Optilast

What is Optilast?

Optilast Eye Drops are a treatment for the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis. What this means is an allergic response that causes symptoms in your eyes - such as red, watery eyes that can become puffy and disrupt your vision.

This is often caused by hay fever (also sometimes called seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, or seasonal allergic rhinitis when it gives you nasal symptoms) or perennial allergic conjunctivitis, which can affect you at any time through the year, triggered by things like pet hair or dust mites.

Your symptoms in these cases are caused by your body producing a chemical called histamine when it (wrongly) perceives something like pollen to be a threat.

How does Optilast work?

Optilast, like other antihistamines, works by preventing the effects of histamine by making it unable to bind to your histamine receptor cells - meaning that it is unable to cause the typical allergy symptoms like red, puffy eyes.

Because Optilast comes as eye drops, it’s most effective at treating allergy symptoms that affect your eyes, and may give you less side effects than antihistamine tablets, which block the effects of histamine around more of your body.

What doses of Optilast are there?

Optilast is only available in one strength: 0.6 mg/ml. You may be advised to use more or less of the treatment depending on your symptoms, though.

If your prescribed dose isn’t working to help you with your symptoms, chat to our clinician for guidance.

How to use Optilast

You should always use Optilast exactly as our clinician has prescribed. Optilast should only be used on your eyes. The recommended doses are:

• for hay fever (people aged four and above): one drop in each eye in the morning and again in the evening. If you anticipate contact with pollen, the usual dose may be permitted before you go outside;
• for year-round allergies (people aged 12 and above): one drop in each eye, two to four times a day.

To take Optilast:

• on the first couple of uses, you might find it easier to sit in front of a mirror so you can see what you’re doing;
• wash your hands;
• gently wipe around your eyes with tissue to remove any moisture;
• remove the cap and check that the dropper is clean;
• gently pull your bottom eyelid down;
• without touching your eye with the dropper, carefully place a drop inside the middle of your lower eyelid;
• let go of your lower eyelid and gently push the inside corner of your eye into the bridge of your nose, then slowly blink a few times to spread the solution around your eye;
• gently blot any excess medicine with a tissue, before repeating this process on your other eye.

How long does it take Optilast to work?

You should notice relief from your symptoms within 15-30 minutes of using Optilast. If you’ve been using Optilast for a couple of days and your symptoms still haven’t improved, contact our clinician for guidance.

What should I do if I make a mistake when using Optilast?

If you accidentally use too much Optilast in your eyes it shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but contact a clinician for guidance if you’re worried. Make sure you seek medical help straight away if you accidentally swallow Optilast, though. If you’ve forgotten to use your dose of Optilast, you can do so when you remember. Just be sure not to double up on doses to make up for a missed dose.