Started Restasis

[Eli]

Hey all,
I started Restasis a few days ago and I'm happy to report that it really doesn't cause too much discomfort. I find that it stings off and on about 5 minutes after I put it in. This only lasts for about 15-20 minutes and really isn't too bad. I mention this to give hope to some people who may have written it off as a treatment option after reading about some of the side effects on this site. Now whether or not it actually works or not....well, I'll let you know in a few months Interestingly, my doctor prescribed it for MGD, presumed to be caused by Rosacea. Apparently there have been some studies showing that restasis also has positive effects on eyelid diasease as well.

[woodart]

Me Too

I just started this week also. I was shocked when I used it and nothing happened. I was waiting for the burning and stinging and nothing happened. Not that I am complaining. Was just like using my regular eyedrops. Only problem I have is how to seal it back up again to use later in the day. Doc said to use the some tube and use it twice day. I can't get the top back on at all like I can on the single use eye drops. I did sign up at the Restasis site as I have to pay out of my pocket having no insurance so getting a tray free is a big help. Does anybody have tubes that seal back up? Or is it me? Thanks.

[Flick]

Hey Woodart,

I re-use my Restasis within 15 hours. You can't seal it back up like some other single use drops, so you just have to store it somewhere safe and make sure that nothing touches the tip. My eye doc gave me a little blue plastic Allergan holder that lets the tip stick up in the air to keep it clean.

Hope it helps you,

Flick

[Pinky]

Restasis

Hi Eli,
I had the exact same response to Restasis - mild stinging five minutes after installation that lasted for max. 15 minutes. Sometimes when my eyes are less sensitive, they just feel like regular eye drops. I also have rosacea and MGD. I have been using the drops for 3 1/2 months and am happy to report that they are helping quite a bit. My doctor said my eyelid inflammation was much improved, my corneas are looking better than he has ever seen them, and my eyes are moister. My MGD has improved a bit, but the oil is still too thick and gets plugged up easily, so this is basically the last thing I have to work on. My doctor just wrote a prescription for DHEA drops that are supposed to help normalize the oil.

[YGB]

I use aluminum foil on the tip and use the Restasis for two days. Maybe that's stretching it and if someone has data that says this is a bad idea, please let me know. Thanks.

[green eyes2]

It's amazing how everyone responds so differently to Restasis. I restarted Restasis three weeks ago and for the first two weeks I had no problems, but then I started having constant ocular burning. I had to skip a day then restart it. Then, I used it another week without problems but the burning started again and this time it was even worse! It has taken two days for the burning to subside and this is even with the use of some Alrex drops in the interim. Many of you mention stinging upon instillation, but I have had no stinging at all and to me they feel just like regular eyedrops. My plan is now to use it every other day for awhile. I'm sure that will benefit me more than quitting it altogether.

YGB - I have also been stretching the use of Restasis for two days. It is ok to do so as long as you are refrigerating it after you open it and nothing touches the tip.

[charmee]

refrigerated or not?

I store my restasis in a shot glass, and the shot glass in a zip lock baggie. It holds the tip up where it cant't touch anything and keeps it from evaporating.

I'm not sure if I should refrigerate it or not. I've read that you should refrigerate non-preserved drops, and my doctor confirmed it. But then I thought I read here somewhere that Restatsis should not be refrigeratied.

Charmee

[calli66]

YGB--me, too---exactly as you do. Aluminum foil on tip. But I only use it once a day, so my vial lasts 3 days. No problems with contamination so far, either.

Burning: I still have a fair amount, and it lasts for about .5 hour.

C66

[katia]

I have been using Restasis for a little over three months now. It doesn't feel uncomfortable, no burning sensation, doesn't give me blurred vision or anything. Can't say if it works or not yet. never saw the same ophtalmo twice to judge the status on blapharatis I have been told once it was severe, then 2 months after it was mild... but not by the same ophtalmo because I have been traveling so much. Shouls know more in 2 weeks as I'll see the same ophp this time

I have a little stand that my ophtalmo gave me and can hold the vial up, I cover the whole thing with a cup upside down ao it stays protected from the outside inside the fridge. Yes it can be refrigerated, at least this is what the ophtalmo and also pharmacists told me. I use it 2 a day and a vial last me 1 day and a half or 3 times a drop amount.

[woodart]

ME Too

Thanks, I was sure the doc said to recap it and thought maybe it was me and I broke it off wrong. Would be nice to stretch it more then a day to help cut down the cost. Didn't get any fancy holder with mine but will make something up.

[Judy]

I store my Restasis in a cobalt blue (my obsession) shot glass with a clear glass upside down on top (think it is a small candleholder) which makes it look like a miniature lamp. This way the tip stays uncontaminated and it looks like a decoration in my bathroom...... I'm to the point where once I put the Restasis in my eyes in the morning, within a minute my eyes look much less red, etc. I don't think this is all in my mind....

[Alex's Mom]

My doctor gave me a little blue Allergan drop holder that keeps the vial upright. I then found one of those taller Planet Hollywood shotglasses to place over it -- it fits perfectly! On the advice of my doctor, I refrigerate the Restasis and use one vial over a two day period. I've now been on Restasis for 5 months and my doctor says my eyes are now free of all dry spots and healthy again.

[miltoney]

I wrap the tip in aluminum foil as others have said, and then store it in one of those little brown prescription bottles you get from the pharmacy, works nice, holds the dropper upright and has a cover that seals tight. I also stretch each vial out over two days...too expensive not to. I have been on it for about a couple months now and have never had any stinging at all.