Cyclosporine (Ophthalmic)

Brand Names : Restasis

Proper Use of This Medicine

Dosing - The dose of cyclosporine eye drops will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are taking cyclosporine eye drops.

You should not use cyclosporine eye drops if you have contact lenses in your eyes. Remove your contact lenses before putting the medicine in your eyes. You can reinsert your contacts 15 minutes after you put the medicine in your eyes.

You may use cyclosporine eye drops if you use artificial tears. However, after putting in your artificial tears, you must wait 15 minutes before putting the cyclosporine eye drops into your eyes.

Do not shake the vial. Instead, rotate the vial gently back and forth before use.

Use this medicine only once, then throw away any unused drug.

To use:

• First, wash your hands. Tilt the head back and pressing your finger gently on the skin just beneath the lower eyelid, pull the lower eyelid away from the eye to make a space. Drop the medicine into this space. Let go of the eyelid and gently close the eyes. Do not blink.
• If you think you did not get the drop of medicine into your eye properly, use another drop.
• Immediately after using the eye drops, wash your hands to remove any medicine that may be on them.
• To keep the medicine as germ free as possible, do not touch the applicator tip to any surface (including the eye).
• For ophthalmic emulsion (eye drops) dosage form:
  • For dry eyes:
    • Adults - Instill one drop into the eye every 12 hours.
    • Children - Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose - Using as soon as possible; not using if almost time for next dose; using next dose at regularly scheduled time; not doubling doses

Storage - To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine that is no longer needed. Ask your health care professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.