PRK and dry eyes - any advice would be helpful - 4 plugs, Xiidra

[Member]

Hi!

Is there someone here on this forum with dry eyes after PRK surgery?
My dry eyes suddenly became inflammed two years post surgery.

I have lower silicone plugs, but wondered if anyone here has had success with plugging uppers too?

Any on here have experience with PRK and Xiidra?

How about blood serum tears - has it helped anyone with dry eye induced by PRK?

Best wishees

[Guest]

I want to just post a reply even though I’m not really seasoned on prk surgery and dryness. But here’s what I do know. Almost everyone that loved their plugs, had all their ducts plugged, not just one. Most people say it took all the plugs to be inserted before they worked. So that’s a big one.

As for serum tears....I think every human with dry eye should be on serum. I literally see zero downside, it can only help. So yes to serum also.

finally, I’m going to give you the advice that helped me the most. Find a university with an amazing dry eye doctor working there. Specifically a dry eye specialist. No one, I mean no one, will be able to help you properly unless they are a specialist. Bold statement I know, but you need someone that has experience with dry eye specifically. Otherwise, your concerns may fall on def ears. That was my experience at least.

Hipe you start feeling better!

[Guest]

Thank you so much for replying to me.

Unfortunately, I am not allowed serum tears, because they are too expensive, and only the worst of the worst cases of dry eyes are allowed to use them.
I wonder how people with "moderately dry eye" can get this medicine.

Again, I would like to try four plugs, but I have been advised not to try, I do not know why. But, I will be asking to try all four ducts plugged. I have heard that plugging the upper ducts can irritate the eye - should I try collagen dissolvable plugs first?

I am lucky to have a great doctor - unfortunately my case is bad and I have been told only to accept my situation. Also money is an issue.

[Member]

Thank you so much for replying to me.

Unfortunately, I am not allowed serum tears, because they are too expensive, and only the worst of the worst cases of dry eyes are allowed to use them.
I wonder how people with "moderately dry eye" can get this medicine.

Again, I would like to try four plugs, but I have been advised not to try, I do not know why. But, I will be asking to try all four ducts plugged. I have heard that plugging the upper ducts can irritate the eye - should I try collagen dissolvable plugs first?

I am lucky to have a great doctor - unfortunately my case is bad and I have been told only to accept my situation. Also money is an issue. This condition sure is expensive...

I am way better than a year ago, much thanks to the plugs and Cyclosporine. Also it does help with a good attitude. When I realised my eyes were becoming a major issue, my first thought was: I am young with the eyes of a 70 year old, and I am in pain 24-7 waiting for the next 10 minutes to go by, and then another 10 minutes - and that was how my life was for half a year. But, magically, somehow I am still managing, and I have hope.

[deep_dry_eye]

Thank you so much for replying to me.

Unfortunately, I am not allowed serum tears, because they are too expensive, and only the worst of the worst cases of dry eyes are allowed to use them.
I wonder how people with "moderately dry eye" can get this medicine.

Again, I would like to try four plugs, but I have been advised not to try, I do not know why. But, I will be asking to try all four ducts plugged. I have heard that plugging the upper ducts can irritate the eye - should I try collagen dissolvable plugs first?

I am lucky to have a great doctor - unfortunately my case is bad and I have been told only to accept my situation. Also money is an issue. This condition sure is expensive...

I am way better than a year ago, much thanks to the plugs and Cyclosporine. Also it does help with a good attitude. When I realised my eyes were becoming a major issue, my first thought was: I am young with the eyes of a 70 year old, and I am in pain 24-7 waiting for the next 10 minutes to go by, and then another 10 minutes - and that was how my life was for half a year. But, magically, somehow I am still managing, and I have hope.

Where do you live? Serum is supposed to be cheap, around $120 CAD / 3 months in TOronto area.

If Cyclsoporin helps you, you should definitely give Xiidra a try for dual-therapy.

[Member]

I live in Europe.
I hope to try Xiidra when it is available to me.

How is Xiidra better than Cyclosporine? I really noticed after 3 months that my corneas did not scratch so much when opening my eyes in the morning. And at 9 months I feel like baseline dry eyes before it became too hard to ignore last year.

I wish there was a medication that really worked. I hope it is Xiidra...

[farmgirl]

In Canada there is no 'qualifying' to be prescribed serum drops, the only caveat is that you have to pay for it yourself. If I am not mistaken, Restasis and Xiidra are both of the cyclosporin family but Xiidra worked really well for me and Restasis didn't.

[Guest]

In Canada there is no 'qualifying' to be prescribed serum drops, the only caveat is that you have to pay for it yourself. If I am not mistaken, Restasis and Xiidra are both of the cyclosporin family but Xiidra worked really well for me and Restasis didn't.

Restasis is cyclosporin (correct), Xiidra is not from cyclsoporin family, but another class Lifitegrast.

[Guest]

I had RK done on both eyes in the 90's and my dry eye did not develop until a few years afterwards. My current ophthalmologist says that my dry eye is definitely a result of the RK surgery. I have 8 well-healed incisions in each eye but the corneal surface is compromised due to the scarring. I had two lower plugs for about 8 years until one fell out. It was replaced but the replacement plug disappeared after a couple of weeks and the doctor thinks it may have slipped down into the canal. The ocular surgeon says to leave it there unless it becomes infected. Apparently there is scar tissue in the canal as my current doc tried to put in another lower plug but kept "hitting something". She put an upper plug in which was so uncomfortable I had to have it removed within days. She put another brand in the upper duct but I could not tolerate that brand either. So, now I have only one lower plug total. The doc wants me to start on the autologous drops as I have tried everything else known to man with no improvement. My ophthalmologist won't really tell me any other cause for my severe dry eye other than RK, but I feel certain there are other causes as well.

[farmgirl]

Restasis is cyclosporin (correct), Xiidra is not from cyclsoporin family, but another class Lifitegrast.

Thanks for the correction Guest, that could explain why one worked and the other didn't. I was under the impression they were related.

[johnsonc22]

Is there someone here on this forum with dry eyes after PRK surgery?
My dry eyes suddenly became inflammed two years post surgery.

I have lower silicone plugs, but wondered if anyone here has had success with plugging uppers too?

Can you provide an update on how your eyes are doing after PRK?

[Member]

My eyes got better with treatment. I have all tear ducts closed. For me, this really helped.
And I use Cyclosporine each night, I saw results after 3 months.
Switching from only using drops, to drops and gel was also useful.
I do not wake up in pain each night any longer. I still have trouble with air-conditioned spaces, and low-humidity air (winter).
I have just accepted that my eyes will probably always be drier than pre prk-days, as long that I am not in constant pain, I can accept it.