Author Topic: Eye drops  (Read 5857 times)

skunkfunk

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Eye drops
« on: March 26, 2014, 02:33:38 PM »
Eye drops are expensive! See here.

I've never really used them before, but the eye doctor suggests that I should. Which ones do you buy for best monetary efficiency?

nereo

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Re: Eye drops
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2014, 02:42:03 PM »
Eye drops are expensive!
I've never really used them before, but the eye doctor suggests that I should. Which ones do you buy for best monetary efficiency?
Forgive me, but what wouldn't you ask your ophthamologist what eye drops you should be using if he/she is telling you that you need them? 

If all you need is a basic saline solution to rinse away the occasional dust/pollen, you can make that by mixing half a teaspoon of salt into a cup of pure DI water.  But if you have an eye issue I'd really go with what the doctor recommends.  various brands have different levels of lubricants and surficants.

skunkfunk

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Re: Eye drops
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2014, 02:48:24 PM »
Eye drops are expensive!
I've never really used them before, but the eye doctor suggests that I should. Which ones do you buy for best monetary efficiency?
Forgive me, but what wouldn't you ask your ophthamologist what eye drops you should be using if he/she is telling you that you need them? 

Yes, I did ask and got a sample, but they are too expensive and I'm not buying eye drops that cost that much. They are the "refresh" brand, and the best deal I can find is $21 for 2 ounces. They say on the package that they are lubricating eye drops. I will try the salt with distilled water and see if that gets it done. I ask the question because the all-knowing Google comes up with such a plethora of competing ideas about the best way (and whether you should even attempt) to do home eye remedies.

nereo

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Re: Eye drops
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2014, 02:55:14 PM »

Yes, I did ask and got a sample, but they are too expensive and I'm not buying eye drops that cost that much. They are the "refresh" brand, and the best deal I can find is $21 for 2 ounces. They say on the package that they are lubricating eye drops. I will try the salt with distilled water and see if that gets it done. I ask the question because the all-knowing Google comes up with such a plethora of competing ideas about the best way (and whether you should even attempt) to do home eye remedies.
I've used the brand before and they work extremely well.
But (disclaimer!) I would be very clear why your eye doctor wants you to use eye drops.  The basic recipe above is just a good all-purpose eye wash for getting particles (dust, pollen, etc) out of your eye.  If you have a medical condition like a scratched or damaged cornea, you should call your ophthalmologist and have him/her explain exactly what you need and why you need it. 

FuckRx

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Re: Eye drops
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2014, 03:24:36 PM »

why does ur eye doc wants u to use the drops? are you getting corneal abrasions because of ur dry eyes, is ur dryness so bad that it's causing damage? how come he/she didn't put in plugs for ur eyelids? if it's mild then like the other person mentioned maybe u just need to use normal saline (i don't know about making it yourself, couldn't tell u if that's safe) but if you purchase it and u are planning on using drops a lot u need to purchase preservative free ones and that will make the price even more expensive. if ur eyes aren't that bad maybe u can just use the eye ointments otc and apply them just at night. are you doing something to make ur eyes more dry? too much UV exposure? supplements? allergy meds making u dry? maybe u have allergies to begin with?
shit, that's a lotta questions... sorry but ya might wanna go back to ur doc and discuss some of this...

skunkfunk

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Re: Eye drops
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2014, 04:00:41 PM »

why does ur eye doc wants u to use the drops? are you getting corneal abrasions because of ur dry eyes, is ur dryness so bad that it's causing damage? how come he/she didn't put in plugs for ur eyelids? if it's mild then like the other person mentioned maybe u just need to use normal saline (i don't know about making it yourself, couldn't tell u if that's safe) but if you purchase it and u are planning on using drops a lot u need to purchase preservative free ones and that will make the price even more expensive. if ur eyes aren't that bad maybe u can just use the eye ointments otc and apply them just at night. are you doing something to make ur eyes more dry? too much UV exposure? supplements? allergy meds making u dry? maybe u have allergies to begin with?
shit, that's a lotta questions... sorry but ya might wanna go back to ur doc and discuss some of this...

The doctor suspected that my eyes were dry because I spend a lot of time reading and not enough time blinking. The only thing that she said might be damaged were that I had some veins (capillaries?) that were becoming enlarged. If that makes any sense. She didn't say anything about cornea damage or anything like that.

I think it's mostly preventative? Now that she's mentioned it, though, it annoys me whenever my eyes are feeling dry.

kimmarg

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Re: Eye drops
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2014, 04:05:28 PM »
Eyes are not an area where I save money. If it's just dry  eyes, try the store brand drops and see if they help. I can tell the difference in my eyes and prefer the refresh drops despite the expense. YMMV - my husband is perfectly happy with chepo contact solution - my eyes dry out part way through the day if I don't use the fancy stuff. They do have manufacturer coupons.

Cpa Cat

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Re: Eye drops
« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2014, 04:56:02 PM »
I've used eyedrops for many years. Walmart has good generic copies of just about every brand name out there.

I have also had success with fish oil supplements helping with dry eyes.

Avoid Visine - it is not for long-term use and can have harsh rebound effects.

Brand name-wise, I like Theratears best. Genteal is also a good brand - but the Walmart's version (Equate) is every bit as good. I think they also do a generic of every part of the Refresh line.

GoldenStache

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Re: Eye drops
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2014, 05:06:28 PM »
Costco..
I sleep in my contacts so need two drips per eye every morning. 

phred

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Re: Eye drops
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2014, 05:36:38 PM »
Take the sample with you to the drugstore.  Ask the pharmacist what she has that's equally effective, but cheaper.

process

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Re: Eye drops
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2014, 06:18:56 PM »
When I'm deciding whether to buy a generic pharmaceutical, I check the ingredients to see if it's the same as the name/recommended brand.  That said, I did recently try both the doctor-recommended and generic brand of eye drops, and found the name brand to be better.  Don't know why, since the active ingredients were the same...

MicroRN

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Re: Eye drops
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2014, 06:36:57 PM »
Check with your ophthalmologist about what type of eyedrops you should be using, then look for generic or bulk purchases.  CVS makes their own brand of different types, as does Walgreens.  The good news is that even a tiny bottle really does last a long time.   

zarfus

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Re: Eye drops
« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2014, 06:02:32 AM »
I have dry eye syndrome, and was put on Restasis.  I honestly can't say if it helped, or if I'm just getting used to dry eyes.  My eyes still get too irritated with contacts so I'm stuck with glasses :(

I did one round with Restasis, called it good enough, and now I just use store brand eye lubricant/artificial tears.  I agree, prices are outrageous, but these seem to do the trick for me.  The key for me is the artificial tears, not just "eye drops".