Too many eye drops?

[Manupi]

When I went to the ophthalmologist about two months ago, he told me to use carmellose eye drops three to four times a day. I tried to stick to that, but I just can't: 4 eye drops a day? That's impossible for me. I'm using between 6 and 8 drops per day, if I try to use less, it becomes unbearable (maybe in the weekends, when I'm not at the office it's easy and possible, but definitely not at the office). I don't have my next appointment until June, but I don't know if I'm using too many eye drops and if there's even a too-many-drops situation. Any thoughts?

[Saytz]

You may want to switch to preservative free drops, they come in vials instead of a bottle. Using too many drops with preservatives can make your condition worse. I used to do the same thing till a doctor told me to use drops with no preservatives.

You can reuse vials by putting the cap back on, but don't ever use one that you first opened 12 or more hours ago.

[Manupi]

I use with and without preservatives. I'm trying to blink more and use less drops, because I fear that my eyes can get too used to artificial tears and generate even less natural tears. But on the other hand I also fear that my corneas can get damaged if I'm not using drops. I don't even know if there's any scientific basis for my fears... It's all so complicated.

[Saytz]

So long as the underlying cause of your dry eyes is being treated you shouldn't see a decrease in tear production, I have had decreased production but I don't know why my eyes are dry in the first place. As for your cornea being damage, that should only happen if you have severe dry eye that goes untreated for an amount of time.

[Manupi]

I was diagnosed only two months ago, but I've been suffering it for two years (since my LASIK surgery). During these two years I've been treating them only with artificial tears: first prescribed by the clinic where I had the LASIK done (though they insisted in saying it was not dry eyes) and now by another ophthalmologist I visited two months ago because I didn't trust the clinic anymore. He diagnosed me with dry eyes, but so far he's only prescribed me drops (different ones but drops). I have to go back in 20 days for the second consultation.