New user here

[Nanerpus]

I was sent home today with restasis, I have AD but besides that terrible eye allergies. My doctor is hoping it might help with the inflammation from the allergies. Just wondering what to expect!

Also, I'm a worrier by nature. I'm only 26. I really don't want to be on this my whole life. What about side effects, short and long term? I read something in the archives about cancer and tumors on the eye??? I'm desperate to get back to my life, but I'm nervous to be on this drug.

[Nanerpus]

Tried it - bad results so far

So I tried it last night, and it wasn't bad (did burn/sting a bit) and seemed to go away and then I went to bed, and all night I dealt with itching, REALLY bad feeling of needles under my lower lids, and redness. The worst part was REALLY gross yellow discharge (I NEVER have ANY discharge - seriously).

This morning the undersides of my lids are BLOOD RED, and my eyes are blood shot (but they normally are).

I want to give it the college try, but am scared to try again. I won't in the morning today because I need to recover. Would it be worse for me because I tried it when I was also having an eye allergy attack?

Will these side effects go away, or would they continue?

[pecan121]

I use Restasis 4x a day and while it does sometimes burn if my eyes were already irritated, I have never had the itching problem you mention. As for the discharge, one of the things I like about Restasis is that it seems to clear up my tear film by causing the mucus to clump and I can get rid of it all at once.

It does sound like your eyes are being irritated by Restasis. A lot of us put Restasis in and close our eyes for 2 minutes and then after another 13 minutes rinse it out with vials of chilled pf saline vials. The chilled drops feel great and probably wash out some irritating Restasis residue.

You probably ought to check with your doctor just to be safe.

One of my doctors tells me Restasis has no side effects. I think he meant relative to the steroid drops.

[Amy_NJ]

I am sorry you are having a tough time with restasis. I was scared to try it because I heard stories of how much it can burn, but it doesn't burn at all for me. Perhaps the itching you are describing was coincidental. I would try it for a few more days to see if it is truly causing discomfort. Remember, it will take weeks before you even notice any benefit. But in the meantime you can do warm/cool compresses, lid hygeine and massage, and use anti-histamine drops. I do know that some people experience so much burning that they have to stop using it though.

I am worried about using it long-term as well. If it makes you feel any better, Dr. L. told me that it is a miniscule amount of medicine and he is not concerned at all with long-term use. He said he has had patients on 20X the restasis dosage for years with no ill-effects. And you probably won't need to be on it forever--once you get the allergies under control, you may be able to taper off of it. So, maybe you'll only need to use it for a few years instead of forever.

[Nanerpus]

I am sorry you are having a tough time with restasis. I was scared to try it because I heard stories of how much it can burn, but it doesn't burn at all for me. Perhaps the itching you are describing was coincidental. I would try it for a few more days to see if it is truly causing discomfort. Remember, it will take weeks before you even notice any benefit. But in the meantime you can do warm/cool compresses, lid hygeine and massage, and use anti-histamine drops. I do know that some people experience so much burning that they have to stop using it though.

I am worried about using it long-term as well. If it makes you feel any better, Dr. L. told me that it is a miniscule amount of medicine and he is not concerned at all with long-term use. He said he has had patients on 20X the restasis dosage for years with no ill-effects. And you probably won't need to be on it forever--once you get the allergies under control, you may be able to taper off of it. So, maybe you'll only need to use it for a few years instead of forever.

I'm going to give it another try later today...my eyes seem to be calming down from the allergies and today looks to be a "good day" so maybe I needed a level playing field before trying it. I'm desperate for this to work, and want to make sure I don't give up too early - especially after hearing how it worked for you, and my doctor saying the same thing about it's impact on allergies (potentially).

Thanks so much!

[Amy_NJ]

Good luck! Please let me know how it works out for you.

[Rebecca Petris]

We have had reports here from time to time of people having adverse reactions to Restasis for one reason or another so I wouldn't push too hard on it... important to listen to your body and observe what it's doing. If it causes prolonged discomfort/pain, or severe redness, or any kind of discharge I wouldn't continue it personally, and it sounds like you had all three so if that continues I'd discontinue and call your doctor.

[Nanerpus]

We have had reports here from time to time of people having adverse reactions to Restasis for one reason or another so I wouldn't push too hard on it... important to listen to your body and observe what it's doing. If it causes prolonged discomfort/pain, or severe redness, or any kind of discharge I wouldn't continue it personally, and it sounds like you had all three so if that continues I'd discontinue and call your doctor.

Thanks Rebecca, I think I'm one of those people. I tried it twice and had just the most terrible reaction, worst eye pain, redness, discharge, swelling, stinging ever. My doctor said absolutely not to use it as it just was not for me. So, on to the Alrex for a little while.

[myredeyes]

I am 26 as well and will be getting Cyclosporine made up for me at the chemist today. I live in Australia and Restasis isnt avaliable to me. From what my pharmacist tells me there are no side effects and are definitely worth giving a shot. Good Luck. You can view my progress on these drops on http://www.myredeyes.com.au

[Oko]

Hi there. I've been using Restasis for ~5 months and while it literally changed my life, lately some of the old symptoms are returning, and I'm scared... I've had NO side effects from the drops, and for a few months my eyes felt wonderful. I simply forgot that one can spend a day NOT being aware of their eyes! Now, the old redness, tearing and discomfort has come back a bit...Has anyone had this happen? Should I keep using the drops twice a day, more, or should I give them a rest?

[shrinkdocdeb]

I have had this same issue come up. The restasis worked great for about 4-5 months--now my eyes are gritty and irritated--which doesn't seem quite the same as the original dry eye problem (I have ABMD). I am wondering if I'm having an adverse reaction to the restasis. I'm seeing my doctor on Friday to ask about this.

[Tanner]

You can get resedue from restasis and having plugs because there is no where for the restasis to go. I don' think restasis is for allergies. The lid itching isn't good but mine did a first. See if you can find an eye doctor that specializes in allergies. If you can find someone that specializes in allergies.