Is it possible that Restasis cause a reaction such that it contributes to dryness rather than help? I had a subtle reaction to gel drops and felt much better when I discontinued them. My eye tissues also became "mushy" when the anesthetic drops were used in my eyes, likely contributing to a DLK situation following my first of 2 Lasik surgeries. I was -12.5 in each eye. I'm seeing perfectly (except during extremely dry weather), but the dry eye going on 5 months out of the 2nd surgery is still very bad. Am I being impatient? I live in a dry climate, but was raised in a humid one. Is this a factor? I'm doing everything - humidifier, plugs in all ducts, I'm currently on FML, Restasis (4 months) and an endless assortment of drops and ointments. I can't help but think it's not good to put all this stuff into my eyes. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Hi Michelle,

I am also about 5 months out of surgery and still having dry eye issues. I'm using Restasis, taking flax seed oil, and using Systane drops every 2 hours or so. I'm also using humidifiers to try to keep my environment moist! I noticed that you said you were using ointments. Do you you use these at night? Luckily, I do not have severe problems when sleeping, so I usually do not have to use anything special at night time. However, one doc did suggest that I try a nighttime ointment anyway. I used Refresh PM for about 3 weeks, and I think it actually made my eyes worse. I asked another doc about this and he said that not everyone's eyes respond well to the petroleum based stuff and suggested maybe just using a thicker gel at night if I needed it (something like GenTeal gel). Anyway, I thought I would share since you seemed concerned about the amount of stuff that you were using! I would talk to your doc before changing your routine, but if you are using a really thick nighttime ointment, it could be irritating your eyes worse. I have met others who had the same problem as me with it. I hope that you are feeling better soon!

Michelle