Results of stopping Restatis treatment

[Rojzen]

reply received about FreshKote?

MyDryEyes: Did you find the info. you needed about FreshKote? It is not an OTC, and indeed, few eye docs know about the product. This same product is an OTC in the UK, under the label Clinitas Ultra 3. . .In any case, FreshKote is, as I understand it, essentially Dwelle plus a patented lipid. . .It is available by prescription almost anywhere, and most drugstores will order it if it is not in stock.

I used FreshKote for about 2 months before I switched to Dwelle. . .I will go back to FreshKote soon, as I have some left, and just want to use up what I have. . .I love both FreshKote and Dwelle. . .and I'm not yet sure which works better for me. .I have lipid problems (and atrophied meibomian glands), but I'm not yet sure whether the lipid in FreshKote is essential for me. . .Dwelle seems to do the trick, for some reason. . .

If you are thinking about FreshKote, but haven't yet tried Dwelle, try some Dwelle first, since it's OTC and easy to get. . .Possibly, Dwelle will be all you need. . .and then, when you find a doc willing to prescribe FreshKote, you can try that, too. . .FreshKote has been much more expensive for me, so far, btw. . .I think it retails for $32.00, and my health insurance copay on it is huge (about $25.00). . .It's worth every penny, but Dwelle is far less expensive. . .

Hope that helps...

[Gila]

Stopping Restasis

I began using Restasis shortly after I had the cataracts in both of my eyes removed, and I've been on it for a couple of years. At first it helped quite a bit. However, after my inflamed and swollen conjunctiva stopped improving, I decided to try stopping the Restasis. I've been off it for two weeks and the inflammation seems to have subsided better than when I was on it.

Since my condition is the result of Graves' Disease, and since it's very changeable, I need to be off the Restasis for at least two months before I conclude that I don't need it. Meanwhile, I get great relief from Dwelle, Dakrina, NutraTear and Similasan's Dry Eye Relief.

[Pati]

I also get bright red eyes in the morning

I've been off Restasis for about 2 weeks.
Seems that my eyes arent so good in the morning- red eyes and uncomfortable till one hour after getting up. But if I use normal artificial eye drops, I feel almost the same as I used restasis.
(To be honest, I was expecting that my eyes would get worse since the beginning. )

After 2 months on Restasis I am now experiencing the same red eyes in the first hr of waking. I am using goggles or an eye mask along with genteal every night and my routine hasn't changed. The redness seems to diminish as the day progresses but it never goes away completely. I hope the bright eyes in the morning stop soon and that Restasis starts working.

[atta]

I've been off Restasis for about 2 weeks.
Seems that my eyes arent so good in the morning- red eyes and uncomfortable till one hour after getting up. But if I use normal artificial eye drops, I feel almost the same as I used restasis.
(To be honest, I was expecting that my eyes would get worse since the beginning. )

[MyDryEyes]

Can you tell me more about FreshKote?

Hi All,

I have heard several of you mention FreshKote as an alternative to Restasis or as a potential eye drop option. However, I haven't noticed it OTC nor has it been mentioned by my eye doc (not a huge shocker). Is it a prescription drop? What can you tell me about this drop?

Thanks!! MDE

[Rojzen]

more clarity

Thank you, Randal, for getting me to be clearer on this. . .In fact, your question actually compels me to think more carefully about what exactly I experienced from the outset of my use of the Dr. Holly drops. . .Here's more chronology:

I started on FreshKote 4 times daily, about a month after stopping Restasis. I should have started on FreshKote sooner, and did not defer starting on FreshKote for any particular reason.

I used a drop of FreshKote 4 times daily for about 2 months. My eyes felt at least as well as they did on Restasis, during this period, but I was not satisfied.

I then switched to Dwelle, using a drop 4 times daily, always including right before sleep and upon awaking. . .I started feeling a little better than I had on FreshKote. . .I stayed with this regimen for about a month. . .

After that month, I accidentally reduced my Dwelle use to only bedtime and awakening, with an additional drop if I felt menthol/windy during the day, and soon found I was getting even better. After about 3 weeks on this reduced schedule, I experimented with taking off my moisture chambers during the day. For 2 weeks, I could go for about an hour without the chambers. . .Now, after about 6 weeks on a low-frequency Dwelle schedule, I can go almost all day without the chambers. . .

Tomorrow, I will learn whether my TBUT has improved. . .I predict it has not, but I still feel better, and yes, incrementally so, Randal, as I stick with Dwelle. . .I think my lids are still inflamed most of the time, by the way, but I don't intend to attack that redness particularly. . .(I took some form of a tetracycline drug for my eyes for nearly 6 years, and it never made much of difference; I now am fearful of even more antibiotic dosing.)

After my eye doc appt. tomorrow, I hope to switch to Dakrina for a while, in hopes of getting that extra Vitamin A benefit for my mucin production.

I am also looking forward to Dr. Holly's further discussions on ways to combine his 3 products, because if B12/NutraTears can help me without interfering with the high oncotic benefits of Dwelle and Dakrina, I want in on that too!

[Randal]

Rojzen:

From this message and others, am I correct that it took you about two months on Dwelle before you saw improvements from it? Or maybe you could elaborate a bit more, please.

I've been using Dwelle/Dakrina/NutraTear for a few weeks now and feel that it has been helping, even though I still have a bad day now and then. But from what you're saying, it sounds as though there's another level of improvement that comes later.

Thanks.

Randal

I was on Restasis for over 3 years, quite continously, because at the outset, it seemed to reduce the frequency of episodes of burning sensation. During that period, my tear and meibum production did not seem to improve, though, and my TBUT remained the same (poor). When I stopped Restasis, without moving to any new therapy, my eyes did become more raw, but when I moved on to FreshKote and then Dwelle, over a period of about 2 months, I progressed to a point of comfort that greatly exceeded ANY I had felt with Restasis. . .My experience is like Terri's, therefore, though we have different diagnoses and etiologies. . .

[Rojzen]

similar experience of replacing Restasis with Dwelle

I was on Restasis for over 3 years, quite continously, because at the outset, it seemed to reduce the frequency of episodes of burning sensation. During that period, my tear and meibum production did not seem to improve, though, and my TBUT remained the same (poor). When I stopped Restasis, without moving to any new therapy, my eyes did become more raw, but when I moved on to FreshKote and then Dwelle, over a period of about 2 months, I progressed to a point of comfort that greatly exceeded ANY I had felt with Restasis. . .My experience is like Terri's, therefore, though we have different diagnoses and etiologies. . .

[Terri]

I used Restasis for about 9 months, and then tried stopping for three days on two separate occasions. I felt like my eyes were getting worse, so I started using it again. A couple of months later, after my eyes were substantially improved by a regimen of Dwelle plus Tranquileyes at night, and protective eye wear when needed during the day, I discontinued it altogether.

I think Restasis may have helped me because I started it when my eyes were at their worst, probably in the inflammatory cycle Restasis is supposed to address, and the only advice I had was from plug 'n drop docs. Once I discovered this board, began addressing the causes of my dry eye, and healed the damage to my eye surface, I no longer needed Restasis.

[atta]

Hi

Hi,
I've been on Restasis for more than 15 months and stopped for a week.
I could notice a release since the first day on Restasis. However, after 3 or 4 months, I didnt notice further progresses. And after about 10 months, I felt that my eyes were getting worse again, like before I took Restasis.
I've stopped Restasis for more than a week. On the 4th day, my eyes got inflammation. But it might also be related to too little drinking. So I would want to wait for a month.
I will make a report here.
Wish you good luck

[icenet]

I would say after about three months I noticed some improvement.

[dnew85]

How Long Until Noticed Results?

How long were you on Restasis before you noticed an improvement?

I have been using Restasis since November '07 and I am not seeing much improvement yet.

Thanks,

dnew

[icenet]

Hi All,

I have been on Restatis for 9 months now with good results. I stopped on my own for five days and I can tell my symptoms are coming back. What has everyone's experience been who stopped? How long are you expected to stay with this drug?


Thanks in advance,

Rich