Last updated
Wednesday, December 09, 2015
RESTASIS™ ophthalmic emulsion is approved in the U.S.A. by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of keratoconjunctivitis sicca, also called Dry Eye Disease.
From the company's web site: "RESTASIS™ (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion) 0.05% is indicated to increase tear production in patients whose tear production is presumed to be suppressed due to ocular inflammation associated with keratoconjunctivitis sicca."
RESTATIS has not yet been approved for a Thygeson's indication. That means that the company has not collected clinical data to prove any claims about RESTASIS and treating Thygeson's, and they are not making any claims about Thygeson's.
However, eye care professionals are permitted to use RESTASIS to treat problems other than keratoconjunctivitis sicca, and the 0.05% dosage level has been judged safe.
From what I've learned about RESTASIS, it takes about a month of use before dry eye symptoms start to improve, and the long-term level of effectiveness -- as good as things are going to get -- is reached at about six months.
In other words, if symptoms have improved from using RESTASIS, then at six months things are about as good as they are going to get. Continued use will keep symptoms at that level, but probably not improve more after six months.
Full details about RESTASIS are available at their web site: