Dorzolamide and Timolol eye drops

What is this medicine?

DORZOLAMIDE AND TIMOLOL OPHTHALMIC is used to treat certain types of glaucoma and other causes of high pressure inside the eye.

Dorzolamide reduces the amount of fluid in the eye, which decreases pressure inside the eye. Timolol is a beta-blocker that also reduces pressure inside the eye.

Dorzolamide and Timolol drops may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should my health care professional know before I take this medicine?

You should not use Dorzolamide and Timolol drops if you are allergic to dorzolamide (Dorzolamide and Timolol or Trusopt) or timolol (Blocadren, Betimol, Istalol, Timoptic), or if you have:

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• a history of asthma;
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); or
• a serious heart condition such as "AV block," slow heartbeats, heart failure, or if you have recently had a heart attack.

To make sure you can safely use Dorzolamide and Timolol drops, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

• narrow-angle glaucoma;
• breathing problems such as bronchitis or emphysema;
• a history of heart disease or congestive heart failure;
• diabetes;
• a muscle disorder such as myasthenia gravis;
• kidney disease;
• liver disease; or
• a thyroid disorder.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using Dorzolamide and Timolol drops . It is not known whether this medicine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while you are using this medicine. Do not use this medicine in a child younger than 2 years old.

How should I take this medicine?

Dorzolamide and Timolol drops can 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 Cosopt unless your doctor tells you to.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.

What may interact with this medicine?

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

• cimetidine (Tagamet);
• clonidine (Catapres);
• clozapine (Clozaril, FazaClo);
• digitalis (digoxin, Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps);
• isoniazid (for treating tuberculosis);
• methimazole (Tapazole);
• pioglitazone (Actos);
• reserpine;
• ropinirole (Requip);
• terbinafine (Lamisil);
• ticlopidine (Ticlid);
• an antidepressant such as citalopram (Celexa), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), duloxetine (Cymbalta), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Tofranil), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), or tranylcypromine (Parnate);
• anti-malaria medication such as chloroquine (Arelan) or pyrimethamine (Daraprim), or quinine (Qualaquin);
• a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin, Tenoretic), carvedilol (Coreg), labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), metoprolol (Dutoprol, Lopressor, Toprol), nadolol (Corgard), propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran), sotalol (Betapace), and others;
• heart or blood pressure medication such as amlodipine (Norvasc, Caduet, Exforge, Lotrel, Tekamlo, Tribenzor, Twynsta), diltiazem (Cartia, Cardizem), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Nifedical, Procardia), verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan), and others;
• a heart rhythm medication such as amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone) or quinidine (Quin-G);
• HIV or AIDS medicine such as delavirdine (Rescriptor) or ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra);
• medicine to treat psychiatric disorders, such as aripiprazole (Abilify), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), fluphenazine (Permitil, Prolixin), haloperidol (Haldol), perphenazine (Trilafon), or thioridazine (Mellaril); or
• other glaucoma medications such as acetazolamide (Diamox), brinzolamide (Azopt), or methazolamide (Neptazane).

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with Cosopt. 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.

What should I watch for while taking this medicine?

Use Dorzolamide and Timolol drops exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Do not use this medicine while you are wearing contact lenses. Dorzolamide and Timolol drops may contain a preservative that can be absorbed by soft contact lenses. Wait at least 15 minutes after using the eye drops before putting your contact lenses in.

Wash your hands before using Dorzolamide and Timolol 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 as you squeeze out a drop, then close your eye.
• Use only the number of drops your doctor has prescribed.
• Gently press your finger to the inside corner of the eye (near your nose) for about 1 minute to keep the liquid from draining into your tear duct.
• If you use more than one drop in the same eye, wait about 5 minutes before putting in the next drop. Also wait at least 10 minutes before using any other eye drops that your doctor has prescribed.

Do not use the Dorzolamide and Timolol eye drops if the liquid has changed colors or has particles in it. Call your doctor for a new prescription.

Do not allow the dropper tip to touch any surface, including the eyes or hands. If the dropper becomes contaminated it could cause an infection in your eye, which can lead to vision loss or serious damage to the eye.

Tell your doctor right away if you have any eye injury or infection, or if you need to have any type of surgery, especially eye surgery. You may need to stop using Dorzolamide and Timolol drops for a short time.

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

What side effects may I notice from taking this medicine?

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

Although the risk of serious side effects is low when dorzolamide and timolol is used in the eyes, you should be aware of side effects that can occur if the medication is absorbed into your bloodstream.

Stop using dorzolamide ophthalmic and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• swelling or redness of your eyelids;
• eye redness, pain, discomfort, or sensitivity to light;
• drainage, crusting, or oozing of your eyes or eyelids;
• wheezing, gasping, or other breathing problems;
• swelling, rapid weight gain;
• feeling short of breath, even with mild exertion; or
• severe skin reaction: fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.

Less serious Dorzolamide and Timolol side effects may include:

• blurred vision, cloudy vision, double vision, drooping eyelid;
• dry or watery eyes;
• burning, stinging, or itching in your eyes;
• bitter or unusual taste in your mouth;
• cough, flu symptoms;
• dry eyes;
• nausea, upset stomach;
• sore throat, stuffy nose;
• dizziness, headache; or
• stomach or back pain.ine for more than a few days, be aware that these side effects may occur when you stop.