Has anyone experienced Restasis making their eyes worse? I did. I always had dry eyes but after being on Restasis it was unbearable. Can't stop blinking, can barely keep my eyes open. I also got blepharitis really bad. I stopped taking them around Christmas, and have seen a little improvement, but they still get really bad.
Did anyone else experience this or am I that one percent like I usually am?
Thanks,
Michelle
Hi Meshell,
No you are not the only one. I was on restasis for about ten months and the burning was not so bad at first but as time went on, it got so bad it felt like I was putting lemon juice in my eyes, and it was making the skin around my eyes really irritated and raw.
I stopped using it and now use a preservative drop called Tears Natureal. There are a lot of additives in restasis like polysorbate 80 ect. I was thinking I might be sensitive to one of the ingredients. But no surprise, I seem to react to so many things that others don't.
Thanks for the reply. Although I wish it had worked for you, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one!
Just got back from the eye doctor. He said there is absolutely no way that the restasis made my eyes worse and that I should have kept taking it until 3 months as that is how long it can take to work. Since I insisted that it WAS what made my eyes worse, he said I don't have to take it. He put in temporary punctal plugs and I go see him in a week to see if they worked. They seem to actually be working already. I got some preservative free eye drops as well today. Eye doctor also says I won't get much relief until my stubborn rheumy puts me on some meds for the sjogrens. So I guess we will see at the end of February if my rheumy decides to finally do that!
It always made my eyes feel drier.. It burned really bad when I put it in my eyes the first time I used it and still did it about 10 months later when I stopped using it.. Now I just use serum tears and I keep Refresh Liquigel drops in my purse to use if I go out..
I found that it is very helpful for me. I still get really bad blephartis but i use ocusoft lid scrub and it helps a lot. I found though if i forget to take the restasis once then during the day i will occasionally get blurry vision. It is nothing like having to put otc drops in 20-25 times a day though so for that i am grateful.
Yes, I definitely think it made mine worse. I tried it for about 4 or 5 months, burning the whole time. I went off and had plugs put in lower ducts and its been a huge difference. There are days now when I don't even use OTC drops.