What analgesic eye drops (medicine to reduce pain) can be used for eye pain after contact lenses removal?

The appropriate way to treat pain after removing contact lenses depends on the cause. First of all, the anesthetic drops that your ophthalmologist uses in the office should not be used without direct doctor supervision. These drops, if used repeatedly, can seriously damage your cornea.

Some contact lens wearers experience eye pain after removal due to a lack of oxygen through the lens, dryness, or from an inappropriate fit. Your ophthalmologist should evaluate your eyes both when the contact lenses are in and out to see if these are causes of your complaints. They may suggest changing the type of contact lens, the fit, or wearing schedule.

Addressing the underlying cause is the best way to treat contact lens related pain rather than with eye drops that hide the pain. However, if you feel like your eyes are irritated, you can consider using artificial tears as a way to soothe your eyes to allow your eyes to recover. I personally do not recommend using prescription analgesic drops such as topical NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) as they can limit wound healing and I have found them to be generally ineffective. However, other ophthalmologists do prescribe these prescription drops for this purpose.