Why Don't Opthamologists Know About Vasovagal Response to Fluress?

Posted over a year ago

The first time I got numbing drops, I became very hot, dizzy, and nauseous. I nearly threw up and nearly passed out. The optometrist explained that it would last about 1/2 hour and made me lie down in a dark room until I felt better. Since then, 3 ophthalmologists I've seen have never heard of this reaction and 2 were skeptical. These same two docs put the drops in my eyes without looking at my chart first (I'm much more defensive about what goes in my eyes now!), and one of them accused me of making it up. Only after he saw my reaction did he stop being so defensive, although he didn't apologize. So, my question is, why don't eye docs know about this potential response and either ask their patients first, or check their chart first to see if this drug is on the "allergies" list? Also, why isn't this adverse reaction listed on the drug information sheets that I find on the internet. It seems to be only through anecdotal information that I can prove I'm not the only one.

2 Replies

Aerin328 - You are not the only one. I also had a dramatic vaso-vagal reaction to Fluress on 12/30/10, which is the second time. My sister has had the same reaction as well. For some reason my doctor still seemed surprised. It has been 5 days and I still don't feel like myself. What is frustrating is that I expressed to the doctor that I thought I reacted to those drops and he gave them to me anyway.

Posted over a year ago - Reply

Roscosmom - I had a similar reaction a few years ago at an eye exam. I jump at the puff test everytime, so the lady said "oh don't worry..we have another test that the doctor can do" So he puts the drops in my eyes and I positioned my chin and forehead and started feeling strange as he was moving towards me. I said "I don't feel so good" He said " what do you mean?" and the next thing I remember was waking up in the chair with my husband on one side, a lady on the other side holding a wet rag on my head and the doctor looking at me like I had sprouted another head. The doctor said that it was possible that I could have had a reaction to the drops. We had to leave and I never got finished with my eye exam. My husband told me he thought that I passed out because I was chicken and told me he'd have to find me a baby eye doctor...... I can't describe how I felt.....just a very strange feeling came over me, felt like I might be dying. I'd felt that way before, as a teenager and once in the hospital after having blood drawn. After my blood was drawn and I came back to the land of the living, the nurse told me that I had a vasovagal reaction. Today I went to have another eye exam and jumped at the puff test, so the irritated tech said I'd have to do the other test. I told her about my reaction the last time. She looked at me like I was stupid and just said...OK. The doctor did the same thing and started to try and put the drops in my eyes. I refused to let him and he got mad at me. I told him I wanted to do the puff test again. The doc and the tech both made me feel like I was a hypocondriac (sp?) and I will not step foot in that place again. I have found information on the web about other having reactions like this to the drops, and I will be sending them a copy of it along with a letter suggesting they do a little more listening to their customers.....

Posted 4 months ago - Reply

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