Patanol for eye allergies

[Leo]

My doctor prescribed Patanol twice a day for my eye allergies. It made my eyes dry the first time I used it but later on it didn't cause any dryness. I'm happy with it so far because it clears the redness and was wondering if it's safe to use it long term. Anyone been using it for more than 6 months? Did you notice any side effects? Thanks.

[lou]

Patanol contains BAK or benzalkonium. I have used Patanol in the past but I've had erosions/SPK as I mentioned in another thread. Beware of long term use of BAK.
Browse this and other websites on BAK -benzalkonium and you'll undestand why.
Cheers

[jbrownac]

Hi,

I'm glad its helping you. You could try ordering Patanol from Leiter's pharmacy. They can compound it with reduced preservatives if you are concerned with the BAK. Also, you could try Pataday which only requires one drop per day.

[kitty]

I use Patanol about 6 months out of the year. I have not noticed any increased dryness nor have I developed any problems with BAK sensitivity, at least not yet. This is my second year using it. It really helps the allergy symptoms, especially the itching.

[lou]

I did help a lot with allergies, no doubt, and that's why I used for 4 years. But then I had serious problems, so be vigilant (under a strict medical supervision because you won't notice the first signs by yourself).

[Rebecca Petris]

I recently had a bit of an allergy flare-up in my left eye. I found Similisan allergy drops (a homeopathic) very helpful. Personally I wouldn't be worried about occasional use of Patanol, but if you're talking about a regular thing, well, again just my personal opinion, I would worry about the BAK .

Big disclaimer I am not a doc etc etc, but here's my thought on ocular allergies (about which frankly I know very little): My sense is that there are people for whom ocular allergy is entirely a secondary complaint - i.e. who are simply more prone to eye allergy symptoms because they have a compromised tear film (dry eye). I'd place myself squarely in that category, and I focus on improving the tear film as best I possibly can and using only very mild products to deal with allergy symptoms. Whereas there are others who have a much bigger eye allergy issue that needs more aggressive, regular treatment and where there may be more of an argument for undergoing the BAK risk if necessary - with careful ongoing supervision from a doctor who is sensitive to the BAK risk (many aren't). If possible though unpreserved compounded drops such as Leiter's can make are ideal. They cannot do it with the newest name brands because of patent protection, but it's worth exploring what they do have available.