When a person has dry eye condition, ophthalmic cyclosporine is used to stimulate tear production. Cyclosporine belongs to the immunomodulators drug class. It functions by reducing eye edoema to enable tear generation.

Ophthalmic cyclosporine is available as a liquid solution and as an emulsion that is injected into the eye. Usually, it is injected twice daily, almost 12 hours apart, into each eye. At around the same times each day, provide cyclosporine eye drops. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you do not understand, and carefully follow their instructions. Apply cyclosporine eye drops precisely as instructed. Do not alter their use in any way.

Use of cyclosporine eye drops is restricted to the eye exclusively (s). Cyclosporine eye drops shouldn’t be ingested or applied to the skin.

Single-use vials (tiny bottles to be used for one dose) and multi-dose bottles of cyclosporine eye drops are both available (a bottle that can be used more than once). The liquid from a single-use vial should be applied to one or both eyes as soon as it is opened if you are using them.

Keep the dropper tip away from your face, fingers, eyes, and other surfaces. Bacteria might enter the eye drops if the tip does come into contact with another surface.

Follow these steps to administer the eye drops:

• Use soap and water to thoroughly wash your hands.
• Follow the directions on the packaging to prepare the multi-dose bottle for use when using it for the first time.
• Turn the vial or bottle over a few times before using the emulsion to make sure the liquid is white and not transparent.
• Remove the cap from the multipurpose bottle or open the vial.
• Eye drops and droppers must be kept clean; avoid contacting the dropper tip to your eye or anything else.
• Pull your lower eyelid down to create a pocket with your index finger while cocking your head back.
• With your other hand, place the dropper as near to your eye as you can without touching it, tip down.
• Place the hand’s remaining fingers to your face.
• Squeeze the dropper gently while looking up so that a single drop falls into the lower eyelid’s pocket. Your index finger should be taken off the lower eyelid.
• Tip your head down so that you are looking at the floor while closing your eyes for two to three minutes. Avoid blinking or squeezing your eyelids.
• Give the tear duct a slight squeeze with your finger.
• Use a tissue to remove any extra liquid from your face.
• Even if the vial is not empty, dispose of it somewhere out of the reach of children. Replace the bottle’s multiple-use cap.
• To get rid of any medication, wash your hands.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before using cyclosporine eye drops,

• If you have an allergy to cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), any other drugs, or any of the ingredients in cyclosporine eye drops, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. Request a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your physician and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are taking. Don’t forget to suggest additional eye drops for dry eye.
• If you’re using lubricant eye drops or artificial tears, put them in at least 15 minutes before or after cyclosporine eye drops.
• If you have or have ever had a medical problem, let your doctor know.
• Inform your physician if you are nursing a baby, intend to get pregnant, or are already pregnant. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while using cyclosporine eye drops.
• You should be aware that you shouldn’t use cyclosporine eye drops when using contact lenses. If you wear contacts, take them out before using the cyclosporine eye drops, then put them back in after 15 minutes. If you have dry eye condition, discuss wearing contact lenses with your doctor.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

The missed dose should be administered as soon as you remember. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not provide a second dose.

Eye drops containing cyclosporine may have adverse effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Eyes that are painful, red, stinging, burning, itchy, or burning up
• Eyelid enlargement
• Eye sloughing
• Eyesight alterations such as haziness
• Experiencing a foreign object in the eye
• Headache

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment:

• Hives
• Itching
• Swelling of the face, throat, eyes, and tongue
• Breathing difficulty

Other adverse effects from cyclosporine eye drops are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this drug, call your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication securely closed in the original container, away from minors. Store it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom). After usage, discard each single-use vial in a location that is out of children’s and animals’ access.

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Keep all of your doctor’s appointments.

Do not share your medication with anybody else. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.