Antibiotic Eye Gel

[Maydup]

I am prone to the occaisional eye infection, (post eye op and history of treatment) but its easily solved with an eye infection ointment that I buy in Boots.

With a red, stinging and itchy eye I went to buy a new tube yesterday and was refused a sale and given the third degree. I need to come back when it is puffy and clearly discharging the effects of an infection. Reason given that it comtains antibiotic and cannot be used unless an infection is evident.

I didnt take no for an answer and explained that by the time the infection really took hold it would be the weekend and then I,d be treating it over Christmas. Shed just as likely send me to my GP at that point and theyd be closed.

So I bullied her into selling me a tube of the ointment I have used many times before on the promise that I wouldnt use it until I needed it at Christmas. I got it home, applied it twice yesterday and again this morning and the stinging and redness is beginning to clear.

Was she right or a jobs worthy? Whats the worse that can happen to a person if they apply an eye ointment that contains a tiny amount of antibiotic if there is no infection?

[Sqad]

"Whats the worse that can happen to a person if they apply an eye ointment that contains a tiny amount of antibiotic if there is no infection?"

In the vast.....vast....majority of cases....NOTHING.
In a small, very small proportion of the population you may well be allergic to the antibiotic eye gel.

She was possibly correct in this age of litigation, but, I agree with your attitude.

[Maydup]

Thanks Sqad. Trouble is, it says once opened to chuck it away after 5 days, so I cant keep it for next time. But I know the symptoms so well, and am clearly non-allergic that I will be more confident to do the same again next time.

[Buenchico]

>>> What's the worse that can happen to a person if they apply an eye ointment that contains a tiny amount of antibiotic if there is no infection?

That's not the problem. (Using antibiotics when you don't need them isn't going to cause you any immediate harm). The problem is antimicrobial resistance, whereby the excessive issuing of antibiotics is leading to resistant strains of bacteria being created, with a fear that we might soon reach a point where there are some types of bacteria that all antibiotics are totally ineffective against.

For that reason there's a massive campaign (both in the UK and across the world) to vastly reduce the supply of antibiotics to patients unless it 's absolutely certain that they really need them. (My local GP's surgery has massive posters showing how long it takes common medical problems to heal without the use of any antibiotics and pharmacies are displaying posters from NHS England such as this one http://www.wiltshireccg.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/KAW18-02_AMR_DOCTOR_A4_Poster.png ).

More info here:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/2016/03/antibiotic-overusage/

[Sqad]

Buenchico.........that is the correct answer but not necessarily the practical one.
How does one know, patient or GP if an infection id bacterial or not?
Does one wait for the development of symptoms severe enough to make the diagnosis or indeed become life threatening?

Let us stick to the question.
The OPer is describing a bacterial conjunctivits and i agree, the main question is can this be treated WITHOUT antibiotics and the answer is ...yes it probably can.....BUT.....with antibiotics it may well clear.
Does one wait?

I agree that there is use an misuse of antibiotics, but this is not the question here. Eye ointments come in 1 gram tubes and it is extremely unlikely. particularly with conjunctivitis that cross sensitivity could be established in such a situation as the question posed by the Oper.

I agree with the advice re antibiotic advice which is mainly for antibiotics taken by mouth.

[Maydup]

There is a national campaign to reduce the use of antibiotics, with which I agree.

In this case all the jobs worthy needed to do was to offer me an alternative. To be honest I had no idea this little tube of ointment I buy once every couple of years contains antibiotic until she told me! If there is something else that would have done the job why didnt she sell it to me? I can only assume there isnt anything and she was taking her mission a step too far.

[pixie374]

There is a mission to reduce the use of antibiotics, but it has gone from one extreme to another. Nowadays, most people we see who need antibiotics, either need two courses or stronger courses, as it has been left so late.
Unless you personally have an allergy, I doubt they would have done any harm at all.

[Vagus]

Someone I know has been taken off oxytetracycine for acne rosacea due to, apparently, a shortage of said meds.
From experience, this person knows it will all flare up in about two months after stopping the meds. They will have a huge, nasty breakout which will require a lot more, stronger, meds to get it all back on track. Not to mention the emotional side of it all...
Whilst we all want to do out best, sometimes it’s self defeating, this anti antibiotic thing.

[hereIam]

It's like that when you ask for a packet of co-codamol, you also get the third degree then and told how long you can take them for !

[Maydup]

Tell them that the doctor at the hospital told you to ask for some a specific painkiller. Get a piece if paper out of your purse and read Co codamol like you've never heard of it before.

[BAKERS DOZEN]

Six years ago this month I woke up one Saturday am with red, itchy, sticky eyes and thought it was conjunctivitis which I have had before. Went to chemist who agreed with me and sold me some eye drops which should have cleared it up in a couple of days but made me promise to see my doctor on the Monday for a check up. It did not improve so I went to doctor's on the Monday and he sent me to the Eye Hospital where I was diagnosed with uveitis followed by sarcoidosis of the lungs (that's another tale). Since then I've had cataracts done in both eyes and have gone from 4 types of eye drops, some every hour, down to one lot of steroid eye drops just once a day. Brilliant treatment by all and I would just say do not take any chances with your eyes and don't put anything in them that has not been prescribed by a doctor.

[hereIam]

Ha ! Good idea Maydup ..

[Biccylova]

I met this sort of thing a couple of times, once when I wanted cold sore cream and again when I wanted Dyoralite, and yet you can buy them in a supermarket no questions asked, don't understand this at all.

[Maydup]

I'm pleased to hear you had such good treatment Bakers Dozen. I've had lots of experience with the eye clinic at our local hospital too, and find them to be one of the most amazing teams.

Thankfully my itchy eye is fine again now, although I will just continue with the ointment this evening and once more in the morning to be sure. Had it not have been I would have popped along to the GP today.

[TonyV]

on a different condition but still over zealous pharmacist, our local chemist would not sell over the counter cream to my partner for thrush because of her age (62) without a scrip, apparently 16 to 60 ok. Went to Boots and got cream and pessory without a problem.