My punctal plugs came out . . .

[AnneNeville]

Somehow in the last few weeks, my silicone punctal plugs have come out. I can't get an appointment to get them replaced until April. In the meanwhile, my eyes are red and painful when I wake up. I use restasis, and I've been using systane gel at night, which was enough to help with the plugs intact.

Any recommendations of things I can do in the meanwhile?

I guess I need a humidifier, but my husband hates "stuffy" rooms. :-(

[DarleneB]

Sorry to hear...I have rubbed a few out of my eyes over the years.
You might have to buy some sterile eye ointment for the day.  I feel for you.

[eye2dry]

hello there.

what darleneb recommended should help get you through....might make your vision
a little bit blurry when used during the day but it sure beats the awful sjogren eye problems.

I noticed beside the temp plugs you also use Restasis as well. I would like to make
a suggestion as a sjogren diagnosis person since 2010........have your lower punctums
permenately closed.....sealed by your eye dr. You won't have this happen again, I used temp plug
for 2 weeks...saw improvement so then had them closed for good.

My thinking on above suggestion is you will not be "cured" of your sjogrens......it's here for good. The symptoms may
wax and wane but you have it and will have it.

shelly

[AnneNeville]

It's a good suggestion! My plan when I called to make the appointment was to get the lower ducts permanently closed. It certainly seems like a wiser choice, now that I know this is a chronic issue.

[SjoGirl]

Try putting the humidifier on before you go to bed then shutting it off when you are ready to go to sleep. I find that helps, even if not as much as running a humidifier all night.

My eye doc suggested using warm (not hot) compresses on my eyes when the dryness was at its worst. I still use warm water on them in the evenings after removing make up, it helps to open the glands and let the juices there flow.

[jazzlover]

Why the long wait?? That's wrong to make you wait!!

I use Systane ointment at night and if my eyes are bad during the day, I will put a bit of it in my eyes.

PS .. I love my more permanent plugs.

[AnneNeville]

I guess they are booked. :-( I will try the hot compresses in the meanwhile.

[ohiolady]

My eye doctor told me to use Restasis 4 times a day for flares.  Also, I use dura plugs, which are a plug that dissolves over a four month period.  This is what works for me for the last ten years.  My eyes are 0 and 2 on the Schirmer score.

Anna