Relief at long last! Lacriserts to the rescue!

[katiedid]

I'm happy to join the small group of folks who are enjoying relief due to Lacriserts! After a year of goggles, plugs, $500 chamber glasses, meds, humidifiers, compresses and more drops than in the Atlantic Ocean, I put a Lacrisert in and feel immediate relief for the next 10-12 hours. I walked through wal-mart without freaky goggles, I walked outside with my husband without chamber glasses, and finally, I actually have an abundance of moisture. I haven't reached for my usual 5-8 applications of preservative-free drops in weeks.

Yes, it gets goopy at the end of the day and can sometimes feel "heavy" or "thick" but honestly, that is nothing compared to the aching and dryness I felt day in and day out. I put them in first thing and they usually last all day. It can be a goopy mess in the morning, too. To save money, I only use them during the week when I'm working and actually feel a little benefit still on the weekends. With the mail order insurance I have, it's only $40/month...down from the $280 that's quoted on the web. Finally, my doc had some free samples so I could try it first before I bought the order. If your curious, give them a shot! Good luck!

[eyes kaput]

I'm so glad you're getting relief from Lacriserts. I started them this week after having exhausted every other prescription over several months, as the "last option we have before permanent plugs" (didn't benefit from temp plugs...) and unfortunately don't have much good to report. They're in there, they're dissolving, occasionally I feel a trace amount of moisture... and that's about it. I'd go as far as to say my eyes feel worse, but it would be difficult to know if I wasn't just having randomly crumbier days or if Lacriserts is the cause. I wore them over night to see if there was any noticeable improvement compared to how I usually feel in the morning and it was same if not worse.

I've read on the forum that the reading materials in the box suggest that Lacriserts could take some weeks to deliver on their promise. I don't quite understand why that would be the case. Doc said I'd know within a few days if they were going to work out.

I'm essentially 'allergic' to all tears. There's not a tear I've tried including what's available in the dry eye shop that doesn't make my eyes feel worse within minutes. So it may be that likewise I'm reacting poorly to a dissolving tear of sorts.

It's a mysterious thing what works from some people versus others, given your case sounds somewhat more intolerable than my own. Apologies for the down note. I do absolutely think it's worth pressuring one's doc to explore the Lacriserts option. They cost $40 for me as well with Aetna. You just never know what's going to do it.

[Margaret]

"last option before permanent plugs"? go ahead and try permanent plugs! I tried them for three months. About half way through I started to excessively tear (never had a tear I didn't like), but I'm 9 months out of Lasik so they thought maybe I was getting more good tears and took them out. They felt a little strange in my eyes some days, maybe increased inflammation? but all in all, they are no different to me that the temp plugs except they hold more tears in.

Just a thought.

I tried lacriserts a long time ago. I might give them another go. I have a feeling they work best for people with no lacrimal gland issues, just mgd?

[eyes kaput]

"last option before permanent plugs"? go ahead and try permanent plugs!

I'm sure I will end up trying the permanent plugs. The temp plugs had zero effect so I'm not as hopeful as I'd like to be. Doc said that the temp plugs don't work as well though, of course. We'll see.

[jwax]

lacriserts

My eye doctor has ordered samples of the lacriserts and I will be giving them a try this week. Hopefully they will help.
Does anyone have problems with trying to get a prescription in the goggles when you need tri-focals? Not having any luck, due to the curve of the lens. It distorts the prescription.

[Rebecca Petris]

Katiedid, congrats, that's wonderful!!

jwax,

Does anyone have problems with trying to get a prescription in the goggles when you need tri-focals? Not having any luck, due to the curve of the lens. It distorts the prescription.

It depends on the framestyle... also sometimes on the optician. One place that I know has helped several people with challenging prescriptions is heavyglare.com - they have a lot of experience with this. Might not hurt to just call them up and ask them whether they could do what you need.

[jwax]

lacriserts

I got samples of the lacriserts today. Before inserting, my Dr. tested my dryness and it showed my right eye was 7, while my left eye was 4. Normal is 12-15. After inserting the lacriserts, my right eye has watered all day, left eye feels good. May have to just use them in the left eye. Does anyone else have this problem with one eye being worse than the other? Just not comfortable with all the watering.

[Trac]

I tried lacriserts several months ago. They stung my eye and casued them to be very red. I only used them for a couple of days and my doctor took me off.

[diggylove]

considering Lacriserts...input requested!

My doctor has offered me an Rx for Lacriserts. He has not mentioned samples...that would be good & if he could do a trial insertion in his office. I am skeptical since I've read a fair amount of negative press about them &, basically, they are not mainstream as a treatment. I have been on Restasis for years (with no help that I'm aware of). Since I have one punctum cauterized, I am not even sure if Restasis is appropriate (the punctal plug contradiction issue). Drops do not help. I spent a fortune on IPL. I have seen countless doctors in 7 years. All I know is that I am brutally dry, getting worse, & my eyes burn constantly. My exact Dx still baffles me. Are Lacriserts worth trying, given this jumble of facts?

[Reggie]

^It can't hurt, they help some people and don't work for others. Before the sclerals, I've tried everything including Lacricerts and they didn't benefit me. I just ended up with a gooey mess all over my eyes a few hours aftering putting them in. I believe I have MGD if that matters.

[Gabriel]

I tried them and they were to thick for me. If you don't have enough watery tears then they will get really gummy. I was having to use watery type of drops to try and make them dissolve better. After having lasik I'm lacking watery and oily tears.

[diggylove]

Lacriserts worked???

Well, I have to say the 1st comment above is encouaging, & that's among a flood (not the best word to use to describe dry eye sufferes) of folks who would disagree from their own bad experiences. The issue of gooiness seems to be the biggest gripe but certainly downright discomfort is up there, too. I've read that most people fail with Lacriserts...which is one factor that keeps the cost so high. I wouldn't mind popping down the cost ($70 per month for me) to try them, figuring that maybe I could get by with using them in only 1 eye (which is much worse), but I would really like my doctor to guide me in the insertion process the 1st time. I have been considering asking him to get samples to "try out on me" in the office, & then to send me home with some. But, I always get almost to that point, then back out. I envision those little things popping out on the floor, massing up into go, blurring my vision &, if I'm really lucky, scratching my cornea(s). So, I keep muddling along & suffering greatly. The future downright terrifies me for I have been getting worse over 7 years. What's to come? Not to say I have any other clear next step, only the big leap to scleral lenses, so the Lacriserts may end up being the next logical one I take, if I take any at all. I'm generally bummed out on it all & am so bitterly tired of this pain (burning & parched feeling). I feel like a freak among everyone else I know. Best of continued luck...keep on posting how you're doing! You offer a ray of hope!

[katiedid]

I don't see the harm in trying it. It beats wondering and suffering. To be honest, I don't use the insertion contraption - i couldn't get the darn tablet off of it. I just press my clean finger tip on the tablet, pull my lower lid down and place it in the pouch. Then I don't think about it again till the end of the day. The tablet does swell and if I squint by laughing too hard or look down for a long time, the tablet will get caught in between my lid. It doesn't hurt but it's blurry. I just use a couple of drops of tears and I'm on my way again. I do try to remember to take them out before bed because it can be a gloppy mess in the morning! My schirmer scores are "1" in both eyes. With my lacricerts in, I actually wipe away moisture on some days! How cool is that?

I like to say that lacricerts are like Cilantro: You either love em or you don't. (I don't care for Cilantro but don't want to think about living with my Lacricerts!) Everyone should try them because you never know until you do, right?! Good luck!

[DCRdryeye]

I've tried Lacriserts and found they are okay for the first hour, then eyes are dry again and back to the moisture chambers!! I've placed up to 3 Lacrisert pellets into each eyelid and still didn't find it made much difference. Perhaps with almost no tear production the inner lids are so dry that the pellets are too slow to dissolve?

[Rebecca Petris]

Perhaps with almost no tear production the inner lids are so dry that the pellets are too slow to dissolve?

My recollection from past discussions about them here is that in a very dry eye they need added moisture to dissolve. I think some people apply Unisol 4 (the unpreserved saline) or an artificial tear.