Visine

Visine is a brand of eye drops produced by Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson acquired Visine, along with Pfizer's entire consumer healthcare portfolio, in December 2006.

Visine Original

The active ingredients in the original Visine formulation are potassium chloride and tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride which is a vasoconstrictor, and therefore constricts the eye's superficial blood vessels to "get the red out", as claimed in Johnson & Johnson's advertising [http://www.pfizerch.com/product.aspx?id=330] .

Administration

As with other eye drops, Visine is administered topically with 1 to 2 drops applied to the affected eye(s) up to 4 times daily [http://www.pfizerch.com/product.aspx?id=330] .

Adverse effects

*Those using Visine Original frequently report stinging and burning upon application.Skilling FC Jr, Weaver TA, Kato KP, Ford JG, Dussia EM. "Effects of two eye drop products on computer users with subjective ocular discomfort." "Optometry." 2005 Jan;76(1):47-54. PMID 15682562.]

*Use can cause a rebound effect causing the redness to worsen. Prolonged use can cause blood vessels to be dilated for an extended period of time. Use should be limited.Verify source|date=July 2007

*A red eye may often be indicative of more serious underlying ocular condition; simply reducing blood flow to the area will not solve the condition and may even exacerbate symptoms.

*These drops are also not advised for contact lens wearers as decreased blood flow to the surface of the eye will further lower the levels of oxygen available to the eye.Verify source|date=December 2007

Visine Prank

A common urban legend is that a little bit of Visine eye drops in an unsuspecting victim's drink will cause a harmless bout of diarrhea. Not only will this not produce diarrhea but oral administration of Visine can induce dangerous side effects related to Visine's ingredient tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride such as
*Dangerously low body temperature (hypothermia)
*Blurred vision
*Nausea and vomiting
*Difficulty in breathing or even a complete halt in breathing
*Elevating (hypertension) then dropping (hypotension) blood pressure
*Possible coma
*Seizures and tremors

Pfizer recommends that anyone that has ingested Visine to get medical attention or contact a poison control center immediately. [http://www.visine.com/product-visine-original.jsp]

This prank was brought up and debunked at Snopes [http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/visine.asp]

Varieties

Currently, Visine is formulated in several varieties:

VISINE A.C. - Astringent/Redness Reliever Eye Drops (Tetrahydrozoline HCl 0.05%, Zinc sulfate 0.25%)
*Special formula for allergens, such as ragweed, dust, or pollen.

VISINE FOR CONTACTS - For Silicone Hydrogel and Hydrophilic lenses
*Used primarily for comfort during the day, moistening upon awakening and before sleep. VISINE L.R. (Oxymetazoline HCI 0.025%)
*A longer-lasting formula that lasts for up to 6 hours.

VISINE TEARS (Glycerin 0.2%, Hypromellose 0.2%, Polyethylene glycol 400 1% - Used AS NEEDED)
* Contains ingredients found in natural tears instead of chemicals.

VISINE-A (Formerly OCUHIST) (Naphazoline hydrochloride 0.025%, Pheniraminemaleate 0.3%)
*Antihistamine combined with a vasodilator for itchy eyes associated with allergy.

References

External links

* [http://www.pfizerch.com/brand.aspx?id=269 Pfizer's Visine webpage]
* [http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/visine.asp Snopes reference]