Hi everyone. I'm new and confused and could really use help

[Cathy]

I have dry eyes which have never been diagnosed as anything other than aging and menopause. I am 55 and have been having problems for about a year with my eyes.
My question today is this: I had plugs put in my lower tearducts and they really helped a lot. I didn't even have to use drops too often. But the right one kept falling out. So I talked to the doctor and said can we put some in the uppers or can we use bigger plugs or what? And he just kept insisting that since I had so much success with the plugs to get cauterized. So I did get the cauterization of my right lower. And it is like nothing happened at all! My eyes are so hurting.
So I went back to the doctor and he claims that the cautery was done properly by just looking at it and says he never heard of this situation...said no one who had success with plugs would not be just the same with cautery. ANd he said that I probably just got more dry eye in between the time of the plugs and the cautery. When I said that was only literally 12 hours he didn't say anything but is now insisting I take Restasis.
So my question is has anyone experienced this? Does it sound like the cautery didn't work? WHat should I do to get it checked? I need some hope, I am very scared I won't get better and won't be able to work or have any life eventually.
Cathy

[Guest]

From what I understand, they can't tell 100% for sure if it's open or not just by looking at it... my own dr. said a dr. could try to irrigate it and if water runs down the back of your throat, you know it's open... but he also said that sometimes the forceful flow of the irrigation can open up the cautery if it's just hanging on, so then you still wouldn't be totally sure if water was running down your throat because the cautery is open, or because the irrigation opened it.

I've also hear others on the forums mention various other ways that their dr's have used to try to figure out for sure if the cautery has come open or not:

1) putting dye in the eye, let it sit for a while, then see if it comes out your nose when you blow your nose
2) trying to probe it with the little measuring device they use to measure the puncta for plugs - if the little probe won't go into the puncta, it's probably shut

I'm sure there are other ways dr's have used, but that's all I can remember for now.

So I'd try to see what he says about any other ways to test it, and also consider the possibility that things just got worse... but you mention the 12 hour thing, and if over 12 hours your eyes went from more moist to bone dry, then who knows... maybe it really is because of the puncta not being blocked (whether via cautery or plugs)

But do keep hope that things will get better... you just never know when things will take a turn for the better!!!!

[farmgirl]

WOW, you could tell within 12 hours that you were worse not better. I am not sure how he did the cautery but when I had mine done I literally looked like I had gone a few rounds with Mohammed Ali and he won. I was swollen and bruised and you would not have been able to tell exactly what had happened to me. Because of the burns it took a couple of weeks until the eyes were not sore (just from the burns, dry eye aside). Maybe you need to give it more time to heal and the burns to scar up.

I do agree with him that if the plugs helped then the cautery (in the end) should give the same results. I will say though that I have found that if one eye is bothering me they both bother me. If enough time has passed since the cautery you might try another temporary plug in the other eye and see if that helps. I found I need all 4 plugged to get any results. It's a crap shoot and you just need to keep trying, hopefully you will find what works for you, we're all different...cheers...F/G

[Tanner]

Each day is a little different. Sorry you are having a tough time. I have read other people say the same thing about the effect not helping as much. There is more to try.