Terrible reaction to Restasis... Still worth a try with Corn Oil?

[DryEyeSurvivor26]

Hi all,

I just tried Restasis but had to come off of it after a month; my eyes reacted VIOLENTLY and I am actually on FML drops now to bring the inflammation it caused down. Question though -- I have read about the possibility of the castor oil being the problem; does anyone have an opinion about whether it may be worth a try with corn oil from a compounding pharmacy? Or could my reaction have been due to the cyclosporine itself? Did anyone have a reaction like mine with Restasis but better luck with corn oil? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[jenny2008]

hi there
i have had never had a prob w/ restasis but my eyes are super sensitive to things like the preservative BAK and other ingredients in drops. I am going to try a higher dose of compounded cyclosporine made in corn oil. when i got it from the compounding pharmacy i also asked them to send me a seperate bottle of corn oil-which they did for $5.00 . I tried the corn oil a couple of nights ago and was fine. so, you may want to try a compounding pharmacy cause i know they can make it with either corn, olive or ... can't think of the other oil! it would be worth a shot.

i sympathize with you because I have to use compounded Prednisone for my eyes as Lotemax has BAK in it which dries my eyes out and 'disrupts' my tear film awfully.

good luck and keep us posted.

[DryEyeSurvivor26]

Hi Jenny,

Thanks for the reply. Will ask my doc about the possibility of using corn oil from a compounding pharmacy. After feeling so much worse after the Restasis, though, I'm kind of terrified to put ANYthing in eyes. I have been off of the Restasis for two weeks and my eyes are still stinging and feeling sore; however, I am now using FML drops; is there is any chance those could be causing stinging as well? Sigh...

Interesting idea about just using the corn oil though. If lack of oil is what is causing my tears to evaporate so quickly, I wonder if just an occasional corn oil drop would help?

[jenny2008]

I don't know what FML drops are..? but yes, it seems that any drop or anything you put in your eyes could further irritate them--def get to your eye doc...