Sjogren's Syndrome Support Group
Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy the exocrine glands that produce tears and saliva. It also associated with rheumatic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, and it is rheumatoid factor positive in 90 percent of cases.
Hi all,
I just had tear duct plugs put in today because they did the Schirmer test and on my right eye I had under the number one on the measuring stick and on the left eye I had no measurement at all. He told me I have severe dry eyes. He really recommended the plugs. Supposedly they conserve the little bit of wetness on your eyes and when you add drops or gel it keeps it there without draining away.
So, I got the plugs in the AM, about 9:15. I felt better immediately. No more painful eyes. Unfortunately I forgot about the numbing agent he used. The WHOLE rest of the day I suffered with extreme eye pain. I used my drops and gel to no avail. I was using Sustyne Ultra for my drops and Genteal for the gel. Well the Sustyne has been doing nothing for me. I felt it and it feels just water. I bought this stuff called "Blink" in a blue bottle and it is called "lubricating eye gel drops". That stuff actually feels like lubrication!!! It works great too. Like giving your eyeballs a refreshing cool bath.
The problem is that I still have pain and it is 7:00 am the next morning, almost 24 hours after the procedure. He didnt tell me I would have pain at all. He just said the numbing agent would wear off in 30 minutes. I had to sleep and constantly use drops all day. Right now the blepharospasms are severe. My left eye is tightly shut and wont even consider opening up. M y right eye is open a little more than 1/8 inch. The blepharospasms have not been this bad in weeks.
Do you guys think I should give it a little time? After all it was a procedure and a pretty painful one at that also!!! I have a feeling the numbging stuff was only working on my eye and not on my tear ducts because I could feel every single thing he was doing and it was horrible and a horrible memory. Oh well. What we go through. Thanks for reading and thanks for taking the time to answer.............Irish
I just had tear duct plugs put in today because they did the Schirmer test and on my right eye I had under the number one on the measuring stick and on the left eye I had no measurement at all. He told me I have severe dry eyes. He really recommended the plugs. Supposedly they conserve the little bit of wetness on your eyes and when you add drops or gel it keeps it there without draining away.
So, I got the plugs in the AM, about 9:15. I felt better immediately. No more painful eyes. Unfortunately I forgot about the numbing agent he used. The WHOLE rest of the day I suffered with extreme eye pain. I used my drops and gel to no avail. I was using Sustyne Ultra for my drops and Genteal for the gel. Well the Sustyne has been doing nothing for me. I felt it and it feels just water. I bought this stuff called "Blink" in a blue bottle and it is called "lubricating eye gel drops". That stuff actually feels like lubrication!!! It works great too. Like giving your eyeballs a refreshing cool bath.
The problem is that I still have pain and it is 7:00 am the next morning, almost 24 hours after the procedure. He didnt tell me I would have pain at all. He just said the numbing agent would wear off in 30 minutes. I had to sleep and constantly use drops all day. Right now the blepharospasms are severe. My left eye is tightly shut and wont even consider opening up. M y right eye is open a little more than 1/8 inch. The blepharospasms have not been this bad in weeks.
Do you guys think I should give it a little time? After all it was a procedure and a pretty painful one at that also!!! I have a feeling the numbging stuff was only working on my eye and not on my tear ducts because I could feel every single thing he was doing and it was horrible and a horrible memory. Oh well. What we go through. Thanks for reading and thanks for taking the time to answer.............Irish
I have had plugs put in, both the silicon and the collagen, and there was never any pain for me. My opthamologist did not use a numbing gel. It is possible that you are sensitive to either the numbing medicine or the silicon or collagen in the plug. In any case, I hope you get some relief! It's bad enough having severe dry eyes without the pain you are experiencing.
Best of luck ~ Jo