Restasis allergy ?

[Mawsky]

I've noticed that my eyes do seem less dry, but I'm having a lot of troubles with my eyelids, skin on my upper eyelid near my tear duct is flaky and sore almost like eczema, it kinda itches too sometimes, the skin in general around my eyes is very wrinkled, I look ten years older, I don't know if I could be allergic or if this is a known problem with the restasis? I'm also noticing a swollen red spot on the inside of my lower eyelid, near the punctum it feels a bit like a sty starting, but inside instead of on the eyelid margin, I haven't had a sty since I was a kid, my eyes have been crusty and a bit gooey in am also. Just more weird symptoms it is so hard to know what to do anymore. Also I've gotten some of the ocusoft extra, the instructions say to rinse or leave on if directed, does anyone know if it's better to leave on or not? Thanks

[kitty]

Itching is a classic sign of some sort of allergy. It is also a side effect of Restasis. Restasis side effects from the manufacturer's website:
"The most common adverse event following the use of RESTASIS® was ocular burning (17%).

Other events reported in 1% to 5% of patients included conjunctival hyperemia [redness], discharge, epiphora [tearing], eye pain, foreign body sensation, pruritus [itching], stinging, and visual disturbance (most often blurring)."

For me, Restasis made my eyes itch and burn like heck and only made all of my other dry eye symptoms worse. The reaction lasted for hours after I used the Restasis. My eye doc concluded I was either hypersensitive or allergic to the medication and discontinued it. Side effects can be eased somewhat by using your regular eye drops 10-15 minutes before and 10-15 minutes after instillation of the Restasis. You should discuss your symptoms with your doctor.

[Mawsky]

Thanks, I'm not getting much help from the opthamologist that I was seeing, I live in a small town with only one eye doc, so I'm looking for someone new. It seems like that spot on the inner corner of my upper eyelid is wet or weepy often, I do have eczema on other places and who knows maybe that is it, my eyes do burn after using the restasis too, not right away kinda a delayed burning, I do agree that using the tears after do help somewhat. I'm hoping that things get better, it's just hard to know what to do, or if what your doing is helping or exacerbating the situation I may not have seen the best dr to start with but I get the feeling from others that the one I saw isn't the only one who is less than interested in dry eye woes.

[irish eyes]

Itching is a classic sign of some sort of allergy. It is also a side effect of Restasis. Restasis side effects from the manufacturer's website:
"The most common adverse event following the use of RESTASIS® was ocular burning (17%).

Other events reported in 1% to 5% of patients included conjunctival hyperemia [redness], discharge, epiphora [tearing], eye pain, foreign body sensation, pruritus [itching], stinging, and visual disturbance (most often blurring)."

For me, Restasis made my eyes itch and burn like heck and only made all of my other dry eye symptoms worse. The reaction lasted for hours after I used the Restasis. My eye doc concluded I was either hypersensitive or allergic to the medication and discontinued it. Side effects can be eased somewhat by using your regular eye drops 10-15 minutes before and 10-15 minutes after instillation of the Restasis. You should discuss your symptoms with your doctor.

I had a severe reaction to the alternative product used in UK - Cyclosporine (we can't get Restasis very easily). I gave it a few days before accepting that it wasn't just the kind of burning that they caution you about.

An independent drug monitoring company followed up my call to the manufacturers (Moorfields Hospital in London) so it was all taken seriously.

Perverse as it may sound, I was really disappointed not to be able to use the stuff because we are running out of options.

[Scout]

Some people are very sensitive to castor oil, which is the vehicle in Restasis.

Most people find that castor oil is harmless, even beneficial in many homeopathic remedies. Some members here even swear by it as a soothing eye drop.

However, for a small percentage of people, castor oil is an irritant that causes inflammation and allergic reactions.

You may want to see your dermatologist for the eyelid dermatitis since most ophthalmologists don't seem to understand the eye inflammation/skin inflammation connection.

Scout

[Mawsky]

Thanks scout, one thing that I've tried that may sound a little strange, I have some left over tobradex ointment and I've been putting that on the corner of my eyelid. At night after my second dose of restasis so far it seems to be helping, I'm using it only because I know it won't harm my eyes, and I'm not actually putting it in my eyes. My eyes have been burning a bit these last few days and I'm hoping that I can tolerate the restasis as I want it to help.

[irish eyes]

I think my severe reaction (to Cyclosporine) was caused by petrolatum more than anything else.

[zuzu70]

restasis or ocusoft reaction similar to Mawsky

Wow, Mawsky, I was searching the forums for restasis info, and came across your post about restasis giving you a swollen red spot on the inside of your lower eyelid near the punctum, feeling like a sty starting. I say wow, because when I tried restasis this summer that's what happened to me. First my lower lid near my nose started itching, then the inside of my lower lid turned red and very swollen, to the point where it hurt to blink. Over the course of a week it gradually shrunk to what looked like a sty. The stye did not go away despite me doing daily warm water compresses. After a month the doc put me on oral antibiotics which didn't do a thing. After another two months, I ended up having to have a steroid (kenalog) injection into the stye/chalazion to get rid of it. It did get rid of the stye/chalazion, but the area of the lower lid where the injection went is now slightly shrunken, and I'm pretty sure that the incident killed two meibomian glands where the stye was. In the end, I'm not sure whether the restasis caused the swelling and subsequent stye, or whether it was caused by me rubbing too hard with ocusoft or perhaps not rinsing ocusoft thoroughly. (I started the ocusoft four days before starting the restasis, and the itching started at the same time as the ocusoft, but the inflammation didn't occur til I started the restasis). The doctor wants me to try restasis again, and I think I will, but at first I'm only going to do one drop of it and wait like a week to make sure I don't have that awful reaction again. I can't afford to lose any more meibomian glands!

[SeekingDryEyeRelief]

I had an adverse reaction to Restatis, which started my whole sorry, ongoing dry-eye saga.

In 2010, I developed a mild case of photophobia - aqueous dry eye from too much computer use. A young ophthalmologist prescribed Restasis. After three weeks, my photophobia began to increase, after which my eyes began to feel distinctly dry, an experience that was entirely knew to me. I didn't know it at the time, but I was having a rare adverse reaction to the drug. I had never had an adverse reaction to a drug before, and foolishly listened to the ophthalmologist, not my body. She dismissed the idea that I could possibility be having an adverse reaction, and advised me to continue with Restasis. Fast forward three months during which time I persisted in not listening to my body and here's how I ended up: Lacrimal glands pretty much shut down (except for reflexive tearing, Schirmers < 3), meibomian glands also in dysfunction, and SEVERE photophobia - so severe I could not go outdoors and lived an entire summer in a dark room in my condo, all shades drawn, all light bulbs greater than 40 watts unscrewed, wearing ultra-dark sunglasses.

I have never recovered from this ordeal. After a botched meibomian gland probing procedure at private Florida clinic, I now have, as described by Dr. Pedram Hamrah of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, "severe mixed-mechanism dry eye syndrome", with early glandular drop-ops, multiple obstructed meibomian glands, lacrimal gland dysfunction (Schirmers still < 3), and damage (including neuromas) to my corneal nerves. My lid margin inflammation is out of control. It did not respond to preservative-free Pred Forte x 8 daily for ONE YEAR (which gave me cataracts which have now been removed). Similarly, no response to dexamethasone ointment, azithromycin, doxycycline, mega-dosing of fish and flax oils, and ever anti-inflammatory supplement known to man. Oh yes - autologous eye serum as well. I am now on oral Prednisone to see if an auto-immune component has developed to my chronic lid inflammation.

Dr. Hamrah tells me my eyes must be probed again, but he cannot do so until my inflammation is brought under control. My life has pretty much broken down over the past three years. I've been through a slew of "doctors", several who complicated my condition further because they had no idea what they were doing. No surprise: I'm now on an anti-depressant. I am not suicidal, but I wouldn't object to being called home in my sleep.

Thanks Restasis. And thanks to the Dr. who poo-pooed the idea that I could possibly be having an adverse reaction until I showed her the product monograph that cited the possible side effects of Restasis: photophobia and dry eye. She reacted like a dear caught in the headlights. But she lost no sleep, and merely passed me off to a colleague for a "second opinion". Her life goes on, unaffected. Mine is a living hell of ocular irritation, multiple ophthalmic drug applications (up to 24 applications a day), plus artificial tears, goggles, and - to top it all off - being trapped in Canada's socialized health care system, where it can literally take MONTHS for an appointment to see a specialist.