What is ketotifen ophthalmic?

Ketotifen ophthalmic (for the eyes) is used in adults and children at least 3 years old to temporarily treat itching of the eyes caused by allergy to dust, pollen, grass, animals, or other allergens.

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

Ketotifen ophthalmic side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives, difficult breathing, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Ketotifen ophthalmic may cause serious side effects. Stop using ketotifen ophthalmic and call your doctor at once if you have:

• eye pain or changes in vision;
• eye itching that gets worse or lasts longer than 72 hours;
• severe burning, stinging, or eye irritation after using the eye drops; or
• signs of eye infection–swelling, redness, severe discomfort, crusting or drainage.

Less serious side effects may be more likely, and you may have none at all.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA.

Warnings

Follow all directions on the label and package. Use exactly as directed.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use ketotifen ophthalmic if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

• eye irritation caused by wearing contact lenses.

Ask a doctor before using ketotifen ophthalmic if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Do not allow a young child to use ketotifen ophthalmic without help from an adult.

How should I use ketotifen ophthalmic?

Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor.

Do not use while wearing soft contact lenses. Ketotifen ophthalmic may contain a preservative that can permanently stain the lenses. Wait at least 10 minutes before inserting your contact lenses.

Wash your hands before using eye medication.

To apply the eye drops: Pull down your lower eyelid to create a small pocket and squeeze a drop into this pocket. Close your eyes for 1 or 2 minutes.

Use only the prescribed number of drops.

Wait at least 5 minutes before using any other eye drops.

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

Call your pharmacist if the medicine looks cloudy, has changed colors or has particles in it.

Each single-use vial is for one use only (in both eyes). Store the unused vials in the original foil pouch and protect from light. Throw the vial away after one use, even if there is still medicine left inside.

Store at room temperature, in an upright position and tightly closed. Do not freeze.

Ketotifen ophthalmic dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Allergic Conjunctivitis:

Instill 1 drop in the affected eye(s) 2 times a day

Comments: May administer eye drops every 8 to 12 hours, but should not administer more than twice a day.

Use: For the treatment of itching related to pollen, ragweed, grass, animal hair and dander.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Allergic Conjunctivitis:

Age: 3 years and older
Instill 1 drop in the affected eye(s) 2 times a day

Comments: May administer eye drops every 8 to 12 hours, but should not administer more than twice a day.

Use: For the treatment of itching related to pollen, ragweed, grass, animal hair and dander.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Use the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not use two doses at one time.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line if anyone has accidentally swallowed the medicine.

What should I avoid while using ketotifen ophthalmic?

Do not use other eye medications unless your doctor tells you to.

What is olopatadine ophthalmic?

Olopatadine is an antihistamine that reduces the natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of itching or watery eyes.

Olopatadine ophthalmic (for the eye) is used to treat eye itching caused by allergies.

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

Olopatadine ophthalmic side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

olopatadine ophthalmic may cause serious side effects. Stop using olopatadine ophthalmic and call your doctor at once if you have:

• eye pain or changes in vision;
• eye itching that gets worse or lasts longer than 72 hours;
• severe burning, stinging, or irritation after using this medicine; or
• eye swelling, redness, severe discomfort, crusting or drainage (may be signs of infection).

Less serious side effects may be more likely, and you may have none at all.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

Warnings

Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use olopatadine ophthalmic if you are allergic to it.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if olopatadine ophthalmic is safe to use if you have any type of eye infection.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Olopatadine ophthalmic is not approved for use by anyone younger than 2 years old.

How should I use olopatadine ophthalmic?

Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor.

Do not use while wearing soft contact lenses. A preservative in this medicine could permanently stain the lenses. Use the medicine at least 15 minutes before inserting your contact lenses.

Wash your hands before using eye medication.

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 and squeeze a drop into this pocket. Close your eyes for 1 or 2 minutes.

• Wait at least 10 minutes before using any other eye drops your doctor has prescribed.

Use only the number of drops recommended on the medicine label.

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 looks cloudy or has changed colors.

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

Olopatadine ophthalmic dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis:

0.1% solution: 1 drop in each affected eye twice per day at an interval of 6 to 8 hours
0.2%/0.7% solution: 1 drop in each affected eye once a day

Use: Treatment of the signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis

Usual Pediatric Dose for Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis:

2 years or older:
0.2%/0.7% solution: 1 drop in each affected eye once a day

3 years or older:
0.1% solution: 1 drop in each affected eye twice per day at an interval of 6 to 8 hours

Use: Treatment of the signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis

What happens if I miss a dose?

Use the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not use two doses at one time.

What happens if I overdose?

An overdose of olopatadine ophthalmic is not expected to be dangerous. Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line if anyone has accidentally swallowed the medication.

What should I avoid while using olopatadine ophthalmic?

Avoid wearing contact lenses while your eyes are red or irritated. olopatadine ophthalmic will not treat eye irritation caused by wearing contacts.

What is Opcon-A?

Naphazoline is a vasoconstrictor. It works by narrowing swollen blood vessels in the eyes to reduce eye redness.

Pheniramine is an antihistamine that reduces the effects of natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of itchy or watery eyes.

Opcon-A (for the eyes) is for temporary relief of minor eye redness or itching caused by ragweed, pollen, grass, or animal dander and hair.

Opcon-A may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Opcon-A side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Opcon-A may cause serious side effects. Stop using Opcon-A and call your doctor at once if you have:

• ongoing or worsening eye redness;
• eye pain; or
• changes in your vision.

Common side effects of Opcon-A may include:

• mild burning or stinging of the eye;
• dilated pupils, blurred vision; or
• eyes being more sensitive to light.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

Warnings

Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use Opcon-A if you are allergic to naphazoline or pheniramine.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take this medicine if you have other medical conditions, especially:

• heart disease, high blood pressure;
• urination problems; or
• narrow-angle glaucoma.

It is not known whether Opcon-A will harm an unborn baby. Do not use this medicine without a doctor’s advice if you are pregnant.

It is not known whether naphazoline and pheniramine ophthalmic passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medicine without a doctor’s advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Opcon-A should not be given to a child younger than 6 years old without a doctor’s advice.

How should I use Opcon-A?

Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Using the medicine too long or too often may worsen your symptoms and cause damage to blood vessels in your eyes.

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 eye and 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 recommended.

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.

Stop using this medicine and call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 3 days of treatment.

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

Throw away the eye drops after the expiration date on the medicine label has passed.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since Opcon-A is used when needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are on a schedule, 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.

What happens if I overdose?

An overdose of Opcon-A is not expected to be dangerous. Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line if anyone has accidentally swallowed the medication.

Keep this medicine out of the reach of children. Certain eye medications can cause serious medical problems in a young child who accidentally sucks on or swallows medicine from the eye dropper.

What should I avoid while using naphazoline and pheniramine ophthalmic?

Do not use this medication while wearing contact lenses. Opcon-A may contain a preservative that can discolor soft contact lenses. Wait at least 15 minutes after using Opcon-A before putting in your contact lenses.