RESTASIS® is the only prescription eye drop that helps
increase your eyes’ natural ability to produce tears, which may be
reduced by inflammation due to Chronic Dry Eye. RESTASIS®
Ophthalmic Emulsion did not increase tear production in patients using
topical steroids or tear duct plugs.
Research has shown that
Chronic Dry Eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca, also known as Dry Eye
Syndrome) may be the result of a functional problem in the
tear-producing glands of the eyes. This reduces tear production,
resulting in an insufficient amount of tears to lubricate or nourish the
eye
Click on
the step numbers in the illustration below to activate the feedback
loop. To compare how Chronic Dry Eye affects the feedback loop, click on
the "CHRONIC DRY EYE TEAR PRODUCTION" button in the top right of the
illustration and repeat the step process.
Recent evidence suggests that there may be dysfunction of one or more
aspects of this neural feedback loop in Chronic Dry Eye patients. For
example, the increased osmolarity of tears in patients with dry eye can
impact many aspects of the normal physiology of the ocular surface,
affecting the ability of the sensory nerves to carry information to the
brain. This results in a failure of the signaling system that would
normally increase tear production.
Click on the "CHRONIC DRY EYE TEAR PRODUCTION" menu button in the
illustration above and step through the process to compare to normal
tear production
How does it work?
RESTASIS® Ophthalmic Emulsion is the first prescription eye drop
indicated to increase tear production which may be reduced by
inflammation on the eye surface in patients with Chronic Dry Eye.
RESTASIS® did not increase tear production in patients using
topical steroid drops or tear duct plugs.
The approved treatment is one drop in the morning and one drop
at night in each eye, every day. RESTASIS® Ophthalmic Emulsion helps
increase your natural ability to produce tears, which may be reduced
by inflammation due to Chronic Dry Eye. RESTASIS® is believed to
work on the inflammation to relieve it and enable greater tear
production over time
What are the side effects?
The most common side effect reported by 17% of patients was ocular burning.
Other side effects reported by 1% to 5% of patients included conjunctival hyperemia, discharge, epiphora, eye pain, foreign-body sensation, pruritus, stinging, and visual disturbance (most often blurring).
RESTASIS® is contraindicated in patients with active ocular infections and has not been studied in patients with a history of herpes keratitis.
