UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

As most of you know from my previous posts, i suffer quite badly with dry eye (3 weeks on without wearing CL and still getting red eyes each morning, along with dryness/soreness throughout the day). I saw my optom yesterday afternoon again and there has been no improvement in the dry eye without CL. She is writing to the hospital to get my next consultation brought forward and has said to me she thinks that punctal plugs may be the way forward (obviously this would have to be agreed by the consultant).

My question is has anyone on here had experience of punctal plugs? do they work? what is the success rate? and would i be able to consider CXL/Intacs afterwards? is there any evidence of punctal plugs affecting KC at all?

I know the state my eyes are in currently is probably going to exclude me from having the CXL done, which i was hoping to have a consultation on in august - maybe cancelling/postponing that

The optom is going to be pushing for an appointment in the next 4 weeks (so may be lucky if i get one before end of september).

I had punctal plugs a few years back.. the opthalm put temporary ones in for 1 week- to see if they irritated me (and also so he could order the silicone ones). i then had the real ones put in... pretty painless and not very stressful at all.... BUT i don't know if they helped. it isn't something easy to guage as i was also trying a lot of other things like flaxseed oil and wheatfree diet and eye ointments and and and....
i have read a few bad stories, but i think if your eye hygeine is good they should be fine... and you can have them removed at any time too.

my husband and i already follow a gluten free diet to help relieve IBS symptoms, i go through eye oinments like i dont know what and must admit not tried the flaxseed oil yet - think that will be one to start next week.