Hi Michelle,
My doctor and I are currently trying the "one eye test"... I had been using it in both eyes and didn't think it was helping, so he suggested I try stopping it in one eye, the eye that is giving me the most trouble right now. If that eye gets better then we know that all of the added irritation that I've had these past few months is from the Restasis. If it gets worse, then we know that the Restasis is helping. I'll let you know when our little experiment concludes.
You asked what Cyclosporine does. Cyclosporine is the active ingredient in Restasis. Cyclosporine is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. It's also used to shrink things such as tumors (which is why it's used in cancer patients) and it can supposedly shrink the inflammation around the tear producing glands in the eyes.