Plug problems

[kimby2007]

I was quadra plugged this past week but been having problems ever since. I've had plugs without caps but my new doctor gave me caps and now it feels like the plug is rubbing against my eye. I am contemplating going to the emergency room to get it removed versus waiting it out. BTW I have no tear excess with the plugs-scary. I am back on restasis and hoping that I have some lacrimal gland function left.

Kim

[Rojzen]

plugs seem to cause me accelerated de-wetting

Kim - -Possibly you've heard this before. . .but just in case, I want to share that whenever I've been plugged, and, especially, quadraplugged, the first few hours have been nice, but shortly after that, my de-wetting rate has felt like it was accelerating, almost to make up for the presence of more tears on my ocular surface. . .Time and again, this has happened, such that I've always had to have the plugs removed, just to break the severity of the de-wetting (aka evaporation). Not true for most people, I sense, but possibly relevant to you?

[kimby2007]

Quadra plugged

Hi Rozjen:

My Schirmer is at a 0 after 10 minutes. Although I know that Schirmer's are not reliable I have to believe that 0 after 10 minutes is indicative of being very dry and hence not the over watering effect. I remain somewhat optimisitc though since it seems like a lot of new drugs are in the pipeline for dry eye. Right now though my biggest problem is the plug that is dragging against my eye.

Kim

[Rojzen]

got it; checking in on anxiety level

That nonexistent Schirmer rating does say a lot for what you are dealing with right now, and so perhaps it's off-base to attribute any new exacerbation in the dryness, itself, to the plugs. . .That said, I wonder whether you have generally experienced any fluctuation in Schirmer results, or had the flourescein clearance test done to distinguish between reflex and passive tearing. . .I ask this because if you can determine whether you still have any tearing in response to irritation, you may be able to gauge, at least for the short run, how much to expect from Restasis. . .

On a related front, I'm aching to ask how well your anxiety level is being controlled. . .As I keep saying in other posts, it is astonishing how dramatically anxiety can affect lacrimal production. . .When dealing with something as absolutely agonizing and unrelenting as chronic dry eye, the levels of anxiety can be transcendent, and I have to think that this can royally mess up our exocrine glands' ability to function. . .I know, Kim, from your generously open posts, that you have been working through some very constructive treatments for your mental outlook. . .Have these yet made a dent in your anxiety? Apologies if I am getting too personal in this open post, and feel free to PM, in response. . .

[kitty]

I was quadra plugged this past week but been having problems ever since. I've had plugs without caps but my new doctor gave me caps and now it feels like the plug is rubbing against my eye. I am contemplating going to the emergency room to get it removed versus waiting it out. BTW I have no tear excess with the plugs-scary. I am back on restasis and hoping that I have some lacrimal gland function left.

Kim

I would call your doctor's office. Someone should be on call for you to speak with.

[Rebecca Petris]

While I hate to be a fuddy-duddy I'm going to repeat what I have said several times before: I really must discourage use of this board for advice in urgent situations. Call the doctor when you have an urgent need after hours. They are the ones that should make the determination about whether you need to be seen. If you can't reach them in a timely manner, emergency room.

[kimby2007]

Sorry

Sorry-I was just venting. I knew which route to take and I got my plug taken care of.