Can a tiny dose of atropine dry up watery eyes?
NCT ID NCT07816224
First seen Sep 11, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026
Summary
Researchers are testing whether very low-dose atropine eye drops reduce excessive tearing in adults who wipe their eyes at least twice a day. Each participant uses two drops, one at a time: atropine 0.005% and an identical-looking drop with no active ingredient. They use each drop once nightly for 7 days, with about 2 weeks between the two periods, and neither the participants nor the study doctors know which drop is which. The main measure is how often participants need to wipe their eyes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- atropine sulfate ophthalmic solution 0.005%
- What this could lead to
- If it works, low-dose atropine drops could offer a simple nightly option for adults whose eyes water constantly and who currently have few reliable treatments.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is small, with about 12 to 18 participants, and each treatment lasts only 7 days, so any benefit may be short-lived or not hold up in larger studies. Atropine can cause blurred vision, light sensitivity, or dry eye, and the drops may not help tearing caused by blocked tear ducts.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 16 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults 18 years of age or older * Symptomatic epiphora (unilateral or bilateral) with tearing requiring eyelid wiping or dabbing at least 2 times per day (Munk score ≥2) * Epiphora attributed to functional/idiopathic, gustatory, environmental, or lacrimal outflow (e.g., nasolacrimal duct obstruction, punctal stenosis) etiology * Visual acuity of 20/200 or better in at least one eye (with habitual correction or pinhole) * Willing and able to self-administer eye drops nightly for 7 days in each of two treatment periods and attend all study visits * Prior use of topical atropine permitted if at least 10 days have elapsed since the last dose Exclusion Criteria: * Clinically significant dry eye disease, or tearing judged to be a reflex response to ocular surface disease, blepharitis, or other ocular surface irritation * Regular use of artificial tears, ocular lubricants, or dry eye medications, or unwillingness to stop them during the study * Active or recent (within 30 days) ocular infection, or active dacryocystitis * Current use of ophthalmic anticholinergic agents (unless stopped at least 10 days before Visit 1) * Hypersensitivity to atropine, other anticholinergics, or any component of the formulation * Angle-closure glaucoma or narrow anterior chamber angles * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Participation in another interventional study within 30 days * Any condition or medication that, in the investigator's judgment, would interfere with study assessments or subject safety
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
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How to take part
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The study's own enquiry address
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The official record
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Study contacts
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Contact
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