New Member - Autologous drops ?s

[Bec]

My name is Bec. I was dxed with dry eyes 5 years ago several years post hysterectomy.

Due to severe allergies to cellulose and parabens and other inactive ingredients, I haven't used drops. I take Fish Oil with marginal improvements. Although it has been getting worse, I just deal with the dryness, irritation, and blurry vision.

Last week, my Ophthalmologist stated she wanted me to begin treatment as my eyes are moderately dry. She prescribed Autologous Serum Eye Drops. I began using the drops last Thursday. So far so goo. They appear to be working well. So far, my eyes feel better and aren't as blurry.

I have questions. How often can I safely use the drops? Some told me "as often as you used your other drops". I never used other drops so that doesn't help. The OTC drops states "as often as necessary". Others say to not do that with these. Some online say that overuse, as with anything, can cause irritation. I thought that I should be able to use them as much as I wish since they contain my body parts.

For those of you that use the drops, what is your happiness factor with Autologous drops?

Thanks,

Bec

[Faith1989]

Hi Bec

I am happy with mine. They haven't cured me or anything but since using them I have had less flares. I will continue to use them. My corneal specialist told me to use them eight to ten times per day. The bottle in the fridge lasts one week and if I use them less than that, I end of throwing some out by the end of the week. I use an artificial tear after the serum because I find the serum makes my eyes sensitive. It has helped with redness and dryness but I guess I was expecting more. I just drove to the u.s. on the weekend to try freshkote eye drops. I love them! They don't burn my eyes or make them red, they feel really nice and the effects last longer than most artificial tears. Just my opinion of course. Everyone's eyes are different.

[Cali]

Hi Bec - mine help tremendously. It takes about 3 months for your cornea surface to heal if you have severe dry eyes. So it will take a bit of time. I felt a lot better after 2 weeks. I think you can use them as much as you want. They have no preservatives and are your own blood. I used them every 2 hours, more when I was in pain. Right around the 3 month mark I forgot to use them, I didn't need them as much at all.

I started at 100% serum for 3 months, dropped to 75% for 3 months, now I'm at 50%. If they are going to work for you, you'll know in about 3 months, I would look into the % of serum/BSS (that's the unpreserved solution it's mixed with). But, if all goes well, you will not need to use them constantly, maybe just a few times a day.

I was really bad and ended up conversing with a guy who had graft versus host disease from a bone marrow transplant. He basically produced zero tears from his cancer treatment. He did a ton of research, wrote a number of articles. His name is Neal Matthews. I posted some links for you to read.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kmTTfGFQgQ
http://www.nealmatthews.com/Pages/Bl...mEyeDrops.aspx
http://www.nealmatthews.com/Document...eg%20Serum.pdf

[PotatoCakes]

I use mine a lot and love them. When I was first prescribed serum drops, my doctor told me to use them every hour, closing eyes for 2 minutes following application. I have not had any negative side effects using the drops in this manner, even after I increased my percentage from 50 to 75. I use regular OTC drops when it's inconvenient to carry my serum drops with me but I have gone long periods using them exclusively, particularly in the beginning of my treatment. It is my understanding, that at 20%, most people are told to use the drops anywhere from 6-10 times a day. You might start there and see how they work for you. Since you can't use regular OTC drops, you may need to use your serum drops more than that, just to maintain comfort. If you then feel discomfort or something doesn't feel right to you, check with your doctor and adjust as needed / recommended. They don't work for everyone but I think the general results are good for most people.