Lifitegrast ophthalmic and Itching: What Users Say

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 5, 2021

For Dry Eye Disease "I started using Xiidra 3 months ago, 1 drop in both eyes twice daily. It burns on application, and I have noticed that my vision acuity has changed for the worse. My eyes frequently itch, and I have developed an enlarged lymph node in my neck that is hard and tender to touch. I have also developed a scalp irritation (dermatitis) that extends ear to ear from the back of my neck hairline up to the middle of my scalp. It itches horribly and wakes me up in the middle of the night. Is Xiidra causing these issues? I don't know. I do know that I did not have these symptoms prior to starting Xiidra. My dry eye issues have improved somewhat but not enough to continue using Xiidra."

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 5, 2021

For Dry Eye Disease "I started using Xiidra 3 months ago, 1 drop in both eyes twice daily. It burns on application, and I have noticed that my vision acuity has changed for the worse. My eyes frequently itch, and I have developed an enlarged lymph node in my neck that is hard and tender to touch. I have also developed a scalp irritation (dermatitis) that extends ear to ear from the back of my neck hairline up to the middle of my scalp. It itches horribly and wakes me up in the middle of the night. Is Xiidra causing these issues? I don't know. I do know that I did not have these symptoms prior to starting Xiidra. My dry eye issues have improved somewhat but not enough to continue using Xiidra."

• Twi...
• November 26, 2016

"I used Xiidra for approximately 3 weeks, prescribed for dry eye disease. The terrible taste it left in my throat was bearable, but I must say that it has significantly increased tearing. It is so bad that I have returned to the eye doctor to obtain medication for itchy, constant tearing eyes. Two days after beginning prescription Prednisolone AC 1%, I am finally getting relief from the itching eyes. The tearing continues to affect my quality of life. I'm extremely disappointed that I was not informed of this possibility by my eye doctor. In this day and time, we must all be our own advocates for any negative side effects because some physicians fail to inform their patients. Please beware of the side effects of Xiidra!!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2017

"I've been using Xiidra for over 3 weeks. I'm experiencing constant tearing and sticky discharge from just my left eye. Every day I'm wiping my eye all day long. And it becomes itchy. I couldn't take it anymore and stopped. I have been back to using Refresh Tears but still experiencing the tearing and discharge. I thought these drops were going to be a miracle, but instead very disappointing! Luckily I had samples before wasting my money!"

• Soc...
• March 10, 2017

"I've been on Restasis for several years and have done well on it. My insurer stopped covering Restasis this year, but covers Xiidra. I'm not sure why since they're priced similarly. Restasis is actually a better value because it has 0.4 ml in every vial (I can stretch out a 90-day supply to 180 days) vs. Xiidra's 0.2 ml. I decided to try Xiidra. Right away, my eyes burned and itched and were extremely red. I've only been on it for 5 days. I don't know how long I can tolerate the Xiidra. I don't know if I should discontinue using the drops because I suspect I might be allergic to them, or will these side effects subside?"

• blo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 28, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "I have been on Xiidra for two months. I have chronic dry eye due to hypothyroidism. I use Xiidra twice daily (morning and night). The initial sensation of the stinging is strong and painful and is accompanied by itching. Then I have a lovely white discharge from each eye. After the morning dose, my vision is severely compromised due to blurriness that extends an hour or longer after administering the morning drop, as well as continued dry eye symptoms throughout the day. After having used Xiidra for a few weeks, I noticed horrible puffy eyes. I have not used the Xiidra in a few days, and already the puffiness has greatly subsided. I will opt for over-the-counter drops as opposed to Xiidra, which didn't do anything but cause my eyes to swell. Hope this helps others experiencing similar symptoms/side effects."

• Kel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 30, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "Horrible! Xiidra causes itching around the eye, and the burning of the eye is ridiculous! If it eats my skin raw around my eye, what is it doing to my eye itself? It’s amazing how companies can put out such awful drugs. I should just mix something up myself and sell it!"

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

For Dry Eye Disease "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."

• Aus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 26, 2023

For Dry Eye Disease "99% sure it made my condition permanently worse. I had mild dry eye before using this product that was tolerable, but a bit of a nuisance. A bad optometrist gave me this right off the bat. Used it for 2 months with no difference while using it, however, just a few days after I stopped taking it, my condition worsened 10-fold. I'm not sure if it was a rebound reaction or what, but my eyes are now in terrible pain every single day. Red, scratchy, stinging, every blink hurts. I want my old life back before I took this drug. It's destroyed my life, and now I'm dealing with the mental toll of that and suicidal thoughts."

• Mim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 3, 2021

For Dry Eye Disease "I am very unhappy with Xiidra for these reasons: 1. The silver package is impossible to open, and I must use scissors. 2. For a senior citizen, the vial is very difficult to open, and squeeze to obtain the drop. Often, after removing the plastic top, there is barely any solution to administer, not even enough for 1 eye. I have thrown away many vials in order to administer sufficient solution. 3. After using Xiidra for over 2 months, in addition to the headache, I have an extremely clogged nose, or else a very runny nose. 4. The product burns upon administration and causes very itchy eyes lasting all day. I need to supplement with OTC eye drops. I do not recommend this product. Restasis is a considerably better product and far more effective."

• No...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 22, 2017

"Initial 12 days were awesome. My eyes felt completely back to normal. I did have the forewarned burning sensation and metallic taste in mouth when administering the drops. However, so worth it for the improvement in my vision. I have now been using Xiidra for 4 weeks, and the effectiveness seems to be going down. I have had multiple bad vision days and had to use refresh drops all day long. I have also, in the last few days, started having an itching sensation in the inner corners of my eyes. I go back to the Dr tomorrow, hoping Xiidra continues to work, but skeptical. Also, I will not be able to continue if the cost is $400+ per month."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 28, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "I want these to work. Dry eye disease is not anything I would wish on anyone. My right eye is my worst. It is always itchy and watery and stinging...with or without the Xiidra. I haven't noticed a huge difference, and they burn like hell when you put them in. And then my eyes get super goopy, so I am wiping out eye boogies most of the day. Is there really nothing better? Insurance doesn't want to pay, so I am relying on the coupons available."

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

For Dry Eye Disease "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."

• Bir...
• March 30, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "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."

• myd...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2017

"I've been using Xiidra for 2 months. It began working immediately. It burned a little on initial use, but that has subsided. I do have blurry vision for approx 15-20 minutes and sometimes watery eyes lasting longer. I also had inflammation in my eyes and blepharitis. I clean my eyes every night with baby shampoo. The inflammation has cleared up. I also use lubricating drops during the day, which were not enough before I started on Xiidra. My eye doctor told me about the burning, itching, and bad taste, which does not affect me badly enough to worry about it. I think it's worth trying this medicine, don't give up right away as some of these side effects go away with use."

• Hor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2017

"I filled the one free month coupon my eye doctor suggested I try. I used it for six days, and my eyes became so irritated I stopped. My eyes have been tearing down my face and itching now for five days. Miserable, this is the first day they have felt better. Very scary, I thought maybe I had done permanent damage. Trust me, not good."

• Lar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "Restasis became too expensive, so I tried Xiidra. After just a few days, less than 1 week, I began to have headaches and felt tired and sick. My eyes dripped sticky tears constantly, and I felt like I had a very bad sinus infection. The bridge of my nose, at the corner of each eye, was very tender, slightly swollen, and itchy. It has taken 4 days to start to feel better and for symptoms to subside. Going back to Restasis and pay the higher price."

• Dry...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 11, 2017

"I am a 29-year-old female and have recently been diagnosed with dry eyes. I have had the worst time in the middle of the night and while looking at my work computer screen. I even got a humidifier and eye covers, to no avail. I've only been on Xiidra for literally 4 days, and I've noticed a big difference already. Does it have a weird taste? Yes. Only lasts 5 minutes. The taste is so insignificant I can't believe people are even mentioning it. People also wrote in the reviews that the plastic containers are too hard. Like, what?! Nope. There are about 6 drops in each container. I had no burning or itching. $60/month with insurance, but with a coupon, it's free the first month and $10 after that. I hope it continues to help! 6/10 because it's too early to tell how it will work."

• Mar...
• April 26, 2017

"When I first started using it about six months ago, I thought it was helpful. But for the past month to six weeks, I really suffered from red, itchy eyes, so I'm going to stop taking it for a while to see if that is the cause."

• aha...
• March 28, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "In addition to the side effects noted in these other posts-the stinging, the gooey AM discharge, the blurriness, the irritation to my throat and larynx, the cough, the inappropriate tearing on one side only, I've also experienced significant changes to my voice (a potential disaster for a singer/voice actor). When I mentioned this to my physician and expressed concern that my symptoms were beginning to mimic those of two friends who had died of esophageal cancer-and wondered aloud if the T-cell inhibitors might be going systemic-she suggested I quit and see if I noticed a difference. Five days later I am up at 3 AM with the most distressing itchy, aching, coughing, post-nasal drip I've ever experienced in my life. Unable to sleep, I came to this site to see if this might be a common withdrawal symptom or if the awful sensation in the back of my throat is just a coincidence. (I've not had a cold in decades, and my nasal tissues are not affected.)"

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 26, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "I have - at the age of 64 - 20/15 in one eye, 20/25 in the other. For the first time, I have a dry eye problem. The doctor prescribed Xiidra. I used it ONE TIME. Never again. The burning and itching made me feel as though I poured acid in my eyes, the taste in the back of my throat was HORRIBLE - for HOURS, and I had blurry vision for about 10 minutes. Why would I do this twice a day? Why does a medicine that is supposed to make my eyes feel BETTER make them feel so much worse?"

• Rah...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 6, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "After two weeks, I started feeling tears again. I luckily don’t have the nasty taste like others. My only side effect is blurry vision for about 10 minutes, and the corners of my eyes itch a little at first. Other than that, I am really impressed-except for the price! Wow!"

• Cin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 8, 2022

For Dry Eye Disease "This medication was expensive even with insurance. On the very first dose, my eyes began to itch unbearably, and they hurt for the rest of the day even when I rinsed them out with Thera Tears. I won’t use it again."

• Use...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 11, 2022

For Dry Eye Disease "I went to see my dry eye specialist, and he prescribed me Xiidra because of excessive dry eyes. He warned me about the initial burning and itching sensation, but it seemed like every application was different (some burned more than others). The burning and itching went away after a few minutes. It was manageable, in my opinion. He also mentioned the possible side effect of a metallic/bad taste. My dry eye went away instantly. I was going through a 70-pack of Refresh Plus every 1-2 weeks. However, after about 2 weeks of use, I developed a gnarly sinus infection but only affected the right side of my face (tender tear duct, overproduction of tears in the right eye, face pain, headache, teeth pain, and coughing up fluorescent white grainy discharge that tasted similar to the eye drops). I called my eye doctor and told him about my symptoms, and he told me to stop for a week. The next day, it was gone, but back on artificial tears instantly."

• Nan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 28, 2021

For Dry Eye Disease "I was prescribed this due to dry eyes. Tried the first time for a few days and had severe headaches and sinus pressure. I was not sure if it was the medication, so I stopped it and tried again after a few weeks. The same problems recurred but more side effects. Along with migraines and sinus pressure, I also developed blisters on my tongue, metallic taste, dry, itchy eyes. My eyes also look swollen in the inner corners. After reading all the other reports, I am going to d/c this medication and go back to drops."