Apraclonidine Ophthalmic

Avoid using other medications in your eyes during treatment with apraclonidine unless your doctor has told you to.

Before using apraclonidine ophthalmic, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following medications:

• blood pressure medications; or
• heart rhythm medication.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with apraclonidine ophthalmic. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

apraclonidine is available in 2 forms: apraclonidine 0.5% eye drops and apraclonidine 1% eye drops. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Apraclonidine 0.5% eye drops:

• Use apraclonidine only as directed. Do not use more of it and do not use it more often than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of too much medicine being absorbed into the body and the chance of side effects.
• First, wash your hands. Tilt the head back and, pressing your finger gently on the skin just beneath the lower eyelid, pull the lower eyelid away from the eye to make a space. Drop the medicine into this space. Let go of the eyelid and gently close the eyes. Do not blink. Keep the eyes closed and apply pressure to the inner corner of the eye with your finger for 1 or 2 minutes to allow the medicine to be absorbed by the eye.
• If you think you did not get the drop of medicine into your eye properly, use another drop.
• To keep the medicine as germ-free as possible, do not touch the applicator tip to any surface (including the eye). Also, keep the container tightly closed.
• If your doctor ordered two different eye drops to be used together, wait at least 10 minutes between the times you apply the medicines. This will help to keep the second medicine from washing out the first one.

Apraclonidine 1% eye drops:

• A doctor or other trained health professional will give you apraclonidine.
• You will receive one drop of apraclonidine in the affected eye 1 hour before surgery, then one drop in the same eye immediately after surgery.

Dosing

The dose of apraclonidine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of apraclonidine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

• For ophthalmic solution (eye drops) dosage form:
  • For glaucoma (0.5% apraclonidine):
    • Adults—Use one drop in each eye two or three times a day.
    • Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of apraclonidine, apply it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule.

Storage

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

Apraclonidine 0.5% eye drops may be stored in the refrigerator.

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure apraclonidine is working properly and to check for unwanted effects.

apraclonidine may cause some people to become dizzy, drowsy, or less alert than they are normally. Make sure you know how you react to apraclonidine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are not alert.

Do not use apraclonidine if you are also taking a MAO inhibitor (MAOI).

Apraclonidine 0.5% eye drops may cause your eyes to become more sensitive to light than they are normally. Wearing sunglasses and avoiding too much exposure to bright light may help lessen the discomfort.

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

• Allergic reaction (redness, itching, tearing of the eye)

• Blurred vision or change in vision
• chest pain
• clumsiness or unsteadiness
• depression
• dizziness
• eye discharge, irritation, or pain
• irregular heartbeat
• numbness or tingling in the fingers or toes
• raising of the upper eyelid
• rash around the eyes
• redness of the eyelid or inner lining of the eyelid
• swelling of the eye, eyelid, or inner lining of the eyelid
• swelling of the face, hands, or feet

• Blurred vision
• diarrhea
• dry mouth
• eye redness
• fainting
• feeling cold or sleepy
• irregular heartbeat
• lightheadedness
• redness, swelling, or whitening of the eyelids
• slow heartbeat
• stomach pain
• stuff or runny nose
• swelling of the eyelid
• trouble sleeping
• unusual dreams
• unusual taste in the mouth
• vomiting
• watering of eye

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur:

• Confusion
• clumsiness
• drowsiness
• low body temperature
• muscle aches
• muscle weakness
• shivering
• sleepiness
• slow heartbeat
• tiredness
• weak or feeble pulse
• weight gain

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Dryness of the mouth
• eye discomfort

• Change in taste or smell
• constipation
• crusting or scales on the eyelid or corner of the eye
• discoloration of white part of the eye
• drowsiness or sleepiness
• dry nose or eyes
• general feeling of discomfort or illness
• headache
• increased sensitivity of the eyes to light
• muscle aches
• nausea
• nervousness
• paleness of the eye or inner lining of the eyelid
• runny nose
• sore throat
• tiredness or weakness
• trouble in sleeping

• Increase in size of the pupil of the eye
• paleness of the eye or inner lining of the eyelid

• Runny nose

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Apraclonidine reduces the amount of fluid in the eye, which decreases pressure inside the eye.

Apraclonidine ophthalmic (for the eyes) is used short term to treat or prevent high pressure inside the eye.

Apraclonidine ophthalmic may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Do not use this medicine if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, or tranylcypromine.

Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not use this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Apraclonidine ophthalmic is usually given as 1 to 2 drops in each affected eye, 3 times per day. Follow your doctor's dosing instructions very carefully.

Wash your hands before using the eye drops.

To apply the eye drops:

• Tilt your head back slightly and pull down your lower eyelid to create a small pocket. Hold the dropper above the eye with the tip down. Look up and away from the dropper and squeeze out a drop.

• Close your eyes for 2 or 3 minutes with your head tipped down, without blinking or squinting. Gently press your finger to the inside corner of the eye for about 1 minute, to keep the liquid from draining into your tear duct.

• Use only the number of drops your doctor has prescribed.

• Wait at least 5 minutes before using any other eye drops your doctor has prescribed.

Do not touch the tip of the eye dropper or place it directly on your eye. A contaminated dropper can infect your eye, which could lead to serious vision problems.

Do not use the eye drops if the liquid has changed colors or has particles in it. Call your pharmacist for new medicine.

Apraclonidine may become less effective over time. This medicine is for short-term use only.

To be sure this medicine is helping your condition, your vision may need to be tested. You may not notice any change in your symptoms, but vision tests will help your doctor determine how long to treat you with apraclonidine.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not freeze. Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use.

Before using apraclonidine, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to clonidine; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: blood vessel disease (e.g., cerebrovascular disease, Raynaud's disease), high blood pressure, heart problems (e.g., recent heart attack), kidney disease, mental/mood disorders (e.g., depression).

After you apply this drug, your vision may become temporarily blurred or unstable. This drug may also rarely make you dizzy or drowsy. Alcohol or marijuana can make you more dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs alertness or clear vision until you can do it safely. Limit alcoholic beverages. Talk to your doctor if you are using marijuana.

During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.

It is not known whether this medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Hepatic impairment: Close monitoring of cardiovascular status is recommended

Summary of Use during Lactation

No information is available on the use of apraclonidine during breastfeeding. To substantially diminish the amount of drug that reaches the breastmilk after using eye drops, place pressure over the tear duct by the corner of the eye for 1 minute or more, then remove the excess solution with an absorbent tissue.

Drug Levels

Maternal Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Effects in Breastfed Infants

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Effects on Lactation and Breastmilk

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Alternate Drugs to Consider

Brimonidine

References