Lifitegrast ophthalmic for Dry Eye Disease User Reviews (Page 5)

• Ker...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 12, 2019

"I've been using Xiidra for a full 30 days now, and I seem to notice a difference. My eyes were so terrible that I couldn't read at night, which is my favorite thing. They hurt so bad that I could only stand about 15 minutes. I haven't noticed that problem anymore. I use the drops in the morning and at night. The only side effects I've experienced are the blurry, itchy eyes right after insertion (this only lasts for about 10 minutes) and the awful taste in my mouth. It's kind of like when I use nasal spray and it drains down the back of my throat. To me, it's well worth it. The only time I've experienced pain is when I forgot to take them one night and was about 6 hours late on my dosage."

• Lil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 1, 2019

"Wow, this is not the medication for me. I was given some samples to try it out. It has only made my eyes more red and irritated, the burning is almost unbearable. And my insurance doesn't cover it, so I can't justify the $600 out of pocket for a medication that has only made my condition worse. My doctor switched me to Restasis after I finished my Xiidra samples. Huge improvement with Restasis. No burning, no redness, and nowhere near the irritation I had with the Xiidra. I still have to use my gel tears as Restasis takes longer to kick in than Xiidra, but at least I don't have those side effects to deal with anymore."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 16, 2019

"I had been using Restasis for dry eye for several years, and then my insurance decided not to cover Restasis. The insurance company recommended Xiidra, and my doctor prescribed it. I had no problems with Restasis, and it worked well for me. Now, after using Xiidra for two months, my vision is extremely blurry for at least an hour after using it, and sometimes the sides of my eyes get a bit crusty. I do not recommend Xiidra if another medication is available. It is really an inconvenience to use Xiidra."

• Don...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 26, 2018

"The only reason I was prescribed Xiidra was because my insurance changed and my new insurance wouldn't cover Restasis, which worked well. Xiidra was the only approved option. I tried this drug for three months hoping my eyes would adjust. These drops hurt every single time - burned, turned red, and hurt. Never again."

• Bli...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 22, 2025

"I have been using Xiidra for about a year. I have had varying side effects, including burning upon instilling drops, terrible taste, blurred vision, extremely red eyes, itching, and a white exudate in the corners of both eyes resembling cooked egg white. I also get this white congealed material that collects in my sinuses and then will run down into the back of my throat. I can spit out this stuff, which is usually a solid white lump mixed with mucus from my sinuses. I have continued to use it because it will occasionally give me some relief from the dry eye symptoms. I am considering asking my ophthalmologist if I can switch to another drug to try instead of this medication. I have insurance, which makes it affordable, but the drug receipt indicates that a one-month supply is over $700. I don't know who could afford that without help. It is also wasteful because you waste a lot of the drug in the single-use container. I have to also use an additional eye whitener drop for the redness."

• Bar...
• January 30, 2019

"I was recently prescribed this medication for severe dry eyes. Within 5 days of use, my eyes are totally bright red, blurry, and burning all day long... no relief. I initially planned to use it for 2 weeks, but I will call my doctor tomorrow and request something different! I can’t tolerate this medication even for one week!!"

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 27, 2018

"I tried Xiidra on and off for a couple of months. I thought it might have been helping my dry eye, but I also experienced the terrible taste in the back of my throat. I tried the suggestions when putting in drops - closing my eyes, pressure on the inner corner, etc. Two nights ago, I put in drops right before bed. The next morning, shortly after waking, I started noticing the terrible taste. I tried several things to get rid of it, but it was still there 18 hours later. In addition, my stomach was upset all day, including cramps and diarrhea. I think I'll go back to trying to treat it naturally."

• Joa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 30, 2018

"I was on Restasis for over 10 years, and my new insurance refused to continue to pay for it. Without any eye drop, I felt like there was always sand in my eyes, and making tears was nonexistent. They would pay for Xiidra, so I tried it. I also take fish oil and flaxseed oil, as well as using Thera-Tears. When any eye drops are stored in the refrigerator, the burning is less. I tried Xiidra for 2 weeks, and the side effects were too much for me to continue. The burning was too much from Xiidra, and I can only say it was like perhaps battery acid. I had 3 hours of blurry vision after using Xiidra, and the taste was horrible. I cannot use Xiidra and only wish I could go back to Restasis. My eyesight is everything to me, and I will not risk these side effects because I do not know what would happen long term."

• Kar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2019

"I was having such a hard time with dry eyes that I went to my eye doctor, and she prescribed Xiidra. After some back-and-forth with my insurance company, they finally covered it, although the copay is still so high I'm not sure I can afford it. In the meantime, the doctor gave me quite a few samples, so I started using it. It seemed to help my eyes, but the skin around my eyes became so inflamed, swollen, and crusty that I actually missed work one day. I stopped using it for a few days and then tried again, and the same thing happened. Putting A&D Ointment on the skin around my eyes seems to help some, as does wiping the skin around my eyes immediately with a tissue after use. I'm not sure how I feel about using this product regularly. Do I have to choose between dry eyes and my appearance? I may just continue to use OTC drops."

• Eni...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 21, 2019

"Using Xiidra, I get a side effect of blurred vision about 1 hour after using the drops. Slightly bad taste on the back of my throat, but not so bad. My vision is better in my affected eye. 3 weeks using this medication."

• Ric...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 21, 2025

"I have been using Xiidra long-term... a couple of years. I find that my eyes are red and often irritated. I often have blurry vision and have decided to stop using it. My specialist wants me to continue, but after 2 years, I feel it is not worth it. I also find opening the packets requires scissors, which is ridiculous."

• Bir...
• March 30, 2019

"I used Xiidra for 3 days, and I couldn’t take it anymore. It felt like my eyes had a chemical burn, and 6 days later, my eyes still aren’t back to normal. Dry, red, scratchy. Getting slowly better."

• Pat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 8, 2019

"Last night, for the first time, I used a drop of Xiidra in each eye, and around midnight, I was having a severe headache and a bit of dizziness. I was very ill feeling this morning and took medication to relieve it and really took a long time to start to feel near normal. It had to be the Xiidra since even with occasional migraines, nothing I have taken has ever made me feel this sick."

• Sid...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2022

"Within 24 hours of starting these drops, I got headaches, nausea, dizziness, sinus pressure, eye/eye socket pain (especially the corners). I have not used them in 4 days and am still plagued with debilitating headaches (and I have NEVER had headaches before). My eyes still feel dry, but while I was using them, my right eye was so excessively tearing that it was almost as if I was crying all day long. Now the last 3 days, I have been getting these white chunks draining down the back of my throat that taste like the Xiidra drops even though it’s been 4 days without them. I’ve also still had nausea and now diarrhea for 3 days. The only thing that has changed is the eye drops. Sad. Sad. Sad. How can an eye drop cause all of this? :("

• K C...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 28, 2018

"I have been on Xiidra for about a year now. I tried everything: OTC drops, fish oil, flax oil, Z-packs, warm compresses, lid scrubs, taping my eyes shut, eye ointments. I have been on Lotemax so long that I developed an allergy to it. Then my doctor gave me a prescription for Xiidra. I had triple vision from the scar tissue. The top two lines on the eye chart were barely visible, and what I saw looked like Egyptian hieroglyphs. My eyes hurt constantly. It felt like I had boulders in my eyes. Every morning was unbearable, my eyes felt like bandages being ripped off just from opening my eyes. After about two months, I could open my eyes without pain. Dry eye was disabling and stealing my vision. Xiidra saved my vision and has provided much-needed relief. Xiidra tastes like battery acid, feels like it too! I wouldn’t be able to see today if I didn’t have Xiidra. I do highly recommend staying strong and pushing through the side effects, in the end, it's worth it."

• jea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2022

"That little red demon in the advertisement is not really the dry eye symptoms... it is the drops themselves! After three days of use, I awakened with swollen, painful, crusted eyes and tearing that ran like a stream down my face all day. This is now day three after stopping the med, and my eyes are still very painful and terribly swollen. I still woke up with eyes glued shut, although the excessive tearing has stopped. I saw the optometrist yesterday, who prescribed steroid eye drops. I am hoping these side effects go away soon. I'm so sorry I ever put that garbage in my eyes!"

• DLa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2019

"I faithfully used this for 3 weeks. I also drank my water, took omega 3, and used my warm compresses every night. No improvement. Burns when applied, crusty eyes in the morning, and became even more light sensitive. I'm at my wit's end. Any other suggestions??? Please!!!!"

• Unh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 29, 2020

"I used Xiidra at first a year ago. I didn't use it regularly because of the initial stinging and nasty taste that goes down your sinuses to the back of your throat. I would use it off and on for my dry eye symptoms. Eventually, I used it up and didn't use it again until just recently with a new prescription. I've been using it as prescribed twice a day, 12 hours apart for the last week and a half, and now I have eye floaters in my right eye, which is a huge nuisance. Also, my eyes are often puffy around the lids and sticky with tears because they are stinging. I won't use it again, especially after reading similar experiences. I can't wait for it to get out of my system. I'll go back to using over-the-counter drops and holistic measures at night, and when I am resting. That's all that comforts me. The back of my throat has also been scratchy."

• Poo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2018

"I had been on Restasis for years with no problems. My Dr. gave me a pamphlet, which I was supposed to get the Xiidra free the 1st month, then $10.00 thereafter. Didn't work. It cost me $95.00. I've used it for over 3 months, and my eyes stay blurred for up to an hour after instilling. Upon initial application, they burn, and the taste is horrible. My vision, after stopping this, is now much more blurred and worse than when I started. I'm glad from the reviews since people have good results; however, I would not recommend it from my experience. Now I'm stuck with an expensive product I can't use or get a refund!"

• mic...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 27, 2021

"Almost 3 years I have been using Xiidra, now I have lost capacity of taste in my mouth, everything tastes bitter and my mouth feels numb when I eat something. My dry eyes are not so much better since taking this medicine. I wonder how much they really tested it before selling it to the public. This should be investigated."

• Pia...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 20, 2019

"I have been using Xiidra for 6 months. It is very effective for my dry eyes. But if the medicine overflows out from my eye, it irritates the skin around my eyes. Red, puffy, like a big allergic reaction. So before I use Xiidra, I put Aquaphor on the skin around my eyes. That solves the problem."

• JRo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2018

"I received a free trial from my eye Dr and mentioned to him the bad taste in the back of my throat that others have mentioned. He suggested pinching the very top of my nose where my eyes meet the nose for about 30 seconds immediately after putting the drops in my eyes. Completely solved the bad taste problem as it allows the drops to get absorbed through the eye before they drain down to the back of the throat. Eyes feel great."

• Shi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 20, 2018

"These drops are much better than Restasis. Yes, there can be an aftertaste and burning; however, if you use them religiously twice per day, your dry eyes will have a marked improvement in dryness. My eyes feel much better than they've felt in years!"

• RLa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2018

"In preparation for Lasix surgery, I was prescribed Xiidra. My instructions were to take two drops per day... 12 hours apart for two weeks leading up to surgery and then afterward until the doctor was satisfied with healing. After taking two doses (4 drops total), I was nauseated, had slight diarrhea, had a terrible taste in my mouth, and had blurry, starry vision in one eye. After taking an additional dose (2 more drops), I went to bed and woke up vomiting with severe diarrhea. I took one more dose in the morning (2 additional drops), and continued to have severe diarrhea. I stopped the drops and called my doctor. I did not take any more drops... and had diarrhea for two more days... 72 hours total! I am four days out from the onset of all the symptoms and still feel nauseous. Clearly, this medication did not work for me."

• amf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 7, 2023

"It works pretty well for me. I have been using Xiidra for 4 months. Yes, I get a bit of an icky taste if I don't hold my tear ducts closed for a minute after application, as is stated in the directions. I still use over-the-counter lubricating eye drops, but now only 5 times a day and not 25 times a day like before. Before Xiidra, I tried hot eye compresses twice daily and over-the-counter eyelid wash with no results. I also tried Restasis for a couple of months, but it did not work at all. Even though Xiidra has reduced the dryness of my eyes by at least 75%, I have weaned off of it over the last 10 days. This is only because I would prefer not to put chemicals in my eyes. So far, the dryness has returned, but nothing like it was before Xiidra. In the last 10 days, I have been using lubricating drops about 10 times a day. I somewhat expect the dry eye to get worse the longer I go without Xiidra, but with any luck, it won't. Next, I'll research how bad is constant use of lubricating drops..."