Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Punctal Plug Issue

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Punctal Plug Issue

    Hi everyone,

    I've been reading this site for a while - it's really great to have the comfort of knowing you aren't alone dealing with these issues.

    Brief background: As an otherwise completely healthy 23 year old, last July I literally woke up one day with the inability to look at a computer/tv screen. I work long hours on a computer, and also spend a lot of free time using one, watching tv, etc., so I thought perhaps something just "gave out". At first, I was unaware of Dry Eye Syndrome, I described my symptoms as eye strain. I visited a few doctors (one suggested that a new topical acne regimine of lemon juice had perhaps been interacting with my eyes - I stopped immediately, but with no symptom improvement), and one finally did a Schirmer's test, where he said I was low for someone my age ( I think 8 was the reading). I have tried numerous drops, and one thing that helps a lot are Gunnar Glasses, which are tinted amber and protect my eyes from screen brightness. However, they are annoying and I do experience dry eye symptoms even when not in front of a screen.

    I recently moved to Miami, and decided to give Bascom Palmer (the "#1 eye institute") a try. Honestly, I'll say I was hardly impressed with my doctor, though I did decide to try Punctal Plugs which a previous doctor had also mentioned, not knowing how expensive they are ($700 pre-insurance!).

    In any case, here's my issue - the left plug was painful from the beginning. I was told to wait in the lobby to see if it subsided. It did not, so we went from what I believe was a .6mm EagleVision to a .4mm. This made it a little better, and I was told to wait a week to see how I responded. It remained irritated, and I decided to get it removed after the week - except the doctor said it was already gone! Subsequent researching I have done has show this to be common, except I am still in pain. It almost feels like the plug is stuck in my lower eyelid, and the pain even radiates through my sinus area. Has anyone ever experienced this? I have seen that intracanalicular plugs are usually the ones that would pose such a risk, but I have found that the Freeman style punctal plugs can do this occassionally. It actually seems like if they do, it requires major surgery. Now my symptoms have not gotten worse in the past few days, and perhaps even have gotten a bit better.

    I'm really just looking for any shared experience or advice before I go back to the doctor for a third time. I'm really not excited to have them messing with my eyes again.

    Thanks a bunch in advance!

  • #2
    Hi there - sorry to hear what happened. Quite something what a sudden onset you have had!

    Re: the plug: Fingers and toes crossed that it's just some residual inflammation and nothing actually stuck in there!

    To be honest, if it were me... considering the pain pattern you're describing, I'd probably be consulting an oculoplastic doc with experience in plug complications (Miami area should have a loads of those!) to get a definitive answer one way or another. - We have had one or two people here I think who had a punctal plug somehow migrate inward.

    MEANTIME, how about some more detailed dry eye diagnosis? Have you had any testing besides schirmers? (And was that with or without anaesthetic by the way?) How are your meibomian glands? Have you been on any other treatments?

    Just curious too, in what way are the Gunnars annoying?
    Rebecca Petris
    The Dry Eye Foundation
    dryeyefoundation.org
    800-484-0244

    Comment


    • #3
      Yes, the sudden onset was certainly alarming, and I was a bit worried there might be a larger underlying issue, but at this point over a year later it does not seem so.

      Good idea regarding the oculoplastic doctor if it comes to that. Are there posts on this forum regarding the migration? I haven't found those specifically.

      I don't really have more detail on any diagnosis, as a matter of fact the doctors at Bascom Palmer seemed to think my eyes weren't super dry, and seemed a bit surprised they were causing me such issues. They did not use the Schirmers test actually, they used a die that they said could detect damage - kind of seemed to me like they were skipping a step (couldn't there be a problem that has YET to cause damage?) But as they were doctor #4 to inspect my eyes in a bit over a year, that's really the only abnormal finding anyone has found - everything else seems fine (including vision, thankfully).

      The Schirmers I believe was without anaesthetic - does that change how accurate the test is? Nobody has mentioned my meibomian glands but perhaps this is avenue to explore given that Bascom Palmer advised me that my tear wells looked fine.

      The Gunnars are annoying for both aesthetic and practical reasons - they look silly when I am at work or have people over to watch a football game, for instance, and also are not the most comfortable frames. They offer many different types of frame, but given that they are expensive and an online vendor, I'm not running out to buy a bunch to try different fits. Other than these, I have just used various drops (currently using Systane Ultra) and also Refresh PM. They feel very good when utilized, but the relief is quite brief. And there definitely seems to be a rebound effect where I feel worse afterwards. Also, I now take Omega-3 supplements.

      Comment

      Working...
      X