Does Restasis REALLY work? Does it really make your eyes produce tears in the end?

HELLO im scared cant get mucous out of throat every mornig with blocked nose I PANICK WOULD STRESS MAKE THIS WORSE???ALSO TEST AREALL NEGATIVE 3 MONTHS AGO

Don’t be scared. I do nasal washing at night and use nasal sprays. I don,t know the cause of this problem.
Restasis is a steriod it makes your eyes more comfortable but it doesn’t change them

I have tried Restasis and it did not work for me. I use Systane ultra also and it helps.

Restasis is the ophthalmic form of cyclosporine and it is an immune suppressant, not a steroid. Because of the type of drug that it is, it can take time for restasis to work, and while it may not improve tear production, it may slow down further eye problems. For some people the drops can be temporarily irritating.



It can be used in conjunction with lubricant eye drops, and preservative free is generally agreed to be preferred.



Kquixtar said:

Don’t be scared. I do nasal washing at night and use nasal sprays. I don,t know the cause of this problem.
Restasis is a steriod it makes your eyes more comfortable but it doesn’t change them

All the Systane products are so expensive. Being on a limited budget, I was going to ask my Dr about Restasis as if I do mail order pharmacy most of my med are free but it doesn’t sound like it will help. My eyes are so dry that I couldn’t cry if I wanted too. Off topic, how do you start a discussion here? I am new and can’t figure it out.

Terriba- to start a new discussion, go onto the home page, then in the Forum box with all the discussions, go right to the bottom, and it says + Add A Discussion. Click on that and you can start your discussion question. Hope this helps!

I used Restasis for a while a few years ago before any suspicions of SS. My eyes started doing better so I quit using them. I’m regretting that now because I need it again but my eye doctor keeps pointing me to OTC drops which burn my eyes up! They are very expensive!

My doc did add the additional piece of info that while Restasis is an immuno-suppresant, it doesn't enter the blood stream. In my case it is keeping the eye damage from progressing.

There is one more fact about Restasis I learned from my doctor. It makes your eye more prone to infection. Which is why he doesn’t like to prescribe it.

That's what my doctor said also. She said that Restasis is an immunosur[pressant and it can lead to eye infections that would be worse than the dry eye. On another note, I also suffer from dry eye and felt like I had sand in my eyes on most days. About 3 or 4 months ago, I began to take turmeric and curcurmin. My eyes have improved dramatically! If you haven't tried it yet, give turmeric and curcurmin a try!

As always, check with your doc before trying supplements. No idea about curcurmin but turmeric can have a blood thinning quality. I can't have it due to other health issues.

I guess that's why decisions about meds are so individualized. I actually need the Restasis for now. My issue is damage to the outer layer of the eye due to dryness. Thankfully I've never had an issue with infections.

I was just prescribed Restasis due to severe dry eye, and I can't even feel the burn from the drops. As someone said, it isn't anything compared to how my eyes hurt and burned before. It felt like I had been in a sand storm; they hurt so bad. I have been diagnosed with Sjogren's for about a year now, but it all started with a diagnosis of Burning Tongue syndrome. I was told by the ENT I saw, that burning tongue is a subsidiary of Sjogren's. I had no idea! I have a myriad of other auto-immune diseases, as well. I feel like a line of dominos, where one falls and hits the other and another falls (one symptom and then, another of something else, etc.) I was told that I needed to use the Restasis for the rest of my life now. I also use Refresh preservative-free eye drops at least 4 times a days. My eyes are finally starting to do better, but I noticed that when my eyes get dry the most is when I am looking at my computer monitor a lot (for work) and when I am driving in the car. I think the air conditioning in the car is the culprit there. I was told to make sure the Auto-circulate button isn't on in the car, as it supposedly drys out the air even more. I always wear my sunglasses now too! Also, the nurse at the doctor's office said that it helps to put your Refresh eye drops in the refrigerator, and then it is like a cooling ice bath relief for your eyes when you put them in~

I have been using Restasis for three months, twice a day. I also use Refresh and Genteal Gel at night. My eyes burn all of the time. As the day progresses my vision gets worse. I used to do bead weaving but can't do it at all now. I have plugs and my eyes are better than they were but I wonder if they will ever entirely improve. My night vision is awful with all lights radiating.

I wear my glasses if I'm going to be on the computer for an extended time because it dries them more. I do all of the above. Restasis, Refresh gel drops (celluvisc) and regular gel at night.

I know exactly what you mean about the dominos falling. LOL I had felt that way often during the first year after diagnosis.It was a good way to describe it.

I’ve been using Restasis for a few years now. It works great for me. My eye Dr. recommended it for me. One vial last for 2-3 days.


I was told by my opthamologist's office to only use a vial of Restasis for 24 hours so I use it twice a day and once the following day or once a day and twice the following day. There is leftover but I was told not to use it.
32708fl said:

I've been using Restasis for a few years now. It works great for me. My eye Dr. recommended it for me. One vial last for 2-3 days.

When I first started using it, it helped my eyes, I never seemed to be able to produce on my own but it seemed to be helping. But after 3 years and using the max amount of dosage allowed it was changed and I have cornea damage as well. I hope it helps you out, I believe it may just depend on the person, some things seem to help some but not others. Good luck and I do hope you have gotten some good help.