Advice using Ikervis (Restasis)

[MGD1701]

Is there any way of controlling inflammation long term. As strongly as steroids do? I was on a course of steroids for about 2-3 months and by eyes were a lot better and tear production greatly improved. Ikervis just doesn't seem strong enough to have this effect.

Yes, healthy diet (omega 3/GLA, avoid sugar etc) and effective lid cleanser with pure HOCL, like Avenova + tea tee oil product.
which work for me.

However, best is to detect root causes

[purpleerkal]

Just looking for some tips.


The instructions are very clear that it should be the last thing used in your eye before bed. Allowing 15 minutes if others drops are used.

Prior to Ikervis I was using Castor oil drops at night to keep my eyes lubricated. Now when I wake my eyes are very dry. How do others handle this?

hi - I used it 4 times a day for 5 weeks now down to two. It’s more effective that way. It works, be patient.

I've recently been prescribed Ikervis (Restasis but 0.1%). Unlike Restasis you only use it once before bed.

note, your eyes will feel dryness in the morning but it quickly clears up. I use a minimal amount of Vita Pos eye ointment - and I mean minimal - which really goes a long way to improving eye comfort. Eyes are a tad blurry at first but it clears up in less than 10 minutes. Just apply it 30 mins after Ikervis. I applied Ikervis every 4 hours or so.

Hope this help!

[MGD1701]

Hi
Many people mentioned eyes got burring when use restasis. WHY?
Is it normal if no burnning then?

---------------------------
Hi purpleerkal
Good to know it helps.
Why you apply Ikervis every 4 hours? to control inflammation or water issue?
Do you combine it with steroids, if so, %?

Dont you use other art. tears then?

Thanks!

[Guest]

Hi
Many people mentioned eyes got burring when use restasis. WHY?
Is it normal if no burnning then?

---------------------------
Hi purpleerkal
Good to know it helps.
Why you apply Ikervis every 4 hours? to control inflammation or water issue?
Do you combine it with steroids, if so, %?

Dont you use other art. tears then?

Thanks!

I noticed if my eye was really dry, restasis would burn bad. So before I stopped restasis, my right eye was dry and my left was almost normal. Bevause for some reason the left eye stays shut and the right eye pops open alone now. Anyway, I noticed during this time, my leftveyr wouldn't burn at all, felt like a slippery marble. The right eye however, because it was open at night and dry, felt like the worst burning ever. It felt like it was shriveling my cornea up. Then I found out I was allergic after I stopped.

[purpleerkal]

Hi
Many people mentioned eyes got burring when use restasis. WHY?
Is it normal if no burnning then?

---------------------------
Hi purpleerkal
Good to know it helps.
Why you apply Ikervis every 4 hours? to control inflammation or water issue?
Do you combine it with steroids, if so, %?

Dont you use other art. tears then?

Thanks!

Hi

I used it every 4 hours to equally distribute the dosing. I’m awake roughly every 4 hours. I wasn’t given steroids. I used Ikervis purely for what was severe dry eyes (schirmers 2mm wetting). After 5 weeks I felt 90% or 95% better. I’m still using it twice a day and hope to taper off to once or less depending on how my eyes react.

I used preservative free drops, drops with preservatives dry your eyes. Also use Vita Pos for symptomatic relief, you only need a tiny tiny amount and it gives excellent relief (until Ikervis kicks in). But use it 30 mins after using Ikervis.

The other her thing I would add is this forum has soooo many negative stories; just ignore them. Millions of people use this stuff, they are just patient and it works for them so no need to jump on a forum and say how good it is. I’m mega anxious, and was desperate for certainty my eyes would improve/ go back to normal - so hopefully this provides some reassurance!

Good luck - the eyes will be fine again!

[Guest]

My specialist said I could put in Ikervis and then any other drops 15 minutes later. I contacted the manufacturers who said it states last Drops in eye at night because the drops might blur vision and could be dangerous if driving. I’m still not sure what to do. Can anyone help. I don’t know which is the best order

[purpleerkal]

Hi MGD1701

Sorry I haven't been online in months as i was symptom free. Bad news is i discontinued Ikervis when i felt better and after 6 months it came back!

I'm now back on Ikervis and waiting for the symptoms to subside (took 5 or so weeks last time). This time round I've also been given FML (fluorometholone) 0.1% (been taking it 5 days and no improvement).

To answer your question - i was permitted to take Ikervis 4 times a day so decided to apply every 4 hours or so, no other reason really.

Thanks

[deep_dry_eye]

Hi MGD1701

Sorry I haven't been online in months as i was symptom free. Bad news is i discontinued Ikervis when i felt better and after 6 months it came back!

I'm now back on Ikervis and waiting for the symptoms to subside (took 5 or so weeks last time). This time round I've also been given FML (fluorometholone) 0.1% (been taking it 5 days and no improvement).

To answer your question - i was permitted to take Ikervis 4 times a day so decided to apply every 4 hours or so, no other reason really.

Thanks

Restasis QID (4 times a day) is common in Canada/US for patients who dont respond to BID (twice a day), there has been some success at this dosage to my understanding.

[Honeybee]

I am cautious when making this reply as not everybody has the sme reaction as myself to treatments......
Ikervis contains amongst many additives, cetrimide which is a known problematic additive to some dry eye sufferes. I have contacted Santen about this as I will not use Ikervis but prefer optimune which for me anyway is a better option. I had a problem getting hold of optimune back in january as my nhs hospital said they could not source it,but I was able to obtain it from another pharmacy.
The advice leaflet for prescribing clinicians did admit that some folk would be unable to tolerate the excipients or in other words the additives. Cetrimide is cetalkonium, similiar to Benzalkonium chloride, a quaternary compound used as a disinfectant. Santen say that the use of this helps the eye to absorb the meds, I personally feel that the addition of so many ingredients in Ikervis is just asking the cornea to deal with too many different additives. But, this is my opinion based on personal experience with cetalkonium, you may be different.
Ikervis is a newer drug but not that much cheaper than optimune when you look at the tariff prices. They market Ikervis on the strength that it is the first approved licensed product for human use, which is true as Optimune is a vet drug approved for human use. Optimune is ciclosporin in a ointment base so quite simple, it also has some maize oil which I find soothing too.
I am not going to advise you to stop using Ikervis as often when you start a new drug, things are not wonderful but do ask yourself how things are going in a few weeks? Again, I re iterate this is my opinion based on both my experience and much research. Sjogrens sufferer of 2 decades.
lulu

[Guest]

Hi MGD1701

Sorry I haven't been online in months as i was symptom free. Bad news is i discontinued Ikervis when i felt better and after 6 months it came back!

I'm now back on Ikervis and waiting for the symptoms to subside (took 5 or so weeks last time). This time round I've also been given FML (fluorometholone) 0.1% (been taking it 5 days and no improvement).

To answer your question - i was permitted to take Ikervis 4 times a day so decided to apply every 4 hours or so, no other reason really.

Thanks

If fml isn’t helping you and you were taking ikervis 4 times a day....here’s my question, when you stopped ikervis, did you stop all drops also? Or did you continue to use artificial tears?

[purpleerkal]

Yes I stopped everything... which I now regret. I did not need any kind of drops and was symptom free. So now back on ikervis waiting for it to work