Hay fever eye drops: "Not to be used by contact wearers"

[Rich Moore]

Hi All,

Been a while since I've posted on the forum so hope everyone is fine and well!

I find that I can spend hours browsing this forum, looking up KC sites and generally mulling over the condition and before I know it, it's 6pm and I've still got a whole days work on my desk to get through.

Quick question to the Hay Fever suffers amongst us. I bought some Otrivine Antistin Eye Drops to help with my sore/itchy eyes. The box says "Not to be used by contact wearers". My question. Does this mean not to use whilst wearing contacts, OR, do not use if you wear contacts at anytime. For example, I wear glasses most of the day and contacts in the evening and I was hoping to be able to apply the drops at night before going to bed.

Any tips on coping with itchy hay fever eyes and contacts?

All the best.

[Andrew MacLean]

Contact your contact lens specialist and ask. I was told when wearing a scleral that it was safe to use some drops, so long as I took out the lens first and left it out for some time after applying the drops.

I do not know whether this varies from lens type to lens type, or even from medication to medication. The Maitrix becomes a bit complex, so the safest thing to do is to ask the professional who prescribed or dispenses your lens what they would advise.

Let us know how you get on.

Andrew

[Lynn White]

Hi Rich

This is a problem in so much as the manufacturers of the drops are covering themselves every which way. I also know one pharmacist who told a patient of mine it was OK to use the drops as long as he waited 24 hours before he put the lenses in - which as he was going to use them every day effectively meant don't use them!

The rationale behind this is that drops can get absorbed into soft contact lenses and its hard to day exactly when all of the drops are gone from the eye. They do not get absorbed into RGPs but then there is some concern that certain chemicals in drops can harm the RGP material.

Certainly I can't see much problem with putting drops in first thing in the morning and then putting your lenses in half an hour later. Also you can put your drops in before you go to bed and after you have taken the lenses out. I have to say in all my years of practice I have never seen a problem with Otrivine that is lens related and I use it myself and I wear lenses.

In fact I am sure the drops USED to say "not be used when wearing contact lenses" rather than "contact lens wearers".. Seems I had better take another look as no doubt I wil be getting this question asked me all summer!

[James Colclough]

i have tried quite a few drops, currently happy with optanol. I put the drops in at night and in the morning about an hour before i put my lesnes in all four of them 2 soft dailies then the rgp's, comfort drops throughout the day also help as do sunglasses