Lacrisert

[jchughes68]

Has anyone been prescribed Lacrisert??  Do you like it?  How effective is it?  I have used it quite awhile now.  It is VERY expensive.  Chris

[Nickittynic]

I had it. I hated it and it didn't work, so I stopped using it. I didn't have enough 'strength' in my lower eye lid to hold it in there, so it would pop out and then stick to my eye and dry there - ouch! When I told my eye doc I stopped using it he didn't care much - just said it was worth a try and if it wasn't helping don't bother. It is expensive!

[jchughes68]

Thank you so much for your reply.  I see you have a gold weight too since 10/09.  Do you like it?  Does it make your upper eyelid sag?  Can you blink? Or is the gold weight just to allow you to close your eye completely?  Chris

[Nickittynic]

I do like my gold weight. Before I got it I had to have a 'moisture chamber' (aka plastic wrap) over my eye 24/7. My eyelid doesn't sag but if you look close you can tell it's a little 'puffier' than the other side. Not enough to bother me. It took about a week for me to get used to it (felt like I had something in my eye all the time) but after that it was great. My surgeon did a great job and there's practically no scar or anything. I don't really blink all the way, it jsut kind of twitches, but I can now close my eye like 80-90% vs like 50-60% before the weight.
What *really* made a difference for me, though, was getting a plug in my lower tear duct and switching to Refresh Celluvisc drops.

[nancyann]

Hi Chris:  I've never heard of Lacrisert before.  I have total paralysis on the AN side.  I use Refresh PM ointment exclusively - it's the only thing that works for me.
I also have a platinum weight, 1.6 gram (I was allergic to the gold weight, very rare).  I had my weight put in by an oculoplastic surgeon & he positioned it so my eyes
look symmetrical.  Like Nikki, you can see a very slight bulge in the lid if you look closely - if I ever need a new one ( 5+ years from initial implant), I'm going to ask for the
platinum chain which is much thinner.
I am very happy with the weight.  I do have to squeeze real hard to get almost full closure.  It really helped my eye not to have the 'skeletal look' it did do to the severe paralysis.
Always good thoughts,  Nancy

[jchughes68]

Nicki and Nancy,  Thank you both  so much for your replies - very helpful.  Is Refresh PM and Refresh Celluvisc the same??  I have used every PM ointment on the market I think and am familiar w/PM but not Celluvisc.  I also have a plug in my tear duct.  I have found this forum so informative and helpful!  Thanks, Chris

[nancyann]

Hi Chris:  Refresh PM is a lubricant - thick;  Celluvisc is the thickest eye drops that I've come across.  My eye surgeon wanted me to use Celluvisc so my eyesight wouldn't be so blurry from the Refresh PM,  but my eye would start burning about 5 minutes after I put it in - it wasn't thick/strong enough for me.
I had a pyrex tube put in the corner of my eye to drain my tears !   I would get so much tears that they would just build up on my lower lid then fall down my cheek !  The tears were useless b/c I don't have the part  where the lid slides back & forth when you blink b/c of the paralysis (my oculoplastic surgeon told me about this little known fact).  It's such a slight movement that you can't see it !  & yes,  this forum is full of wonderful people & info.  If it wasn't for this forum I wouldn't have found Dr. Burne & the T3 procedure for chronic facial paralysis !
Always good thoughts,  Nancy

[Nickittynic]

Yep, the PM is ointment and the Celluvisc are thick drops. I use PM ointment before bed and sometimes also once in the day, and the drops as needed, which used to be every 2-4 hours but now is more like every 4-6.