glaucoma drops sideeffects or dry eye

My wife and I use the Latanoprost eye drops for glaucoma. She uses Systane gel drops for the dry eye and I use the Latanoprost every other night to control the dry eye. Many users of glaucoma eye drops seem to think that the dry eye is caused by the eye drops and some research suggests it's the preservative in the eye drops that causes the dry eye. Your doctor may pooh pooh this, but non preservative glaucoma eye drops are available and he may consider having you try them since I'm guessing you did not have the dry eye before you were diagnosed with glaucoma 5 years ago. Or does he think it is simply a coincidence that your eye irritations started when you began taking the glaucoma eye drops? Don't forget that you can always get a second opinion from another doctor recommended by your friends. Two heads are generally better than one. I'd choose a doctor associated with a nationally known institution such as the Mayo Clinic or Johns Hopkins Wilmer eye institute.

Thanks for you advice! I will defenitively talk to my DR about preservative free glaucoma drops and consider what is best solution for my dry eyes.

At age 78 I have been fighting glaucoma for over 30 years. I'm currently on preservative free cosopt plus pilocarpine and rocklatan. My eyes are red all the time from pilocarpine, but I do not have pain. I do use refresh perservative free eye drops for dryness and rough corneas also. Periodically I do go down to Bascom Palmer Eye Research center in Miami to see if there is anything new they recommend. My Glaucoma doc has done a fellowship at Bascom.
Sadly glaucoma seems to be a one way street. After 30 years, I have no central vision in left eye, and have lost about 50% of field in right eye. But I am very thankful for docs and meds to enable me to still see 27 inch computer screen with high contrast well.

Thank you for your response. A tough lifelong struggle, isn't it? When you go to an ophthalmologist for glasses at 35 , you don't expect to hear that you have glaucoma and the worse variant, especially if you don't have anyone in your family who has it. Unfortunately, the work of a researcher is tied to the PC for a large number of hours every day, which further complicates the matter with dry eyes. Gels and drops do not help. I am waiting for an appointment with an ophthalmologist, which I have soon and I hope to find solution for problem. In the end you still see wich is success and encourging. Best regards!

??...hi doesn't Latanoprost have a preservative (BAK) in it? I thought I had this sorted out, as use Monoprost in Canada which is Latanoprost with no preservative but now not sure) thanks... J.

...not sure if can give website on here .. am in Canada but many searches result in helpful sites from USA and this one, just coied and pasted, lists dry eye drops and highlights in colour/colors the ones with preservatives and other ingredients that we should know about.. I found it quite helpful so if allowed on her maybe it will help others, unless you know of similar web sites, J.
https://products.dryeyeshop.com/en-US/ingredient-guide-for-drops-gels-ointments-&-sprays-33748
I know they cost a bit more sometimes but am trying to use glaucoma and dry eye drops with no preservative/s. It's a lifelong journey isn't it and I have tried just about every dry eye drop they sell, over the years, and all still seem to have side effects, even slight, and the ones they tell us not to use - that make the redness in eyes stop but not good long term, are the only ones ever made my eyes feel normal again! odd isnt it.

I understand your confusion. My reference to using Latanoprost myself every other night was not to infer the Latanoprost was preservative free, but rather to indicate that maybe using less Latanoprost would lessen the degree of side effects. In my opinion the dispenser bottles do not limit the amount of Latanoprost administered to the eye to the one drop specified in my doctor's prescription. Therefore I was over medicating with way too much Latanoprost being applied. To me it was logical to simply use less by only applying it every other night. Doctor's may not agree, but they're not the ones suffering the side effects are they? The preservative may help protect against contaminations which could cause an eye infecton, so instead of preservative free I myself am sticking with the Latanoprost with just one drop per eye as prescribed. Now figure out how to dispense only one drop per eye!!

..I agree Bob... we have to find something and some way to use eye meds the best way for our particular situation/reaction etc. Conflicting info. on Internet even if reliable sources. One site I read for a drop, cant recall which one now, saying no way shoiuld put more than one drop in yet another saying if put too much in, the eye just doesn't absorb! Also do not miss one night etc ... I don't think of it necessarily as too much information, just searching for "correct" information. Talk about comparing apples with oranges! I did use Hylo for years which is preservative free with an interesting bottle that doesn't let air/germs back in but the "pointed" end is close to eye and the fact had to push the end of the bottle to dispense... constant worry of poking myself in the eye! I read they are working on something to insert under eyelid to dispense meds but doubt I would be happy with that. Then you have the opposite, one of my adult children using dry eye drops past their best before dates etc!! Ugh

@lacy2
Yes, latanoprost does contain a preservative. There is a preservative free version available.

https://www.empr.com/home/mpr-first-report/aao/aao-2019/benefits-of-preservative-free-latanoprost-vs-bak-containing-formulation-investigated/#:~:text=Benzalkonium%20chloride%20(BAK)%2C%20the,side%20effects%20including%20conjunctival%20hyperemia.
Jake

..thanx will check into soon. (also wondering why BAK is still used even though lots of negatives on it esp. for eyes) ? J.