Hi Everyone

[ddenn]

I had plugs put in about 5 weeks ago. In the begining I had quite a bit of irritation from the plugs rubbing on my eyes. I went in for a follow up appt. My doctor said she could see where the plugs were rubbing. She said that the dye test did not show any scratching at all. She said that the cornea looked a lot better and that she really did not want to push the plugs down any futher.
My eyes do feel better most of the time. They do get irritated and when I move my eyes I can still feel the plugs. Eye drops seem to make this worse. I have tried the preservative free and that does not make a difference. My doctor recomended Soothe as I do not produce enough oil. Allergy drops do seem to help for a little while.
I was wondering if anyone had the same problem?

Thanks in advance!!!

[Teri]

Welcome to DEZ!

I expect one of our wonderful moderators will chime in, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in, too.

I'm guessing you have the sort of punctal plugs that have the "mushroom top" on them? They should be flush, although even in that position, mine do poke me when I look sharply to the right or left. There are other kinds of plugs you can try (and lots of info on here about them) that are more comfortable, especially if you think they are helping.

Our resident plug expert is Indrep, and he might be able to offer some insight. Or you could just search for his posts and read advice he's given others.

You also might want to read up about blepharitis of MGD (Meibomian Gland Dysfunction) if your doctor thinks you are not producing enough oil.

That is also one of my problems, and I found that while oily drops like Soothe seemed to last longer and feel good, ultimately they were not helpful. I think they clog the oil glands more, making the problem worse. One thing that can help the oil problem a lot is to use a warm compress on your eyes (four times a day, ten minutes each time). There has been a lot of discussion about warm compresses on here, too.

So, you can do a lot of research on this site and go to your next appointment armed with info and questions for your doctor.

Good luck and I hope you find something to help you feel better!
Teri

[dianat]

For what my novice opinion is worth, I think it is wrong and unfair for your doctor to discount the discomfort and damage caused by a plug that rubs your eye.