Xiidra and Bad Taste: What Users Say

• Dis...
• February 9, 2021

For Dry Eye Disease "Horrible! Initially, I had the awful chemical taste in my mouth and burning/itching in my eyes. Food wasn't tasting the same, and I actually worried that I might have contracted Covid-19 (I didn't). Within 3 weeks of starting on the Xiidra sample box, I woke up to find that my eyes were running profusely. Within 24 hours, I developed an intense migraine behind my right eye. I had mucus in my eyes. The following morning, I woke to find a blocked salivary gland (swollen and painful) and sores in my mouth. I was put on a 7-day course of antibiotics even though blood work at Urgent Care showed no sign of infection. After more than 10 days, the gland is still blocked, and I'm seriously wondering if it's due to excessive mucus. Through my research, I've discovered that this KY company tested these drops on dogs. My heart breaks thinking of these innocent animals suffering like I did, and I am absolutely appalled."

• Pet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 19, 2020

For Dry Eye Disease "I paid $290, with a discount off the original price of $540, for one month of drops. Too expensive. Bad taste in my mouth about 20-30 minutes after using the drops. My eyesight gets blurry and I experience stinging pain. Both blurry vision and pain leave after 45-60 minutes, but the aftertaste continues and has also caused diarrhea. After reading all the side effects of dry eye medications, I will go back to my over-the-counter drops without preservatives. They are safer and considerably cheaper."

• Dry...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 1, 2021

For Dry Eye Disease "Horrible side effects! I used Xiidra for 1 1/2 weeks. About 3 to 5 days later, I started getting this horrible pain in my eye socket, especially around the inner part of my eyes. The pain is so intense that I have had to take ibuprofen to help with the pain. I have had headaches and what seems to be sinusitis. I dealt with the horrible bitter taste, hoping I would get relief from the dryness, but now pain that will not subside. Making an appointment to see my doctor. Called the company after I paid almost $55.00, and they will not reimburse even after advising I would send product and receipt back. CVS will also not take it back. BEWARE! If you want to try, ask your ophthalmologist for a sample. Pain, constant tearing of eyes, headache, blurry vision... Reported to FDA. Ended up going to the ER. My eyes were swollen shut. The pain was so intense around my eyes that my prescribed Percocet did nothing to relieve the pain. Will live with dry eye any day over this experience."

• Kan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "I can't comment on the effectiveness of the medicine, as I didn't use it long enough to see. Besides the stinging and gross taste, which my eye specialist told me would be side effects... within 1 week of first using it, I started noticing that I had no eyelashes in the outer or inner corners of my eye (where the medicine would sit before it drained). After a few more days of thinking it was a coincidence... I had no eyelashes at all! Not to my surprise, after I stopped the medication, my eyelashes grew in."

• Not...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 26, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "Been using Xiidra for a year now, hoping I could tolerate contacts - no improvement - and 3 months ago, started having a rash in my mouth. Saw dentist, who didn't notice anything, but my whole mouth felt rough and dry. Mouth extremely dry at night. Really bad taste from the drops, whether or not I press down on ducts on either side of the nose. Also, developed terrible headaches and, 10 days ago, horrible digestive problems with pain and diarrhea. Stopping the drops now."

• VOJ...
• September 15, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "Suffer from dry eye disease (DED), ocular rosacea, and meibomian gland dysfunction with continuous cycles of inflammation and photophobia. Try to keep up lid scrubs, hot compress Bruder Mask, steroid drops, and artificial tears. Had LipiFlow treatment and felt immediate relief, albeit short-lived. Tried lower lid punctal plugs with minimal effectiveness, then upper plugs, and they really helped. Started Xiidra 4 months ago and no longer experiencing dry eye or photophobia. Eyes comfortable, moist, and watery. Had the burning, blurred vision, and bad taste symptoms as others described, but short-lived. Noticed huge improvement initially. Then, a few weeks ago inflammation came back accompanied by thick discharge. Thought I had an eye infection but wasn't the case. Used steroid drops and inflammation subsided, but eye mucus discharge still going strong. Didn't know eyes could produce copious amounts of sticky, thick (snot-like) mucus! I go back to the specialist next week, and if she doesn't have an answer for me, I'm stopping Xiidra. Next?"

• Net...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 18, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "I too have experienced the bad taste, and for that reason, I only use it at night and drink water after administering it. My biggest problem, and I'm noticing it more lately, are the bags under my eyes. Looking back at pics before I started this drug, I had absolutely no puffiness under my eyes. My left is worse than the right. I have been taking the drops faithfully since March of 2018. Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just genetic and coincidentally just showing up in the last four to five months? I'd appreciate feedback if anyone else has experienced this. The eye drops have made a difference, my eyes are no longer red but clear and white now. I'd be interested to hear. Thanks"

• Rac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 12, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "Xiidra did burn every time I'd dispense a drop. It would go away pretty quickly. I did experience the awful taste. It definitely worked for my dry eyes, however, the mucus build-up was a deal breaker for me. I had terrible drainage and a plug of mucus that would never go away. I could barely swallow at times without gagging. Cold and sinus meds didn't help. I figured out it was the drops and stopped them. Sinus troubles started getting better within 3 days. It's a real shame that this happened. My eyes were definitely feeling better, but I couldn't live with the side effects."

• Joy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2020

For Dry Eye Disease "Application of product difficult, i.e., leaning head down and pinching the top of the nose between the eyes for a long period of time. Burning and pain continued for at least 20 minutes, and blurriness remained for hours after application, and a bad taste in the back of the mouth and throat for a long period of time. I continued using as prescribed, thinking side effects would disappear, but nothing changed or improved after 20 days of use. I discontinued use and contacted my eye doctor."

• 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!!"

• 843...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 30, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "I just started Xiidra due to insurance not paying for Restasis. I am having some minor side effects (sinusitis, taste in mouth, blurring, crusty), but I assume these will go away in time. I simply cannot get that hard plastic dropper to work. It is awful. I cannot believe you would create such a difficult mechanism for elderly folks. I have a tremor and arthritis, so tilting my head, etc. simply doesn't work. Whatever happened to regular eye drop containers?"

• Bub...
• July 19, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "Just started these drops one week ago, and they're causing problems already. They burn like heck when instilled, cause a disgusting lasting bad taste in the mouth, sore tongue, sinus pressure, and pain behind the eyes. Took final and LAST dose yesterday."

• Sea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2017

"Have been using Xiidra for 6 weeks and have noticed a marked improvement in my eyes. I have blepharitis and meibomian. I also wear gas perm contacts and was down to being able to wear them for 2 hours a day and now up to 10 hours. Still using warm compresses and lid scrubs, but since using Xiidra, I have noticed a marked improvement in tear production and eye oil production. Stinging has decreased to a few seconds, and bad taste lasts only a minute or less. Cloudy vision can last 5 to 10 minutes...sometimes none present."

• SLM...
• September 30, 2017

"Helps dry eye - but generates terrible long-lasting bitter taste in the mouth, that stays for 4-6 hours or even more, and makes every food or drink taste bad. I called Shire, and they know that this is an effect of the drug - but they have no idea what causes it or how to counter it. So - we cannot even know for sure that this is not a long-lasting damage to the taste bud or to any other important function. The longest clinical trials were for 12 months. Thus any long-lasting damage is not known. The thought is troublesome, and so is that bitter taste."

• KS ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 19, 2016

"I'm appreciative of an option other than Restasis. However, the bitter taste, chronic headache, tightness in chest, and cough are very frustrating. It's almost like I have asthma. Would love thoughts on this. I'm now having to use cough medicine to go to sleep."

• Nan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 20, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "After cataract surgery, my eye doctor said I had dry eyes, although the only indication was that my vision wasn’t as clear as I’d like. So he prescribed Xiidra. The first month or so, I just put drops in once a day, and then after my next visit, the dose was changed to twice a day, plus over-the-counter drops during the day. It caused a bad taste, but that I could handle, so I continued using the Xiidra. The taste got to be more metallic tasting, and my mouth began to feel raw inside. I happened to have an oral surgeon appointment and mentioned it to him. When checking my tooth, he told me I had sores all over in my mouth. I checked with my pharmacist to see if she had heard of this side effect, she hadn’t. My mouth is so sore, and even after trying a special “magic mouthwash,” which seemed to work at first, I think I need to stop the Xiidra drops!"

• Max...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 8, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "I have had dry eye for several years, my eyes feel bruised and are very painful. I've used Restasis and Xiidra, both burn and can cause excessive watering. I found the workaround for this: 20 minutes after I place the Xiidra in my eyes, I use Refresh Mega in the vial, I flood each eye with about four drops, and then 15 minutes later do it again. I have no excessive watering, redness, or bad taste."

• Kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "Xiidra has been a lifesaver for me and my dry eyes. Tried everything, including the eye plugs. I was miserable. Immediate relief with these drops. Yes, my vision is blurry for a few minutes after inserting, but it clears up quickly. Also have a bit of an aftertaste in my throat, but it goes away. So worth it. I can even see more clearly."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 7, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "I’m not going to lie, the side effects of Xiidra can be quite unpleasant, but the overall result so far has been great. I have been suffering from dry eye for a while now, and I would put in 6 vials of lubricant in each eye, and it was still ineffective. Now I don’t really even have to think about other eye drops. The initial burning and bad taste will go away after continued use, you just have to be patient and keep toughing it out, and you will likely see improvement within a month. Remember not to skip doses, the burning will return. Overall, I would recommend Xiidra."

• Moa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 22, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "I started using Xiidra 2 months ago. My doctor instructed me to apply the drops in the morning and at night, which I did. My initial experience was not good - the immediate burning, redness, and watering when the drops hit my eyes, crusty eyes in the morning, and the horrible taste in my throat. After a week of these unpleasant side effects, I contacted my doctor’s office and was informed that the side effects would only last up to 3 weeks and then they would go away. I pushed through the pain, and after 3 weeks, the burning, redness, and watering ceased, the eye mucus was much improved, and the bad taste was milder and occurred only occasionally. This I can handle! Please note that the eye irritation will return if you do not continue taking the drops twice a day."

• Chi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "Have been using Xiidra for about 3 weeks, and so far, so good! Definitely experiencing the burning and bad taste in my mouth, which resolves in time. This is definitely relieving my dry eye symptoms and worth the smaller side effects. Will continue using this for as long as I get relief!"

• Red...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "Xiidra burns my eyes so badly for about half an hour after I use it. My eyes are super blurry and red for a couple of hours after use. When I get up in the morning, I always look like I have pink eye, with the redness, watering, and crusty eyes. I also have the horrible taste in my mouth, but it goes away pretty quickly after drinking something. In the morning, it burns the worst, and my eyes stay puffy all the time. I really don't think I'm going to keep using this medication. It's not worth the side effects."

• Dee...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 30, 2018

For Dry Eye Disease "After years of intense eye pain, I had tried everything, including two surgeries. Am I crazy about the burning? No. I do get the bad taste in my mouth after a bit, but it is better than the eye pain. I really had no choice. I can now go to the movies, and I seldom use any other eye drops - I probably should, but I actually forget that I need to. Not perfect, but it is the best that I have been in years."

• 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."

• Sue...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 7, 2017

"At my annual eye appointment, my Dr. officially diagnosed dry eye. I used Xiidra for a total of 5 weeks. It began providing relief to my dry eye symptoms within a week of applying 1 drop in each eye daily. It burned on initial use, but within 2 weeks, the burning subsided. I did have blurry vision for about 15 minutes, burning, and a bad taste in my mouth. All of these symptoms did not seem that bad. But I did have a serious reaction that I feel is caused by Xiidra. Within four days, I experienced a total vitreous detachment in one eye (floaters) and elevated eye pressures in both eyes. I'm in my 40s and have no history of glaucoma. After discontinuing Xiidra, my eye pressure returned to normal within 3 weeks, and I've learned to ignore the floaters."