1. What is myopia due to ?

It the due to the eye ball growing longer.

2. What do atropine eye drops do?

They strengthen the wall of the eyeball so that it does not grow longer.

3. Are atropine eyedrops comfortable?

They feel like water drops and are easy to use. They come in preservative free options too and a large range of doses.

4. Is there a need to wear glasses with atropine drops?

Yes. Atropine drops control the worsening of myopia but it does not reshape the cornea like the Orthokeratology lenses or MiSight lenses.

5. Would his eyes be sensitive to light and need reading glasses?

No, that only happens if the atropine dose is too high for your child. Atropine ranges from 0.01% to 1%. I prefer starting with 0.01%, the lowest dose, which has no side effects. If your child does not respond to atropine, we should explore other ways to manage myopia instead of increasing the dose and risking side effects. I use research-backed methods to control your child's prescription. Myopia progression cannot be reversed, and we cannot just watch it worsen. The side effects of myopia are much more serious.

6. What are the side effects of starting ?

Almost none. We start with the lowest dose of 0.01%, so there’s no risk of dilated pupils or needing reading glasses. I wouldn’t use a high dose of atropine, as it indicates the medication isn't effective for controlling myopia. We should focus on lifestyle habits and Ortho K lenses instead.

7. Does it mean my child needs to be on the drops forever ?

Atropine helps strengthen a child's eyeball and prevents it from getting longer. It is effective only while the eye is still growing. Once your child's myopia stabilizes, we can reduce the use of the drops.

8. Can I stop the drops whenever I want?

Atropine drops should be reduced slowly instead of stopping suddenly, as this may cause myopia to return. We will provide instructions on how to taper them.

9. What if I run out of drops?

Please bring forward your appointment or call to ask if you can come collect a bottle of drops even if your child can’t come. Do not use the bottle for longer than a month as it loses its efficacy.

10. Can I buy atropine drops over the counter?

No because it is a drug that has to be prescribed and supervised by an ophthalmologist. Why? Because we are supervising myopia progressing and I want to be sure atropine drops is controlling the myopia well or we should be modifying the treatment. Like high blood pressure medication , we need to check that the dose is adequate for your child and to react quickly if the myopia is not controlled by re checking lifestyle habits and modulating the treatment.

11. How long does one bottle last ?

Throw the bottle away after one month of opening even if there is some left in the bottle. Why ? Because the dosage we use is so low and because of the instability of atropine over time , the dosage would diminish to nothing after one month and would not be efficient anymore

12. Would I start my own child on atropine?

I get asked this question a lot. Mark is checked every three months for myopia ever since he was four years old and should he be myopic , I would without a doubt start him on it. It’s easy to instil the drops. The side effects of myopia is way higher than any side effect of atropine eye drops. I also have many tricks up my sleeve to teach you on how to manage your child’s eye habits which have worked on my son.