Naphcon A Addiction

[Bennyboy]

I have managed to get myself into a really bad situation and I don't know how to get out of it. My severe blepharitis has recently cleared up to the best place I have ever been in since I was first diagnosed. My opthamologist cannot believe how far I have come in just a short amount of time. I have been really proactive in my treatment and am taking some good supplements that I believe are strongly improving my condition!! She doesn't think I will have a recurrence of bleph for a while. Now that my eyes are producing normal tear production at the moment my opth and I were hoping for my eyes to be a lot whiter. However they are still very red, probably redder then they have ever been. We now both believe that it has been caused by my addiction to Naphcon A. My eyes are craving it. I also have the beginnings of corneal corosion which my opth believes is from Naphcon A. My opth hoped that if I weened myself off Naph slowly (which I did down to once a day then every second day then every third day) it might be ok. I haven't taken it in 4 weeks and I am really suffering. I don't think my eyes are ever going to go back to normal. They just got too reliant on them. Even my opth is not sure whether my eyes will be white again or even slightly better. I think she is very frustrated because we both worked so hard to get me to this point and now I am just so miserable. I asked if I could just take it once a day or every other day but she says it is out of the question as I definitely have preservative toxicity. I really can't find any info about this type of situation. I have read that it can cause increased redness but nothing to say it is permanent even if you go off it completely. I am determined to perservere but I am so tempted to go back to it. I am going to e-mail Dr. Tseng and see if he has dealt with this before.

Has anyone gone through something similar and gotten better?

Does anyone think there is anything that is out there that may be able to help me? Or any type of surgery? Maybe the amniotic membrane transfer will help with this. I was going to get this eventually anyway as my conjuctiva is slightly damaged.

I am so angry as I go into this mess from the first opth I saw who when I complained that no artificial tears were working for me gave me Naphcon A and told me to try it. I got immediate relief and was hooked. He told me it was harmless.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated...

[kitty]

The Naphcon A contains Benzalkonium Chloride (BAK). If you do a search here for BAK, (or BAC) you will get an eye full about this wicked stuff. Not everyone with DES has chronic red eyes. My eye redness flares during allergy season. The Naphcon A is an allergy drop. If it brings you relief, then you probably are allergic to something. It could be your eye drops, soap, shampoo, anything used on or near your face. Have you investigated trying to figure out what is causing the redness? Please stay away from the BAK preservative if you can.

[kakinda]

Hi,
what's the active principle in Naphcon A? who produces it?
yes, do avoid BAC (benzalkonium) especially is there are signs of "corrosion", even if just punctuate superficial keratitis.
Solutions involving long term or frequent use of BAC are a dead-ends... it's just a matter of time.
Pharmas will need to realise that they need to address the preservative issue for allergy sufferer... first of all, because we're already at-risk of developing an hypersensitivity.
Has anyone written to Alcon regarding Patanol? any replies?
Take care
K

[Abbey]

eye drop addiction...

Why does no-one tell us the longterm outcomes of using allergy drops? I have been a regular user of allergy drops for alot of years, pretty much since I first developed dry eyes. I went to the doctor and he immediately says it's an allergy and prescribes the drops. And even now I go to the doctor and she says it's an allergy and prescribes me drops. I have tried the Naphcon A but I didn't really like it as it made my eyes itchy and the skin around my eyes was even more inflammed even after a couple of uses so I chucked it out. I am now off ALL allergy drops (and have been for 10 months but for the occaisional 1-2 relapse) and I know how you feel because my life is currently living hell. Although I couldn't say the lack of allergy drops is causing my life to be that way but I decided to stop them because they didn't actually really do anything. All I can say is persevere and make sure you have none in your reach to tempt you.

[Bennyboy]

I really think it's the vasoconstrictor in the Naphcon A that I more than likely got addicted too. And I am obviously having "redness rebound" which occurs in almost everyone that goes off vasoconstrictors after a long period of time. Does anyone know if you can get over the redness rebound? I know there was a poster on here a few months ago named Timothy Carroll who was going through a similair thing a few months back. He has since stopped posting. I hope this is a sign he got better.

So Timothy if you are out there let us know how you are doing!!!!

I think this is a common problem and I think there are thousands of people out there who have this, but are quite happy to keep taking these vasoconstrictors for the rest of their lives completely unaware of the damage that it is doing to their eyes, especially corneas.

The steroid drops I am using are relieving the redness for about half an hour after putting them in. My eyes currently feel fine though. It's weird you would think if they were red I would at least be feeling burning or irritation but they feel very moist and comfortable. And my tear volume and tear quality tests that were last performed were the best results I have ever received since going to an opthamologist.

I have never had an eye allergy and don't think I do at the moment. I can't explain why Naphcon A worked for me. My opth can't figure it out either as I have no sign of allergy. She said she has had a number of blepharitis sufferers who have claimed that they have found comfort in allergy drops such as naph, Visine A and Patanol. I guess as it relieves burning and itchiness.

Maybe I also have like chemical type burns on the outer membrane of my eye from all the Benzalkonium chloride. I'll get my opth to look into that further.

So if anyone else has beaten this before your advice would be greatly appreciated!!

[Flick]

Hey Benny,

I have a similar problem. I've never taken Naphcon, but I do have dry eye. I've tried a bunch of things and I have some tears now, but my eyes are still red. So frustrating.

Good luck.

[Rebecca Petris]

I think this is a common problem and I think there are thousands of people out there who have this, but are quite happy to keep taking these vasoconstrictors for the rest of their lives completely unaware of the damage that it is doing to their eyes, especially corneas.

Totally agree with this. I was trying to remember who it was that was in 'withdrawal' here awhile back.

From conversations with some patients who won't come off the stuff, I think that sometimes people with dry eye and redness problems get frustrated with their doctor's apparent failure to provide a solution and so they unfortunately stop seeing the doctor but keep on using vasoconstrictors, which just perpetuates the problem.

[Bennyboy]

Thank you for all of your replies.

My eyes are looking a lttle less red, but this is from the steroid drops I am currently taking. The big test will be when I have to come off them in a few months.

I have found out that there is an operation for this problem. It is done by a laser and it is the same operation that doctors do before doing a corneal graft to remove the neovascularization. However, this sounds VERY drastic (the lazer thing scares me to death) and I am willing to exhaust all other possibilities before doing something like this.

I'm also going to get some eyes glasses with like a blue or pink lens and wear them at work. I think that will help with the social anxiety I am going through at the moment. My fashion sense is pretty cutting edge so people will thing I am just being trendy. LOL.

Also another quick question. My opth said that my eyes got very dry while taking the Naphcon and the dryness that it caused will eventually go away the longer I am off it. I am confused. Wouldn't the dryness be permanent? My eyes were dry anyway from the bleph but the extra dryness I had was from the Naphcon and will more than likely go away. I am finding this hard to believe though.

[baddabingtim]

Just was browsing the web and came across this - I am Tim Carroll - let me give you an update where I am at with all this stuff

1. Its been almost 11 months for me and the Clear Eyes - Has it been easy, No, it has been tough
2. I had plugs and my eyes teared all day - so I had them removed
3. I tried every other medicine and not much difference
4. I am back on rhestasis -
5. My eyes still feel gritty and red - tough for me, because I just took a job that requires travel and being in front of clients

I ordered Oasysis drops - have not got them yet - I also take theratears nutrition, vitamin A, B, E, etc

I really think it's the vasoconstrictor in the Naphcon A that I more than likely got addicted too. And I am obviously having "redness rebound" which occurs in almost everyone that goes off vasoconstrictors after a long period of time. Does anyone know if you can get over the redness rebound? I know there was a poster on here a few months ago named Timothy Carroll who was going through a similair thing a few months back. He has since stopped posting. I hope this is a sign he got better.

So Timothy if you are out there let us know how you are doing!!!!

I think this is a common problem and I think there are thousands of people out there who have this, but are quite happy to keep taking these vasoconstrictors for the rest of their lives completely unaware of the damage that it is doing to their eyes, especially corneas.

The steroid drops I am using are relieving the redness for about half an hour after putting them in. My eyes currently feel fine though. It's weird you would think if they were red I would at least be feeling burning or irritation but they feel very moist and comfortable. And my tear volume and tear quality tests that were last performed were the best results I have ever received since going to an opthamologist.

I have never had an eye allergy and don't think I do at the moment. I can't explain why Naphcon A worked for me. My opth can't figure it out either as I have no sign of allergy. She said she has had a number of blepharitis sufferers who have claimed that they have found comfort in allergy drops such as naph, Visine A and Patanol. I guess as it relieves burning and itchiness.

Maybe I also have like chemical type burns on the outer membrane of my eye from all the Benzalkonium chloride. I'll get my opth to look into that further.

So if anyone else has beaten this before your advice would be greatly appreciated!!

[baddabingtim]

14 months and eye drop addiction free

Well its been 14 months since my 20+yr dependency on clear eyes - so I am living proof that anyone can get over this mess

It was not until my eyes eventually became dry from the stuff that I decided to seek help

Today I have 2 lower plugs - use flaxseed oil twice a day - exercise like crazy - take blink tears when needed - sometime liquid gels -


best advice I have gotten lately - don't look in mirror all day - and it will be all right -

Feel free to email me timothycarroll@verizon.net if you have similiar issues