To use my husband's medication as a beauty product? (Photos)

[SSYMONDS]

Hi. In the US, you can buy a product to apply to your eyes daily to make your lashes grow thick and long. I think it might be the same thing as my husband's glaucoma meds.
Any chemists out there, or scientists, that could confidently tell me if these two products are exactly the same stuff?
Thnks in advance.

[Emphasise]

I don't know but isn't the reason it's not available here because it can cause blindness? Sure I've read that somewhere

[SSYMONDS]

Seriously? I haven't found that at all researching on line

[Emphasise]

www.nbcnews.com/id/32892478/ns/health-skin_and_beauty/t/fda-warns-about-eyelash-thickener-claims/

It's old but the first thing that came up when I Googled it

[Maudlinmaud]

I've heard that some products used for eyelash growth can change the colour of your iris.

[DesignedForLife]

YABU. You "think" it's the same thing is pretty dangerous.

[HoneyDragon]

Yes you can. If you run it across the lash line it will work.

Side affects it can darken blue eyes and lightly stain by the lash line. But it will make your eyelashs grow as it's genetic bimstoprost.

[HoneyDragon]

GENERIC!!!!

[FroodGloriousFrood]

Are you seriously suggesting you start using your husband's prescribed medication to give yourself longer eyelashes?

[lenny2011]

Omg - doctor here. Do not ever take eye drops not prescribed for you. These drops are to lower eye pressure in patients with glaucoma (who usually have high pressure). So you will lower your eye pressure to an unsafe level. You might have nice thick lashes but damaged your vision forever. Do not do it

[HoneyDragon]

Frood it's sold as a lash enhancer in other countries.

I use it

[SSYMONDS]

That's a v helpful link, thanks. It sounds like it's definitely the same product. But maybe a bit dangerous.
It says

In a letter dated Sept. 10 and posted to the FDA Web site Wednesday, the agency said the Latisse site either doesn't mention potential side effects including bacterial eye infection, allergic reactions, excess hair growth outside the intended treatment area, and permanent changes in iris and eyelid pigmentation, or presents them in small text that is much less prominent than statements about the product's effectiveness.
The drug is approved to make eyelashes thicker, fuller and darker. The FDA approved it for that use in December. Latisse, or bimatoprost, was already on the market as a treatment for glaucoma.

[KayTee87]

Seriously.... just pay £60 for a good set of lash inserts or wear mascara.

[Mari50]

It's not the same product, one is bimatoprost and the other is latanoprost.
They are different although latanoprost does have similar side effects.
Bimatoprost- the stuff they use in latisse also has the rather pleasant side effect of causing loss of orbital fat and increasing pigmentation around the eyes. No point in long lashes if your eyes are dark and sunken like a cadavers.
YABU.
And stupid.

[BurnThisDiscoDown]

Latanoprost is different to bimatoprost so won't work as well for a start. It can also cause the eyes to darken and cause you to lose fat from the eyelids giving a sunken appeared. But mainly, it's your husband's glaucoma medication and it was neither prescribed for you nor to give anyone long eyelashes.

[Mari50]

HoneyDragon bimatoprost isn't available as a generic medication. You are talking out of your arse.

[BurnThisDiscoDown]

Ha, cross post Mari!

[DoingThisRight]

Yabu, are people really this daft??

[KeepingitReal2]

Ok I'm an ophthalmologist and yes they are called prostaglandin analogues as a group or bimatoprost, latanoprost, travoprost. They will lengthen your lashes for sure as well as make them thick but it does take several months. Most of the generics don't work as well and yes you can buy a product across the pond which claims to have same effect. I believe it is licensed and sold for that sole purpose under Alergan a well know pharmaceutical company manufacturing the products we use here on our patients.

Now would I recommend it well no as ophthalmologist as prostaglandin analogies do have complications including dry eyes, eye lid redness, irritation foreign body sensation. At it's worse and there is evidence in the literature and case reports you could get orbital fat atrophy and sunken appearance of eyes as well as inflammation in the eye which could give you cystoid macula oedema a condition not to be taken lightly.

Also you can develop some intolerance to prostaglandin analogies do much so that they would not be effective if you needed them.

Overall I don't think it's wiry the risk as most patients I know using this have to for months and years before getting the "benefit" of long lashes and being glaucoma patients they are pretty much in these drops for years anyway as it doesn't exactly go away. For drug reps it's a like a kerching! So be warned there are also lots of generics out there that go me are not as effect as the gold standard drops we use like xalatan and lumigan. Also no serious Ophthalmologist in the UK will prescribe for that purpose too.

[Maudlinmaud]

I've bought one from boots or somewhere, rapid lash I think it was called. Didn't use it long enough to see any results.

[ZebraOwl]

Erm, also - assuming you're in the UK - the cost of those eyedrops will have been subsidised by the NHS.
The last cost info I could find was 2013 - £13.75 per bottle vs the £8.40 prescription charge.

Given how desperately strapped the NHS is, it really can do without people deciding to abuse prescription medication. Your GP surgery will also notice if your DH suddenly starts needing eyedrops prescribed more often & it will initially cause concern for him & then if he's to explain what you've been up to, concern for your vision mixed with a bit of frustration someone would do something that daft. (Going on Tales From Medics I Know...)

[KeepingitReal2]

Bimatoprost and Latanprost are two different drugs of the same class prostaglandin analogus with similar modes of actions but made by different pharmaceutical companies

[Zampa]

Just buy some Rapid Lash. It works brilliantly if you have the patience to apply it every day.

[MistyMinge]

Do not do it. Far too risky. Long lashes are not worth fucked up eyes. There's a reason it's prescription drug.

[Wolfiefan]

You would rely on the advice of complete strangers on the internet regarding your sight?
You "think" it's the same.
It's not prescribed for you. Don't use it.

[BonnyScotland]

if you do it... can we have.. Before and After photos... please