New punctal plugs

[Maggie59]

Yesterday morning I had silicone punctal plugs inserted. The left one didn't hurt, but the right one did. I noticed an immediate difference in the moisture of my eyes, but no epiphora. Yet late in the afternoon the left plug was literally scraping against my eye. Back to the doctor who replaced the left silicone plug with an intercanalicular plug. On the way home that plug came out - I know it came out because I found it in the corner of my eye. I have an appointment in two days to insert yet another plug. Is it common to have such difficulties in getting a plug to fit properly? At what point do you say heck with this and cauterize them?

[irish eyes]

Hi Maggie

I assume that this is the first time with punctal plugs?

I had problems with plugs - like you, one of them hurt a lot when it was being put in. My eyes did indeed seem to be more watery afterwards but I also had a lot of bacteria floating around the eye, looking for a means of escape. I developed dreadful problems with cysts on the lids and the bottom plugs were eventually taken out. I still have them in the top.

I hope you don't have any more problems but I would hold fire on the cauterizing option because that is final. I thought at one stage that it was going to be the best solution for me but I am so glad I didn't insist.

I know that other people will have their own views.

Good luck

[indrep]

Maggie,
Was th intracanlicular plug similar to a clear spaghetti noodle?
If so when he reinserts it tomorrow ask that he not dilate your puncta before insertion.

[Maggie59]

Intercanalicular plugs

The plug that came out looked like a 2.5 mm rubbery piece of fishing line. My puncta was not dilated prior to insertion. I really hope my lid doesn't push out the next one. I really like the increased moisture in my eyes.

[LasikLady]

Glad I got plugs X4

Hi There,

Just wanted to put in my two cents!! I am plugged in all my ducts and (knock on wood) I have not had any infections or any problems other than epiphora. So yes I blot my eyes often. But for me that beats the dryness that I had. It's a pain either way but I would rather be too wet than too dry.
Luckily, I have never had a plug fall out. I was fit by a corneal specialist who plugs people all the time and I guess I've been lucky in that regard

[mary kenny badami]

Hi Maggie59 -- You asked: "Is it common to have such difficulties in getting a plug to fit properly? At what point do you say heck with this and cauterize them?"

My personal experience is that I endured several unsuccessful efforts at getting plugs to fit properly from three different doctors. I SNEEZED out a plug -- found it when I looked into the tissue (don't ask why I was looking at the aftermath of a sneeze, okay? ). I LOST a second plug for reasons unknown -- it simply couldn't be found when I returned to the doc to ask why I didn't feel better. As to a third plug, "I FLICKED that F*CKER OUT" -- that's what I reported to my eye docs at about 10 pm after being tormented by it poking the white of my eye for a full day . . . which, since it had a little mushroom-cap head and I had a well-manicured thumbnail, provided welcome relief.

As to your second question -- I think that I'm accurately reporting the advice of Dr. Sandra Brown at The Dry Eye Zone Conference two years ago, who said that she was relatively comfortable with people deciding to have cautery, IF they'd had reasonable success, even though only on a temporary basis, with plugs. . . but that doesn't sound like your situation just now.

I do think that our poster "indrep" knows a lot about these matters, and I would trust his/her expertise beyond anyone else's individual testimony (even my own ).

[kitty]

I have only had intracanalicular plugs. On the day I got my 3 day trial plugs, one fell out as soon as I got to my car, just a few feet from my doctor's office. I went back for my permanent plugs, and one slipped out within an hour. Got that one replaced and have not had a problem since.

[Maggie59]

Intercanalicular plugs

Thanks, everyone, for your input. I am finding that dry eyes are preferable to little things scraping against the white of your eye. When I see my doc in two days I'm going to ask him to put intercanalicular (that's hard to type!) plugs in both my eyes. Moisture is very cool, constant pain is not.

Not five months ago I didn't give dry eyes a second's thought. Now I seem to be thinking about my eyes all the time. No fun.

[rubyslippers]

I have 3. My doctor put them in and left them up a tiny bit so he could remove them if I had a reaction. One scratched a tiny bit and I went back 4 hours later and had that one pushed down a tiny bit. Then on day 5, after no problems whatsoever, I went back and had them set (pushed down so far that they are highly unlikely to come out). I had this done almost 6 months ago and I LOVE the things. I have had no problem whatsoever and they are still down in there very secure. I cannot even see them, but I know they are working well. I only have one in the eye that is not as bad as the other and 2 in the severe eye. No redness, no irritation, and I can do everything I ever did. I even had an allergy day the other day and rubbed them and they did not dislodge at all. I have had no trouble whatsoever with eyes overflowing.