The doctor won't pull the plug(s)!!

[LasikLady]

I went for a recheck of my upper plugs and told the doctor I didn't really like them. These are the intracanicular ones. My good hours used to be in the morning, now those are my worst. From the time I wake up until about 2 pm my eyes are watery and this often causes them to itch and burn. I am doing the compresses religiously. I have to carry a hanky around like an old woman. By 2 pm they are drier and then they feel better. This is nuts it's like I've swapped one problem for another. So my appointment was at 5 pm. It's hot and windy here today. I get to his office and he examines me and says my eyes don't look too wet, in fact they look a bit dry still. I told him in the morning I am like a drippy faucet. He looked at me like I was making it up. It was like when you bring a car to the mechanic. Then he says he doesn't want to remove the upper plugs because he would have to flush them out. I sense he's had a bad experience with this before. He really didn't want to do this. Then he says to stop the Restasis and hopefully that will bring the tearing down some. If not he wants to try taking out the bottom plugs and as a last resort try to irrigate the uppers. I don't want the bottom out because he told me before the bottoms drain 89% of your tears. So without them and only uppers I think I will be very dry again. So the least invasive thing is to stop the restasis and hopefully that keeps the watering down. This watering isn't a pleasant thing like it probably sounds. It's irritating and burning and in a way is more uncomfortable to me than the plain old dry eyes were. I kinda feel like I jumped out of the fire into the frying pan with these upper plugs.

[dianat]

I know the overwatering you are talking about. It's not pleasant. Perhaps it's time to see someone else.

[indrep]

LasikLady,
The upper and lower puncta drain about 50% each of the tears. So removing the lower plugs would be the easiest, less likely to have issues, way to go. Also how long have you had all four puncta occluded? Sometimes there is an increase in tear for a few weeks before the signaling pathways sort out info going to brain and proper regulation of tear production to take place.

[IanJ]

Hi,

The way it was explained to me was:-

Let's say that 60% tears drain through the lower punta, but, when the uppers are plugged then the lowers will drain much more tears than what the previous 60% did.

I've had all sorts of combinations of plugs fitted, and to me with my uppers plugged only it was as if I wasn't plugged at all. I.E. The upper plugs didn't seem to have much affect at all......which follows the theory above.

If it were me I would remove the lowers, then if you are a bit too dry afterwards......then you can always get lower flow controllers fitted.

Ian.

[Judy]

I had the same problem when I had my uppers plugged. I already had the lower plugs in place. Once the uppers were also placed, I had continuous running all over my face and could not see due to blurriness. So it greatly affected my lifestyle. I had the uppers removed, then things improved immediately. HOWEVER, I only tried the quad plugging for a month before having the uppers removed. So maybe I did not give it enough time.....

[LasikLady]

I have only had the uppers in for 2 weeks. I am going to try to hang in here and give it a bit more time. Hopefully going off the Restasis will help. Plus, for the first time with all four plugged I found my Restasis irritating. I used to like the way it felt on my eyes but I don't any longer. I am drippy in the a.m. but I like the fact I can watch t.v. again in the evening more comfortably.

[dianat]

I have a story of how my plugs/cautery experience unfolded. You might find it and read it. Essentially with plugs in the uppers, I experienced immense discomfort due to the plugs in the uppers rubbing on my sclera. It was not obvious to me at the time. Once they fell out, things were so dry, but still better that burning salty tears.

Ultimately, I had my uppers and lowers cauterized. While I do have some amount of overflow, it is nothing like the excessive, dripping, down my face reflex tearing I had with uppers plugs.

I have no way of knowing if this is what you are experiencing, especially since yours are intracanicular, but it's something to consider.

[Abqfriend]

One fell out, the other got Stuck

One of mine fell out within 48 hours of insertion. The other the doctor cannot get out as it is partly below the punctal openning.