Zioptan

Zioptan is a prescription medication used to treat open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Zioptan belongs to a group of drugs called prostaglandin analogs, which work by helping excess fluid drain from the eye, lowering the pressure in the eye.

Zioptan is a prescription medicine used to lower the pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure) in people with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. 

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.

Zioptan may cause serious side effects. See "Drug Precautions".

The most common side effects of Zioptan include:

• redness, stinging or itching of your eye
• cataract formation
• dry eye
• eye pain
• blurred vision
• headache
• common cold
• cough
• urinary tract infection

Tell your doctor if you have any new eye problems while using Zioptan including:

• an eye injury
• an eye infection
• a sudden loss of vision
• eye surgery
• swelling and redness of and around your eye (conjunctivitis)
• problems with your eyelids

Tell your doctor if you have any other side effects that bother you.

These are not all the possible side effects of Zioptan. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• any other eyedrops
• bematoprost (Lumigan, Latisse)
• latanoprost (Xalatan)

This is not a complete list of Zioptan drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Zioptan may cause serious side effects including:

• changes in the color of your eye (iris). Your iris may become more brown in color while using Zioptan . This color change may not go away when you stop using Zioptan. If Zioptan is used in 1 eye only, the color of that eye may always be a different color from the color of your other eye.
• darkening of the color of the skin around your eye (eyelid). These skin changes usually go away when you stop using Zioptan.
• increasing the length, thickness, color, or number of your eyelashes. These eyelash changes usually go away when you stop using Zioptan.
• hair growth on your eyelids. This hair growth usually goes away when you stop using Zioptan.

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Zioptan there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Zioptan.

Before you use Zioptan, tell your doctor if you:

• have or have had eye problems including any surgery on your eye or eyes
• are using any other eye medicines
• have any other medical problems
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

This medication falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.
 

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Zioptan passes into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you use Zioptan.

Read the "Instructions for Use" at the end of the Patient Information leaflet that comes with Zioptan for additional instructions about the right way to use Zioptan.

• Use 1 drop of Zioptan in your eye (or eyes) each evening. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure how to use Zioptan.
• Your Zioptan may not work as well if you use it more than 1 time each evening.
• If you use other medicines in your eye, wait at least 5 minutes between using Zioptan and your other eye medicines.
• Use your Zioptan right away after opening. Each Zioptan single-use container is sterile and is to be used 1 time then thrown away. Do not save any Zioptan that may be left over after you use your medicine. Using Zioptan that is not sterile may cause other eye problems.

The recommended dose is one drop of Zioptan in the conjunctival sac of the affected eye(s) once daily in the evening.

If you take too much this medication, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If this medication is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Store the opened foil pouch at room temperature, between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C), for up to 28 days.
• Throw away all unused Zioptan single-use containers in the opened foil pouch after 28 days.
• Keep the Zioptan single-use containers in their original foil pouch.
• After opening the foil pouch, refrigeration is not required.
• Keep Zioptan and all medicines out of the reach of children.