UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

DEAR FRIENDS.
I´M FROM BRAZIL AND I HAVE KERATOCONUS FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS.
HERE THE SOLUTIONS ARE, GLASSES, RGPS , FERRARA RINGS AND GRFATS IN THAT ORDER.
WE DON´T HAVE C3R, NOR PRK.
WELL, I HAVE ALSO BEEN BLESSED WITH DRY EYES, THAT MAKES RGPS MORE UNCONFORTABLE THAN ANYTHING.
MY DOCTOR SUGESTES FOR ME TO INSERT SILICON PLUGS IN THE LACRIMA CANAL ESCAPE HOLE, TO HOLD MORE MY TEARS ON MY CORNEA. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT? HAS ANYONE PERFORMED?
ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYONE HERE USES RESTASIS FROM ALLERGAIN FOR DRY EYES AND IF IT IS GOOD.

Hi Jera,

Mnay of us here use lubricating eye drops to overcome the dry eyes. For me that is Systane by Alcon.

Not heard of the sergical treatment you refer to but sounds interesting, do you have any more information.

I will look up Restasis from Allergain to see how close it is to other dops I have used. In some countries the product name changes. Can you post the ingredients please, just incase I have trouble finding it on the net.

Regards

Gareth

Gareth,
About the Restasi it´s composition is cicloporin A at a 0,05% concentration. It´s used combined, sometimes, with the systane. Here is the website:
http://www.allergan.com/site/products/c ... largeText=

About the plugs. Well, My english isn´t the best but there it goes: at the part of the eye near the nose there is a little canal that drains the excess of tears in the eyes. We have one little canal in each eye. Well, the procedure that is done without surgery or anestesics, is very simple. They put in the canal a little cilyndrical piece os silicone that is thermo activated. This means that it is thinner than de canal but when inserted, with the heat of the body, it enlarges, closing the canal.
Well, then the tears stay more in your eyes, it is reversible, tou just inject a little bit of liquid under pressure inside the canal and de silicon pops ou via the nose or somehong like that.
understandable?.. Please i´ve done my best, if you didn´t understand my poor techcnical english please write me.
Bests

Jera,

Considering you say your English is poor, I think your post was extremely good and your English is excellent.

Will asks the pharmacists at work about the eye drops.

HI Jera!

Punctum plugs are used a lot in the States and generally your side of the atlantic. They tend not to be used so much here. They do work well in many people and definitely worth giving it a go as then you don't have to keep using lubricating drops.

If you read through the links you sent us, you will see that Allergan point out that Restasis does not increase tear production if you are using silicon plugs already. So its an either or. I have not seen Restasis around here in the UK but am going over to Trinidad shortly for 3 weeks and I'll see if its being used there.

There is an explanation of why its not in the UK hereif anyone is interested



Lynn

Lynn,

That link sums it up nicely, the fact we have an National Health Service means any drug tested has to show a marked improvement over what already exists.

Guys,
I´ve just came from the drugstore and they have Restasis for sale for about R$100,00, it´s like US$ 40,00. It comes in a box with 32 Blisters of daily use.
As it is not a controlled drug in my country, it can be bought by anyone, i´m justo gonna talk with one of my doctors and give it a shot.
Who knows.
I´ll post the results next week.
Tomorrow I´m going to visit a doctors that performs PRK for keratoconus patients with success. Let´s see, i´ll keep tou informed.

Hey there. I had a plug put in about four years ago but it didn't really work. My lenses were so sore and kept drying out, but this plug hurt so dam much that in the end it was itching so i rubbed my eye and lost it! They had to make the tear duct bigger to get it in and that really hurt!

Now i use Systane regularly and piggy back lenses. With a soft lens underneath my RGP hardly ever dries out now so the problem has been solved!

Sweet X x X