Lipiflow Comes to Florida

[Sammy B.]

Finally! Finally.

http://palmharbor.wtsp.com/news/news...ease-treatment

[patrick]

Hi,

You have plans to have this procedure done?
Is there data available about how effective this procedure really is?

Patrick...

[Sammy B.]

Hey Patrick, how are things?

I am having Lipiflow done (if I qualify for it and I am thinking that I will) on Friday, 6/1.

There are studies available on Lipiflow, if you Google you will find some. As far as the response, it's probably patient-specific just like everything else we try! And also, I don't believe there are any long-term studies available as the machinery is very new.

However I am hoping that because of my healthy diet (vegetarian, no sugar) and exercise habits, I will be able to reap some benefits from this procedure. I'm also going to try an anti-inflammatory diet to try to quell some of the problems (basically I will be avoiding nightshades for 1-2 months to see if it helps). If blepharitis and dry eye are inflammatory diseases, then maybe putting a stop to the inflammatory foods that I eat should help.

Rose

[gilligan_1434]

Good luck, Rose, I hope it works for you.

This story inspired me to try a warm-water-filled-double baggy in lieu of a compress; it held heat much longer than a warm moist cloth.

[Maud]

It's in North Carolina, and they told me that insurance doesn't cover it. So far, no one's insurance has covered it in their practise. Has anyone reading this had it covered by their insurance company?

[spmcc]

Hi Rose,

I just wanted to let you know that some locations in the US (e.g, in MN) are offering a reduced, introductory price on LipiFlow. I never had that option with either of the two new (at the time) locations in BC. Perhaps you could "kindly suggest" that the new location in FLA offer this (if they aren't already). I think it's only fair that when these locations are just learning the technology and you are their guinea pig that they reduce the price.

Good luck with everything on 6/1.

Sheila

[patrick]

hey rose,

things are okay here,but regretfully not eyewise.
my symptoms seem to increase progressively despite the fact that i put a lot of effort in it to reverse the whole thing. i is very frustrating from time to time and sometimes i just give up. (which is not a very wise thing to do,i know), but all these treatments it is just such a hassle. i don't always have the time to do all the things i should.
hopefully the lipiflow will bring you some success in fighting your meimomian gland dysfunction. i sure am curious to hear about your experiences,so please keep us updated here!
it surprised me a little bit though to read that your are going to try this new procedure.
i thought you wrote in one of your previous posts that you found out that a large portion of your dry eye symptoms were due to eye strain,and that you now have a pair of prescription glasses for computer use and for correcting a small amount of astigmatism and it had resolved the greater part of your symptoms.
i will receive my glasses in a short while. same thing. they found out i have a certain degree of astigmatism. don't know what to expect with these glasses,but we'll see.
good idea to quit eating food that promotes inflammation for a while. i admire your persistence. isn't that a really difficult task? how do you know what food to avoid? are there lists for that available?
do you currently use any medication to reduce inflammation?

good luck on the first of june!

patrick...

[kanon]

Hi guys,
Could you tell me more about lipiflow? I saw a short video on it, but what does it do, exactly, for the eye lids? Like the name suggests, does it help the lipids/tears flow, or help the glands in some way? And I've heard people on this forum talk about expressing their lids? What does this do and how do you do it?
Thanks!

[kanon]

Never mind: I just saw the link that was posted and the article gives me a little info. If anyone knows more, I'd love to know. Are there any risks? And has anyone seen this new pulse light therapy that is helping people in the U.S.?

[Sammy B.]

Sheila, thank you for the reduced rate info. I'll see how it goes and then I might just spring it on 'em!

Patrick, I no longer experience any deep pain or soreness behind my eyes thanks to my glasses. And to me, that was the worst. Just some burning or a sensation where it feels like there's something in the eye - I can deal with that. So while I have improved a great deal, it would be MAGNIFICENT if I did not have to do the daily warm compresses and also bombard my body with doxycycline. I really hope Lipiflow can help to curb my use of both of those things. Cleaning out the glands makes sense to me. They are blocked, they need to be unblocked, end of story.

You can easily look up an anti-inflammatory diet on Google. Just type it in. The biggest culprits are nightshades, dairy (excluding eggs I believe), sugars and bad fats. I do not have a problem in the sugars/bad fats area, but I do love nightshades (white potatoes, eggplant, peppers) and I also love cheese! So ditching them will be hard but I'm on day 3 already so........

Rose

[irish eyes]

RE; anti-inflammatory diet

I had a routine appointment with my consultant today and we discussed diet. I explained that I kept a close watch on what I eat (something I have to do anyway) and he said that with some people, even a deviation from the `good stuff' could be enough to make things worse.

I express my glands and on some days, the oil is pretty clear. On other occasions, it could be cloudy/yellow colour. The consultant wants me to keep a brief record of things I eat and what my glands are like - there may or may not be a connection. He is more interested in what happens if I eat something that is clearly `bad'.

So, it will be a case of continuing what I was doing anyway but with a bit more focus. Rose, like you - I like peppers and egg plant (we call it aubergine). I didn't realise they were on the `banned' list.

It would indeed be magnificent if we could rid ourselves of a few of the daily burdens of compresses, drops and the rest. I feel much happier today having been told that my eyes are looking better than they were at my previous visit. (With me, it is a long standing problem)

(Sorry, I realise this thread should be about Lipiflow!)

[patrick]

Hi rose,

Good to see the glasses really have a positive contribution in reducing your symptoms!
Hopefully it will work for me a bit similar.
Many people who i consider knowledgeable have told me a part of my symptoms are caused by eye strain,so i have good hopes that these prescription glasses will have some effect.
Isn't it so that with lipiflow each separate unblocked gland is also injected with a steroid afterwards just to jumpstart the glands and make them function properly? Thought i read that somewhere some time,but i'm not sure about that.
Do you think the doxy is working for you? What dose are you on?
Good luck with the anti inflammatory diet! Hopefully your efforts will be rewarded.


Patrick...

[patrick]

Okay,

Small correction on my previous post. (thanks sheila!)
The injections with steroids have nothing to do with lipiflow.
Injecting the unblocked glands with a steroid is done after gland probing,this procedure is invented by dr. Maskin.
Sorry for the mistake.

Patrick..

[Sammy B.]

Hi Patrick,

Yes I was taking doxy, 100 mgs, twice a day (once in the morning and once at night, with food). It is the only thing that I can say with certainty (well, aside from wearing goggles for crying out loud) that actually put a dent in the symptoms. If I were you, and MGD were my main problem, I would ask the doctor for a prescription for it.

I never had any issues with GI upset while on the doxy. It took about 32 days on the stuff for me to feel it starting to help, so don't give up too soon after you start it.

I do stop taking the doxy here and there just to take a break from it. I have been off of it about a month and have not noticed a real increase in the symptoms. Recently found out I am expecting so I will not be going back on it any time in the near future.

HOPING LIPIFLOW DOES SOMETHING FOR ME, with that said!!!!!!!

Rose

[patrick]

Hi rose,

Expecting? Like in being pregnant? Congratulations! Good for you! I hope you (and of course your husband or partner) will be blessed with a healthy child.

Yes,mgd is my main problem,so i can't wait to start with the doxy. I'm very curious to see what it can do for me.
However,my optometrist doesn't want me to start with any time sooner than this automn,because the use of it could cause the skin to burn very easily in the sun. So using it during summer is not a very wise thing to do she says.
You live in florida,lots of sunshine there.haven't you experienced these skin problems?

Tomorrow it's the first of june. The big day! Is the appointment still on?
If so,hopefully all will go well and the lipiflow really does something for you.

Good luck,
Patrick...

[Sammy B.]

Hey Patrick,

Yes, pregnant! How exciting. Thank you for the well wishes!

I do live in Florida and when I was on doxy, I had to watch myself out in the sun. But I was conscious of it and never got burned. Good luck with it, it worked very well for me. It took away the burning.

Yes the big day was today. I had Lipiflow at about 4:00 pm and it was a bit more harsh than I had anticipated but nothing too heinous. Honestly I was glad to really feel the machine working on the lids! I did score pretty low on the pre test - 43 in the right and 52 in the left - normal scores are above 70. I also learned that I can be a "partial blinker" which was news to me.

I am not going to use anything in my eyes at night (the only time I use it anyway) and see what my eyes feel like for the rest of the day.

I recently stopped using Genteal Gel at night and the overtearing I had been experiencing stopped! Also I stopped consuming cheese and my symptoms have further improved. Trying to get to the root of the problem can be challenging!

I'm very hopeful at this point!

Let me know if you have any questions.
Rose

[Hopeful2]

Hi Rose

Congratulations!!! I loved being pregnant . . . I hope that you sail through it. It is truly such a miraculous experience.

Your lipiview scores are better than mine. I was about -33 in both eyes. Did they give you any blinking exercises for the partial blinking?

I really hope the Lipiflow brings lasting relief!

[tornado]

Hello everyone, I'm an Italian patient in venice, here we are not talking about these issues, I would like to know if among you there are people who are positive Schirmer test. I am completely without tears and aqsciutto, I use the drops, and my eyes are fine, I noticed that at intervals of 1 month my Western are full of sand, and I also see how if I had a white veil in front, I do inpacchi of fresh water for relief, sometimes I take off my eyeballs so I ended up suffering, many of you were subjected to the treatment of lipoflow? and if it works in cases like me, I hope to dear friends, thank you all
mooris

[cricketburglar]

I had Lipiflow done in MN. I had only 5 functioning glands per lid and only after the surface was scraped with a scalple and squeeze. Anyway, I saw NO improvement from Lipiflow. My follow-up visit showed no improvement...still only 5 working glands and only after scraping and pressure.

Was a big waste of hope and money for me.

Stacy