Restasis for Dry Eye Disease User Reviews (Page 2)

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2020

"My eyes were so dry I had to pry them open every hour and douse them with eye drops trying to sleep. With Restasis, I can usually sleep all night now, or only find my eyes are stuck upon awakening in the morning. I also have Graves’ disease, so these dry eyes may be related to that, but for now I find great relief with these drops. I have no side effects, just very slight burning, it’s not bothersome at all. I was scared to try them at first, so I only did one eye. Guess which one got better...the one I used Restasis on. I’m so glad my insurance is willing to cover them and the copay is $40."

• mam...
• December 6, 2015

"I suffered with severe dry eyes for years. I was developing corneal ulcers and tons of dry spots. It was hard to wear contact lenses. My optometrist had me see an ophthalmologist, and she put me on Restasis. Three months later, I had my check-up, and the corneal ulcer is healed (left a small scar), and all the dry spots are gone. She has cleared me to try to wear contact lenses again. I actually feel tears when I blink. So far, this medication has been a godsend for me. I tested negative for Sjögren's."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 15, 2019

"I started Restasis multi-dose twice daily two weeks ago, will not continue use due to difficulty getting the correct dose in the eye due to problems with the design of the bottle, even cut the bottle and poured into another bottle, but realized it will not be sterile. Do the Restasis eye drops work? Well, you would have to get them out of the bottle first! The only way I will continue is if insurance will cover the individual doses. The company should take notice and improve the multi-dose dispenser. Could be a great product, but looks like several customers are unhappy with the packaging."

• chi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 11, 2019

"I use Restasis in the vial form. Twist off the cap and squeeze out. I put the rest of the vial in the fridge to use at night. I've been on Restasis for years with no side effects or problems. I've been to the ophthalmologist for checkups, and he has never said there have been any issues. After many, many years, I do wonder how much good it is doing, but will continue."

• Bon...
• January 13, 2015

"Eyes are much less irritated. Still have occasional pain from dry eyes, especially at night, but am only using other eye drops every half hour in the evenings instead of every few minutes all day long. I keep vials in the refrigerator and am able to use 1 vial for 2-3 days, so cost is not prohibitive."

• Bar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 20, 2019

"My eyes are so sensitive using Restasis for dry eye that I have to cover my eyes with my hands and use sunglasses at all times, or I can’t go outside. The pain is nearly extreme every time I use it, so I’m going to stop. I don’t care how expensive it was! I have the bottle, and they said it was expensive. I just can’t use it anymore without so much pain and sensitivity to light. It was prescribed after surgery with my Salzman's disease, which is nodules on the cornea from nerve damage. I can see fine without the Restasis but not well with it... so I will use an eyedrop that is meant for dry eye instead: vials of Refresh because those work very well, and they’re not loaded with preservatives. Enough for a month is $15, and you can use a vial three or four times each."

• pem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2016

"My eye doctor tried me on Restasis for dry eyes, the first time being about a year ago. I didn't experience stinging as some have and thought it was going to do the job. However, about a week into the treatment, my eyes felt swollen. I lifted my upper lids to see if anything looked wrong, and my eyeball looked like it had hemorrhaged. I took a picture so I could show my doctor and stopped the treatment. About 6 months later, we decided to try it again, thinking maybe another medication I was using could have caused the Restasis to react that way. But once again, it did the same thing."

• kat...
• October 17, 2015

"I have an extreme dry left eye that drives me crazy for about 2 years. Can't wait to get home to wash my eye at night. The right eye is dry per my Dr. exam, but not nearly as bad. First few days in bad eye felt better off the bat. I am a skeptic, so it really did feel better. 1 month later, my really dry left eye feels wonderful. I was going to use it only in left bad eye due to the cost, but once I opened the vial, saw how much was in there, I decided to use it against Dr.'s orders, though I wash my hands and do not touch the dropper at all. Works great for me."

• Wol...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 16, 2019

"I used Restasis with great results for over 8 years. Last week, it stopped working, and my eyes started hurting worse than ever. Not sure if perhaps the pharmacy or the manufacturer sold contaminated or defective drops. Anyway, I went to see my doctor, and he suggested I stop Restasis and prescribed something new. Will let you know if they work after a day or two."

• Anonymous
• January 28, 2020

"My mom has been using Restasis for over 12 years. She is now 104 and found out it would cost her $275 for a one-month supply. I do not even think it helps her. I use over-the-counter eye drops, Genteal, on her often, and they help more and are much, much more affordable. If you are not a wealthy person, try those."

• lov...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 15, 2018

"I have chronic dry eyes, and my eye doctor recommended using Restasis to help with the condition. Upon receiving my prescription, I was told it cost $512.00!!! I said, what in the world, and why is this product so outrageously expensive? I said, no, I cannot afford that price. My pharmacist went on his computer and looked for a coupon. He came back and said it went down to $107.00. But still, for the tiny bottle where there is barely enough drops for a couple of weeks, plus the drops take forever to come out and sometimes land on your face, which is a waste of $$$$!!! Allergan is making big bucks on this product, they need to be investigated, but then again, pharmaceutical companies own the legislation in this country. Most of us seniors with this chronic condition do not have excess $$$ to spend on this product. Good for those wealthy people who can afford this product, but what about the other 90% of the population that cannot afford this but need it? Answer? Greed."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2015

"I have been using Restasis for 5 months and two weeks and have finally felt a huge improvement, so don't give up. There is no burning in my eyes, and I don't feel like I have something scraping them anymore. My doctor also recommended Lacrisert to help till the Restasis kicked in. Have only used it for about 2 weeks but did get some relief with the Lacrisert. All these medicines are expensive, but I use one vial of Restasis for both eyes am and pm. This makes it last longer. Also, I don't need a Lacrisert in one eye, so that lasts longer. Lacrisert is difficult to get in, but keep trying, you'll get the hang of it. Don't give up. Huge relief. Thank the good Lord for medicine."

• Dba...
• November 18, 2015

"Unfortunately, I was unable to effectively try this product. I experienced severe burning in my eyes following application. I contacted Allergan (manufacturer of Restasis) immediately with my side effects, and they offered a complete refund. Thrilled that I was able to recoup my money, as this was a VERY expensive prescription ($1400/cash... 3-month supply). I am impressed with their support and willingness to refund."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2020

"My eye doctor prescribed Restasis for my severe dry eyes due to Sjögren's disease. I share the opinion that the multi-use container is a disaster, the rigid bottle either delivers no drops at all or too much, which leaks out of your eyes onto your face. After only two weeks' use, the bottle feels almost empty, very distressing given the high cost of this product."

• Mel...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 8, 2018

"Used single-use vials of Restasis for years and was switched to multi-dose bottles 7 months ago. Terrible design for the new multi-dose option. The drops take a long time to dispense the one drop per eye, but I got used to it. However, the last two bottles didn't dispense the drops correctly at all. After waiting and waiting for the drops to dispense, several would come out at once. I went through 2 bottles in 4 weeks and now have to make do with over-the-counter drops until it's time for my next refill. Will now have to go back to single-use vials and pay way too much because of this ridiculous design/flaw in the product."

• soo...
• September 4, 2017

"I have been using Restasis single dose for many years, and it has helped me immensely with my chronic dry eye. However, I recently tried the multidose Restasis, and the dispensing bottle is a complete failure. I have wasted so many drops because they do not come out of the bottle. You have to squeeze and wait according to the manufacturer. However, this method does not work. How can you hold your eye open, waiting 30 seconds for the drop? I will never use the multidose again. I feel the company should reimburse customers for this very expensive product."

• lha...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 4, 2018

"I have been on the Restasis in vials for about 6 years. I never had any problems at all. About a week ago, I received my 90-day supply, and it was 3 bottles. I checked into why now bottles, and the bottles are preservative-free. I started using the bottles, and I agree with everyone that the bottle 'STINKS' even though the product is supposed to be better for your eye. I have had no issues with my eyes when using the vials, so when these bottles are finished, I will be requesting the vials (they are still available). If you are on Medicare, as I am, and in the 'donut hole,' this will cost about $500 a month... TOO expensive to use and waste! This drug drove me into the donut hole. I was in the rewards program before getting on Medicare, and it cost me $90 for a 3-month supply. Why can't seniors get HELP! This is ridiculous! Users need help with this drug."

• Gra...
• August 30, 2015

"One of the things that I'm reading here is that people use Restasis and steroids together. You can't use Restasis at the same time you use steroids, that is a big mistake, your eyes are going to get worse. Using Restasis for 4 months, and I feel great."

• MJa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 20, 2019

"I hate the bottle the new Restasis MultiDose eye drops come in. I was excited that I wouldn’t have to keep it in the refrigerator, like I did with the small vials. But the new bottle had a horrible design. I have used almost every eye drop known to man... and ALL those bottles, large or small, are vastly better than the Restasis MultiDose one. The medicine itself is good. But the company totally fouled up with the container."

• Ann...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 27, 2019

"The new multidose packaging is a disaster. The first bottle would hardly drop at all, and the next one comes out whenever it pleases. I have used it for many years in the vial, but will not buy again if it's only available in multidose. I'm not sure what benefit I'm getting since my eyes are still extremely dry. The medication is too expensive to be so aggravating."

• Ali...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2021

"I developed bizarre seizures from this medication. Any intense emotion, such as laughing, enjoying food, or getting angry, would result in a 'hiccup' of sorts where my head would reset, and I would feel nothing. It felt similar to a brain zap from psychiatric med withdrawal, but even worse. And yes, this also impacted sexual function. Imagine not being able to enjoy anything or feel any significant emotion in any way. This particular side effect continued for about 4 months after stopping the medication. I was terrified it wouldn't, and it made me suicidal. Oh, and there was no relief from dry eye, either."

• Sus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 26, 2017

"I was diagnosed with extreme dry eye, in part due to past Lasix surgery, part occupational hazard, and part age-related. My doctor put me on Restasis. It turns out I am allergic. I had none of the eye pain others described. But, my vision was very blurry, impeding my ability to read and focus starting day 1. I increased my fluid intake, thinking dehydration. I had a 'light' headache, sinus and throat issues getting progressively worse, and I would suddenly lose my voice and experience dizziness. My blood pressure was elevated. My face became red and itchy. After feeling abnormalities in the blood flow around my heart, I stopped the Restasis. This all happened in 4 days. Most of the symptoms left 48 hours after stopping. Restasis is not for everyone."

• cut...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 29, 2018

"I have used Restasis for many years with success, but was very disappointed when I attempted to use the new bottles. Even after following the instructions, it is extremely difficult to get the drop out and into the eye. After voicing my concerns to the insurance company, I was sent a gratis bottle, which worked the same as the others. In addition, the product is very expensive. I recommend this product be taken off the market and the vials be used to fill prescriptions."

• Max...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 7, 2021

"I have been using Restasis for 2.5 years. Yes, it burned at first for the first month, but it got so much better after that. About 2 months ago, I noticed that the drops were not as effective as they once were. Went to an ophthalmologist, and he prescribed me a steroid for 2 weeks — that helped tremendously, but then after that, to use Cequa. A higher dose of the active ingredient in Restasis. My eyes burned so bad. Much worse than they ever did. I went back to Restasis, burning continued. Worse than I’ve ever had. I want to rip my eyes out. So, I haven’t used anything in a couple of weeks but the TheraTears, and I’m better but not 100%. The doctor has suspected Sjögren’s syndrome, but they don’t know for sure if that’s my problem."

• Mis...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 12, 2015

"I have been using this for approximately 2 years now, and I am very worried that it has made my eyes MUCH worse. I have just gotten done reading the other reviews, and I am the complete opposite of these others. Therefore, I read the list of possible but not likely side effects, and I am experiencing each and every one of these symptoms every time I use this medicine. Today, I used my Restasis and then went venturing with my family for a few hours, and my right eye began to secrete the yellowish thick fluid and burn worse than ever before. It also started to swell at the far corner of my eye. I went to the local emergency room, where I was informed that I have conjunctivitis in my right eye and now have to use antibiotics and pain meds."