Hi @drummergirl. I’ve not had any issues with my tear ducts clogging since I’ve started using Systane Nighttime Lubricating ointment. (It’s preservative free)
I also have a tube of Systane Gel if I need a fix during the day. But by using the nighttime ointment regularly, that’s made a huge difference. The key is to use it every night, not sporadically.

My ophthalmologist initially recommended the Systane overnight ointment as an intermediate step until we determined if my dry eyes were related to a medical procedure I had. In which case that would require eye drops made from my blood serum. But this ointment has worked so well, I don’t even use eye drops during the day anymore. I have not used Restasis.

The tube of Systane Nighttime Lubricating Ointment is $15.00-ish a tube and lasts about a month. If you try it, definitely use this right before going to bed because it will blur your vision. (Easily reversed with rapid blinking)
To apply, pull out your lower lid just a little. Then squirt a 1/4 inch of the gel in the pocket. Blink a few times and the oils melt over your eye. I use either an old pillow case or a towel on my pillow because the product can leave a residue.

I’ve also used a Bruder Moist Heat eye compress in the past to open my tear ducts. I liked the mask because I could toss it in the microwave for heating. But with the night time ointment, I’ve no longer needed the mask for my tear ducts.

Ask your eye doctor, the lubricant might be worth a try?

I did try restasis doesn’t work for me , my optometrist has me using a new eye drop called Vevye only been using 4 days maybe been able to tell small difference. The instructions suggest it can take up to 6 weeks. I am also doing IPL [ Opti Light] but only had 1 treatment and this can take 2-3 treatments.I am doing 1 treatment a month.I have been battling over a year I can’t watch TV or read without holding my eyes open with my fingers.