Preservative free on eye = safe?

[SirDryEye]

i was thinking of buying these eye drops, but it says they are “preservative free on eye”?

are they safe? I avoid all preservatives because I’ve heard they are very bad

[Milo007]

i was thinking of buying these eye drops, but it says they are “preservative free on eye”?

are they safe? I avoid all preservatives because I’ve heard they are very bad

Not safe because "vanishing" preservatives take time to decompose harmless by products and before the decomposition they do cause cell damage by cytotoxicity. They also decompose to free radicals that can cause oxidative cell damage. The extent of damage gets more pronounced as the frequency of instillation increases. Ideally avoid all preservatives and choose a truly preservative free eye drop for daily use.

[Guest]

Although I am the type to totally avoid anything with preservatives (eyedrops and foods), when my eyes were severely dry for several years, the ONLY temporary consistent relief I got was from the Genteal Severe Eye Gel, which has the “preservative-free in the eye”. Plus given this product has been around for ages and is meant to help reduce the impact of the preservative staying in the eyes, and it is not the BAK preservative which has been shown to cause long term damage, I felt it was worth using given the relief it gave me. Some of my doctors and I also feel it helped protect my eyes from getting an erosion or abrasion, as the surface of my eyes were literally like sandpaper all those years.

I used it 5+ years day and night, so fairly long term. It’s been three years since I last used it, and I have not seen any negative effects yet. Rebecca knows many who have used it much longer with no issues. A few times I did start having a slight allergic reaction, where my eyes got itchy and a little red, so had to stop for awhile and switch for a few days to PF drops like Genteal Tears (previously called Tears Naturelle), Systane Ultra, and Oasis Tears Plus, but these had nowhere near the staying power or soothing effects as the gel. I’ve read there have been a few others in this forum who got a similar allergic reaction after prolonged use.

Perhaps use in moderation, like just when you absolutely need it for studying, using the computer, or going outside.

[Hokucat]

Although I am the type to totally avoid anything with preservatives (eyedrops and foods), when my eyes were severely dry for several years, the ONLY temporary consistent relief I got was from the Genteal Severe Eye Gel, which has the “preservative-free in the eye”. Plus given this product has been around for ages and is meant to help reduce the impact of the preservative staying in the eyes, and it is not the BAK preservative which has been shown to cause long term damage, I felt it was worth using given the relief it gave me. Some of my doctors and I also feel it helped protect my eyes from getting an erosion or abrasion, as the surface of my eyes were literally like sandpaper all those years.

I used it 5+ years day and night, so fairly long term. It’s been three years since I last used it, and I have not seen any negative effects yet. Rebecca knows many who have used it much longer with no issues. A few times I did start having a slight allergic reaction, where my eyes got itchy and a little red, so had to stop for awhile and switch for a few days to PF drops like Genteal Tears (previously called Tears Naturelle), Systane Ultra, and Oasis Tears Plus, but these had nowhere near the staying power or soothing effects as the gel. I’ve read there have been a few others in this forum who got a similar allergic reaction after prolonged use.

Perhaps use in moderation, like just when you absolutely need it for studying, using the computer, or going outside.

[SirDryEye]

Hokucat Thank you, do you know where I can purchase Genteal Severe Eye Gel in the UK, can’t seem to find it anywhere!!!

is there an alternative product?

[Hokucat]

Looks like Alcon’s Genteal Severe Dry Eye Gel (main ingredients Hypromellose, Carbopol) was sold on eBay-uk but is out of stock locally right now, but you can order it from international eBay suppliers. If you go that route, make sure you don’t get one that is too far past the expiration date...some list the dates:

https://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_fro...rt=nc&LH_BIN=1

Don’t know if this is any easier to obtain, but Alcon’s parent company Novartis sells a similar product in Australia on eBay-au called Novartis Moisturizing Eye Gel (main ingredients Hypromellose, Carbomer-this is the generic name for Carbopol), however on the packaging it says “Sterile” and “Effectively Preservative Free”...not sure if it’s the same PF once on the eye as the Genteal, or truly PF. Perhaps Novartis will be replacing the Genteal Gel eventually with this if truly PF.

https://m.ebay.com.au/itm/Novartis-G...51#UserReviews