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Letters

Look out for preservatives in glaucoma eyedrops

Re ‘Glaucoma’ (WDDTY vol 15 no 12), the preservative in many eyedrops is benzalkonium, which contains a benzene-related chemical that is well documented to cause bone-marrow damage. In a report published in Ophthalmology (2001; 8: 74-80), it states that eyedrop preservatives can cause toxic inflammatory changes of the ocular surface, dry eyes, cell death, etc. Xalatan glaucoma eyedrops contain more of this chemical than most.

Perhaps preservatives could be reduced if manufacturers instructed patients to store drops in the fridge, as they probably add extra preservatives to enable them to be stored at room temperature. Alternatively, drops can be kept bacteria-free for a week or two, so why don’t manufacturers supply them in smaller bottles lasting just a week? Then they could omit preservatives altogether.

A new preservative, Purite, a stabilised oxychloro complex, dissipates into the natural components of tears, and so is much less toxic and more suitable for long-term use. - Ann Wills, via e-mail

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Bone-marrow transplants - Q:Please tell me the success rate for bone-marrow transplants in patients with leukemia. L G, Norwich. ...

Dry eyes - This woman has developed very dry eyes – she has difficulty opening them each morning and has to massage the lids to lubricate the eye. She’s tried se...

Antibiotic stunts bone marrow - Doctors have known for 45 years that there is a link between a widely-used antibiotic for minor eye irritations and bone marrow growth problems, but t...

Bone marrow transplants:new cancer risk - New evidence suggests that there is a risk of solid cancers after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). ...

Dry eyes in elderly may be caused by painkillers - Although many elderly people complain of dry eyes and mouth, this phenomenon may not be a natural part of the ageing process, but a side effect of dru...

Cancer link to bone marrow transplants - Bone marrow transplants often used to treat leukemia and other malignant diseases dramatically increase the risk of cancer. ...

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