Sodium cromoglicate eye drops are part of a group of medicines called anti-allergics.
They are used to treat allergic conjunctivitis, a condition triggered by hay fever, house mites and other allergies. It can irritate your eyes and make them red, watery, itchy and puffy.
Sodium cromoglicate eye drops work by stopping the release of the natural substances (including histamine) in your body that cause allergic reactions. They also reduce how severe your symptoms are when you come into contact with any substances you’re allergic to.
Sodium cromoglicate comes as eye drops in bottles that contain a preservative (which makes it last longer before expiring). They also come as single-dose droppers that are preservative-free. These are thrown away after use.
You can buy the eye drops from pharmacies and supermarkets, without a prescription.
Sodium cromoglicate also comes as capsules that are only available on prescription.
Important
If you have bought the eye drops without the advice of a doctor or pharmacist, you must be sure that your eye irritation is caused by an allergy.
Key facts
- For sodium cromoglicate eye drops to work properly, you need to use them regularly for 2 weeks. If there is no change after that, speak to a pharmacist or your doctor.
- Do not use sodium cromoglicate eye drops for more than 4 weeks after first opening the bottle. If you use them for longer they may not work as well, and it could cause eye infections.
- Sodium cromoglicate eye drops may sting your eyes a little when you first drop them in, but this does not last long.
- It's safe to use sodium cromoglicate eye drops with most prescription medicines.