Dry Eyes from Medications: Causes, Common Drugs, and What to Do

When your eyes feel gritty, burning, or like they’re full of sand, it’s not always allergies or screen time. Dry eyes from medications, a common but often overlooked side effect caused by drugs that reduce tear production or change tear composition. Also known as medication-induced dry eye syndrome, it affects millions who take everyday pills without realizing their eyes are paying the price. This isn’t rare—it’s hiding in plain sight, tucked into the fine print of prescriptions and OTC labels.

Think about the drugs you take daily. Antihistamines, used for allergies and sleep, block the signals that tell your eyes to make tears. Benadryl, Zyrtec, Claritin—these aren’t just for runny noses. They’re silent eye dryers. Then there’s antidepressants, including SSRIs and tricyclics, which interfere with the nervous system’s control over tear glands. Blood pressure meds like beta-blockers and diuretics? They drain moisture from your body—including your eyes. Even acne treatments like isotretinoin and hormone therapies can trigger this. It’s not just one drug. It’s a whole category of common prescriptions that quietly dry you out.

You might notice it after starting a new pill—your contacts feel stiff, your vision blurs after reading, or you reach for artificial tears more than ever. But because dry eyes are so common, many assume it’s just aging or screen use. It’s not. If your dry eyes started after a medication change, that’s not a coincidence. It’s a signal. And you don’t have to live with it. You can talk to your doctor about alternatives, adjust your dosage, or use targeted eye drops that don’t interfere with your treatment. The key is connecting the dots between what’s in your medicine cabinet and what’s happening in your eyes.

Below, you’ll find real posts that dig into how medications affect your body in ways you never expected—from drug interactions that cause side effects, to how to read your prescription label to spot risks, to why some drugs trigger symptoms that feel like something else entirely. These aren’t just facts. They’re tools to help you take back control of your health.