I am having eye allergy symptoms even though I am using Patanol once a day and taking zyrtec. I

Hi DKelly,

I will speak from personal experience and my own eye doctor's recommendations. I have severe eye allergies at times, once even culminating in a corneal abrasion that left me with permanent eye damage.

I have taken Patanol, sometimes with no relief at all. My eye doctor told me that when your eye allergy symptoms begin to spiral out of control, drugs like Patanol may not do the trick. He said I needed a steroid eye drop to stop the allergic process in its tracks. And that definitely has worked for me.

But this year, I've been using an over the counter eye drop that has just recently become available without a prescription. It contains the antihistamine Ketotifen and is sold under a couple of brand names. The one I have is Alaway. As soon as I start to notice symptoms, I put in a drop of Alaway and it takes them away quickly. So far (fingers crossed), I haven't needed to ask for a steroid prescription.

So, you might try the OTC drops or ask your doctor about dexamethasone or other steroid drops.

I've also found that applying cold compresses (ice cubes in a terrycloth washcloth) provides some immediate comfort.

To your health,

Kathi