next second it was gone. It was not on the q-tip, so I assumed it must have migrated down. The drops do not seem to be draining quickly, so maybe that means there is an obstruction in there. Who the heck knows? Hopefully you are right and it did just fall out somehow. If not, then hopefully it will join the other plug peacefully wherever that one ended up. I go back to see her Thursday. Yesterday she was talking about cauterization, but I'm just not ready for that yet. There has to be some other options before cautery and intracannicular?!

-Shells

[Missy]

Shelley, I just sent you a message, but I didn't see this post until just now.

GRRRR!! I know that this is frustrating! It stinks that the plug is gone!! I hope that it just fell out. The plugs are tiny so maybe you didn't see where it went. It's good that you have an appointment on Thursday.

[indrep]

Shells,
It is quite possible that as soon as you touched the plug with ointment it adhered to the q-tip and came right out. To push it further into the canaliculus would have taken some effort with an instrument smaller that your punctum.

[shells]

Indprep,

Yes, I'm still confused how it happened, but I know those plugs are so small and I suppose it could have ended up anywhere. I saw my doctor yesterday and she agrees with you. She poked and proded for a while and looked under the slit lamp and said it wasn't in there. I guess I was so sure it went in because the head of the plug was small. It actually looked smaller than my puncta. She said the same thing about how it would take some force to get it in there though, so it was probably just dislodged and fell out. Haha...my other doctor must have really worked hard to "accidently" push them in..lol. Thanks for the advice.

Anyway, I'm plugged again (with a larger plug), and back with the scratching/redness for a few days I guess. The right eye that was plugged Monday is calming down, and hopefully the left will in a few days too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is finally it, but most importantly that this actually helps with my pain/dryness. Good news is I called my insurance yesterday, and there is no limit on how many plugs they cover! Thank goodness!

-Shells

[indrep]

Shells,
If they will cover it, you might want to go for the 90 day dissovable plugs.

[shells]

I had the Oasis dissolvable 90-day plugs from December-March. When I first had them put in, I did not notice a major difference. However, once they were gone, I started having lots or problems and assumed it was because the plugs had dissolved. I was hoping that a more permanent plug would be even more effective than the dissolvable ones.

[shells]

I just wanted to post a quick update for anyone who has been reading this thread or who comes across it in the future. Its been a week since I had the plug in the left eye put back. Things have settled down considerably. I can feel them occasionally, BUT it is nothing like it was the first few days. Unfortunately, I'm not sure they are helping with the dryness yet, but I'm staying hopeful. Thanks for everyones advice and all through my plug ordeal!

-Shells