3 month plugs

[Guest]

Question your Doctor.

I cannot believe the responses to this post and the sheer ignorance of some of the DR's here in the UK.

I think the DR that told you the plug would fall out has done you a favour and pushed you into a direction to find someone more competent.

I can't believe that he said they would fall out because of gravity, what kind of moron is he. Once they are inserted, they swell (with tears) to fill the space available, he clearly hasn't familiarised himself with the product he is dispensing.

I did have one fall out (bottom) but we think that it may have been faulty as it didn't want to settle when it was first put in.

I have had the Oasis brand put in both top and bottom and haven't had a problem with them. I found that mine tended to dissolve after 2 months and not the 3 as stated but if you read the Oasis website it says they last "UP TO 90 days") so 2 and a bit months is up to 90 days in my opinion.

I went back yesterday to have the one that fell out replaced, the first couple of days without it weren't much fun but we had a discussion yesterday as to whether to reinsert it as I seem to be making progress without it.

We finally decided that it really couldn't hurt by putting it in so did it anyway. Will see how it goes.

I have a fantastic relationship with my doctor, we discuss my problems (he has given me his email address to contact him should I need to between appointments), we discuss the possible solutions and make a combined decision about my treatment. If I find anything on this site (or others) I run it past him and he gives me his professional opinion.

He will not do anything without my consent and he treats me as the person sitting before him, not the illness - he is fully aware of how my life has been affected by the laser surgery conducted by his company and he is committed to finding a workable solution for me.

Anyway Helen, best of luck with your new doctor, he is clearly more skilled, knowledgeable, competent and intersted than the previous NHS doctor, it frightens me that people who are uninformed could be seriously injured by some of these cowboys.

Cheers

Ian

[Helen26]

Hi Ian

I've just looked on the Oasis website myself and I've definitely got the 90 day dissolvable plugs not permanent ones. I can tell from the picture - mine haven't got caps so must be disolvable ones as the permanent plugs have got caps.

Whilst we are marvelling over the ineptness of doctors in the UK, I thought I'd share a couple more "gems" with you all.

When I saw the first doctor and told him I thought there was a problem with my tear film, he said "no, no, no, tear film cannot be disrupted, it is refreshed everytime you blink. Your eyes are simply not producing enough tear".

Secondly, when I said that I was worried about the inflammation returning once I stopped using the steroids and asked for advice on how to control the inflammation, I was told "The inflammation has gone now, it will not return".

And finally, when I asked another doctor if he could prescribe some sodium hyaluronate drops rather than Celluvisc which weren't doing anything for me he said "Celluvisc contain sodium hyaluronate, I think".

Also, none of the doctors I have seen on the NHS have ever heard of Restasis, Theratears or Systane. None of them gave me any advice on anything like diet, supplements, environmental considerations or lid therapy. Virtually everything I have learnt about this condition is from this site and the internet. And at every appointment, I have felt like they just wanted me out the door as soon as possible. I also believe that if I had not had to wait 4 months to see a consultant, my eyes would not be in such a bad state as they are now. My eyes had got so inflamed by the time I got to see the consultant, because my GP had refused to prescribe me any steroids, that my schirmer scores were 0 in each eye, when I didn't start off with aqueous deficiency, just an unstable tear film.

The more I think about it, the more I realise that we in the UK are going to have to start being more proactive if we are to ever stand a chance of getting access to the latest treatments and new prescription medicines in the future as the NHS see dry eyes as nothing more than a "minor inconvenience"!!!

[Guest]

Helen

It worries me that we trust these individuals with our eye sight.

I like the concept though that tear film cannot become unstable as it keeps refreshing itself, I am still rolling on the floor laughing. If only it were that simple.

I also like the one that once inflammation is gone it won't come back, maybe you could ask him if it is like the common cold - once you've had it it won't come back - what planet is he on.

I agree that this site is fantastic not only for support but for information.

I think that with DES we must first educate ourselves then educate those treating us.

I am extremely active in the discussion on my treatment plan and have no issue asking questions and seeking clarification. I know that some doctors don't like this approach but we are in the 21st century and after all, I am the one living with this everyday not them.

In my opinion, looking for a DR is a bit like shopping for a sofa, you keep looking until you find THE ONE that you like, feel comfortable and relaxed with.

Have a great day

Ian

[Rebecca Petris]

I've been shuddering through this thread. I'm used to stories of "passive" incompetence in dry eye care in the UK (and elsewhere, including the US) where practitioners simply offer no meaningful help but this plug business takes "active" incompetence to new heights. Though I try to take comfort from the fact that it seems like people less dry-eye-educated than yourselves will probably never be offered plugs anyway and so hopefully at least won't be put in harm's way.

Have you guys thought at all about getting some press coverage of this to try and startle the profession out of their collective stupor on this area of eyecare? Reading this I've certainly been tempted to try and dig up some of my old press contacts from back when I was doing laser eye surgery activism there.

[sazy123]

That is really very disturbing! Surely he ought at least to have heard of intracanalicular plugs. A patient who wasn't as well educated about it as you could find themselves badly injured if they got re-plugged by someone this ignorant.

Yea the only reason i let him put them in the top of my eyes is because i was sure they had disloved and werent there anymore, coz smart plugs disolve over a certain heat and i have had them in for ages by that point. Then they just fell out the same day anyway coz the doc didnt measure my tear ducts! And now i can see a white bit at the top of one of my tear duct where i think the smart plug may still be there. Cant get another appointment till Oct to get it removed on the NHS.

I've been shuddering through this thread. I'm used to stories of "passive" incompetence in dry eye care in the UK (and elsewhere, including the US) where practitioners simply offer no meaningful help but this plug business takes "active" incompetence to new heights. Though I try to take comfort from the fact that it seems like people less dry-eye-educated than yourselves will probably never be offered plugs anyway and so hopefully at least won't be put in harm's way.

On the contray, plugs and artificial tears are the only things they will do for you on the NHS so if they dont get rid of you with just artifcial tears then they will try punctual plugs. Regardless of the fact that you dont have aqueous deficiency and have evaporative dry eye instead.

I read the other day 80% of people with dry eye have evaporative dry eye, so for 80% of people plugs arent gonna do any good. but plugs are what docs in the UK think is gonna solve the problem!

I do feal sorry for the older people that dont know about this website and cant educate themselves.

Helen that tear refreshing thing tops the most ridulous thing ive heard so far. This is not far off:

'see your crying so you cant have dry eye'. he was private its not just the NHS that has a problem.

Helen knowone ive seen on the NHS has ever heard about restasis either.
Ianpratt: you are soo lucky to have that doctor.

Have you guys thought at all about getting some press coverage of this to try and startle the profession out of their collective stupor on this area of eyecare? Reading this I've certainly been tempted to try and dig up some of my old press contacts from back when I was doing laser eye surgery activism there

Rebecca we would be more than happy if you wanted to! i wouldnt know where to start..

[SusieD]

I would also like to raise some awareness - but not sure where to start, never done anything like this before.

[Helen26]

To All UK Dry Eye Sufferers

I've had an idea ... don't know what everything thinks, but it's clear that we've got to do something and I think we all need to get our heads together. How about a UK dry eye summit!!!! O.k. that sounds a bit grand, what I mean is, perhaps one weekend we could all arrange to meet up. I don't know where everyone else lives, but perhaps if we met somewhere in the midlands no-one would have to travel too far. Susie / Sazy / Ian / NP1981 (anyone else I've forgotton?) - what do you think?

[np1981]

Have you guys thought at all about getting some press coverage of this to try and startle the profession out of their collective stupor on this area of eyecare? Reading this I've certainly been tempted to try and dig up some of my old press contacts from back when I was doing laser eye surgery activism there.

The problem is that I've had difficulty getting my own family to understand my problems, they often still think its only "minor". Therefore getting other people to take note and understand is even more unlikely.

Also many docs I went to were Consultants, and won't like being told by us lowly patients what they could be doing, they hate that. It seems they will only take others in their profession seriously.

Maybe I'm just being cynical, plus today my eyes are annoying me more than usual.