Dilation antidote

[zog160]

After my eyes are dilated for examination, is there an antidote that will allow me to drive immediately? If so, is there a down side?

[achillea]

How terrific those drops can be for some patients!   Like you, I'd have dilated pupils for most of the day after an exam, and though I had super dark, polarized sunglasses, they still were not enough to keep my pale eyes from watering and actually flinching shut in the sunlight.  I really couldn't drive safely afterwards, and resorted to scheduling my exams in the afternoon so I could just stumble into a nearby movie theater and spend a few hours in the dark before driving home closer to evening.

One day, after reading about this problem in some magazine, I asked the doc if there was any product that would help, and he introduced me to post-exam drops called "Rev-eyes."  For years afterward, my eye exams were actually pleasant, because the drops were very quickly effective for me.  But then, because of changes in our insurance coverage, I had to switch to another ophthalmologist, and he, like yours, does not use Rev-Eyes, alas.

Still, it certainly was nice while it lasted!

[me300]

For twenty years--possibly only 15 visits to the optometrist--I have had drops administered that undilate the pupils within minutes. I have not suffered any side effects, ever. That optometrist retired last year, so I went to a new one who said he doesn't use those drops. So my dialted pupils lasted 8 hours; I was forced to drive the 40 miles home with dilated pupils--not safe at all; and I suffered a severe headache from too much light entering my eyes. I would happily pay an extra dollar to get the de-dilating drops, thank you very much.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

No there is nothing that will make the puils un-dilate immediately. There is a drop sold to make the drops wear off faster. We do not use it as it is 1. expensive 2. not work on everyone 3. often makes the eye red and irritated.

JCH MD