New to restasis and plugs

[bryan9182]

Went to the optometrist to discuss my constant eye redness from overuse of vasoconstrictors today because both of my eyes are always very dry and very red. I have been off the vasoconstrictors for over 2 months and my eyes are still extremely red. He said the only reason my eyes are still red is because of dryness. He put drops in my eyes and did a time break up test and noticed my tear break up time is only 2 seconds, and 7 is normal. He put plugs in both my eyes......but it doesnt help. He also gave me a free 1 week sample of Restasis. Is a tear break up time of 2 seconds a very serious dry eye problem? also, how well will Restasis work for me considering artificial tears and plugs havent worked for me? If Restasis doesnt work either are there any other types of treatments?

[kitty]

Welcome. How long have you had the plugs? They can take several weeks for their effectiveness to be fully appreciated. If they don't seem to be helping, you can try plugging all four puncta. Am I correct in assuming your doc put only one plug in each eye? Restasis can take up to 6 months for its effectiveness to be known. It is impossible to predict how Restasis will work for you. You can experiment with different kinds of drops, take EFAs (Fish oil caps), alter your environment to increase moisture and avoid drafts, and limit time at the computer. Blink frequently while using the computer. There are other options such as goggles and scleral lenses. This is a disorder you learn to manage over years, not months. Go to Dryeyezone.com and look through the information there. You will find info about tear break-up time. Take care and ask lots of questions. We are here to help.

[baddabingtim]

Hello

My eyes were red for many months - the vaso's left them dry - tear plugs are good - I have lowers - I had all 4 but my eyes were too teary - don't give up - get some flaxseed oil -

restasis did nothing for me - but thats me - its out there for a purpose - I would recommend using it at night though - it made my eyes red

[odydnas]

While I do not have red eyes and do not use vasoconstrictors, I do have a lower TBUT (tear breakup time) like you and am on Restasis.

First off, a low TBUT is usually an indicator of meibomian gland dysfunction/blepharitis. Did you doc check for that? Warm compresses, followed by lid massage usually helps, but if your eyes are red and inflamed, cool compresses might be better.

Also, for some people, Restasis can take up to 14 months (I've heard from some very pretigious docs) to work, so a one week trial means nothing.

Eyes can be red also from allergies, not just dryness, although they can present together a lot of times. Did you doc discuss that with you?

I do not what to judge too quickly, but your doc seems like the "plug and drop" kind of doc who will reach for Restasis no matter what. I encourage you to seek a second opinion, probably an ophthalmologist who is a corneal specialist and has an interest in treating dry eyes.

[bryan9182]

Well I guess I have a few more questions after reading some of the replies here.


I am pretty sure I have had a dryness problem my entire life. My parents said that when I was little I used to blink very frequently in the winter time and around air conditioners, but I dont remember having redness issues back then nor do I remember how they felt.

I dont remember how my eyes felt before using vaso's so I dont know if it indeed was the vaso's that made them dry, but while I was using them and still to this day they are very dry. My eyes were red while I was using the vaso's because I used them everyday for years. I've been off the vaso's for about 2.5 months now and my eyes are still very noticably red. The redness becomes worse when my eyes come into contact with dry air, fans, and air conditioners. At this point I really dont know if my eyes are still red because I used the vaso's for so long OR because they are very dry. He put two temporary lower lid plugs in each eye the other day but I dont think they were properly seated. I could feel both of them when I looked side to side and they didnt seem to have any effect on the dryness. The right one fell out only an hour or two after being put in, and the second one fell out after 1 day. If I could feel them does this mean they werent properly seated causing me to not notice if they work or not? I didnt notice any difference with them in. Are plugs completely ineffective for some people?

The doc doesnt seem to think that my chronic use of vaso's are the reason why my eyes are still very red, he says he thinks its mostly caused by dryness. He looked into my lower eyelid for a fair amount of time so maybe he was looking at glands in the lower eyelid to check for certain things maybe?

What do you guys think? Do you think my chronic use of vaso's would still leave my eyes red 2 months after stopping cold turkey? or does it indeed sound like the dryness is whats keeping them red?

[baddabingtim]

hello

I had to use tinted glasses for like 6 months - so your redness is from the vaso's - trust me - been there - done that - for me - 30 yrs of OTC drops -

Suggestions:

1. Don't look in mirror all day long
2. Think of something else
3. Learn to meditate in the bathroom
4. go for a walk and see how eyes feel
5. get some type of tinted glasses - no prescription - just wear the suckers for a while

[bryan9182]

idk man I think Im gonna agree with him on the redness being caused by dryness, but ill ask again in my next appointment.

I've looked up the symptoms for chronic dry eye and I pretty much have all of them. My eyes are reddest when they burn and sting from dryness. I've ask around on a couple eye forum websites and they said the rebound effect of OTC drops isnt usually a problem that lasts for months and months and months after discontinuation of the drops.


timcarroll, you said restasis did nothing for you? how long were you on it for? I've heard mixed opinions about it. I am currently using it but havent been on it long enough to notice any results. I've heard it can take anywhere from 3-6 months for patients using Restasis to get the full effect.

[kitty]

Here is an archived thread of people who, like you, abused vasoconstrictor drops and what they have been left with. Realistically, allow more than a few months for your eyes to recover, if they are going to. http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?t=5407 Also consider the effects of the BAK preservative in many of these drops. Search this site for BAK (also BAC), benzalconium chloride. Dangerous stuff.

[bryan9182]

Kitty, the fact that you said "if they are going to recover" scares me a bit. I have posted on other forums asking if my eyes could possibly be permanently red like this and doctors have responded saying no its not possible. Also, in that thread the person and people responding to it keep weening towards the focus of "Blepharitis/MGD". I do not know what that is, and I have never been diagnosed with it. My eyes are red like that, but there are not nearly as many veins in my eyes as this person has.

here is a link to another forum where I went back and forth with an MD on medhelp.com. tell me what you think of his responses and if you think they sound logical.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/636689

[kitty]

Kitty, the fact that you said "if they are going to recover" scares me a bit. I have posted on other forums asking if my eyes could possibly be permanently red like this and doctors have responded saying no its not possible. Also, in that thread the person and people responding to it keep weening towards the focus of "Blepharitis/MGD". I do not know what that is, and I have never been diagnosed with it. My eyes are red like that, but there are not nearly as many veins in my eyes as this person has.

here is a link to another forum where I went back and forth with an MD on medhelp.com. tell me what you think of his responses and if you think they sound logical.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/636689

All I can say is I have seen people report symptoms allegedly from the use of these drops that last longer than several months. The DES may be a direct or indirect result of the use of the drops. The cause for your symptoms may be multifactoral. I suggest you seek out a physician experienced in ocular surface disorders, (a corneal specialist), and ask to be evaluated for blepharitis, MGD and ocular rosacea specifically. You can also post on this forum to Dr. Latkany regarding the long term effects of the use of vasoconstrictor drops.

The manufacturer info for Visine clearly states that "long-term use of this medication may damage the blood vessels in the eyes". http://www.drugs.com/mtm/visine.html

[bryan9182]

Im gonna make a few more trips back to the doc that I am with right now and see what he has to say. I know for a fact that I have a dryness problem, so hopefully thats where most of the redness is coming from. I guess im just gonna have to wait it out with Restasis and plugs and see if we can get this under control.

Does anyone know if lotemax helps with redness from vasoconstrictor addictions? I asked the doc that I am going to now about it but he said he doesnt think its necessary for my situation

[bryan9182]

ok so I just got back from the doc again for him to put the plugs back in. I guess they werent in correctly the first day because I cant even feel them now when I look side to side. However, they did cause my eyes to itch for about 10 minutes atfer they were in. The doc said tommorow will be the day when I notice the most if they work or not.