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Q. I’ve heard about becoming addicted to nasal sprays, but I wonder if one can become addicted to eye drops. I have severe dry eyes along with allergies, and I need a dose of eye drops first thing in the morning and several times throughout the day. Otherwise my eyes get horribly red, swollen and irritated. Am I addicted?
A. You may well be experiencing rebound redness from overuse of eye drops. The same ingredient that is found in many nasal sprays is found in eye products that help get the red out.
Oxymetazoline is a long-acting topical drug that constricts (shrinks) blood vessels. That is how it relieves congestion in the nose. But people who use nasal decongestants for allergies, colds or sinus problems are warned to use such products for only three to five days. After that they may experience rebound congestion as the medicine wears off.
The same thing can happen in the eyes. Rebound redness occurs when the blood vessels dilate after the effects of the medicine fade. It can take several days (or sometimes longer) for this effect to gradually disappear. You may be better off with artificial tears rather than anti-red drops.
From personal experience: (1)If the eyedrops have benzylchronium (mispelled)chloride as a preservative, that can make your eyes hurt more -- google it! It's bad for your health, but in most eye and nose drops/sprays. (It took an allergist to figure this out - my eye doctor had no clue. (2) Try 3 capsules of Theratears Nutrition capsules ea. day -- nothing has given me more relief from dry eye pain, and the omega-3 + flax seed oil is heart-healthy as well.