I have SEVERELY dry eyes. I have been gooping them with Genteal, and ointments, and drops, and hot compresses, and so on. MY EYES ARE NOT HAPPY!

My MD wants me to get plugs. Says the hole is not closing, and all that moisture is going right into my sinus. Plugs will keep the moisture in my eyes.

Does anyone have these things? Do they hurt? Can you feel them? are they irritating? scratchy? do they fall out easily? what do you have to do for um?

HI,

While I don't have MS I did have dry eyes from an autoimmune issue. I had the plugs and I did not feel em going in while they are in or when they came out. They were very comfortable and insertion by the doc was quick and painless.

I just could not tell when they fell out, so You have to visit the doc every 3 plus months or so.

Did help the dryness though.

I just went thru a few weeks of extremely dry eyes. I thought it was something from the optic neuritis that I've had. Opthalmologist told me that dry eye isnt usually a symptom for optic neuritis. Turns out it was allergies and the medications for the allergies that was causing it.

My opthalmologist gave me some Rx eye drops for seasonal allergies. Do you have allergies that are causing the dry eyes?

I was taking Singulair (an asthma med that can be used to treat seasonal allergies) and I was also taking Clarinex. Apparently both medications dried me out so badly that my right eye was drier than Death Valley for several days last week. Eye drops didnt seem to help (Refresh Tears Gel, and the regular Refresh Tears)

Once I started to use the Rx allergy drops, my eye started to feel better. Still feels a little dry sometimes, but I'm not drowning myself in drops now.

I wouldnt worry about the plugs. I've never had them, but I did ask my opthalmologist about them. He said he puts plugs in people almost every day. Said that it doesnt hurt, and you wont really notice them there. So, if he had suggested that I needed plugs, I would have let him do it. If I continue to have dry eye, I'll probably go back and let him put the plugs in.

I have had all of my meds evaluated, and I have cut back on all of the ones that I can cut back on. I have changed a few, and its not made a big diff. They tell me its because the tear duct is stuck open, and wont allow moisture to stay IN the eye. The eye surgeon said it was one of the worst cases of plain old dry eyes that she had seen in a looooong time.

I am always filling my eyes with goop, and drops, and using wash cloths to hydrate my face. its awful!

I just didnt want to agree to them to find I was scratching away at my eyes half the night cause they felt weird.

pumkin!!! sounds like it's time to plug um up!

loves ya!!

I'd go for the plugs. You dont want to mess around scratching your eyes to bits because they're dry. Plus, it gets tiring to be constantly dripping stuff into your eyes.

Another thought....recently I posted in vitamin forum about a supplement the doc wanted me to take before i had lasik surgery. He said it was for dry eyes.

Mrsd just bumped up her thread on essential Fatty acids and the last post is a link to my post on the supplement for eyes.

Might be worth a read.

Hi! I had tear duct plugs put in after my lasik also. They fell out, so the eye surgeon popped larger ones in. Didn't hurt and have helped alot. I can feel mine w/my finger, but othewise don't know they are there.

He told me that when a person cries, the tears come from the upper ducts and are absorbed thru the lower tear ducts, hence nose running. So, if the lower ducts are plugged, the natural tears keep the eyes moist.

My plugs were covered by my med ins.

ok, I have to stop being such a baby, and call to get those plugs. My eyes have been so horrible.

I have excellent insurance, so I am sure they are covered, but all of the money I am spending on tubes of goop isnt. $10 to $15 dollars a pop for a tube of goop.

thanks everyone, I will let you know when I have it done.