Lifitegrast ophthalmic and Burning: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Tex...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "Been using Xiidra for a month. It does help my dry eyes, but the side effects are pretty bad. Immediately after instilling the drops, my eyes burn, blurred vision for at least 30 minutes, crusty eyes, excessive tearing that lasts for a couple of hours, and last but not least, it feels like I have a sinus infection. I was hoping for success, as the dry eyes are miserable."

• La ...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 27, 2017

"I have had dry eyes for about 4 years and had been on Restasis for about 3 years. I also have Myasthenia gravis (MG). Restasis did not work well for me, and my eyes were always red and dry. It was to the point where I could not wear my contacts or tolerate any direct air, like a fan. I live in Arizona where it's really dry too. When I heard about Xiidra, I asked my optometrist for an Rx to see if it would work for me. The difference was immediate. There is a taste with it, but it has gone away, and there is some burning. My doctor also suggested I continue with the Restasis since the two drugs work differently. My eyes are doing much better, the redness is gone, and I can see better."

• Jul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 24, 2022

For Dry Eye Disease "I have dry eye due to Lasik, and I was hoping that it would improve some minor vision problems that I was starting to experience. I was having trouble seeing some things far away and found that short-acting rewetting drops helped somewhat, but all the Xiidra did was make my vision worse (blurry). Driving at night was awful, as it seemed to make lights appear super intense combined with the blurriness. My eyes even felt as though they would burn and ache, so I would have to take ibuprofen before my entire head would ache. The taste was awful, but the eye doctor did warn me about that side effect. I'll just continue with OTC drops rather than use Xiidra. My eye doctor was sure I would be happy with it, but it did not work for me."

• JPR...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "After 3 months of no relief on Restasis, I was prescribed Xiidra by my ophthalmologist for chronic dry eye. Almost immediately, my eyes felt great! No more gritty feeling every day. I was advised that there would be some burning after application and a metallic taste, which has been ongoing. I also get crustiness in both eyes when I wake up every morning, but these are mild annoyances compared to the suffering I experienced 24/7 before. The only reason I can't give Xiidra a higher rating is that after 2 weeks on it, I'm waking up with red, puffy eyes and irritation (itching) under my eyes and around my eyelids. It's getting to the point that I'm now considering going off these drops. (Am I allergic to them?) Too bad because it was the only drops that worked for my dry eye, otherwise. Oh, and the cost of these drops is ridiculously expensive, even with the coupons my doctor gave to me. What's up with that????"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 21, 2017

"I have been on Xiidra for 5 months now and am very happy with the results. I was waking up in the morning and could hardly open my eyes. And they hurt like heck. I used two kinds of OTC stuff, nothing worked. They put me on Xiidra and ointment at night. I feel like I am normal again. Thank you. I still have a little burning every now and then and blurry vision for about 10 minutes, well worth it for my eyes to feel this good again."

• Par...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 13, 2017

"I have been on Restasis since it became available years ago. It made life tolerable, and I didn't need any additional drops. Now my lousy insurance company (Anthem) will only allow Xiidra, which has not worked, and my eye condition is back to where it was 12 years ago. In addition, Xiidra causes burning for a long time and gives me headaches. I don't know how long I can tolerate this or how long before it is supposed to start working. I am almost to the point of buying the effective Restasis without insurance coverage."

• Sou...
• August 8, 2017

"I've been on Xiidra for 3 months on the recommendation of my ophthalmologist. I am using it along with Restasis, as it is supposed to boost the effectiveness of the Restasis. I can't wait to stop taking it in a few weeks (time recommended by my doctor) because of the side effects. There is burning and a bad taste that can occur all day long. For me, the bad taste doesn't go away. The vials are easy to use, just that you can't make the product last beyond a day. These drops are not for everyone."

• Min...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 27, 2017

"I've been on Xiidra for over 3 months after using Restasis for 5 years. I'm seeing vast improvements, although there is some burning (which is no worse than the burning I experienced with Restasis). I did have the severe tearing, as mentioned by Twiggy123, but my doctor advised me to quit all other non-prescription dry eye drops, and the tearing stopped."

• Cin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 2, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "Was so desperate I used for over 2 weeks despite all the burning sensation, blurred vision, and redness it caused me. All these symptoms lasted for approximately 1 hour after use. I tried putting a lot of eye drops to get some relief, symptoms got a little better but not much. Forget about wearing makeup."

• Tri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 24, 2022

For Dry Eye Disease "I used these drops twice a day for two weeks and had to stop. Something in the formula kept my eyes burning and watering for hours after I used them. I also kept a headache behind my eyes and had sinusitis symptoms. I was miserable! I will not use these drops again and do not recommend them to anyone."

• Deb...
• June 27, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "I tried using Xiidra, but the intense burning (even after refrigerating them first) and blurriness did not result in any change in my dry eyes. I have rosacea in the eyes, and my vision changes frequently, depending on how dry my eyes are at that moment. I have suffered from blepharitis, which I alleviated by soaking my eyes with warm water and washing them with baby shampoo. I'm now trying Restasis. It's interesting that Xiidra's main ingredient is cyclosporine, which is used in transplant patients to prevent organ rejection and is an immunosuppressant, which lowers your immune system. My doctor told me about autologous serum, or plasma from your own blood, that is having awesome results on dry eyes. It's not covered by my insurance yet, but hopefully, it will be in the future. It's taken from your own blood, so there are no side effects, and it's full of vitamins, growth hormones, and other awesome, natural things."

• Hea...
• December 28, 2017

"I've been on Xiidra for three weeks. I get the initial burning, but it doesn't last. I've been experiencing a sore throat, insomnia, and an increase in body temperature. My eyes are still very dry. I'm going to discontinue. This is a new drug, and I don't think there have been enough studies to understand the long-term ramifications of its use."

• Soh...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 9, 2022

For Dry Eye Disease "I was prescribed Xiidra after being diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome, which causes dry eyes. After a year of twice-daily use, my optometrist says she's seeing significant improvement in my eyes. I'll give you a couple of tips for use: * Store the vials in the fridge to prevent a burning sensation with use. * To get the drops to the end of the vials before application, hold between thumb and forefinger pointing downwards, with the cap still on, and rap the heel of your hand gently on a table or countertop. This will knock all the solution to one end of the tube. * To prevent a bad taste at the back of your throat (caused by the drops draining down through your tear ducts), as soon as you've applied one drop to each eye, close your eyes and gently press a finger into the corner of each eye. Wait 60 seconds then remove your fingers. Overall, Xiidra has helped with my dry eyes. I also recommend the use of a Bruder eye mask, which you can get cheaply from any drugstore or Amazon."

• CTd...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 9, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "I was using Restasis and had relief from my dry eyes, but my doctor suggested using Xiidra since it would be more effective. Along with the burning, stinging, and aftertaste, I noticed my eyes started to itch. I thought that maybe it was due to the dry air from the winter months, but now that it's spring, that isn't an issue. My eyelids are dry, flaky, itchy, red, and swollen. It seems like an allergic reaction. I've stopped taking Xiidra and will be going back to Restasis."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 6, 2017

"I've been using Xiidra for about two weeks. I switched from Restasis because of the cost, Xiidra is the first month free and refills for $10 for as long as I am on the medication. No real side effects except for a slight bad taste for about 10 minutes a couple of hours after putting them in, and maybe a slight burning, but only in the mornings, nothing to dwell on. When I used Restasis, it didn't matter morning or night, I had burning and light sensitivity. As for the vial, I have no issue getting the drop out, I invert it and snap the top off, getting a drop for each eye out of a vial. I can tell a difference in my contacts, normally they would be pretty dry after wearing them most of the day, but not now. So far, so good with this product."

• Dus...
• July 2, 2017

"Having just started this product, my symptoms have lessened. I experience some burning at first, but that goes away soon. My main complaint is the single-use vial is nearly impossible for me to use. The plastic is so stiff and small, I cannot use enough pressure to squeeze the drops out of the tube. I have RA and my hands and wrists are compromised, so I am finding it very difficult and frustrating to give each dose. I have used Natural Tears in the past and have no trouble dispensing those single-use tubes. The plastic tube is longer and softer, allowing me to apply enough pressure to squeeze out the drops. I may switch to the competitor brand because they do offer a multiple-use bottle, which would work better for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 20, 2022

For Dry Eye Disease "I am a 63-year-old female with dry eye. Used in the morning and evening. Burning for 30 minutes after use and some blurriness. After a month of use, woke up dizzy to the point of being sick to my stomach. Still dizzy on day two. Haven't taken them since the dizzy spells. Hope it goes away. Very expensive drug. Was able to get the first month free with a coupon. The rest will be going in the garbage."

• tou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 10, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "Although two different specialists prescribed Restasis for my eyes, my prescription insurance obviously has a sweetheart deal with Xiidra, which they insisted was more 'cost-effective' and needed to be tried first. After a first month of advocating for Restasis, my physicians and I gave up and tried Xiidra in the hopes that it would, in fact, be effective. It was not. I used it religiously for three months, during which it burned on application every time and never did anything to relieve either pain or dryness. After this wildly failed trial, the prescription company FINALLY approved Restasis, which the ophthalmologist tells me takes an additional three months to show results. Because my work requires so much reading, I have been on disability and do not know if my employer will continue to hold my job after four wasted months on Xiidra."

• Wen...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 30, 2018

"I’ve been using Xiidra for almost a year, it saved my eyes. The burning and bad taste in my mouth are a lot more tolerable than the pain of dry eye. I also use castor oil drops in my eyes before bed to avoid nighttime dryness. I’m much better than I was a year ago, but now it seems like the Xiidra drops are not working at all."

• CCD...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 8, 2018

"Update after leaving my 1st review. I left a review after being on Xiidra for 3 weeks. It has now been 5 months. I'm still happy with the drop. I really don't have trouble with the tube. Burning and blurriness are only very minimal for me. I'm still seeing about the same results as before. Some improvement (more than anything else that I have tried, and I have tried everything!). I have the Xiidra Insider card, which was 1st month free and $10 a month after that. I will continue to take this medicine until I stop seeing results. It may not work for everyone, but everyone should try it. I saw results after 2 weeks."

• Tan...
• July 10, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "It burns in my eyes for 30 minutes. It has not helped at all with my dry eyes. It makes my blurry vision worse. They need to find what causes dry eyes, and the eye drops that can cause more harm to eyes is not good."

• Anonymous
• April 15, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "Only a few days in, so I cannot speak to long-term benefits yet. The eye drops burn when you first administer them, but it is not terrible. I also have a very bad taste in the back of my throat after using them. Usage is twice a day, every twelve hours. I had a coupon that made this box free. I will say this is not something that I would pay a lot out of pocket for."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 12, 2022

For Dry Eye Disease "Xiidra has worked wonders on my dry eyes! By storing them in the fridge, you can eliminate the stinging sensation. It’s important to hold pressure on the corners of your inner eye for a minute while looking downward with eyes closed after instilling drops. This will help prevent the metallic taste from continuing past the first week or two. I used a coupon from the Xiidra website to save money on my prescription, along with insurance. While it’s still expensive, the prescription lasts me 2-3 months. My eye doctor said it was okay to use the drops multiple times if I kept the tip clean and stored properly. Overall, I think the benefits highly outweigh the cons of using Xiidra for dry eye therapy if you take the time to use it correctly!"

• Iha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 26, 2017

"I almost go for natural products when it comes to cosmetics or just about anything, maybe over-the-counter drops aren't that effective, but at least they don't sting my eyes like Xiidra! I seriously don't know what kind of chemicals they put in those drops, but man, they burn like hell, and my eyes are bloodshot for about 15 minutes alongside blurry vision. I stopped using it immediately after one use, so I can't speak about effectiveness when it comes to treating dry eyes, but I will continue exploring other dry eye reliefs."

• Anonymous
• November 5, 2017

"Started using Xiidra for my dry eye condition. I do have burning in my eyes and a short-term taste in my mouth after the drops. I can handle this and need to be on this for a while to see the results. My problem is the packaging. Delivery is bad. Sometimes only enough for one eye. Product not consistent. I look forward to good results with Xiidra, but for the cost, need to have enough product to supply both eyes and a better way to dispense."