Bimatoprost Ophthalmic

Bimatoprost ophthalmic comes as a solution (liquid) to instill in the eye. It is usually instilled in the affected eye(s) once a day in the evening. Try to use the medication at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use bimatoprost exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Bimatoprost controls glaucoma and ocular hypertension but does not cure them. Continue to use bimatoprost eye drops even if you feel well. Do not stop using bimatoprost eye drops without talking to your doctor.

To instill the eye drops, follow these steps:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
2. Check the dropper tip to make sure that it is not chipped or cracked.
3. Avoid touching the dropper tip against your eye or anything else; eye drops and droppers must be kept clean.
4. While tilting your head back, pull down the lower lid of your eye with your index finger to form a pocket.
5. Hold the dropper (tip down) with the other hand, as close to the eye as possible without touching it.
6. Brace the remaining fingers of that hand against your face.
7. While looking up, gently squeeze the dropper so that a single drop falls into the pocket made by the lower eyelid. Remove your index finger from the lower eyelid.
8. Close your eye for 2 to 3 minutes and tip your head down as though looking at the floor. Try not to blink or squeeze your eyelids.
9. Place a finger on the tear duct and apply gentle pressure.
10. Wipe any excess liquid from your face with a tissue.
11. If you are to use more than one drop in the same eye, wait at least 5 minutes before instilling the next drop.
12. Replace and tighten the cap on the dropper bottle. Do not wipe or rinse the dropper tip.
13. Wash your hands to remove any medication.

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p) for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. http://www.upandaway.org

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For bimatoprost, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to bimatoprost or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of bimatoprost for eyelash growth in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Because of safety concerns, the use of bimatoprost to treat open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension in children and teenagers younger than 16 years of age is not recommended.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of bimatoprost in the elderly.

Pregnancy

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with Medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of bimatoprost. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Certain types of glaucoma (angle-closure, inflammatory, or neovascular)—Not normally used in patients with these conditions. Let your doctor know if you have these conditions.

• Eye disease (e.g., iritis or uveitis), history of—Use with caution. Some eye conditions may be worsened by bimatoprost.

• Loss of the lens of the eye or a torn lens—Use with caution. May be more prone to a serious side effect called macular edema.

Bimatoprost reduces pressure in the eye by increasing the amount of fluid that drains from the eye.

Bimatoprost ophthalmic (for the eyes) is used to treat open-angle glaucoma and other causes of high pressure inside the eyes.

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

You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to bimatoprost.

To make sure bimatoprost ophthalmic is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• an eye condition called uveitis; or

• swelling or infection of your eye.

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It is not known whether this medicine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Bimatoprost ophthalmic is not approved for use by anyone younger than 16 years old.

Use the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Burning/stinging/irritation/redness of the eye, feeling as if something is in your eye, dry eyes, watering eyes, and increased sensitivity to light may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

This medication may slowly (over months to years) cause brown discoloration of the colored portion of the eye (iris). If you are using bimatoprost in only one eye, only that iris may change color. An increase in eyelash number/length/thickness, darkening of the eyelashes/eyelids, or eyelid changes may also occur in the treated eye. These changes may be permanent, but the long-term effects are uncertain. Notify your doctor if this occurs, and schedule regular eye exams to monitor it.

Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

Tell your doctor right away if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: vision changes, eye pain/swelling, swelling/redness of the eyelids.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

In the US -

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

Before using bimatoprost, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to similar drugs (e.g., latanoprost, travoprost); or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients (such as preservatives like benzalkonium chloride), 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: eye problems (e.g., macular edema, iritis, uveitis, lens extraction/aphakia).

If you develop an eye infection or injury, or have eye surgery, check with your doctor about the continued use of your current bottle of bimatoprost. You may be advised to start using a new bottle.

This drug may cause temporary unstable vision. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires clear vision until you are sure you can perform such activities safely

This medication should be used only when clearly needed during pregnancy. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.

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

This medicine may be harmful if swallowed. If someone has overdosed and has serious symptoms such as passing out or trouble breathing, call 911. Otherwise, call a poison control center right away. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center.

Notes

Do not share this medication with others.

Laboratory and/or medical tests (e.g., eye exams) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose, use it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

Storage

Store between 36-77 degrees F (2-25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.Information last revised July 2016. Copyright(c) 2016 First Databank, Inc.