Long term Azasite use?

[dave25]

I have been on Azasite eye drops (once a day) for about 2 months now and I was wondering if anyone else has been on Azasite for as long or longer and whether or not they experienced any negative side effects?

So far I have not experienced any side effects, besides a little burning upon application, and it does seem to help my MGD. It's not a huge improvement, but definitely a noticeable improvement. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

[LaDiva]

My eye doctor said that you can use Azasite forever. Unfortunately I could not as I was allergic to it. Wishing you continued improvement.

[dave25]

Hey thanks LaDiva! I'm sorry to hear that you were allergic to Azasite. I remember trying Azasite several years ago and not noticing if it made much of a difference, but this time it seems to be working a lot better.

[alb1967]

dave25 well Azasite is next on my list of things to try. So has it really helped with your inflammation ?? Also so you put it in your eye or apply it to your eye line where it meets the lashes ? (I think that is where my DR told me to put it).

[grant555]

azasite is an antibiotic so i would presume that it could lose its effectiveness over long term use.

[dave25]

Sorry for the late reply as I've been very busy with school these past couple of months. Alb1967 I generally use both methods. Usually I will get overflow from just 1 drop of Azasite (the bottles are not designed very well). So after I use 1 drop in each eye I will gently rub any overflow into my lid margins. I usually don't notice much of a difference if I don't rub it into my lid margins, but I have heard that this method is really helpful for some people.

grant555 yes with long term antibiotic use there is a chance for bacteria to gain resistance and for the antibiotic to become much less effective however I'm not exactly sure how often this happens. For example I've been taking doxycycline for 10 years and it still seems to be just as effective. My doc told me I will probably be on Azasite for 2-3 years then he will try to take me off and see what happens. It definitely feels like docs are playing the same guessing game we are.

[OompaLoompa]

Sorry for the late reply as I've been very busy with school these past couple of months. Alb1967 I generally use both methods. Usually I will get overflow from just 1 drop of Azasite (the bottles are not designed very well). So after I use 1 drop in each eye I will gently rub any overflow into my lid margins. I usually don't notice much of a difference if I don't rub it into my lid margins, but I have heard that this method is really helpful for some people.

grant555 yes with long term antibiotic use there is a chance for bacteria to gain resistance and for the antibiotic to become much less effective however I'm not exactly sure how often this happens. For example I've been taking doxycycline for 10 years and it still seems to be just as effective. My doc told me I will probably be on Azasite for 2-3 years then he will try to take me off and see what happens. It definitely feels like docs are playing the same guessing game we are.

1. AzaSite respectively Azithromycin basically functions for dry eyes in the same way as doxycyclin. It modulates the local immune system. --> "In addition to providing antimicrobial efficacy against the most common bacterial pathogens, azithromycin has been shown to effectively address inflammation by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), in part by suppressing nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-KB).18,19 An in vitro study presented at ARVO in 2008 found topical azithromycin to be as effective as doxycycline in suppressing MMPs in human and bovine corneal tissue.²⁰" http://www.reviewofoptometry.com/content/c/27049

That means that AzaSite does not help dry eye sufferes as an antibiotic as much as it does as an immune system modulating agent.

2. Due what I wrote above it doesn't seem likely that AzaSite would lose it's effectiveness in long-term use. However, I have to tell you that all the eye doctors I talked to, even an official of TheaPharma (they produce Azyter which is basically the same as AzaSite) told me that just like Doxycyclin a few longer AzaSite courses will have lasting effects. So, from what I know an use over 2-3years does seem very redundant. If I were you, I would do some research and then go into detailed talk with your doctor to find out wether or not he/she has a good reason for suggesting the use over s such a long period. Never forget that it could just be incompetence (Not saying it is but you should make sure.)