Preservative-free anti-allergy drops

[BusyLizzy]

Hello Peeps,

I'm just back from 3 weeks in Australia, where I had a severe allergic reaction involving face and eyes. I got steroid drops (prednisolone) from the doc in Aus as well as Telfast. Only needed the steroids for a couple of days and then stopped them. Don't like using them because of risks to the eye, KC etc.

Anyway, I've only been back a few days and my eyes are itchy and lids, particularly bottom lids are swollen. Definitely because of the return to carpets and curtains...and the cat...(dust mites, animal dander) after being by the sea...

I have a history of allergic conjunctivitis (to add to eczema, KC and hayfever) and have had Rapitil drops before (nedocromil, a mast cell stabiliser, but I had to discontinue using them when I was told I'd become allergic to the preservative in them (benzalkonium chloride).

I was recommended Patanol (olopatadine) while in Australia, but as it turns out this also has the preservative, benzalkonium chloride in it, as do all the other mast-cell stabilisers and anti-allergy eye drops.

Does any of you lovely, helpful people here, optometrist or not, know of any drops I'm not aware of that might help?

Many thanks in advance,

Lyndsey

[GarethB]

Lizzy,

Can not answer about the eye drops, but if it is causing you a problem, you are allowed to drop into the eye casualty department and seek help from there.

Please dont allow yourself to suffer unnecessarily.

[Andrew MacLean]

I always get preservative free hypo-allergenic eye drops. They normally come in little single drop vials (I think they are called minims)

Andrew

[Janet Manning]

I use sodium cromoglicate eye drops without preservative. They are made (or at least distributed ) by Moorfields. My GP prescribes them and Tesco pharmacy order them from Moorfields. It was Moorfields that first prescribed them for chronic allergic conjunctivitis. If they were not preservative free I could not use them with lenses in. I have gradually reduced the number of times a day which I use them, but find that stopping them altogether greatly reduces lens tolerance time.

[Tammy Downsworth]

Hello BuzyLizzy, I too am allergic to teh preservative, and as well as preservative free saline, I use Celluvisc eyedrops and Refresh Contacts (similar but a lot runnier), they are made by Allergan, and you can buy them from Boots, but my GP prescribes them, I follow Ken Pullams advice (via another post) to only use one drop at a time rather than the whole vial that way a vial lasts a whole day only occaisionally do I need to get through two a day. The Celluvisc has a kind of added viscocity and seems to stay in the eye a lot longer as I seem to 'have punctums like motorways'.

I have tried systane once as well and minims but Celluvisc is great.

Tam

[BusyLizzy]

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies.

I intend to ask the GP for preservative-free sodium cromoglycate, as Janet suggested. I didn't even know that that existed, so it will be worth a try to get it.
For the moment I am taking Telfast, an antihistamine to take out the itching and some of the swelling, as well as dropping in Celluvisc every few hours and using Diprobase on my eyelids and face, as the eczema has spread to my eyelids.

While the Telfast is reducing some of the inflammation, it doesn't address the root of the problem, though. I guess that's where the cromoglycate would be so much more useful, as it prevents the allergy in the first place.

Thanks again.

Lyndsey

[Janet Manning]

Hi Busylizzy,
I didn't realise you had eczema round/on your eyes as well. This is exactly the situation that led to my being prescribed sodium cromoglicate. I looked like a red panda and was having great difficulty in tolerating the lenses.

I was training to be a homeopath at the time, so tried homeopathic remedies, but couldn't get any relief. Eventually I went to a Chinese doctor, who suggested vaseline for my eye lids and treated me with herbs. He cured me in 6 months and it has never come back around my eyes, though I do have eczema in other places at present. If my eyelids ever get a bit dry, I just apply a little vaseline.

I am now a qualified homeopath and have just managed to cure someone else with this condition. I've got her using vaseline, but have added Graphites 12c mother tincture about 15 drops in a tub and mix in with a teaspoon handle. Graphites 12c mother tincture is available from Helios Homeopathic Pharmacy in Kent. 01892 537254 between 10 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. M-F. If you contact them and they ask you what you want it for, just say your practitioner recommended it! Only homeopaths normally buy this mother tincture. I am also giving my patient remedies orally, so the ointment alone may not cure it, but is very soothing.

If you would like to find a homeopath in your area, let me know in a PM and I'll find someone from the Society of Homeopath's register.

[Andrew MacLean]

BusyLizzy

Let us know how you get on.

Andrew