Voltaren eyedrops

[Toril]

Does anyone have experience with Voltaren eyedrops? My doctor has prescribed them for me (as they have some anti-inflammatory effect).

Toril

[kurt]

Voltaren is a Cox I NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory). It is most often taken orally for inflammation.

[syclone]

One doctor said to use those whenever my eyes felt really bad but I really couldn`t because it stinged and burned tremendously!

[Gaye]

Voltaren eye drops

My old doctor gave me the Voltaren eye drops too, but they didn't help any. Mostly they just burned. Basically they are just like Aspirin for the eyes. My new eye doctor gave me Acular for the times when I have had eye pain and they help a lot. It also burns when I first put it in but it is just for a few seconds and then I have relief.

[Toril]

NSAID-drops

Hmm....I tried to lock it up, but it doen't seem like Acular is on the Norwegian market (what a surprise...what IS actually on the Norwegian market)? Maybe there is something similar to it...don't know...

Anyway...I tried the Voltaren eyedrops (without preservative) yesterday and they made my eyes burn for some seconds, and then the burning went away. My eyes still felt as uncomfortable as usual though. Hmm... I don't know if you maybe have to use them for a longer period of time to get effect or what? I'm very much into trying cyclo drops (but....they are not available here), and my doctor said that maybe the Voltaren-drops would have the same effect on the eye as the cyclo. That sounded a bit weird to me. Ok..they are both inflammatory drops, but....they do not work the same way,..as far as I have understood?? Anyone heard about this before?

Greetings from Toril

[ringo]

some help from my experience, hopefully

I have been taking NSAIDs for my dry eyes for almost 4 months now.

For the first couple of months I was taking Akular, which was removing the redness and the swelling of my eyes, but stinged a lot, and for the first one week to 10 days seemed to actually worsen my eyes. However i persisted in using it, and gradually it made my eyes so much better.

Then my doctor switched me to Voltaren drops, as he said that there is extensive clinical experience with precisely these drops getting rid of th mucous filaments, which i had.In the beginning they stung awfully, even more than the Akular, but after about a week of using them together with FML drops, i noticed remarkable improvement, and now I have been using them for approx 1 and a half months.

It is important for the doctor to monitor your eye pressure and cornea while on FML and Voltaren.

In terms of replacing Restasis-- i do not think they can, becoz Restasis brings additional relief to me and after 4 months of use i can feel it really stimulates the tear flow. Besides, it does take care of the corneal health through controlling different pathways of inflammation. Together- the Voltaren, FML and Restasis exert a synergistic action against inflammation.

I truly feel for you, as there is no Restasis in Europe, except in the UK where it is sold at the soaring price of 383 pounds per box. Who knows why the smashing price???

I just cannot understand what is the reason for Restasis and so many other medications not being available in Europe, and can only hope that healthcare regulating institutions will some day provide Europeans with access to vital treatment available in the US and a large number of other countries in Asia.

Good luck...and do not give up, even when you do not see initial results.

[Toril]

Hello, Ringo!


...thanks for your reply...but my post is ooolllllddd...written back in 2006! I've been using Restasis for more than 2 years now. I went to an eye hospital in France to see an eye specialist, and they have imported Restasis to their patients. I pay around 51 Dollars per box (and 1 box last one moth as I use every single vial twice). Together with doxycycline, Restasis has managed to reduce some of the inflammation in my eyes, and my situation is better now than back in 2006. Still having much discomfort and pain, yes, but luckily I'm better.

Toril

[irish eyes]

Ringo

Restasis isn't available in the UK - but you can see from the section below (taken from a letter to me from Allergan) that consultants can prescribe it on a `named patient' basis. Costs can vary.

......... Restasis TM is not available in the UK or Europe and Allergan are not able to supply the product on a named-patient basis. However, it is possible to obtain Restasis TM on a named patient basis via an international pharmacy.......

However, RESTASIS TM is a prescription only medicine and therefore can only be given on a prescription by a doctor. It is also important to note that there is a cost implication in obtaining it via the above pharmacies. These pharmacies should be able to give you further details about this.

Unfortunately, I am not aware of any plans for this product to be made available in Europe at the current time. I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.

[ringo]

irisheyes,

I went to London for my Christmas vacation this year and I asked in the Boots pharmacy on Oxford square about Restasis, I gave them my prescription and after a week, they called me to inform me that they can supply me with Restasis at the incredible cost I mentioned.

I did not inquire any further, but thank you for the valuable information.