Never Use Homeopathic Eye Drops, FDA Warns
Given the numerous reviews about eye drops lately , it’s time to think about the safety of eye drops. The FDA recently issued several “consumer advisories” including never using certain types of eye drops, including those labeled as homeopathic. Below we have a full breakdown of what not to use and why.
Why are so many eye drops problematic?
Our immune system does a great job of protecting our body from infection, but it is not always able to fight infection in our eyes. Scientifically speaking, the eyes have “privileged immunity.” Our immune system largely trusts our eyes to take care of themselves, so our eyes rarely become severely inflamed (part of the process of fighting infection). Besides the eyes, other parts of the body that have privileged immunity include the brain, testes, placenta, and fetus.
Immune privilege is believed to be beneficial for our eyes as it reduces the likelihood of swelling. But the downside is that if our eyes become infected , the infection will be more difficult to fight. People have died or lost their sight due to infections caused by contaminated eye drops.
Because our eyes are so vulnerable to infections, it’s important not to inject anything into them that we don’t really need. This is why the FDA warns people against using eye drops that have no known therapeutic benefit. All eye drops carry some risk, so you should make sure the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk. Here are the types of eye drops to avoid.
Homeopathic eye drops
Although you may think of “homeopathy” as synonymous with home remedies or natural medicine, it is not. Homeopathy is a specific, long-debunked medical theory that existed before we knew that germs caused disease; it was seen as a gentler alternative to bloodletting and other brutal treatments of the time.
The FDA regulations were written with a caveat that allowed homeopathic “medicines” to exist alongside real drugs, even though they were not FDA approved and had never been proven to be safe or effective. The FDA and FTC are delicately trying to crack down on products they believe are unsafe or misleadingly marketed. For now, homeopathic products are allowed to exist, but must be clearly labeled with statements such as: “Claims based on traditional homeopathic practice rather than established medical evidence.”
The FDA’s advice here is simple: “Do not use ophthalmic [eye] products that are labeled as homeopathic, as these products should not be sold.”
You can identify homeopathic products by the word “homeopathic” (usually on the front of the package) and by the ingredients listed in the dilution (a number followed by X, C, or CK), rather than by a measurable amount, such as milligrams. “Cineraria maritima HPUS 6X” can serve as an example of dilution of a homeopathic ingredient. The FDA has more information here on how to recognize and avoid homeopathic products.
Eye drops that claim to treat serious conditions
If your doctor prescribes eye drops for a serious condition such as cataracts or glaucoma, you can trust them. But if you’re trying to treat or cope with something on your own, don’t trust over-the-counter eye drops that say they can solve these problems.
The FDA, again, puts it simply: There are no approved over-the-counter eye drops to treat “serious eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, retinopathy, or macular degeneration.”
Eye drops with MSM (methylsulfonylmethane)
A chemical called methylsulfonylmethane , or MSM, has been studied for its potential health benefits. It may be an anti-inflammatory; permitted for use as an ingredient in foods or supplements.
But if you see this in eye drops, stay away. The FDA says about MSM drops: “These products are unapproved drugs and are sold illegally in the United States. There are no legally marketed ophthalmic products containing MSM as an active ingredient.”
Eye drops containing silver
Silver sulfate and silver are two names for ingredients in medications that may contain silver (metal). Over time, silver can cause the whites of the eyes to turn gray.
Something similar happens to the skin of people who take large doses of silver (such as colloidal silver) over many years. In this case, this condition has a name: argyria .
As with the eye drops mentioned above, the clinical benefit of silver-containing eye drops is unknown and they pose a risk of graying the eyes, as well as the risk of contaminants if the eye drops are not manufactured and packaged properly.
The FDA suggests that everyone check their eye drops to see if they contain the above ingredients (silver, MSM, or anything homeopathic), and also check to see if the drops are on one of the recent recall or warning lists. You can read more about the FDA here .