Restasis- immediate relief?

[kimmy25]

Hello everyone!

I just started Restasis last night after visiting a new ophthalmologist. My Schirmer's test was 1 mm both eyes and she recommended I start Restasis. I've done lots of research on the drug and was always hesitant because of the low success rates but decided to give it a shot. I've always had burning eyes from the extreme dryness but after using Restasis twice (once every 12 hours) I feel almost immediate relief. When I squeeze my eyes I also feel tears coming out! Is this a normal reaction to the drug? I felt minimal burning about 10 mins after installation but not any more pain than my normal dry eyes. Is this a placebo or should I be excited to continue using these drops? My insurance covers most of the drug so I don't mind continuing if I will have better results down the road!

Please post any of your similar experiences with Restasis!

[mvadey]

Hi Kimmy-

I started restasis on Thursday night (4 doses taken now) and I too can feel my eyes producing more tears for a few hours after taking the drop. I was just asking the same question.

Possible conclusion-- the restasis does irritate a bit (but not too bad for me), so it may be causing some excess tearing. Either way-- although my eyes are still dry, it feels great to feel natural tears on my lid margins for the first time in a long time.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

[MGD1701]

Thanks for sharing.
Could you please tell us your causes for dry eye, MGD, inflammation...etc.
Some doctors say restasis only works for water-deficiency

Thanks!

[kimmy25]

Thank you guys for sharing! I have been diagnosed with allergies but no other cause. I do not believe it was my allergies that caused the severe dry eye. It has now been 20 days on restasis and now i experience zero burning with the drops. However if i use the computer for an extended period of time my hypersensitivity to light worsens. My doctor said it takes at least 3 months to feel any improvement so only time can tell.

[agrlds]

Hi there kimmy25, what other symptoms of dry eye bothered you? Burning, pain? Restasis helped you with what?

How is your condition now?

Thanks

[kimmy25]

Hello agrlds,

I started feeling extreme dry eyes while I was I was on vacation in Orlando back during the first week of February. My right eye suddenly became extremely uncomfortable and I ran to the bathroom back and forth to see if something had got stuck under my contact lens. Then over the next few weeks my sensitivity to light dramatically worsened and burning started to occur more and more. By April I was in extreme discomfort every day and no amount of eye drops or warm compresses or fish oil pills seemed to work.
The first ophthalmologist I visited diagnosed me with Blepharitis and told me to use a lid scrub and warm compress. I did this for a few weeks and decided to stop because I didn’t have any other symptoms of blepharitis except dry eye and felt this was exacerbating my dryness.
The second doctor I visited told me I had GPC and told me to stay off of contact lenses and to use Bepreve, an allergy eye drop. This didn’t seem to help so she suggested I use Lotemax, a steroid to help with the inflammation and burning. This seemed to help but the dryness persisted. She then fitted me with plugs and gave me some daily contacts which I still cannot tolerate.
The third doctor I visited gave me a Schirmer’s test (2 mm both eyes) and prescribed me with Restasis which I have been using twice a day for one month. She also tested me for Sjogrens and vitamin A deficiency which I am negative for both. I also had a Vitamin D and B12 test as well as diabetes and thyroid exams which all came back normal except for Vitamin D which I am on the lower end of the “normal” range.
Throughout this discomfort I am hopeful I can recover because I am only 24 years old. Now I feel less instances of burning but do have consistent light sensitivity and blurriness in vision. I am able to work (consists of using the computer all day) and drive (night vision is worse). I do hope Restasis continues to work better for my eyes!

[MGD1701]

Hi Kimmy
so do you have MGD? This is very vital but most doctors do NOT check. I visited 12 doctors and only the last 3 checked.
Glands could look perfect but no function (= no (clear) oil secrets) when ''pressed'' by finger or a small tool like pen - done by a doctor.

Schirmer test is useful but above is the most important. once glands are gone they are for good.
If you have MGD, you need oil-based drop and do warm compress to get oil flowing.

If you use computer very often, blinking exercise really helps .

[agrlds]

Kimmy,

I feel you. I strarted with dry eyes 4 months ago following SHOULDER arthroscopy. I don't know where the heck this disease came from. I scored Schirmer < 5 in both eyes a few weeks ago. -i got negative blood analysis for Sjorgen and all the bloodwork was normal too. I did biopsy too and waiting for the results (only around 60 to 70% of Sjogren patients are serum positive). I feel burning every day, i can't stay asleep for more than 6 hours and sometimes i feel pain with my eyes closed too (don't know if its the lacrymal glands complaining). I never user contacts nor had any kind of eye-problem before this. I am only 21. One of the weirdest case's ever? My life is a mess right now and i just don't know why this stared.

Thanks for the reply.
Hang in there,

Andre

[kimmy25]

Hi MGD1701,

Thanks for the reply. As for MGD I have never been tested and my doctor has told me my eyelids looked fine for the most part. Can any ophthalmologist test for this? Also, shouldn’t warm compresses and fish oil help with MGD if that was the case? I have a follow up appointment with my doctor this Friday to see how the Restasis has been helping my eyes.

Thank you for your replies!

[MGD1701]

Seems your doctor is NOT a real dry eye expert, given the fact that he/she did not check/press your glands (with fingers, q-tip or a tool like a pen).
If not, better find another one before more damages are done - you need to find out causes first.
nearly 90% of dry eye suffers have MGD. There are many causes for MGD.

More info on MGD- such as what to be examined, treatments etc.
maybe this article might help you.
http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/forum...ournal-01-2017

Good luck!

[kimmy25]

Unfortunately I have not found any true dry eye experts in my area. Most of them claim to help with dry eye but all they can tell me is "use steroids or use Restasis". I will be sure to ask about MGD when I see my doctor this week. Thank you!

[caitlinhpierce]

Hi there!

I'm an audio journalist (caitlinhpierce.com) working on a story about the Restasis patent transfer to a Native American tribe so that they could claim sovereign immunity and therefore keep the price high for the drug, so I am looking for people to interview who would suffer from that.

Do you rely on Restasis to be able to accomplish basic tasks? Have you had to make sacrifices to pay for it? How would your life be different if Restasis was available cheaply?

If you are open to telling your story, please let me know. Thank you!

-Caitlin Pierce