info from all users / re punctal plugs

[untkicker29]

Aside from just you personally, does anyone know of people who have greatly benefited from punctal plugs? I mean to the point where the dry eye is not really much of an issue once the plugs are inserted? Thanks for all who reply.

[dianat]

My mother has plugs in her lowers. She has suffered dry eye for years, but not debilitating dry eye. I'm a post-LASIK burning dry eye who cannot tolerate moving air. Her problems were periodic, nighttime, etc. She has aloso seen some relief after I advised her to do lid scrubs also. So, yes, she is benefitting from plugs.

Are you toying with the notion of having plugs inserted? In my opinion, everything is worth trying.

Diana

[untkicker29]

Yes, I am toying with whether or not to try plugs, but the scary stories I have heard about the plugs migrating down into the canal scare me.

[jcorbett]

Plugs helped me tremendously. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I would research plugs thoroughly and discuss options with your doctor, as some plugs seem to get imbedded more than others.
As Diana said, everything is worth trying.

[markL]

In my opinion the problem with plugs is as follows.

Intracanicular plugs are
A) hard to tell whether they are still there or not
B) If you do decide to have them removed they need flushing which is not a pleasant experience, especially if performed by an in-experienced doctor. One eye doctor I saw managed to flush one out but not the other, hence I had to see another eye doctor who said he didnt even want to attempt it, followed by one who finally managed to flush the bas***d out. A thouroughly long, expensive and stressfull situation..
C) Apparently they were considering banning them in the UK as you should never insert a medical device in a patient which becomes unaccountable for once either migrated or flushed out.. I mean where do the things end up.. in your lungs.. in your stomach most probably but you can see where they are going on this one..

Plugs which have a cap..
A) You get a foreign body sensation when wearing these
B) They can Itch/irritate your eyes

A lot seems to have been written also about a cesspool effect particularly if you have a lot of inflammation of the eye and all four ducts plugged. This unflushed mixture of inflammatory cytokines(?) and dead cells etc apparently irritate the eye further and could lead to reduced corneal sensitivity which is not a good thing as far as tear produciton is concerned..

So there you have it.. they definately have benefits for the right person but in my opinion the drawbacks also need to be considered..

[Missy]

I have lower plugs - the kind with the little cap that sticks out. The left one has always felt pretty comfy, but the right one was really irritating for about a week. Then for about a month I could feel it but it didn't scratch or bother me too much. Now at two months I hardly ever feel it except in the morning. I like them because they can be removed with tweezers and won't have to be flushed out. They have helped my eyes a little bit, enough so that I'm happy I got them.
Missy

[kurt]

Intracanicular plugs...

I believe the Lacrimedics plug (or Herrick plug) is the only intracanicular plug.

A lot seems to have been written also about a cesspool effect particularly if you have a lot of inflammation of the eye and all four ducts plugged. This unflushed mixture of inflammatory cytokines(?) and dead cells etc apparently irritate the eye further and could lead to reduced corneal sensitivity which is not a good thing as far as tear produciton is concerned..

I have all four puntum cauterized. My eyes felt better after the cauterization than before.

[markL]

I am glad they have helped you Kurt.

[Scout]

A lot seems to have been written also about a cesspool effect particularly if you have a lot of inflammation of the eye and all four ducts plugged. This unflushed mixture of inflammatory cytokines(?) and dead cells etc apparently irritate the eye further and could lead to reduced corneal sensitivity which is not a good thing as far as tear produciton is concerned..

So there you have it.. they definately have benefits for the right person but in my opinion the drawbacks also need to be considered..

I am one of the people for whom plugs do not work. Like MarkL mentions above, my dry eye is for the most part an inflammatory response that exacerbates ocular allergies.

When I had lower plugs instilled several years ago I noticed an increase in inflammation, allergies and redness which eventually made my eyes *feel* dryer even though TBUT had improved slightly.

Several weeks after I had the plugs instilled I noticed the inflammation, allergies and redness improving and I made the assumption that my eyes were finally getting used to the plugs. I saw an ophthalmologist for an exam on another issue and was told the plugs fell out.

I decided then that the plugs were not for me.

Scout