Reactions to fluorescein dye applied during eye exams

[Rebecca Petris]

Several people have recently reported having adverse reactions to the yellow dye applied during an eye exam.

For those of you who have experienced this, do you recall how the dye was applied? With a strip wetted with saline, or with a dropper?

[amo124]

I think my husband may have a sensitivity to the yellow dye and I believe they used a dropper.

[rubyslippers]

I got it via the strip.

[calli66]

I had the strip also. It seemed like there was an incredibly large quantity of the dye that stayed in my eye after the exam. It took a long time to rinse it all out.

C

[kitty]

I had the strip. I don't recall any reaction. I know the numbing drops caused my eyes to burn and feel really dry after they wore off.

[cleareyed]

by strip.

Yes ,very much so... my description of my experience in this thread: http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?t=7329

[eva b]

I've had adverse reactions to fluorescein, in fact I think repeated application was a contributing factor to the state my eyes are in now!

It was applied from a single use vial (in hospital setting usually) and usually combined with anaesthetic - which could have been the main cause of the irritation.

Last year I asked my optometrist to check for infection with just plain dye, which he applied a very small amount of, by strip which had been moistened with my own pres. free saline drops. I had no adverse effects from that.

Go figure!

[jlg_uk]

I've had both, but mostly by dropper.

I was told the dropper contained anesthetic also, and I've always felt that a reflex when it's administered. Makes my eyes feel really wet. Then they look at my tear film and tell me it's fine! sigh

[jack_bristow]

I hate that stuff. Couldn't drive for a while, sat in my car outside the clinic...

[mclaire66]

i think they used a dropper for me, my eyes were irritated for like two weeks after (of course they didn't believe me that it was the dye that caused the irritation, the next time i went i asked them not to use them but they said it wasn't possible for me to have a reaction to them and they used them again and it happened again...)

[calli66]

And....the "reversing drops"

Hi,

The fluorescein drops: The tech explained that to do the glaucoma test, the eye has to be anesthetized and the dye present---otherwise they can't actually see the surface of the cornea through the testing instrument (because it's transparent). It has to come up and barely touch the cornea to make the measurement.

So I understand WHY they put the drops in. I always ask for plain saline so that I can rinse it out while I'm still in the exam room. This helps but not totally.

This past Wednesday I had my ophthalmologist exam---too bad it was at 8:30 AM. I was WRECKED for the rest of the day. I learned a new thing:

Don't ask for the "reversing drops!"--they're supposed to make the dilation go away more quickly. Sometimes the doc has them and sometimes not----it had been a long time since I had them last, so I thought I'd try them again. They burned like acid and just dissolved every last tear on the surface of my eyes, and probably some cells, too. Instant bloodshot, pain, no tears---ACKKK!!!

Had to keep my eyes closed with gel and TranquiEyes for the rest of the day. But---I was much better the next day, and today I'm back to stable.

Calli

[SallyP]

drops were virtually thrown at me

Dropper - but they effect my eyes really badly for a few days after. I make sure I'm not doing anything important or sociable in that time after the appointment as they become even dryer and more sore.

The last time I went, the nurse put them in prior to the consultant seeing me, and was very haphazard with it, and I felt like she virtually threw them at me, in in fact narrowly missing the top I was wearing!

[calli66]

Sally,

A doctor who is truly knowledgeable about dry eye knows not to put in drops before he or she has a chance to evaluate the patient's condition. It took me a long time and several offices to realize this. First I overheard the techs talking about Dr. S----how he insists that he see the patient first and No Drops! I gathered that they forget about half the time.

Since then, if I'm going in for a dry eye exam, no matter what doctor I go to, I refuse the drops until after they look at my eyes. The "proper" way is to put just a tiny amount of dye on the eye surface with a strip of something that looks like filter paper (the doctor does this). It doesn't add liquid, only the dye.

Calli

[SallyP]

Thank you, that's good to know. It's funny, but I sort of sit and take whatever's thrown at me ( almost literally), and don't question it, and then am left suffering for some time after, so I think the time has to come when I (politely) stand up for myself and insist on what you've said. The last visit in December was particularly bad, and when I was at my worst, thought I couldn't even face going back to hospital because of it, so worth speaking out.

[gz9gjg]

Hello calli66,

You can avoid the "reversing drops" by making the doctor aware that you are sensitive.

What I do: I ask to speak with the doctor about my sensitivity, and ask that the doctor instill the drops. Instead of letting them drop the drops into my eyes from a foot away, I tilt my head back and pull the lower lids downward, to make a pouch. The doctor then puts 1 drop of each of the stuff needed (for an eye exam with dilation, it's 1 drop of Flucaine, 1 drop of Tropicamide 1% and 1 drop of Phenylephrine 2.5%). This seems to work much better for me because the drops don't splash out of my eyes, and 1 drop gets into my eyes and does the job.

I used to suffer dilation that lasted up to 3 days, before I discovered the above.

Good luck,

Lynne