Drops with mineral oil?

[Sylfaen]

So I came across a brand of eye drops that Ocusoft imports from Europe, called Retaine MGD. I'm sure some of you have heard of it. I can go from; doing absolutely nothing, while being in horrible pain from dry eyes, to being able to do absolutely whatever I want. The active ingredients in these drops are Light Mineral oil 0.5% and Mineral Oil 0.5%. This makes sense, because I have MGD. No oil in my eyes? Well let me put some in.

Here is the downside though. I have to literally use 1/3rd of the box a day. It's still 100% worth it, because of what it enables me to do. But in my head I keep thinking... Why not just have a drop with higher percentages of mineral oil? Or perhaps a literal 100% mineral oil drop?

Do such things exist? And if they do, are they safe? Are there any alternatives to Retaine MGD? The retaine MGD is on permanent backorder it seems, so I'm really looking for an alternative.

Also, to clarify, I've tried pure castor oil. I've also tried 2% castor oil drops. The castor oil does not help, even possibly hurts me. I know there are night time ointments that have 15% mineral oil 85% white petroleum, however the petroleum gives me a bad reaction, so it's not something I really consider.

[alisonW]

If I remember correctly Systane Balance drops contain mineral oil. Not sure of the % though and they are not preservative free. I've asked my doctor to carry the Retaine MGD (says he can't) since I tried to order online in the US myself and was unable to. (Haven't tried recently though.)

[Sylfaen]

If I remember correctly Systane Balance drops contain mineral oil. Not sure of the % though and they are not preservative free. I've asked my doctor to carry the Retaine MGD (says he can't) since I tried to order online in the US myself and was unable to. (Haven't tried recently though.)

You can order them online now without being a doctor. They cost the same as they would in store. However, they're on serious backorder, so you have to call far in advance.

[alisonW]

Thank you! I think I'll try again. I'm currently using Refresh Optive Advanced Sensitive which are preservative free and contain castor oil (used to be sold as Refresh Endura), but my eyes prefer mineral oil as well. (They are better then drops without oil for me though.)

[cjwilkins]

Why is it that drops with high oil content seem so hard to come by?

I saw your post and was thrilled that there was a new (preservative free!) oily drop for me to try - but of course it's backordered everywhere!

I have extremely dry eyes from a very bad allergic reaction to antibiotics that left me in intensive care for a month (long story) and caused most of my Meibomian glands to scar over. (My opthamlogist says about 20-30% seem to still be in operation). So the only thing that really works for me is drops with high oil content.

Refresh Endura (which is a castor oil emulsion) is the drop that I regularly use. I started using it when it was available in the USA, and then started shipping it down from Canada after they discontinued distributing it here - although recently I'm having problems with getting them to ship it to me. My feeling towards it is much the same as yours towards Retaine - it's the difference between me being able to live a normal life and being in continuous pain.

I used Soothe XP for a while which was a mineral oil based drop - but I'm not sure it still exists. It also contained preservatives which my eyes seemed to reject eventually.

I have tried some of the newer drops that seem to be just a little bit oily - Systane Balance and Refresh Optive Advanced, but they both seem to have fairly low oil content and don't really do anything for me.

[Sylfaen]

Why is it that drops with high oil content seem so hard to come by?

I saw your post and was thrilled that there was a new (preservative free!) oily drop for me to try - but of course it's backordered everywhere!

I have extremely dry eyes from a very bad allergic reaction to antibiotics that left me in intensive care for a month (long story) and caused most of my Meibomian glands to scar over. (My opthamlogist says about 20-30% seem to still be in operation). So the only thing that really works for me is drops with high oil content.

Refresh Endura (which is a castor oil emulsion) is the drop that I regularly use. I started using it when it was available in the USA, and then started shipping it down from Canada after they discontinued distributing it here - although recently I'm having problems with getting them to ship it to me. My feeling towards it is much the same as yours towards Retaine - it's the difference between me being able to live a normal life and being in continuous pain.

I used Soothe XP for a while which was a mineral oil based drop - but I'm not sure it still exists. It also contained preservatives which my eyes seemed to reject eventually.

I have tried some of the newer drops that seem to be just a little bit oily - Systane Balance and Refresh Optive Advanced, but they both seem to have fairly low oil content and don't really do anything for me.

Well you're almost in luck. These are definitely staying in production and have no preservatives. Problem is they're imported, so massive back-orders, and are also expensive. $25 for a box of 30 sterile vials. Fortunately for me, I have a very nice doctor who is ordering them for me to buy at his cost, which is $13 per box.

[alisonW]

Fortunately for me, I have a very nice doctor who is ordering them for me to buy at his cost, which is $13 per box.

Wow - very nice! I am going to see if my doc will do this as well. $25 per box for vials that can not be re-capped does not thrill me. I'd also love to try a sample first.

[pattyleo]

I have MGD and am waiting on a box of the Retaine MGD drops. Can someone who has used them before provide some details on what to expect and whether they helped your dry eye symptoms?