Getting worried...backup inflammation?

[No tears in ATL]

Hi all, sorry to post twice in the last few days, I just can't help but get worried. Had plugs on bottom put in on Monday. Top is not plugged on one, other eye is fully plugged. Left eye (the one with only one plug) still pretty much dry, right one has plenty of tears now.

I thought I had gotten the inflammation down before inserting the plugs with a two week course of steroid drops. Eyes looked fine after this two week period.

Fast forward to this morning...

Eyes don't necessarily feel that terrible, but they are very veiny looking with the inner corners, and parts of lower lid of the eye being pretty bright red. They more or less look somewhat like they do when the doctor says they are "inflamed." The left eye (the bad eye) feels a little scratchy/burny but the right one (fully plugged) feels fine.

I have a follow up several weeks from now, but do you think this is backup inflammation and I should continue on with my steroid drops at a low dose (like once or twice a day)? Doc says I can use the drops as needed but just don't go overboard.

I don't know what else to do. I thought I was going to get relief from these plugs and now I just look scarier than ever. If it is backup inflammation, can I get it to go down without removing these plugs? Plugs are so expensive...

They did use that fluorecein stain to check my pressure and that stuff is always brutal and takes some time to recover from. Or do some people just have naturally vascular eyes that react strangely to drops, preservatives, serum tears, or anything otherwise new? This redness is driving me crazy. Only difference now, is I actually LOOK it.

[lizlou29]

Has the redness improved? Have you had your follow up appointment. I have four plugs and I wonder if they are making things worse but I'm always told my eyes would be worse off without them. I'm thinking about asking for the uppers to be taken out but I don't want to try too many things at once. I get bloodshot eyes occasionally now, that's new for me.

Like you said we could be twins - I find the flourescin and anaesthetic drops screw my eyes up for a while after. I guess because our tear film is so poor. Takes me ages to open my eyes again after they put it in. When I had Lipiflow and felt horrendous the next day their well-meaning receptionist suggested anaesthetic drops. My brother had them used on him a while ago and he said he could barely feel them.

[No tears in ATL]

When I had the bottom plugs taken out, instant relief. I still have the one upper one in, but since I have so few tears anyway, I don't think it matters much. Maybe you would be ok with just the uppers (someone on this board mentioned plugging just the uppers to start, drains only 30% of tears).

Yes, the fluorescine and the anesthetic drops are bad news for me. Ask them to give you some eye wash so that you can rinse it out afterward. The eyes still get red after those drops are used but not nearly as bad if I rinse my eyes out well.

Doc took me off steroid drops cold turkey due to raised pressure, so I am feeling bad this week. So looks like it is trying doxy and going to get some more serum tears next week. That's about all I can do.

I knew something was wrong being quadra-plugged when--and this is the only way I can describe it--my eyes felt as though I had gone swimming in the Dead Sea with my eyes open. The eyes were also very goopy and runny in the morning. The tears were there, they were just not good quality I suppose.

Hope you start feeling better soon. Did they do the test on you with the strips? Do you remember what the doctor said about the results?

[lizlou29]

My Schimmers test was 0 and 1 with anaesthetic. Was a bit better without so the anaesthetic must dry my eyes. So basically I have severe AD. I'd gone a few years with the lower plugs with no problem up until last Feb.
Going with a list of questions for my appointment on Monday. I only live 5 mins from eye hospital so would be easy to go back ang get the plugs put back in if it made things worse.

I've had the lowers in for 3 years and was wondering if they should be changed at some point anyway? I was never told about this.

Been crying on my boyfriend's shoulder for last hour so my eyes are even worse now but needed to release the emotion!