IOPIDINE EYE DROPS (APRACLONIDINE)

Iopidine Eye Drops Description

Iopidine Eye Drops are prescribed along with other medications as short term therapy for glaucoma to help delay or prevent the need for eye surgery. Apraclonidine, the active ingredient in Iopidine Eye Drops works by decreasing fluid formation in the eye to help lower the pressure. Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage the eye’s optic nerve and can result in vision loss and blindness. Abnormally high pressure inside your eye usually, but not always, causes this damage.

How Apraclonidine Reduces Flow of Aqueous Humor

When Iopidine Eye Drops are instilled as directed, the active ingredient acts on receptors in the walls of the blood vessels in your eyes and causes them to constrict (narrow) which decreases the flow of blood through the vessels. The result is a reduction in the fluid of aqueous humor, the fluid in your eyeballs. If the balance of the fluid entering and exiting your eyeball is not even, pressure inside your eye can build up and you risk damage to your optic nerve.

Glaucoma and Risk Factors

Glaucoma can damage your vision so gradually you may not notice any loss of vision until the disease is at an advanced stage. The most common type of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, has no noticeable signs or symptoms except gradual vision loss that usually begins with your peripheral vision. Early diagnosis and treatment can minimize or prevent optic nerve damage and limit glaucoma-related vision loss.

Glaucoma tends to be an inherited condition and may not show up until later in life. If you are over age 40 and have a family history of glaucoma, you should have a complete eye exam with an eye doctor every one to two years. There is a greater risk of developing glaucoma if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease or a history of eye injuries.

Before Iopidine Eye Drops is Prescribed

Confirm the safety of using Iopidine Eye Drops with your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast feeding. Avoid using other medications in your eyes during treatment with Iopidine Eye Drops unless your doctor has told you to. You should not administer Iopidine Eye Drops if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past fourteen days or a dangerous drug reaction could occur.

Precautions for Iopidine Eye Drops

Iopidine Eye Drops should be used with caution in patients with a history of angina, severe coronary insufficiency, recent myocardial infarction, overt cardiac failure, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, including apoplexy, cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson's syndrome, chronic renal failure, Raynaud's disease or Buerger’s disease.

Remove contact lenses before instilling Iopidine Eye Drops as it contains Benzalkonium Chloride, which can discolor your lenses permanently.

Possible Side Effects of Iopidine Eye Drops

• Redness
• Blurred vision
• Dry mouth/nose
• Irritation of the eye