Can ofloxacin ophthalmic solution be used for chronic dry eyes?

The cornea (the clear dome over your iris-the colored part of your eye-and the pupil) can get dry and will cloud up and actually can get cracked and crevasses from dryness that effects your vision so you need to really get the cornea good and rehydrated by using tears often-even up to 10-12 times a day. After it is well hydrated you wont need to use them as often. If you sleep with a fan on you, you might want to stop since some people sleep with their eyes half open which can contribute to drying. If your eyes water, they are too dry. You will say What? How can my eyes be dry when they water all the time? Those watery tears are not good quality tears and they evaporate too quickly which dries the eyes out more and they eyes try to compensate by watering more and it becomes a vicious cycle. Once you replace the moisture with a good quality tear, this will stop. A good quality tear needs some oils to it so be sure to get some fat in your diet. You can take Vitamin E and Fish Oils to supplement as long as it is not contraindicated by any other meds or conditions. Some people find it helpful to use a petroleum based ointment at night and others think it clouds the vision but if your eyes are severely dry and/or you sleep with your eyes open or partially open then ointment should help along with articial tears in the daytime. Ask your ophthalmologist for samples of tear products or Restasis. When I worked in eyes we were inundated by reps giving samples so your doc probably has lots of them and will give them if you ask. Also try websites for coupons, contact the manufacturers to see if they have patient assistance. There are cheap drops but you do get what you pay for and the better ones are more expensive. the cheaper ones can work, you just need to use them more often. Whatever you do, DO NOT use Visine (the "gets the red out" kind) frequently. Visine does make an artificial tear although it is an okay product, it is not one of the better ones. What you DO NOT want is the Visine for red eyes. These drops constrict the blood vessels and in turn, this reduces blood flow into the eye and while this is okay on occasion, you dont want to use them all the time. For one thing continuous use causes rebound redness so the more you use them the redder your eyes will be when they wear off and they are just not good to use often. I hope this has helped you.