If you have chronic (long-term) dry eye, your doctor might suggest Restasis as a treatment option for you. It’s a prescription eye drop used to treat chronic dry eye in adults and children ages 16 years and older. It’s usually prescribed long term if you and your doctor agree it’s working well for your dry eye symptoms.
The active ingredient in Restasis is cyclosporine. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.)
For more information about Restasis, including details about its uses, see this in-depth article on the drug.
Like other drugs, Restasis eye drops can cause mild to serious side effects. Keep reading to learn more.
Some people may experience mild to serious side effects (also called adverse effects) during their Restasis treatment. Examples of the drug’s commonly reported side effects include:
- burning in your eye*
- red eye
- excessive eye mucus or “gunk”
- watery eyes
- eye pain*
* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Side effects explained” section below.
These aren’t the only side effects Restasis may cause. The “Mild side effects” and “Serious side effects” sections below contain more side effects reported with Restasis treatment.
Like most medications, Restasis may cause mild side effects.
Examples of mild side effects that have been reported with Restasis eye drops include:
- watery eye
- itchy eye
- red eye
- excessive eye mucus or “gunk”
- eye pain*
- feeling like something is in your eye*
- blurry vision*
- burning or stinging in your eye*
- mild allergic reaction*
* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Side effects explained” section below.
In most cases, these side effects should be temporary. And some may be easily managed. But if you have symptoms that are ongoing or bother you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. And do not stop using Restasis unless your doctor recommends it.
Restasis may cause mild side effects other than those listed above. See the prescribing information for Restasis and Restasis MultiDose for details.
Note: After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks side effects of the medication. If you’d like to notify the FDA about a side effect you’ve had with Restasis, visit MedWatch.
The only serious side effect of Restasis reported in studies was severe allergic reaction. To learn more about this side effect, see the “Side effects explained” section below.
If you develop serious side effects while using Restasis, call your doctor right away. If the side effects seem life threatening or you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.
Get answers to some frequently asked questions about side effects of Restasis.
Does Restasis cause side effects that affect eyelashes or eyelash growth?
No, Restasis isn’t known to cause side effects that affect eyelashes or eyelash growth.
There has been one published
Talk with your doctor if you’re concerned about effects Restasis may cause, including effects on your eyelashes.
Can Restasis cause hair loss, high blood pressure, or headache?
No, Restasis is not known to cause hair loss, high blood pressure, or headache. Because Restasis is an eye drop, very little of the drug reaches the rest of your body. So side effects such as hair loss and headache aren’t expected with this medication. These side effects weren’t reported among people using Restasis in studies.
These are all side effects that have been reported in people taking cyclosporine by mouth. Cyclosporine is the active ingredient in Restasis. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.)
Are there long-term side effects of Restasis?
No, Restasis isn’t known to cause long-term side effects. Check out other sections of this article to learn about mild and serious side effects Restasis may cause. You can also talk with your doctor or pharmacist to learn more.
Learn more about some of the side effects Restasis may cause.
Blurry vision
Treatment with Restasis may cause blurry vision as a side effect. While this side effect was more common than some others, most people who used Restasis in studies didn’t report blurry vision.
What might help
Blurry vision may occur right after you use Restasis, but should go away on its own after a couple of minutes. Your doctor can recommend the best treatment for relieving your symptoms.
But if you experience blurry vision that doesn’t go away, talk with your doctor. They’ll likely recommend you stop using Restasis. They can discuss other treatments for your condition with you.
Burning in your eye
Burning in your eye is a side effect Restasis may cause. In fact, this was the most common side effect reported by people who used Restasis in studies. This side effect usually goes away on its own after a few minutes.
What might help
To help prevent burning in your eye, avoid touching the tip of the Restasis dropper against your eye. You should also avoid letting the tip touch other surfaces, such as a table. This could contaminate the dropper with germs and may cause a burning sensation in your eye when you use Restasis.
You should also be sure to always wash your hands before using Restasis.
If you have burning in your eye that doesn’t go away while using this medication, contact your doctor. They can recommend the best way to treat your symptoms, which may include stopping treatment with Restasis.
Feeling like something is in your eye
After using Restasis, you may experience a feeling like something is in your eye. But this side effect didn’t happen in most people who used the drug in studies.
What might help
You can help prevent this side effect by not touching the tip of the Restasis dropper against your eye.
If you feel like something is in your eye and the feeling doesn’t go away, contact your doctor. They can recommend the best treatment for your symptoms. This may include stopping treatment with Restasis and trying something different for your dry eye.
Eye pain
After using Restasis, you may develop eye pain as a side effect. Although this is common compared with other side effects, most people who used the drug in studies didn’t experience eye pain.
What might help
You can help prevent eye pain from Restasis by not letting the tip of the dropper touch your eye.
If you experience eye pain that doesn’t go away while using Restasis, contact your doctor. They can recommend the best way to treat your symptoms. This may include stopping treatment with Restasis and exploring other treatments for dry eye instead.
Allergic reaction
Like most drugs, Restasis can cause an allergic reaction in some people. This side effect wasn’t reported in studies, but has happened since the drug was approved for use.
Symptoms can be mild to serious and can include:
- skin rash
- itchiness
- flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)
- swelling under your skin, usually in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
- swelling of your mouth, tongue, or throat, which can make it hard to breathe
What might help
If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may suggest a treatment to manage your symptoms. Examples include:
- an antihistamine you take by mouth, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
- a product you apply to your skin, such as hydrocortisone cream
If your doctor confirms you’ve had a mild allergic reaction to Restasis, they’ll decide whether you should continue using it.
If you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or trouble breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms could be life threatening and require immediate medical care.
If your doctor confirms you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Restasis, they may have you switch to a different treatment.
Keeping track of side effectsDuring your Restasis treatment, consider taking notes on any side effects you’re having. You can then share this information with your doctor. This is especially helpful when you first start taking new drugs or using a combination of treatments.
Your side effect notes can include things such as:
- what dose of the drug you were taking when you had the side effect
- how soon you had the side effect after starting that dose
- what your symptoms were
- how it affected your daily activities
- what other medications you were taking
- any other information you feel is important
Keeping notes and sharing them with your doctor will help them learn more about how Restasis affects you. They can then use this information to adjust your treatment plan if needed.
Restasis may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions. (This is known as a drug-condition interaction.) Other factors may also affect whether Restasis is a good treatment option for you. Talk with your doctor about your health history before starting Restasis. Factors to consider include those described below.
Contact lenses. You should not give yourself a dose of Restasis while wearing contact lenses. If you wear contacts, your doctor will recommend removing them before you apply the eye drops. And they’ll recommend you wait at least 15 minutes before re-inserting your contacts after a Restasis dose.
Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Restasis or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe it for you. Ask them about other treatments that might be better options.
Alcohol and Restasis
There’s no known interaction between drinking alcohol and using Restasis. Talk with your doctor if you have questions or concerns about consuming alcohol while you’re using this medication.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding while using Restasis
It’s believed that Restasis is safe to use while pregnant. The drug is an eye drop that isn’t expected to be absorbed by the rest of your body. Still, if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, be sure to review all medications you take with your doctor and pharmacist. They can offer advice on the safest treatments for your condition during pregnancy.
It’s not known whether Restasis passes into breast milk. But even if it does, it isn’t expected to cause side effects in a child who is breastfed, since the drug is an eye drop. Talk with your doctor if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed and are prescribed Restasis.
Like most medications, Restasis can cause side effects. Burning in your eye is the most common mild side effect, and other mild side effects are rare. The drug isn’t known to cause serious side effects besides serious allergic reaction.
If you’d like to learn more about Restasis, including possible side effects the drug may cause, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Examples of questions you may want to ask include:
- Will my risk of side effects from Restasis decrease over time?
- If I have side effects from Restasis, what are my options? Can I try a lower dosage?
- How do side effects caused by Restasis compare with other drugs for treating my condition?
To learn more about Restasis, see these articles:
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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.