Help! Question about GenTeal Severe (for night)

[charon8]

Hi all,
Sort of panicky, they are discontinuing my preservative free B&L Gel that I use at night, and Thera doesn't do it for me. Can't do preservatives or ointments, or Thera Tears Nighttime gel. I've heard Genteel Severe Gel is good, but my eyes are soooo dry, I fear the preservative in this product, too.
I wear the Boston Scleral Lens, I depend on it, w/o it would be unable to open my eyes. For 13 hrs a day I have vision until I take the lens out. Then must gel up 2 or 3 times a night and NOT open my eyes until morning, other than gelling up.

How safe is Genteel Severe for eyes such as mine? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Charon

[Lucy]

Charon, probably pretty safe. I use Genteal Gel all the time if I need it.

Since you like "gel", I 'd say not to worry and get yourself some Genteal for severe dry eyes.

Don't worry yet.........go to the store.

Lucy

[charon8]

Lucy,
Thanks, my mind is somewhat more at ease. But, are you also very preservative sensitive, as I am?
Charon

[neil0502]

Charon-

Like usual, I don't know anything about anything, but....

Genteal Severe (gel) is preserved with sodium perborate--something that the Novartis website says

turns into water and oxygen upon contact with the eye.

.

I presume that this depends on a fair amount of tears ... something YOU DON'T have.

Also, if you google sodium perborate, you find that it's a bleaching agent used to whiten teeth and clothing, in laundry products

http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov...l=chem&id=2519

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/meeting...opReport34.pdf

SO ... if you put this stuff into your bone-dry eyes ... and leave it there all night long .... Hmm. Just doesn't sound good to me.

Can you find a preservative-free, viscous drop to use at night instead?? Even Muro 128??

[Rebecca Petris]

Can you find a preservative-free, viscous drop to use at night instead?? Even Muro 128??

Scleral wearers cannot use ointments.

[neil0502]

What if they rinsed their eyes thoroughly with saline in the morning, prior to scleral insertion?

[Rebecca Petris]

Have to ask BFS about that. My understanding is they instruct users not to use ointments at night.

[neil0502]

Rebecca's got a good point, Charon.

You may want to reach out to BFS, asking them about a PF ointment, and if a thorough morning eye rinse would make everything okay.

If not, then some sort of thick PF drop before bedtime? BFS gave me Refresh Plus when I was there.

Good luck!

[charon8]

Neil,
Hmmmm...ok....yes, I have googled a lot of scary stuff...did you see the msds for borax, which is a buffer (borate) in many eye preps. It's a known eye irritant!!! However, we're speaking small quantities here.

No, ointments are not good for BS wearers... for a multiplicity of reasons.

Charon

[neil0502]

I don't use ointments, so--though I wear the sclerals--I didn't know they were a no-no.

As to the minute quantities of certain ingredients in ophthalmic ointments or drops ... I think the drier your eyes are, and the longer the substance will remain resident in your eyes (think: overnight with plugged/cauterized puncta), the higher the possibility of some damage.

For applications like that (in people like you, me, and many others), I'd take as few chances as possible.

What about thick, PF drops?

Best,
Neil

[charon8]

Neil,
I don't know what that is??
Charon

[neil0502]

PF simply means preservative-free.

It seems logical to me that--if your eyes are severely dry, and/or you have your puncta plugged or cauterized--any drops you put in (especially before bedtime) are going to stay in there for a very long time.

Because of that, any harmful product will have an extraordinarily long time to cause problems.

I'm just thinking about a thicker, preservative-free eyedrop.

Have you tried any in the past??

[Guest]

Have you tried Viscotears??

Charon (and others)

Novartis also do a product called Viscotears which comes in a preservative free vial similar to restasis, it is available OTC here in the UK and I believe in Europe.

I used it for awhile when I couldn't get Genteal Gel. It is not as thick as Genteal Gel (also Novartis - part of Ciba Vision).

I am not sure if it is available in the States but I do have 3 boxes of it that are sealed I am happy to send a box your way if you are interested in trying it. It is of no use to me now (been there, done that, got the T-Shirt, moved onto something else).

If anyone else wants a box please let me know.

PM/email me if you are interested.

Cheers

Ian

[Lucy]

Charon, I say throw caution to the wind and try the stuff. My eyes are pretty bone dry (using Neil's words) and this doesn't seem to shred my eyeballs out. Trying it once isn't necessarily a lifetime commitment. It may or may not help. What else do you have as a choice?

PS. I, too, am cauterized and/or plugged in all 4 puncta.

[charon8]

Ian,

I wouls LOVE to try Viscotears, they don't sell it in the US. If you could send me a box, I'll be happy to compensate you for whatever!!! Could I send you a private message tomorrow... as my back is killing me and I have to get off the computer.

Neil, I'm outta luck as far as Gels here in the states Thera Tears is the only non preserved one, and thick drops aren't enough.

Lucy,
I just learned that GenTeal turns into Hydrogen Peroxide upon contact with water. I am severely allergic to HP...all I have are watery reflex tears at night when I re-gel, and only if I yawn about six times, I am so sensitive to HP, can't even store my lenses in it unless I rinse them with 16 ounces of water every morning.

Must go, back is killing me (severe stenosis).

Thanks for all the input, I need time to THINK> I feel like a diabetic who is about to lose their insulin...

Charon