a SHOPPING Warning - this happened to me !
 

I just want to tell you all when you buy OVER THE COUNTER medicines - READ THE LABELS.

After my husband died I did a major amount of crying and forced myself to get out and buy some OVER THE COUNTER Bausch & Lomb eyedrops because all the crying was really hurting my eyes - It was either Walmart or Kroger.....you'd think they'd be harmless right ?

For the last 5 months my eyes have been very dialated and I went to the eye doctor thinking it was medication I was on ...a reaction to my husbands death or there was something seriously wrong with me to have such dialated eyes - I spent $$ I didn't have seeing doctors about this. :( I spent hours on the net trying to find out why -

It's been awful - I couldn't go into sunlight without glasses - couldn't read anything up close etc - and couldn't work on my card or label orders & had to interview for jobs with these huge pupils that made me look like I was on drugs :eek:

WELL - the box with those same eyedrops has been in my moms car for the last 2 weeks for safekeeping (during my move) & I picked it up yesterday. My eyes had just gone back to normal recently-

I got something in my eye (dust whatever) and used the drops yesterday for the 1st time since I moved in ONE eye and BAM - my pupil is HUGE -

I looked very carefully at the package and it's an RX Prescription ! This was sold right the store ! I've never in my life had prescription eye drops and for sure nothing to dialate my eyes -

For months I was using these drops everyday and now I know why my eyes were so messed up. I never thought to look at the label and not one doctor asked me if I was using any eyedrops -

Now I have one normal eye and ONE Stepford Eye - I really hope this goes away fast - it's a really bad feeling.

This can happen anywhere so read those labels - Back when I bought them I just grabbed whatever was on the shelf and didn't pay any attention but I sure learned my lesson. READ READ READ !!!

That sure would be scary!.....I hope that your eye returns to normal soon without any lasting effects!....

Maybe you can call the eye doctor and tell them what was gong on and ask them if you need to be concerned considering on how long you had used the product.

Wow V, Iam gald your ok:) Thanks for the warning, how awful for you:( I never buy over the counter drugs..Even for a cold, I have thyroid and there is a warning on all those drugs, So you just never know whats safe..

Yikes that is really scarey! I am so glad you were able to find out what the problem was. I hope everything goes back to normal, and quick!!
Thank you for posting this!

Well in THAT case I'd rock the house !! :D :D :D :D :D Where's Mike and The Man when you need them ???

I had to bring dr. receipts when I interviewed to prove I had seen an eyedoctor over this - I was so worried people would think I was doing some kind of illegal drug - the dialation was THAT bad. I even offered to drug test when I was hired - but I was also really scared that something was very wrong with me & blew my pupils ...it was 4-5 months of hell.

and then to spend money on a doctor - who sent me to an EYE doctor costing MORE money I really didn't have makes me so mad :mad: if just ONE of them had said - 'Have you used eye drops recently & what kind ?" I would have checked the label - but with all the emotions and depression I was going thru I just never looked. I ASSUMED that what I bought in the store would be safe.

let me tell you- it's VERY uncomfortable. VERY. Even today I can hardly see out of that one eye and it looks like I blew a pupil.

oh an ps to my friends who listened to me b**ch over my eyes during that time - The Mystery is SOLVED ! but I know I drove a few people nuts listening to me worry

Wow!! What were Rx eye drops doing on the shelf?!! Well, even though it was expensive for you, I bet you are so relieved that you don't have a horrible eye disease!! You are still funny as he11, Vi!! Stepford eye!! LOL!!!

lol thank you - I was thinking more of a BRAIN Disease - that's what they had to test me for :( Blown pupils are a scary thing and at least I know now they aren't !

and ya - what WERE they doing on the shelf ?? I wish I could remember buying them - it was only 2 places because it was after my husband died and I hardly could go out in public without breaking down - so I know the 2 stores I went to - just don't know which ONE :(

That's terrible.I would write to the eye drop company and then call the doctors and tell them you want your money back!!! Glad the mystery is solved

Wow, V. That's horrible. I'm glad you found out what was wrong. Maybe you should write a nasty letter to the company that makes them and send a copy to the store you got them at(if you figure out which one) - and send copies of your Dr. bills. Maybe you can recoupe some of your $$. Rx's should never be sold otc. They are Rx's for a reason. Sending prayers that there is no long term effects.

That's not a bad idea ...back when he died I could couldn't go out in public...I broke down right in the stores so I know it had to be one of those 2 because they were the only places I went to ....

I don't think they'll be long term effects since they had just started getting back to normal - so me leaving that box at my moms was just luck or I'd still be using them and STILL have huge dialated eyes. After about 4 months of it I'm just glad I know the reason now - I seriously thought something was terribly wrong.

You will know I'm a southern girl, because all I can say is...Bless your heart!! What a mess to have to deal with on top of everything else you were going through. :(

I am glad the mystery is solved now though. :thumbup:

Wow V I am sorry about your eye..I hope it gets better quickly with no ill effects..
Ok now on the funnier side---hahaha Do you have a pic of the stepford eye look??? Had to ask I just couldnt pass it up,lol!

So, they sold you a prescription eyedrop over the counter?? Is that right? That is hugely illegal. Clearly an error, but somebody is in trouble.
I would contact the store immediately. They need to remedy this financially; and I believe if they were at fault, seems they would want to correct this error.
So sorry! How awful! Poor girl, you've had such a tough year!

:eek: What the HECK!!! I would find out WHY those were on the shelf to being w/!! That is just crazy!!! You have too much to deal with and you didn't need to go thru all of that mess too!!!!:mad: I would be fuming!!!

V you poor thing, glad you got that resolved, i know what that feels like as i get my eyes dilated all the time due to my macular degeneration, it makes your eyes soo sensitive ! I'd be p#$% ! Something like that should not be available without a Dr. i'd be looking into that !:eek:

Good grief, Villette! So THAT'S what was wrong with your eyes! I remember you thinking it was medications...and too much crying, etc. Thank goodness you figured out about these drops, because I doubt that's good for your eyes when you don't need that. I bought some drops once and thank goodness I read the box when I got home and found they were for some sort of eye disease that I didn't have, so I took it back. Hugs to you!

Yes - The drops were right in the isle - I remember buying them but don't have the receipt anymore - I do know this - I used almost the whole bottle ! I never dreamed they'd be something that shouldn't have been in the store -

and thanks Connie - Having gigantic pupils didn't help at all with all I had to do the last few months - but I'm just glad to finally know WHAT was happening. I wish I had a receipt cause I sure would go back to that store and raise holy h*ll - :mad:

and it's been over 12 hours since I did it and that one eye is STILL big time dialated:(

Wow V, thank God you found out why. That is very scary. I think I would be fuming if it was me.

Id call each store and ask if they sell this brand of eye drop first off and see what their reaction is?? Maybe go to both the stores and see if it is still on the shelf..If they sell it on the shelf I would speak to the manager or go higher..

whats the name of the eyedrops??

How come it was now written on the box or bottle that this was to be sold by PRESCRIPTION only? Isn't it illegal to sell prescription drugs over the counter?
Perhaps you need to go back to the store and inquire about that? It seems very dangerous to me for that to be happening.
I hope your eye is on the mend.
Truly scary!

What was the brand???

yes it is - but you have to remember ...my husband had just died and I wasn't doing very well in public - I just grabbed what was on the shelf

we narrowed it down to Kroger - the OTC medications are right on the way to the checkout line - I had sort of a breakdown in that store back then -and must have grabbed them on my way out:(

It sure looks like the OTC Baush & Lomb with the red and White bottle - and now that my eyes are better (cept for the one Stepford Eye) it DOES Say RX at the bottom in tiny letters - but again - my eyes have been SO dialated since September I couldn't read any fine print. I had to buy those magnifying / reading glasses and just last week stopped using them lol -
someone made a big mistake stocking the shelves in Kroger and I do plan on calling them on Monday.

I look pretty freaky with one HUGE eye and one regular eye today - it's been over 12 hours and still the same.

Oh you poor thing. I can only imagine how you were when you bought the eye drops
and NOW to find out you were taking something so dangerous, you were lucky to not have had a driving accident.

Perhaps you can make a fuss and get some retribution? I am not litigious
but if you tell them that you just might mention this to the local newspaper,
they will see fit to pay your doctor bill at the very least.

If it says RX on it and there is no label with your name and doctor's name on it (like a real prescription would have)...
you can prove that it was inadvertently put on the OTC shelf by their error.

omg!!! i just saw on tv last week about a class action law suit concerning eye problems from otc eye drops. you should look into it. they stated about 500 people are affected.

Wow, I do agree that you should definitely pursue this. I know how it feels to not have the money available to go to the dr. but then have no choice. I know everyone says "oh, but your health is so important" but sometimes financially it just hurts to do it. You certainly should try to recoup some of your medical expenses from the store. It's really not the eyedrop manufacturer's fault that the store stocked the Rx drops where they shouldn't have so I would go as high up at the store as you can. It's too bad you don't have the receipt (shoot, I'm positive I wouldn't have a receipt laying around) but hopefully they'll deal with you in a positive way.

So glad the mystery has been solved. I sure hope your stepford eye goes back to normal soon!

i don't think it costs anything if a class action suit is already filed.

Good point! It would be very clear to see that if it doesn't have someone's name on it, then you HAD to have picked it up out on the aisle. I don't see how that could refute that point.

Good luck when you talk to them. Know that you have us all behind you! I'm not a big sue-happy kind of person but I do believe you should stand up for yourself and make people accountable. At least get your medical bills paid for. They should really hope that you don't have long-term problems from this. The eyes are nothing to mess around with!

You guys are the best - and thanks - you gave me some ideas. We're tracked everytime we shop by our debit or 'store' cards and I bet I can prove where I bought it since I only went to 2 stores back then...I could hardly leave the house for 2 months and the only reason I did was to get the girls their chicken so I KNOW it was probably kroger and I'm going to call their offices today