Key takeaways
Miebo (perfluorohexyloctane) and Xiidra (lifitegrast) are both prescription eye drop medications used to treat dry eyes in adults. However, they belong to different medication classes and work in distinct ways. Miebo is a semifluorinated alkane that forms a protective layer on the eye to prevent tears from evaporating, while Xiidra is an LFA-1 antagonist that helps reduce inflammation by blocking a specific protein. Miebo is applied four times a day, whereas Xiidra is used twice daily. Miebo is only available as a brand name medication, while Xiidra also lacks a generic version. Common side effects of Miebo include blurry vision and eye redness, while Xiidra may cause eye irritation, a strange taste in the mouth, and unclear vision. If you wear contact lenses, you should remove them before using either medication, but the wait time before reinserting them differs: 30 minutes for Miebo and 15 minutes for Xiidra.
