Cyclosporine ophthalmic and Pain: What Users Say

• Ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2019

Cyclosporine ophthalmic for Dry Eye Disease "My doctor prescribed Restasis as part of a treatment plan for my chronic dry eye, which has caused some damage to my cornea and also deterioration of my vision. I used it twice a day but had to discontinue after 3 weeks because of severe side effects. These included pain, discomfort, feeling of a foreign object, and increased sensitivity to light. In other words, it caused an increase in the symptoms it was supposed to treat! The day I stopped using the drops, the side effects diminished, and the day after they disappeared. I was happy to be back to the condition I had previously. That's the only positive effect of Restasis - realizing how much better you feel NOT using it. I can't imagine for the life of me why this product is on the market and is being prescribed by physicians."

• She...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 7, 2019

Cyclosporine ophthalmic for Dry Eye Disease "I was prescribed Restasis for dry eye and cataract surgery. Over time (3+ months), my eyes were inflamed, irritated, and painful. It also felt like something was poking my eyeball under my eyelid. I wanted to rip out my eyeballs. I stopped the drops, and within 2 days, symptoms were almost gone. Eyes feel almost normal. I'll stick to OTC dry eye drops. I used the single-use vials. (Use a discount card off their website.)"

• Whi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2022

Cyclosporine ophthalmic for Dry Eye Disease "I tried Cequa for three weeks, and it did not work for me. At first, it started with just the stinging and itching I was warned about, which would gradually subside. But then it actually made the dry eye worse, even if I used a moisturizing drop 30 minutes before I used the Cequa. One night, right before bed, I put in the eye drops and immediately had to rush to the sink to rinse my eyes out with water. I started crying and almost had to go to the emergency room, thinking I had permanently damaged my eyes, it hurt so bad. I had to rinse my eyes out with saline several times before the pain and severe itching subsided. It was a full day before I could use any other type of eye drops to help with my dry eyes, which was a nightmare. Thankfully, by the second day, I was fine again, although my eyes were still a little bit irritated and uncomfortable. I’m never using this again."

• Bon...
• January 13, 2015

Cyclosporine ophthalmic for Dry Eye Disease "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."

• RHG...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 24, 2020

Cyclosporine ophthalmic for Dry Eye Disease "Used Restasis, but MD didn't see remarkable difference, so recommended Cequa. Could not tolerate drug at all. Immediate pain upon putting eye drops in, extreme redness and burning. Received coupon for one month supply, so there were no out-of-pocket expenses. Never went through the insurance process to see if drug would have been covered."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 31, 2021

Cyclosporine ophthalmic for Dry Eye Disease "Was given Cequa for my dry eyes. Have been getting plugs, but haven't worked as well as I had hoped. Dr. gave me samples of Cequa to try. I have used it for about 3 weeks. I knew that they might burn at first. I really wanted them to work. So I was very diligent about 2x a day every 12 hrs. My eyes burn so bad still. I either have pain from the burning or my dry eyes. The burning seems to lessen about an hour or so before it's time for the next drops. I tried Restasis, but it didn't work for me either. I guess I will need to just stick with my Refresh Tears. They don't work very long, but they don't burn. 1 kind of pain is better than 2."

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

Cyclosporine ophthalmic for Dry Eye Disease "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."

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

Cyclosporine ophthalmic for Dry Eye Disease "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."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 6, 2022

Cyclosporine ophthalmic for Dry Eye Disease "I do not like Cequa. Many people may think this is odd since it’s an eye drop, but it’s worsened my tachycardia, and I have difficulty urinating in the morning. The pain and burning in my eyes is so bad with the use of this, and it hasn’t gotten better. I am not using it anymore - not worth how expensive it is."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 27, 2019

Cyclosporine ophthalmic for Dry Eye Disease "After two months of use, my doctor said there was clinical improvement. However, I noticed very little improvement. After four months, my eyes looked and felt worse. My doctor confirmed they looked worse. She contributed to me giving up on Restasis and told me to restart. (I gave it up for all of four days after experiencing more pain). I learned about Xiidra and received a prescription from another office. The pain improved in a week."

• Wis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 9, 2021

For Dry Eye Disease "For years, my eyes leaked like Sam Jackson in that movie, burned constantly, and sometimes it was even painful. I would have a film over my eyes most of the time, and nothing OTC helped. My doc gave me some samples of Cequa, and within 2 weeks, my symptoms were much less severe, and I felt almost NORMAL again. But my insurance does not cover this drug, and currently, there is no generic available. It is unfortunate for me that a product that improved the quality of my life so much cost half as much as my mortgage."