Punctum Plugs - Long Term (Years)

[np1981]

Has anyone had thier plugs in for a long time (e.g. for several years)? I was wondering what the long term effect plugs have on the health of the eye (especially if they are quadriplugged).

[kitty]

I'll second that with another question....

Good question. I'm anxious to hear a reply. For those who can answer that question, what kind of plugs have/do you have and how many times have they had to be changed? This would be only for the "permanent" (non-dissolvable) plugs.

[indrep]

I have spoken with docs who patients who have had their plugs in for several years. Don't know the specifics and they didn't mention any problems. I know one lady who has all four plugged going on three years and she is mighty fine. Her eyes are okay too, all things considered.

[Danny_]

I have spoken with docs who patients who have had their plugs in for several years. Don't know the specifics and they didn't mention any problems. I know one lady who has all four plugged going on three years and she is mighty fine. Her eyes are okay too, all things considered.

My bottom ones have never fallen out and they have been in for a long time now (maybe going on 6 months). Top left is the same.

[Ryan]

I've had the bottom punctua plugged for a little over a year (about 14 months), and they feel fine - never fallen out, etc. I'm tempted to get the uppers plugged - just to see what if that helps even more.

[Jade9923]

I have had punctum plugs in all four punctums for 14 years. The right upper plug was in for 14 years!...the same plug. I just recently had to replace it as it got all filled with nasty cruddy stuff and it was pinching on my eyes. My doc put in the new oasis form fit in that one and so far so good. I've had great success with plugs, but never any at all with only the bottom ones plugged. Once all four were plugged, my whole life changed. I have problems with the watery layer and also the lipid layer. Infact, the one eye doctor I was seeing before this one who actually helped me was giving me ointment to put in my eyes. My new doctor told me that my oil glands were totally plugged. Had i kep using that ointment they might have scarred over for good. Goes to show you that some eye doctors have no interest in helping with dry eye problems. Dry eye problems require a lot of time from the doctor and a lot of trial and error. This first doctor was more interested in doing his 40 surgeries a day I guess. Once I found this new doctor 15 years ago, she got my oil glands working again by doing the lid scrubs and massage. To this day, I have to do lid scrubs at least 3 times a day. That, together with the plugs in all four punctums has totally helped my dry eyes and I no longer need any artificial tears. I am over joyed to find this community. I felt like the biggest freak of nature when I first had the problem 16 years ago. It was two years of such intense pain before I finally got hooked up with a doctor that was willing to put the time into determining how to help me. I just can't believe there is a whole community of people here who have the debilitating dry eyes that I had. When you tell someone you have dry eyes they usually say, oh yeah me too...I have to use a drop at night or some other such thing. NO ONE can really understand the pain of really dry eyes unless you have lived it.

[np1981]

Wow 16 years ago, am I assuming correctly that there was little known about dry eye (problems with multiple layers etc)? It seems you found a good doctor quite some time ago.