Have you used travatan before?

Question

what is your experience with travatan?

Answer 1

I haven't used Travatan personally, but I have many patients who are using it, either because I prescribed it or they were already using it when they came to see me.

Travatan is widely used and has been demonstrated to be effective at lowering eye pressure safely.  Though more expensive than some older eye drops, it's once-daily dosing is very convenient.  Though the drops are very well tolerated in most patients, the most common side effects are eye redness, longer eye lashes, and sometimes darkening of the iris (the colored ring in the front of the eye) with prolonged use.  

I agree in part with the reviewer above.  BAK does have effect on your tear film, but if the only BAK-containing drops you use are Travatan once a day, the effect would be minimal.  However, if you currently use several different eye medications or are prone to dry eye symptoms, the Travatan Z might be more comfortable.  Check with your pharmacist and your insurance plan to see if there are any local price differences in the two formulations and pick whichever you one you feel comfortable with.

This link has some more information on Travatan:

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/travop...

Good luck!

Answer 2

No- however, I very strongly recommend travatan Z. As far as I know, it is currently the ONLY commercial drop that doesn't use BAK as a preservative- I am a firm believer that the dangers of BAK outweigh it's benefits, especially in light of the fact that other preservatives can be just as effective without being as disruptive to the cornea and tear film.