Atropine: 6 Month Review
Hey guys,
Firstly thank you to everybody in this community. Without you guys, I wouldn't have found Atropine and had tips on using it. Because of this, it makes sense to pay it forward to see if anyone can benefit from my experience. I'll be honest with costs and problems involved, etc.
Getting Atropine
UK based, so this will likely differ for others. I had tried to get it via socialised healthcare (NHS) but doctors claimed eye floaters were not a priority so the appointment was constantly pushed back. Mixed with COVID-19, my appointment was postponed for nearly 2 years in total.
Last year I decided to visit a Private ophthalmologist to see if he would prescribe the drops as the socialised healthcare route wasn't working.
Preparing for Opthalmologist Appointment
Before the appointment I had done a lot of online research about Atropine. Although long-term studies haven't been completed for regular use of Atropine eye drops, studies have shown it is safe for daily use in fighting Myopia in children. These research papers show Atropine had no negative affect on acuity nor a significant change in the patient's IOP (eye pressure) after one year of use.
Because of this I fear that the drops should be safe for regular use (for at least a year, per the studies). Taking these eye drops regularly is my own risk, but one I am willing to take to offset the harm that floaters have had on my mental health.
Knowing that the doctor would not have time to read through these papers, I highlighted the parts I felt were most important. These highlights showed the safety and efficacy of the drops, as I wanted to go into the appointment prepared. If you want to access these papers, I have made them available here:
https://www.filehosting.org/file/details/925162/Atropine Research Papers.zip
Also, importantly, I dressed smartly for this appointment. I was very serious about getting these drops and wanted to make the best impression possible – showing I had done my research and presented myself in the best way possible.
During Ophthalmologist Appointment
During the appointment the usual questions were asked. Mostly if I had been experience light flashes, a large increase in floaters etc, all of these are signs of PVD. I have not had PVD so these were not relevant. A full slit-lamp examination was performed and I was told my eyes and retinas were very healthy and had nothing to worry about.
This is the answer we've probably all heard before. The doctor then told me I should 'reconsider my thinking' and 'get used' to the floaters. I politely but firmly explained this has been an issue for around 7 years. If I was able to get used to the floaters, I would have done it long ago. But they continue to impact me and become much worse during the stresses of the pandemic.
I explained that I would be responsible with these eye drops, as I also did not wish to harm my vision with them. I also reaffirmed that paying expensive private doctor fees were an indication that I was very desperate to trying these drops. This was also after briefly explaining just how negatively eye floaters have affected my life.
The doctor wasn't originally willing, but my convincing worked. He agreed to give me a 1 month trial and see how the drops work.
After Ophthalmologist Appointment
I thought the hard work was complete, but I was wrong. AFAIK Atropine eye drops only come in a 0.1% strength solution. For floater sufferers, 0.1% is too strong, so 0.01% is a realistic strength. The doctor agreed to only prescribe 0.01% strength, but I would need to find a pharmacy to mix the solution before dispensing it.
Why was this so difficult? Because this is off-label use, pharmacies seem very hesitant to mix them. The cost was also enormous, I was quoted £240 ($336) for a single mixed bottle which I would have to pay each month.
You can imagine my disappointment when this number was quoted to me. I had spent many months trying to get Atropine, and I was told it would cost this much each month. Because of this, I didn't give up. I Googled all the pharmacies in the surrounding areas and phoned each one individually, asking if they are able to mix Atropine to 0.01% and how much this would cost.
I finally found one pharmacy that agreed to do this for £44 per bottle. After trialling the first bottle, I told the ophthalmologist the Atropine worked well and would like to continue using it. He prescribed me a 6 month supply. I contacted the pharmacy again and they agreed to give me 6x bottles for £244 total (although a lot of money, much cheaper than £240 PER bottle) so I was happy.
Using Atropine
I began to use Atropine 0.01% every couple of days. These drops are not a permanent cure but they are very, very helpful for 6-8 hours after using them.
They reduce my floaters by 90% – I can still see them sometimes, but nowhere nearly as bad. As another person said in this forum, I could happily live the rest of my life with the effect Atropine has on my eyes – the floaters are minimal and they allow me to relax and focus on other things.
Suddenly I have been able to say yes when my friends invite me to places, instead of trying to find excuses to say no – knowing how badly the floaters would affect my enjoyment.
Side Effects
The eye drops are very good but as with most things, they are not perfect. As you'd expect, because the pupil dilates, much more light goes into the eye and hits the retina. This is great to mask floaters, but the world becomes a lot brighter. Sunny days can be difficult even with sunglasses. You must wear sunglasses even on hazy/overcast days, because your eyes are allowing MUCH MORE UV light into the retina. This isn't healthy for your eyes and can cause different problems in later life. Sunglasses are 100% necessary (and only those that have 100% UV protection).
Near-vision blur can sometimes be a slight problem, but not too much. I work on a computer all day and the blur was never unbearable. The higher the Atropine dose, the worse the blur is. The drops can also give me a headache when being in brightness for too long, or trying to focus on very small text.
Summary
Overall, these eye drops are very, very good and I recommend them to anybody who is struggling with eye floaters. They are not a permanent solution or a cure, but allow me to live life normally when I use them.
I purchased artificial tears, eye dropper bottles and 5ml mixing droppers to dilute the Atropine even more. I now use 0.005% (which is a 200th of the strength of Atropine ophthalmologists use). I find the 0.005% lasts for less time, but the side effects are much better, including less headaches and blur when trying to focus. I can easily work on a computer for a full day using 0.005% Atropine.
Because I don't want to be too dependent on them, I use the drops 2/3 days per week. Some people use them every day, but I personally prefer a balance. It's important for me to 'adapt' to them without using the drops, but it's amazing when I do use them. Also my anxiety has decreased, now knowing I can 'switch the floaters off' when I want using these drops.
Extra
Bottles of Atropine have a 28 day shelf life according to the pharmacy. Because when you open these drops, bacteria and microbes can go into the bottle and begin to grow over time. When you use these drops, you'll also putting this bacteria into your eye. This is why 28 days is recommended to stop infections occuring due to bacteria build up.
This is entirely my own risk and I do not recommend it – Because the bottles are expensive, I have begun to make each bottle last 2-3 months each. This means I have more Atropine stockpiled for later use, as well as saving money by not repurchasing them every month. Again, this is NOT recommended and the risk of infection is my own. Although so far, I have not experienced any negative effects.
Member
I catch them in my field of vision in other environments now but not as much as when I'm outside in a bright light. Indoors I see them but they're not obvious or I guess my brain filters it out. 
