Dorzolamide Ophthalmic

Dorzolamide ophthalmic may cause blurred vision. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be able to see clearly.

Do not use other eye medications during treatment with dorzolamide ophthalmic unless your doctor tells you to.

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use, especially:

• acetazolamide (Diamox);
• brinzolamide (Azopt); or
• methazolamide (Neptazane).

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with dorzolamide ophthalmic. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Dorzolamide ophthalmic (eye) drops is used to treat increased pressure in the eye caused by open-angle glaucoma or a condition called hypertension of the eye. Both eye conditions are caused by high pressure in your eye and can lead to pain from pressure in your eye and then can eventually harm your vision. dorzolamide can help you keep your sight by reducing the pressure in your eye and stopping eye pain.

dorzolamide is available only with your doctor's prescription.

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 dorzolamide, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to dorzolamide 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 performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of dorzolamide eye drops in children.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of dorzolamide eye drops 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. When you are taking dorzolamide, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using dorzolamide with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Memantine

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 dorzolamide. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Acute angle-closure glaucoma—Use of dorzolamide eye drops in these patients have not been studied. This condition may need other medicine or treatment besides dorzolamide.

• Allergy to sulfa drugs—Use with caution. May increase risk for more serious side effects.

• Bacterial eye infection (eg, keratitis) or
• Cornea (part of the eye) problems, history of or
• Eye surgery, recent—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

• Kidney disease, severe or
• Liver disease—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.

It is very important that your doctor check the progress of you or your child at regular visits. Your doctor may want to do certain tests to see if the medicine is working properly or to see if certain side effects may be occurring without you or your child knowing it.

If itching, redness, swelling, or other signs of eye or eyelid irritation occur, check with your doctor. These signs may mean that you or your child are allergic to dorzolamide eye drops.

dorzolamide may cause some people to have blurred vision for a short time. Make sure you know how you react to dorzolamide before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you cannot see properly. Also, since blurred vision may be a sign of a side effect that needs medical attention, check with your doctor if it continues.

Ophthalmic dorzolamide 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. If the discomfort continues, check with your doctor.

If you hurt your eye, develop an eye infection, or need to have eye surgery, talk with your doctor right away. You or your child may need to get a new bottle of the eye drops to help prevent an eye infection or keep an infection from getting worse.

Serious allergic reactions may occur while using dorzolamide. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have any of the following symptoms: black, tarry stools, blistering, peeling, or loose of the skin, chills, dark urine, joint or muscle pain, rash, red skin lesions, often with a purple center, sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips, unusual bleeding or bruising, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Dorzolamide is used to treat high pressure inside the eye due to glaucoma (open angle-type) or other eye diseases (e.g., ocular hypertension). Lowering high pressure inside the eye helps to prevent blindness. This medication works by decreasing the amount of fluid within the eye. It belongs to a class of drugs known as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.

How to use Dorzolamide HCL Drops

Read the Patient Information Leaflet provided by your pharmacist before you start using dorzolamide and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions regarding the information, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

This medication is for use in the eye(s), usually one drop in the affected eye(s) 3 times a day, or as directed by your doctor.

To apply eye drops, wash your hands first. To avoid contamination, do not touch the dropper tip or let it touch your eye or any other surface.

The preservative that may be found in some products may be absorbed by contact lenses. If you wear contact lenses, remove them before using the eye drops with preservative. Wait at least 15 minutes after using this medication before putting in your contact lenses.

Tilt your head back, look upward and pull down the lower eyelid to make a pouch. Hold the dropper directly over your eye and place one drop in your eye. Look downward and gently close your eyes for 1 to 2 minutes. Place one finger at the corner of your eye (near the nose) and apply gentle pressure. Try not to blink and do not rub your eye. This will prevent the medication from draining out. Repeat these steps for your other eye if so directed.

Do not rinse the dropper. Replace the dropper cap after each use.

If you are using another kind of eye medication (e.g., drops or ointments), wait at least 10 minutes before applying other medications. Use eye drops before eye ointments to allow the eye drops to enter the eye.

Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, use it at the same times each day. It is important to continue using dorzolamide even if you feel well. Most people with glaucoma or high pressure in the eyes do not feel sick.

Temporary blurred vision, temporary burning/stinging/itching/redness of the eye, watery eyes, dry eyes, sensitivity of eyes to light, bitter taste, or headache may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

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 rare but very serious side effects occur: vision changes, signs of a kidney stone (e.g., pain in the back/side/abdomen, nausea/vomiting, blood in the urine), yellowing eyes or skin, dark urine, unusual tiredness or weakness, easy bruising/bleeding, signs of infection (e.g., fever, chills, persistent sore throat).

Seek immediate medical attention if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: persistent eye redness or discharge, eye or eyelid swelling, eye pain.

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.

Your healthcare professionals (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: high doses of aspirin or related salicylates.

Low-dose aspirin, as prescribed by your doctor for specific medical reasons such as heart attack or stroke prevention (usually these dosages are 81-325 milligrams per day), should be continued. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.

This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

Applies to dorzolamide ophthalmic: ophthalmic solution

Along with its needed effects, dorzolamide ophthalmic 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 while taking dorzolamide ophthalmic:

• Burning, stinging, or discomfort when medicine is applied
• itching, redness, swelling, or other sign of the eye or eyelid irritation

• Burning, dry, or itching eyes
• discharge from the eye
• excessive tearing
• redness, pain, or swelling of the eye, eyelid, or inner lining of the eyelid

• Blood in the urine
• blurred vision
• nausea or vomiting
• pain in the side, back, or abdomen
• skin rash
• tearing

• Blistering, burning, crusting, dryness, or flaking of the skin
• change in vision
• chills
• cough
• diarrhea
• difficult or labored breathing
• flashes of light
• floaters in vision
• hives or welts
• itching skin
• joint or muscle pain
• large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
• noisy breathing
• redness of the skin
• sore throat
• sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips
• tightness in the chest
• unusual tiredness or weakness

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur while taking dorzolamide ophthalmic:

• Confusion
• irregular heartbeat
• muscle cramps or pain
• numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in the hands or feet
• seizures
• trembling
• weakness and heaviness of the legs

Some side effects of dorzolamide ophthalmic 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:

• Bitter taste
• feeling of something in the eye

• Changes in color vision
• difficulty seeing at night
• dryness of the eyes
• eyelid reactions
• headache
• increased sensitivity of the eyes to sunlight

• Bloody nose
• burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
• change in distance vision
• difficulty in focusing the eyes
• dizziness
• dry mouth
• eyelid crusting
• lack or loss of strength
• scaling of the skin
• severe redness, soreness, or swelling of the skin

Hepatic impairment: Use with caution

Consult WARNINGS section for additional precautions.