Benzalkoinium Chloride Damage

[Bennyboy]

I was exposed to Benzalkonium Chloride preservative in eye drops for 6 years. I am showing signs of corneal corosion. It also made my eyes feel drier. I have been off them for 6 weeks and my eyes do feel less dry but I am still craving the drops. My left eye is really really red, but that's probably because I was addicted to the vasoconstrictor more so than the preservative. I am currently on a preservative free steroid to help get me through this. I can't even begin to imagine what this eye might look like when I have to come off the steroids. I am willing to ride this out for as long as possible and see how I go. I have read several case studies about the effect of benzalkonium and its effect on the pre corneal tear film. However nothing really states if this is long term or short term. One report it even said it destroys the mucus layer. Does anyobody know if this means permanently or just while you are exposed to it? Can you get over toxicity from this preservative the longer you are off it??

[Lucy]

Benny-we have a regular guy on the bb who has damage from this exact thing. Look for posts by Neil. There are many telling of his problems. He is on the bb currently sporadically now as he is traveling. I'm sure he will see your post and say "hey" to you.

Neil has other problems, but this is one he is very familiar with.

[Bennyboy]

Thanks Lucy. I was going to write to Neil but heard that he was travelling. From what I have read his toxicity was from nasal spray (?) I may be wrong. It probably causes same damage whther spray or drops.

[Lucy]

Do a search on "Neil0502" and you'll pull up pearls of wisdom, knowledge and a little tinge of b.s. (Sorry, Neil)

I do not know Neil's case well, as I'm too deeply involved in my own stuff. I do seem to be Neil's personal secretary lately - a task I gladly and (with a snicker) do without his approval.

Neil's FIRST AND FOREMOST problems, if my memory serves me right is that BAK torched his corneas. I think his sinus' may be involved to a lesser degree, but I can assure you that just by reading a search of his posts, you'll learn it all. Happy searching.

Lucy

[Lucy]

Darn, I posted a reply and lost it. While I don't know Neil's case well as I am too absorbed in my own stuff, his problem FIRST AND FOREMOST was BAK torched corneas.

If you'll do a search on "Neil0502" you'll find all of his stuff, and there is a lot of it, along with a tinge of wisdom and b.s. (Hee Hee) I seem to be Neil's personal secretary lately, a position I take without his approval, but get a snicker doing. Here's a start. Now, I'm done and you can read his postings and learn from the BAK leader on destruction.


http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...light=Neil0502

[Rebecca Petris]

I was exposed to Benzalkonium Chloride preservative in eye drops for 6 years...However nothing really states if this is long term or short term. One report it even said it destroys the mucus layer. Does anyobody know if this means permanently or just while you are exposed to it? Can you get over toxicity from this preservative the longer you are off it??

Neil recently met with an expert in France who knows a lot about this I think. Hopefully when he's back online he can share more with you.

[kakinda]

I will answer you more thouroughly and properly later on (too busy this week) but I am particularly insterested to know about your case and the preservative free steroid? what's the brand name, composition? sure it's PF?
because PF solutions are essential for people like you and me...
I have had regularly erosions while using BAK containing solution... so I stopped but this means dealing with the initial problem.
Have a look at the my posts search Kakinda and mabye try Scout as well..
some interesting threads should appear.
Neil and I have discussed working on a STOP BAK webpage,
so definitely more later,
Take care
Kakinda

[Guest]

I am particularly insterested to know about your case and the preservative free steroid? what's the brand name, composition? sure it's PF?
because PF solutions are essential for people like you and me...

Here in the UK my DR put me on a 10 day course of preservative free Prednisolone Sodium Phosphate (0.5%) brand name Minims (Chauvin Pharmaceuticals Ltd Surry KT2 6TN).

Comes packaged in a box of 20 single dose unit, not sure if this is useful information for you or not.

[Bennyboy]

My doc put me on the exact same brand as Ian's (Minims). I have been on it for about a month. I don't know about other countries but it is very expensive in Australia. For the first two weeks I used everyday. Now I maybe use them every third day. They are a really great anti inflammatory. My corneas have improved so much since using them. I am also taking glucosamine and I think the combo of the two is really helping with the damage that was caused.

[np1981]

preservative free Prednisolone Sodium Phosphate (0.5%) brand name Minims (Chauvin Pharmaceuticals Ltd Surry KT2 6TN).

This appears to be the standard PF steroid used here in the UK, it had been the one I was always on when I was using steroid drops.

[kakinda]

Ok, thanks, did you have a look the threads i mentioned?

Could send me a copy of the leaflet by mail or email? If so I'll send you a private mail... I've been looking for a PF option for years and so have my docs here in France, including Dr Baudouin (the one Neil saw recently). He said that this PF option is very much needed generally (not just for me) but labs haven't been so willing to produce a PF version here. Keratos, our DE association in France and Portugal, is trying to lobby in favour of PF solutions so I would really appreaciate if you could send us a copy of the leaflet to show Dr. B.

I am considering going to the UK to get some... I guess i need a prescription, would a French prescription do? can someone ask a pharmacy in the UK please. I take prednosilone per os to avoid benzalkonium, I'm sure it would be more productive to use it topically.

I had no serious erosions this year except in June when I had to use BAK containing [O] Patanol or another steroid called Flucon over here for about a week. Same thing last year, the more serious erosion was caused in August when i had to use Opatanol a few days in a row...
The problem is that my allergies are so severe that i cannot work without taking Patanol and steroids... this is why I started to take them orally but then one doc try to convince me to try again in June this year (i was really reticent but doc knows best). well in this case he didn't so I'm sticking to the only solution i have currently... oral prednisolone

did you see my posts regarding BAK in Patanol or Opatanol... BAK in allergic conjunctivitis -therefore usually chronic use- is a non-sense... even more so in DE patients.

If there is no media -maybe threads like this one- lab will continue to ignore this important health safety issue.
Take care... hence do not use BAK
Kakinda

[neil0502]

Neil here. Lucy is a highly over-qualified ... but NOT unappreciated ... secretary ;-)

Seven years of BAK ... contained in cycloplegic drops ... prescribed to treat accommodative spasm (charley horse in the eyes) fried my eyes ... as confirmed by Christophe Baudouin, in Paris. I see him again on Tuesday.

Aside from severe dry eye, it seems to have caused =me= 'corneal hyperesthesia--' unusual and extreme sensitivity of the cornea. Life pretty well sucks.

Worse, now the dry eye causes blurred vision, only aggravating the underlying condition--problems with the focusing mechanism.

Baudouin Rxd three months of Doxy (nothing) and three months of "Indocollyre--" a European PF NSAID drop ... again... nothing.

More later....all the best....Neil

[kakinda]

Could someone please send me a copy of the leaflet by mail or email?
I've been unable to find the PF version on the internet.
Please do a "benzalkonium" search on this forum as well
Thanks
K

[Guest]

Could someone please send me a copy of the leaflet by mail or email?
I've been unable to find the PF version on the internet.
Please do a "benzalkonium" search on this forum as well
Thanks
K

Kakinda, Sorry I missed this response. Did you get the information you wanted or are you still looking.

You can email me directly if you want to and I will see what I can do. Unfortunately, I don't have any packaging on the product as I threw it all out after my 10 day course.

Ian

[kakinda]

Thanks Ian,

No, I don't have all the info I wanted (I got some limited info on the net though including a fax number, but I wish I had an email as well but hey... ).
But I'd really appreaciate to receive the inner leaflet to show doctor Baudouin (the world's renowned anti-BAK specialist if you will) that such an option exists in the UK. I wanted him to a look at the whole composition of minims pred. This indicates a change in the all-BAK trend... good news. So if anyone uses it, could that person keep one leaflet for us and if possible send it. I don't need the packaging just the leaflet.

Could someone ask a UK pharmacy:
1. cost . maybe you know that Ian?
2. prescription needed (would a French prescription work?)

I'll ask Chauvin over here why don't not manufacturing minims PF over here.
Doc B clearly agreed with me that it is very much needed in France and Portugal... and others of course, it's not just what Keratos' members think... "ouf!". We're doing some progress...

we shall overcome this BAK overwhelming use nonsense... I just discussed that with Neil the other day.

It's seems the minims brand is a group of rather old drugs but in PF version.
I think i saw an antibiotic as well... it's great but surely they can improve things -reducing side-effects- by using milder steroid, etc...
but for people who can't stand of BAK it's an option where we had none. It's almost my case...

Take care... hence stay away from BAK.
K