Chloramphenicol Eye Drops

[bednobs]

Have conjunctivitis for which i have been prescribed the above. You are supposed to keep them in the fridge. What happens if you don't - do they just become less effective or if you've not refrigerated them then use them, will they make your eyeball dissolve or something?

[LazyGun]

Mostly it is a concern over the stability of the chloramphenicol, the bacteriostatic agent in the eye drops. It is quite sensitive to temperature degradation, which means it becomes less effective more quickly, and its shelf life consequently becomes reduced should it be stored beyond 8 degrees celsius for extended periods of time. Of secondary concern is that the degradation breakdown products of chloramphenicol are potentially toxic. This is less of an issue, given the relative size of the dose contained within 1 drop, but all things being equal it is better to keep it in a fridge.

Plus which, it feels much more soothing on the eyes, i feel, having a refrigerated drop going in, rather than a room temperature one :)

[bednobs]

thanks LG - i had the conjunctivitis last week and finished the 5 day course on monday. I left the bottle on the table, meaning to chuck it. Then on fri, my eyes started itching/gunk again and i wondered if i would melt my eyeballs by using it again

[LazyGun]

It will not melt your eyeballs :) You should be safe enough banging it back in the fridge and taking it for another 5 days or so I would think, but should you have any concerns you could probably get a fresh batch fairly swiftly,

[anneasquith]

if the first 5day course didn't clear it up, would the second lot ?

[LazyGun]

Might, might not. Depends on just how bad the initial infection was, and just how irritating it is in its recurrent form.

Were it me, I would give it another go for 5 days, see what happens, providing the conjunctivitis has not come back full force - if that is the case, I would probably revisit the GP for a different prescription.

[bednobs]

thanks, originally it was both eyes, and this new one is one eye. I went and got some more OTC ones because i figured it could be a different infection, and no doubt the previous ones touched my eye at some point