Eye Drops in Vials suggestions on which one and use

[Mewkiss]

I saw an new Opthalmologist yesterday. The jury is out on his dry eye knowledge so I"ll see but he wants me to stop using Unisol 4 saying it washed away what moisture I had on my eyes.

He gave me a sample of Refresh Plus and said drops in squeeze bottles were not preservative free but drops in vials were ok and I could use them as often as I wanted.

I started looking for drops and this could get really expensive, especially if I'm using them a lot. (I'm guessing I would need less compared to the Unisol 4 which temporarily relieves the dryness but doesn't moisturize).

Can someone tell me if I can use single use vials more than one time? How do I reseal it for the next use? How often can I use them? Is it trial and error to find one I like?

I don't know how to use these. Thanks

[LaDiva]

Not sure if saline dries you out or not. I only use it after an expression to rinse out my eyes. Yes, the little vials of eye drops are preservative free. If you can find vials with little pop-on tops (you twist them off to open and then the tip will pop back on when done) they should be good for 24 hours. I've never had trouble with drops used within that time frame. Different kinds of drops do different things for different people. The only one I find helpful is TheraTears. A doctor recently said that Genteal is good if you have a mucous deficiency. Pretty much, I had to play around with all of them, and still do hoping to find the optimum drop, but TheraTears is my go-to. Systane Balance contains oil, but think it only comes in the big bottles. All of this stuff is expensive, alas. Love your screen name Mewkiss!

[Mewkiss]

This guy did no real tests to dx my dry eyes which is why I'm on the fence about him.

I used the Refresh plus and about 15 minutes later my eyes felt dry and crusty in the inner corners and about an hour later my eyes were/are burning so I used my Unisol. Waiting to see if that helps. These had the top that you snap off so I put it in a baggie. But if my eyes are burning then forget it. I had no problem with Refresh Optive so I wonder if something different in this is bothering me.

One other bottled drops really burned my eyes. I'm thinking it was TheraTears.

I guess I need to buy a bunch of smaller quantities of different vials and try them out. Until I do I think I'm going to use the Unisol but sparingly.

I just don't get why all of this happened out of the blue but coincidentally right around the time I got a floater. (Had it checked and it's fine).

Thanks. Mew!

[spmcc]

Ten years ago my ophthalmologist gave me a "test" to figure out which OTC drop worked best for me. He told me there were four main active ingredients so I was to try four different drops each for a week documenting how my eyes felt (he gave me a form to use).

At that time, he said the four "best" drops (representing the four main active ingredients) were Refresh Endura, Systane, Liposic, and Artelac.

I conducted the "experiment" and discovered that one drop was much better for me than the others.

Of course, the choice of drops is different today... however, I still think it's a great test to figure things out. Rebecca has a page that lists the drops and their active ingredients. You could limit your choices to only those that are preservative-free.

I can't remember exactly the symptoms that were on the form my ophthalmologist gave me to fill out. However, you could use all the possible symptoms of dry eye (e.g., Dryness sensation, foreign body sensation, scratchiness, grittiness, aching, burning, stinging, eyes tire easily, fluctuating vision, eyes easily irritated by warm/cold air, blowing air/wind, fluorescent lights, etc., menthol sensation).

I think the table made me indicate any change in symptoms (worse, no improvement, better) over time (immediately, 2 hours, 6 hours later).

Just an idea...

[Mewkiss]

Ten years ago my ophthalmologist gave me a "test" to figure out which OTC drop worked best for me. He told me there were four main active ingredients so I was to try four different drops each for a week documenting how my eyes felt (he gave me a form to use).

I think that is a great idea. I'm actually keeping a symptom log to figure out what is up with my eyes so this will fit in to that.

I just ordered 3 different kinds to try. Systane, Alcon and one other thing. I have to say though, aside from the burning, my eyes feel much better from a dryness point of view. Hopefully I can figure this out without having to make a chart of ingredients.

I don't know if I can go cold turkey off my Unisol so will taper off that once I find something that really works.

Thanks for the suggestions