Eysuvis is a prescription eye drop approved by the FDA for the short-term treatment of dry eye disease flares. It contains a low-dose corticosteroid and is designed to be used for up to two weeks at a time, making it distinct from the long-term dry eye medications most people are familiar with. It treats symptoms like grittiness, eye pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, and irritation.
How Eysuvis Treats Dry Eye Flares
Dry eye disease is often chronic, but many people experience periodic flare-ups where symptoms suddenly worsen. Eysuvis was developed specifically for these episodes. It is the first corticosteroid eye drop the FDA approved for dry eye treatment, and its intended use is narrow: one to two drops in each eye, four times daily, for no longer than two weeks per course.
The active ingredient is loteprednol etabonate at a concentration of 0.25%, which is lower than what’s found in steroid drops used for post-surgical inflammation. This lower dose reflects the goal of calming a flare without the risks that come with prolonged steroid use in the eye.
How It Differs From Long-Term Dry Eye Drops
Most prescription dry eye treatments are built for the long haul. Cyclosporine-based drops (like Restasis and Cequa) work by reducing the chronic inflammation that suppresses tear production, but they can take three to six months before you notice a difference. Xiidra, another anti-inflammatory option, typically needs up to three months to provide relief. These medications are meant to be used indefinitely.
Eysuvis works on a completely different timeline. Because it’s a corticosteroid, it reduces inflammation quickly, often providing noticeable relief within days rather than months. Some eye doctors prescribe it alongside a long-term medication to bridge the gap while the slower-acting treatment takes effect. Others use it as a standalone option when a patient has an acute flare that needs fast relief.
The Nanoparticle Delivery System
One reason Eysuvis can use a lower steroid dose is its formulation. The drop uses a nanoparticle delivery technology that helps the medication actually reach the tissues where it’s needed. The steroid molecules are roughly 300 nanometers in size, small enough to slip past the mucus layer that coats the surface of your eye. That mucus layer exists to trap debris and foreign particles, which is helpful in general but has historically been a barrier for eye medications. The nanoparticles in Eysuvis have a surface coating that prevents them from sticking to mucus and being cleared away, so more of the drug penetrates into the cornea and the white of the eye (the conjunctiva) where the inflammation lives.
Side Effects and Risks
The most common side effect in clinical trials was a stinging or pain sensation at the spot where the drop lands in the eye, reported by about 5% of patients. This is typical for many eye drops and generally fades quickly.
The bigger concern with any steroid eye drop is elevated eye pressure. In pooled clinical trial data, 0.3% of patients using Eysuvis experienced a measurable increase in intraocular pressure, compared to 0.1% of patients using a placebo drop. That’s a small difference, and the two-week usage limit helps keep the risk low, but it’s the primary reason the treatment course is capped at 14 days. Prolonged steroid use in the eye can contribute to glaucoma and cataracts over time.
Who Should Not Use Eysuvis
Eysuvis is not appropriate if you have certain types of eye infections. Specifically, it should not be used if you have a viral infection of the cornea or conjunctiva (including herpes simplex keratitis, commonly called eye herpes), a fungal infection affecting the eye, or a mycobacterial eye infection. Steroids suppress the local immune response, which can allow these infections to worsen or spread. If you’re experiencing dry eye symptoms alongside redness, discharge, or unusual pain, your eye doctor will want to rule out an infection before prescribing a steroid drop.
What to Expect During Treatment
A typical course involves applying one to two drops in each eye four times a day. That’s a fairly frequent schedule, roughly every four to five waking hours. Most people use the full two-week course, though your doctor may recommend a shorter duration depending on how quickly your symptoms resolve. You should not extend the treatment beyond two weeks without medical guidance, even if symptoms linger.
Because Eysuvis addresses flares rather than the underlying chronic condition, symptoms can return after you stop using it. If flares are frequent, that’s usually a signal to discuss a longer-term management strategy with your eye care provider, potentially including one of the chronic-use medications that take longer to kick in but provide ongoing control.