Anybody use Alrex (steroid, low dose) long term??

[Nanerpus]

My ocular allergies are out of control. I get horrible attacks - realllllly bad itching, stinging, some mild watering, the skin around my eyes and nose itches. I'm miserable and it gets worse at night sometimes, making social occasions impossible. . I'm 26. I've been to my opthamologist, who has given me pataday that I've been taking for months and I don't think it has a significant impact.

He said last visit that he feels comfortable putting me on 1 drop a day of alrex for a few months to get ahead of the inflammation. He said he has great respect for steriods, but will be monitoring my IOP. I've been on alrex before a few times in the past and he said I am not a steroid responder. At that visit, I declined. But I'm now at my wits end. I look and feel awful. Itchy all the time, bloodshot beyond belief when I'm having an attack (since last night).

BUT. I have read about glaucoma, corneal melting, retinal detachment, plus it has the BAK in it. Although so does the Pataday. I've tried natural allergy remedies, drops, I've cut out all wheat, soy, dairy, egg from my diet according to my food testing. I'm trying everything and I'm still having attacks.

I just went to allergy testing and am allergic to housedust, dust mites, molds, trees, ragweed, and a few others. I'm trying to eliminate the allergens the best I possibly can - but I can't eliminate dust and mold from other peoples homes and places I go! I wear goggles religously, I am neverwithout some sort of wrap around goggle or glass. I irrigate my eyes with PF tears, chilled feels good on my eyes when they are itchy/red. But it's not enough.

Does anybody have any imput on going this route, or any other things I could try? I'm desperate and depressed at this point

[spmcc]

RE: steroid drops

I've been using steroid drops since 2002. First I had pred forte (my favorite). Then I switched "down" to lotemax (alrex didn't help me).

I've never had a problem (knock on wood). What I hear from research results is that if you don't have any big increase in pressure within the first 6 weeks of use, then you most likely won't ever have an increase.

Having said that, I would always advise that anyone using steroid drops have their pressures monitored. It's most important to do this often at the beginning.

[irish eyes]

I have used steroids for years too - but Pred-forte rather than Alrex.

Sadly, I have a cataract in my right eye because I had to use a high potency dose for long periods when I developed iritis - I had no choice. This certainly doesn't worry me - it's made a slight difference to my eyesight but nothing major.

I've used a low dose preservative free dose in both eyes for some years - this is for the blepharitis. My cataract hasn't got any worse and my IOP has always been OK. It's regularly monitored.

I'd rather not have to use steroids but as you say, when you are at your wits end and you need some help to get you through the day - then it's something to consider.

[calli66]

My eye doctor gave me samples of both Alrex and Xibrom for inflammation due to allergy. He said Alrex was a milder steroid type drop, and that Xibrom was a NSAID type drop.

Alrex didn't work for me, but it does the weirdest thing in my eyes---maybe it's the carrier liquid, not the medication in it. I can hardly describe it, but once the initial liquid has sort of drained away, I can't get any tears to spread over the eyeball when I blink. It resembles dryness, but isn't---or maybe it's like instantaneous dryness, as if somebody held your eye open and aimed a blow dryer at it.

Needless to say, long term use of Alrex isn't for me.

Xibrom, on the other hand, worked really well and felt fine. I called up to ask the doctor about getting a prescription, and then found out it was outrageously expensive---something like $149 for 1.5 mL--with insurance.

Calli

[Nanerpus]

Thanks for all the help!

Calli: I don't like the way Alrex feels irritating too when I have used it in the past, but it's cleared up the inflammation (for inflamed pingeucula). I don't know, however, if 1 drop a day will do anything to touch the bloodshot appearance and massive itching when I have an attack. It's mostly the appearance that bothers me the most (although the worse it looks, the worse it feels). Did the NSAID drops help with the redness?


spmcc and irish eyes: I have had to use Alrex occasionally in the past (as explained above) and my doctor says I am not a "steroid responder"....but my eyes seem to get bad, terrible, better, good, and so forth the past month. I just don't know if I should just deal with this or go on the steroids. On the steroids I might not be able to know if I am getting better or not, or try to see what works fixing the root cause of my allergies. But at the same time, I'm miserable most days. Ahhhh the frustration!