What happens if you put too many eye drops in?

If you put too many lubricating eye drops in at once, the extra usually spills over the lower lid and runs down your cheek, or drains toward your nose and throat. Blot it with a clean tissue and carry on with your normal schedule rather than skipping or adding doses. Quell’s label says: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. Call a doctor about pain, vision changes or anything unusual.

What happens if you put too many eye drops in your eye?

Once the eye is already wet, an extra drop has nowhere to stay, and you can watch where it goes: it pools along the lower lid, then spills onto your lashes and cheek. Some drains through the small openings at the inner corners of the lids, which connect to the nose, and that’s why people sometimes notice a taste at the back of the throat after a drop. Our guide to why you can taste eye drops explains that path.

For most people, an accidental extra drop or two of a lubricating drop simply means a wetter face for a minute and perhaps blurry vision until they blink a few times. What you notice afterward matters more than the count.

What to do right after

• Close your eyes gently for a moment. Don’t squeeze them shut, which pushes liquid out faster.
• Blot the skin around the eye with a clean tissue. Don’t rub the eye itself.
• Wait until your vision is clear before driving, reading small print or using tools.
• Put the cap back on without touching the tip. The label says: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.
• Note the time, and take your next dose when you normally would.

What happens if you use too many eye drops at once, repeatedly?

One overflowing squeeze is different from using a drop far more often than the label says. Quell’s directions are Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. The label doesn’t give instructions for using more than that, and it doesn’t say that more drops work better. If you find you want drops much more often than the directions allow, that’s worth raising with an eye doctor, who can look for the cause of the dryness and what to do about it. Our guide can I use more than three drops a day? covers the question in more detail.

Why too many drops come out

Most extra drops come from squeezing too hard, holding the bottle at an angle, or blinking just as the drop falls and then trying again. A few habits help:

• Tilt your head back and look up, so the drop has a clear target.
• Pull down the lower lid gently to make a small pocket.
• Hold the bottle straight down over the eye, not touching it, and press lightly.
• If you’re not sure whether a drop went in, look for wetness on the lid before squeezing again.

If your hands aren’t steady, how to use eye drops with shaky hands has techniques, and how do I know if the eye drop went in? covers that uncertainty.

What if eye drops are swallowed?

Eye drops are for the eyes. Quell’s label says: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only. If someone swallows the contents of a bottle, the label is direct: If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center immediately. Poison Control can tell you whether any action is needed. Keep bottles out of reach of children, and store them as the label says: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F).

Using the wrong drops by mistake

People sometimes reach for the wrong small bottle, such as a prescription drop or a different product in a similar box. If that happens, read that product’s label and call your pharmacist or doctor. This guide covers lubricating drops only. Quell’s label doesn’t cover combining it with other eye drops, so ask your eye doctor or pharmacist about timing if you use more than one.

When to call a doctor

Watch how your eye feels over the next while. Stinging that fades in a moment is common after any drop. Pain that continues, vision that stays blurry, or irritation that won’t settle is a reason to call. Quell’s label says: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours. Also check the bottle itself. Under Do not use, the label lists: If this product changes color. It also notes: The eye drops have a naturally milky-brown appearance. This is normal and does not indicate a problem with the product.

You can read the complete label on our Drug Facts page and see the questions people ask most on the FAQ.