One of my plugs fell out

[Danny_]

Well, I had a miserable weekend as on Friday, I noticed that my right eye had got really dry and then the pain hit. I knew a plug had fallen out. So I had to wait till Monday going back to the Genteel gel etc. and I got it reinserted but the doc says that it is too small .6 however, .7 is too big and they don't make .65. The stupid plugs (well actually they are quite good, just not the right size - I think they said they were oceanview or something) aren't made in an inbetween size.

So, I had the .6 put back in but now I am afraid it will fall out again and it will be back to being miserable. I would consider cautery but it is in the right eye which is the better one and because it is better, I have more of an overflow problem in this eye with two plugs in. So, now my choices appear to be:
1)cautery and a permanent overflow problem - maybe the best choice given that it is a far better problem than the dryness although it is very embarrassing
2)keep putting the .6 in every time it falls out.
3)Try to shove a .7 in there. This could be painful and I am scared to try it, not just because of the pain but because of the fear of damaging the eye.
4)Wait it out and see if the plugs companies get their act together and start making better plugs.

In any case, the plug is back in and I am back to the familiar wetness and things are ok again, but for how long...

[np1981]

Was it a lower or upper plug that fell out?

[Rebecca Petris]

Or option 5 - try a different brand of plug.

I had the same problem with Eagle Flexplugs a few years ago (I was in between sizes). At the time I switched to SmartPlugs. Never was quite sure how long they lasted. Ultimately I decided plugs weren't really helping me anyway so I don't use plugs anymore but these days if I did have to get an intracanalicular I would probably go with the Oasis because I don't think I am comfortable with the idea of silicone or other materials that in some circumstances pose higher risks during irrigation or if they migrate.

[Danny_]

Was it a lower or upper plug that fell out?

Upper right

[indrep]

Danny,
Just for my own information, did the doc measure your puncta before putting in the plug?

[Danny_]

Danny,
Just for my own information, did the doc measure your puncta before putting in the plug?

No, it was just trial and error. She tried to get .7 in but it was too big. She said it would have been a really tight squeeze and I could feel that. Then she put .6 back in but told me that .65 would have been perfect as she believed .6 would fall out again. I think I am just going to get it cauterized as I believe that it has fallen out again after just two days (I can feel the right eye drying up right now as we speak)...arghhhhhhhh. Here the misery goes again.

[np1981]

Cautery?

How long have you been using plugs? You mentioned earlier that if you went for cautery you would have a permanent overflow problem, do you have overflow problems when he plugs are in?

I have plugs in, and they seem to help keep my eyes moist. I'm wondering myself whether it worth going for cautery and say goodbye to plugs altogether.

[Danny_]

How long have you been using plugs? You mentioned earlier that if you went for cautery you would have a permanent overflow problem, do you have overflow problems when he plugs are in?

I have plugs in, and they seem to help keep my eyes moist. I'm wondering myself whether it worth going for cautery and say goodbye to plugs altogether.

I am thinking about going for the cautery option as I am completely sick of plugs as well. I have had them for about 6 months. I will let you know how it goes if I take the plunge. The problem I have is that it is the upper right that is falling out and I don't want to cauterize that one first because I do have an overflow problem and don't want to make that a permanent problem. But, my plug just fell out after just one and a half days so I am really mad right now. I read somewhere that cautery is more effective than plugs so I might go for getting the bottom right cauterized and leave the top right open to see if that works for me. Anyway, in case I get kick out, here is my e-mail address: "neilldn@yahoo.com". We can carry on this conversation by e-mail and I will let you know how things are going for me.

Danny

[Danny_]

Well, just went to see the doctor and this one was really nice. She managed to get the .7 into my right eye. She said she had to put it in at an angle or something. I hope it stays in. At least I can look at a computer again without wincing. She advised me against cautery because she said that it was permanent and that I was "a young guy and that my eyes could change". I'm not that young - 31, almost 32. But, I'm happy to continue with the plugs for now if they stop falling out. I will keep you updated on how I get on for those who are interested. The plugs I have in are Ocean ones.

[SusieD]

Ive never heard of these plugs - so you cant actually see them? (to see if they have fallen out) Must be some sort of intracannicular plug then.
I thought the only ones were Herricks as smartplugs and oasis plugs are one size.

Yes keep us updated. My doc wouldnt entertain cautery either - due to my age (28).

[Danny_]

Ive never heard of these plugs - so you cant actually see them? (to see if they have fallen out) Must be some sort of intracannicular plug then.
I thought the only ones were Herricks as smartplugs and oasis plugs are one size.

Yes keep us updated. My doc wouldnt entertain cautery either - due to my age (28).

They might have been Oasis plugs actually. I can't remember. It began with an O.

[np1981]

I was unsure of intracannicular plugs because I was worried that if they did work lose I won't be able to tell if it was still in or not, or whether I was just having a bad day.

I have the kinds with a cap on it, so I can always see that its there. Whenever I look to the sides though, I can "feel" the ends and it can be unsettling. I guess at 25, cautery won't really be an option for me either.

[Danny_]

I can't feel my ones in my eye at all but I know the symptoms like the back of my hand by now when one falls out. It starts for me with the feeling of a foreign body in my eye. Then I feel my eye gradually get drier during the day, accelerated when I look at the computer/tv. Then, I feel a kind of pressure building up in the bottom corner of my right eye and then pain that becomes acute.

Plugs are fine as long as they don't fall out. I am happy to continue with them and won't do cautery unless I feel that the problems with the plugs are having too significant and effect on the quality of my life.

[kitty]

For np1981

I was unsure of intracannicular plugs because I was worried that if they did work lose I won't be able to tell if it was still in or not, or whether I was just having a bad day.

I have the newer style of the Herrick intracanalicular plugs. They are blue. I can see them easily with good light. A penlight makes it even easier. It's nice that I can monitor their position, and let my doctor know if they are migrating to where they should not be. So far, no awareness of the plugs and no problems with them.

[np1981]

Well, it seems one of my lower plugs has fallen out (left eye), that is I think it has, because I can no longer see it at all (I can see all the others clearly). However tears are still appearing to 'well' up in that eye as usual, could the plug have buried itself? I had the one with a cap.