restasis break?

[Need2Know]

I'll bring this up with my doc next appt, but wanted to get some feedback here.

If you stop taking restasis to see the difference w/out it, do you go back to square one? As in, if it does appear to help will it take 2 months to become helpful again?

Thanks all. Restasis seems to be helping a little, now I'm wondering if it's helping or is it just a natural change in my eyes.

[Lucy]

I'd keep taking the Restasis until you speak with your doc. If you think it's working, it probably is. If it's helping now, chances it might help even more in a month or two. You have nothing to gain by stopping now. Keep it up for a couple of months more and then decide if you want to take a break.

Restasis takes up to 6 months (or more) to work in some cases. By stopping, it seems you'd lose the progress. Lucy

[liz56]

That's great advice, Lucy. I completely agree with Lucy, Need2Know, that you should stay on your doctor's program.

I did not like taking Restasis, but it *did* work for me. I am off of it right now, because I was prescribed it to combat RCE's on one of two fronts-- Restasis for dry-eye syndrome and an osmotic eye drop to help the epithelium to adhere to the basement membrane.

When I got off of Restasis, I did so gradually, reducing to once a day then to every other day, and so on until I went without it. I did feel, after going to every other day that my eyes were too dry in the evening, so I bought Refresh Endura, which has (as an inactive ingredient) castor oil, the vehicle that is in Restasis. It helped to ease me off of it.

--Liz

[jenny2008]

i used Restasis for 7 months-it was helping but I didn't realize how much until after i decided not to take it anymore (i was moving across the country and was really stressed and thought I didn't need it anymore). Anyway, I started taking it again after a 2 month break-during those 2 months the first month i felt about the same but the 2nd month was horrible. Now I have been on it again for over 7 months and finally seem to be making a few more tears. I went to my doctor a few weeks (a new doc) and he said that if you stop taking it it is like starting all over because the Restasis works on the t-cells and once you stop taking it and start again-I guess it works on totally new cells---sorry this is so unscientific the way i am wording it. Also-I go to Dr. Foulks (sometimes he is mentioned on here-great doc!) and he said it can take up to ONE YEAR for the full effect of Restasis.. So at 7 months I am feeling a little better if I could just get even more tears in the next 5 months that would be wonderful!



anyway, i was wondering if you ever stoped taking it or if you continued and if so have seen improvements? I hope you are improving either way..