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Writer's pictureIris Bonnevue

Eye Drops From HELL!

Hello again friends! Our podcast has been experiencing some connectivity issues since Thursday and unfortunately we will not be releasing our episode as planned for this Friday. However, that doesn't make the topic any less time sensitive so I figured I'd use my new blog to get our message out there!


I started following this around late August and have been waiting for more updates ever since and late last week I finally found some. The FDA sent warning letters to 8 different companies that have been manufacturing and marketing unapproved eye products meant to treat pink eye (conjunctivitis), cataracts, glaucoma and dry eye and beyond. Since the initial warnings the FDA has now since mandated recalls due to numerous bacterias and unsanitary conditions found in these manufacturing facilities.


On my initial research in August when this news first broke, these warnings spanned across 8 companies for a total of 41 different eye drops, however, new numbers are showing 6 Brands and a total of 26 OTC drops. We're not certain if the other 2 manufacturers and the 15 other drops previously reported managed to get to a passing status or not but we're still going to report on our initial findings as we're of the "better safe than sorry" variety here. To date, at least ONE death has been reported with a number of illnesses, some vision loss and even fertility issues have been reported as a cause from these tainted drops along with a number of lawsuits that have been filed as a cause of them.


In my initial research I found the following companies and their subsequent drops that received letters from the FDA. Check your medicine cabinets folks and discard any of these you may have!

  1. CVS HEALTH - CVS Brand: Pink Eye Relief Drops

  2. WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE, INC. - Walgreens Brand: Allergy Eye Drops, Stye Eye Drops, Pink Eye Drops

  3. NATURAL OPHTHALMICS, INC. - Women's Tear Stimulation Dry Eye Drops, Allergy Desensitization Eye Drops, Ortho-K Thin (Daytime) Eye Drops, Ortho-K Thick (Night) Eye Drops, Tear Stimulation Forté Dry Eye Drops, Cataract Eye Drops with Cineraria

  4. TRP COMPANY, INC. - Dryness Relief, Pink Eye Relief, Allergy Eyes Relief, Red Eye Relief, Eye strain Relief, Eye Lid Relief, Aging Eye Relief, Blur Relief, Floaters Relief, Twitching Relief, Stye Relief, Dryness Relief PF

  5. SIMILASAN AG/SIMILASAN USA - Dry Eye Relief, Complete Eye Relief, Allergy Eye Relief, Kids Allergy Eye Relief, Red Eye Relief, Kids Pink Eye Relief, Aging Eye Relief, Computer Eye Relief, Stye Eye Relief, Pink Eye Nighttime Gel, Dry Eye Nighttime Gel

  6. DR VITAMIN SOLUTIONS - Vision Clarity Eye Drops, Life Extension Brite Eyes III, Can-C Eye Drops, Longevity Science Visual Ocuity

  7. OCLUMED LLC - OcluMed Eye Drops

  8. BOIRON INC. - Optique 1 Eye Drops


As always, Lucia and I hope to keep you educated and informed. Many of these drops can be purchased on Amazon, online or at your local pharmacy so please beware. The list of drops has been adjusted since my initial findings and we feel it's important to report on all of our findings correctly, so for the most recent updates check the FDA's website regularly. In addition MedWatch: the FDA's safety and adverse event reporting agency, suggests that consumers who've used any of these drops speak with their healthcare professionals and report any adverse reactions to the MedWatch program. Should you find that you're in need of recommendations for OTC eyedrops a quick call to your eye doctor's office will usually yield some quick advice without the cost of an office visit. Many doctor's offices can even give you some samples to try before you buy at no cost to you to make sure they're performing to your liking so we recommend always asking if they have any samples available.


Stay informed folks and let us know how we can help!


Iris










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