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I suffer from dry eye. But mostly what bothers me is my red eyes. Are there cosmetic ways to deal with this? Like colored contacts.
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Please be ultra careful with anything claiming to whiten eyes, because so often they do so at a cost to corneal health. Lumify is preserved with BAK which is a well known toxic preservative, and all vasoconstrictor drops have a known "rebound redness" effect known to make your eyes more red if you use it regularly.Rebecca Petris
The Dry Eye Foundation
dryeyefoundation.org
800-484-0244Comment
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I’ve been using Alphagon-P, heavily diluted for years with no issues. This is the same ingredient used in Lumify drops but I get the full strength prescription and mix it with Refresh. The drops do work to whiten the eyes.Originally posted by hlg1945 View PostComment
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Why could not they make Lumify with a milder preservative or even a preservative-free version?
Ugh! I was going to recommend it to someone as a transition from the Visine loop but BAK strikes again.Comment
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Supposedly Lumify does not have the rebound redness effect which is a big improvement over visine. At least that is my understanding. Still I would not use it due to the BAK unless I had a job interview maybe. In theory if they made a preservative free version I don’t see why that would pose any harm to the eye based on the information we know now. But then again even if people put a PF version in their eyes multiple times a week who knows what sort of unstudied long-term harm that could pose.Comment
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Brimodine tartrate (active ingredient) in Alphagon and Lumify has been used since the 90’s. The usage is to treat rosacea as a topical ointment and to reduce high pressure in the eyes.
Alphagon-P has been used since 2002 as a treatment for Glaucoma but has an off usage side effect of whitening the eyes..
My eye doctor prescribed it to me in 2015 to treat my red eyes, and diluted with preservative free eye drops I have had no issues using it daily.
For me it has been a lifesaver. I have chronic dry eye and was sick of walking around looking like I am stoned. Personally I haven’t used Lumify but the main ingredient works for me perfectly.
Just looked and using the Alphagon route is cheaper. I pay 7 bucks for a 2 month supply and can pick what I want to mix it with ( PF drops ).
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Interesting strategy! Thanks for sharing. Does Alphagon-P contain BAK? Other risks you are aware of since its use is off-label? You use it once daily or more?Comment
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No BAK in Alphagon. The only effect my doctor mentioned is using it too much could lower pressure in the eye but also said she wasn’t concerned because of the dilution. I use it twice everyday, once in the AM when I wake up and another midday. I get my pressure checked just to be sure about three times a year and it’s always normal.Originally posted by diydry View Post
If you have red eyes I can’t recommend it enough. I found myself wearing tinted glasses so people wouldn’t see my fire engine eyes and with this drop I don’t have to do that anymore.Comment
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Thank you for that. I would be curious to hear what Rebecca and others have heard about the risks/benefits of this option. I definitely would consider it in the future. I'm still a bit confused on the mechanics. How exactly do you dilute it with preservative-free drops if you don't mind sharing? Do you take some PF drops with the (PF) Alphagan-P and mix them in a separate container that gets stored in the fridge for a couple weeks until it goes bad? I guess my doc would tell me all of this if the time comes...Comment
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Just to be perfectly clear
Alphagan has BAK, Alphagan P does not....
I can't really comment on the Alphagan (P) option, that's more of a medical thing - if it's Rx it comes down to doctor instructions & monitoring.Rebecca Petris
The Dry Eye Foundation
dryeyefoundation.org
800-484-0244Comment
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Thanks Rebecca! My prescription is for Alphagon P.
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