Xiidra and Burning: What Users Say

• San...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 27, 2020

For Dry Eye Disease "I had horrible burning and blurriness. Then I saw the prescription receipt which included, after the drop was in the eye: 'Look downward, gently close your eyes, and PLACE ONE FINGER AT THE CORNER OF YOUR EYE (NEAR THE NOSE). APPLY GENTLE PRESSURE FOR 1 TO 2 MINUTES BEFORE OPENING YOUR EYES. THIS WILL PREVENT THE MEDICATION FROM DRAINING OUT...' I think it also prevented the drop from getting into the sensitive inner corner of my eye and stopped my eye from burning. The blurriness resolved quickly also. So glad I can use Xiidra again. I think it's really helping me."

• Car...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 10, 2020

For Dry Eye Disease "I used this drug for a year because I was told it would help my dry eyes. I used it twice a day regularly. My eyes would burn and water for 30 minutes after each use. After 2 months, I gave up. Then I noticed that my T-shirts all had a common white spot, right where I would rub my sore eyes. They looked like I had spot bleached them. And this is what I was putting in my eyes twice a day! Unbelievable! Please do not use this product!"

• Tee...
• August 9, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "I immediately had problems with Xiidra, as my eyes would burn for a half hour after each drop. But two weeks after starting it, I woke up with blurred vision that would not go away. I couldn't drive or read. I am nearsighted, and the blurriness was terrible with and without my glasses. I could barely function in my own house. The scary part is that now it is the second day since I took them last, and I still have blurred vision. It is better than yesterday, but definitely not normal. This medication is dangerous and needs to be removed from the market."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2021

For Dry Eye Disease "WARNING! Be very careful. First time use one tiny drop in one eye to see how it affects you. I had used it for 20 days, and it helped my dry eye, but after a week, I developed terrible side effects: sinus and ear infection, severe dizziness. I didn't make the connection until too late and ended up in the hospital after a severe dizzy spell. All tests were negative. Two months later, my dry eye came back, so I thought I could use it for just a couple of days. I tried one drop. I was up all night with burning, blurry eyes, using eye wash and artificial tears. Nothing helped. This morning, my eyes are so red and irritated. Praying they recover soon. Will never use again."

• 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?"

• Jul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "Beware! I spent $300 on a month’s supply of Xiidra, and I have had the worst side effects—burning eyes, metallic taste in my mouth, nasal drip tasting the medicine, and worst of all, nausea. I don’t understand how this drug was approved for use. I tried it every 12 hours for 8 days with no relief, only bad side effects. We should have a class action suit to at least get our money back for such a terrible drug!"

• 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."

• LRL...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 18, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "I have been using Xiidra for over a year when my insurance insisted that I try this rather than Restasis (go figure, it's actually more expensive). It does burn like crazy, but I do feel like my eyes have been much better, and I use significantly fewer OTC drops. My question is, has anyone else had issues with their pressures increasing? There may be no connection, but my pressures have increased significantly in this time and continue to climb despite several medication changes."

• Ber...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 18, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "After cataract surgery, my eyes would always look red, and they stayed dry a lot. My eye doctor prescribed Xiidra, and it burned for a while, then stopped. One night I put the drops in my eyes, and my left eye burned so bad I couldn't stand. The next day the burning was still there, along with my eye redder than ever. I stopped the drops and went back to using my over-the-counter lubricant. My eyes feel much better. I'll never use these drops again, they are NOT for everyone!"

• SLC...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 27, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "At first, it cleared up my eye floaters. Expensive, but really worked. Second month, the burning was incredible, but minor floaters. Vision was blurry for about 20 minutes. As the months went on, the burning continued, vision was blurry longer, and seemed to have a lot more liquid? My Dr. basically shrugged it off. Then the sinus infections started. Worst I've ever had in my life. Now I am having bronchial/respiratory distress. Comes in waves, not able to always draw a breath when coughing. I can cough something up, it's that same bitter, nasty taste we have all learned to live with on this vile medication. Calling the Dr. tomorrow as this is day 3 of these symptoms, and I'm convinced it's the Xiidra. I'd rather have dry eye."

• 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."

• ABa...
• December 31, 2020

For Dry Eye Disease "I have tried Restasis, over-the-counter Refresh tears and gel drops and plugs. None of these have really helped. Then I went to another eye doctor who recommended I try Xiidra. I am SO glad I did! This eye drop helps with eye inflammation too (look it up!), and I have long felt this was part of my issue. I have lupus with secondary Sjögren’s syndrome. I must look at a computer for work all day. These drops have made all the difference. In the beginning, they made my eyes burn upon instillation, some dizziness, and the metallic taste...even some sinus symptoms, but all of that subsided after a few weeks. I am so glad I stuck with it and gave these eye drops a chance!!"

• 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."

• Mun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 21, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "I have only been using Xiidra for two weeks. Initially, I was concerned by the burning sensation and began reading reviews. It frightened me so much, I almost discontinued use. The burning sensation abated within a day or two, and I can’t believe the improvement! I tried Restasis when it first came out, but there didn’t seem to be a noticeable difference. I have gone through more OTC eye drops, warm compresses, and everything else that has been suggested. Couldn’t make it through a night without feeling as though there were shards of glass in my eyes. I use an eye ointment at night and wear an eye mask, but until Xiidra, I have had no relief. Yes, it’s expensive, and I am fortunate that my health plan covers most of the cost. But I would pay full price anyway. You only get one set of eyes. I am so thankful that this product came along!"

• Nub...
• October 26, 2016

"Have been on Xiidra for 5 weeks, and it has not worked for me. The first 4 days were tough, with moderate burning (not as bad as Restasis), and my eyes were blurry for approximately 20 min. These side effects decreased with time, but there was no improvement in my eyes. I feel like this is very similar to my experience with Restasis.... I wasted a lot of time and money on something that was totally ineffective."

• lio...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 30, 2021

For Dry Eye Disease "This product is absolutely awful! It needs to be recalled. Complete waste of $70 for copay, but insurance insisted I try this first. After reading the reviews of how dangerous it is, I’m glad I only tried it for a few days randomly because I didn’t have the time to dedicate to two hours of blurred vision every time I applied the drops; forget driving to work, so I didn’t even use it in the morning. Also, it burned my eyes, feeling like I had applied lemon juice. $70 down the toilet. Rating = 0."

• Del...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "Retail cost with “discount” is $5,000+ per year. Using samples now. Burns for 15 minutes, followed by blurry vision for another 15 minutes, twice daily. I’m on Medicare A & B only. No special discount offered. Restasis runs about the same. This is a classic American pharma drug ploy. Niche drug, high incidence of side effects, plenty of come-on then bait and switch, along with marginal effectiveness."

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

For Dry Eye Disease "I tried Xiidra at the suggestion of my eye doctor for my chronic dry eyes. I had been using Restasis for a few years, and my eyes sometimes felt really dry still, so we decided to try Xiidra. Well, I have stopped using it and have gone back to Restasis. Xiidra burned my eyes so much I had to put cold compresses on my eyes to get them to feel better. The Xiidra made my eyes so red and made my throat feel scratchy. No more Xiidra for me, ever."

• 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."

• Lyr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 3, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "My doctor said Xiidra would burn a bit, and honestly, the burning isn't too bad. What is bad, though, is it leaks to your throat and you taste the awful metal taste, and it's as if so much mucus is balled up in your throat - I had issues breathing and gagging when I took it, which I didn't expect for eye drops. I had symptoms like another person described too that feel like heart attack symptoms but are actually extreme acid reflux from this: I have major heart problems, so I know some key differences to look out for, but absolutely not a comparison to want to worry about daily for eye drops! The eye drops don't really even work that well, honestly, they barely work better than OTC regular eye drops. Seems like they go through my eye as they should, and the nasolacrimal gland gets dumped (into throat), so they're triggering some glands and such to work just... the wrong ones, or my body just doesn't want to make tears even if it has no problem opening tear ducts or different glands that hold the tears."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 24, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "Been on Xiidra for 4 months. Has not worked at all. Am now being fitted for scleral lenses. The Xiidra burns a lot and I end up with very blurry sight, but it would have been worth it if it had helped."

• 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?"

• 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."

• Sue...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 8, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "Xiidra is the worst experience EVER. They make you go through a separate customer service company. Then have you join some 'ask iiris' thing. After 17 phone calls to 'ask iiris' or Xiidra marketing, 4 trips to the pharmacy, and two calls to my optometrist, I’ll finish after the sample. The medicine burns your eyes, and my vision seems worse than before."

• Bir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 28, 2019

For Dry Eye Disease "Fabulous. Worked within days. Burning is negligible. A little blurriness after putting in drops. I read on the label - if you press the sides of your nose after putting in drops, the stuff will NOT drip back into your throat and you will NOT have a bad taste. The only drag is the price."