LEVOBUNOLOL HYDROCHLORIDE (BETAGAN)Ophthalmologist Carolina Valdivia, MD discusses Levobunolol Hydrochloride (Betagan), a medication used in the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension.  What is Levobunolol Hydrochloride?Betagan ophthalmic solution belongs to a class of medications known as beta blocker drugs. It works by decreasing the amount of fluid production within the eye.  Levobunolol is used alone or in combination with other medications to treat
ocular hypertension
(high pressure inside the eye) associated with
open-angle glaucoma
or other eye diseases. Controlling ocular hypertension can help to prevent glaucoma-related blindness. You should exercise care when using Betagan eye drops. It is important not to contaminate the solution, as this can cause harm to the eye. If you are using more than one glaucoma medication, administration of the eye drops should be spaced 10-15 minutes apart to provide adequate time for absorption. Betagan eye drops should be stored at room temperature, away from bright light, and out of the reach of children.
Major surgery, including eye surgery, may require temporary discontinuation of beta blocker drugs, like Levobunolol Hydrochloride.
If your ocular hypertension is not reduced to a satisfactory level on this regimen, your ophthalmologist may prescribe a second class of medication to use with Levobunolol Hydrochloride. Examples include miotics, such as dipivefrin or pilocarpine and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, such as acetazolamide. Your ophthalmologist typically will not prescribe two or more topical ophthalmic beta adrenergic receptor blocker drugs simultaneously to control ocular hypertension. You should shake Betagan eye drops well before use. Prior to administration, wash your hands thoroughly. Remove the cap and position yourself with your head tilted back. Gently pull your lower eye lid with your index finger and administer the drops in each eye without touching the eye or eyelid with the tip of the applicator. After administration of an eye drop, blink a few times and remove any excess liquid with a clean tissue. Repeat this process for the other eye and wash your hands. If more than one type of eye drop is being used, the drugs need to be spaced out by 10-15 minutes. Avoid allowing the tip of the applicator to contact your eye, finger, or any other surface in order to avoid contamination of the product. Contamination may lead to serious damage to your eye. You may wear contact lenses five minutes after administration.
It is a good idea to keep a list of all medications you are using with you, so that you can share it with your doctor and pharmacist.
Temporary side effects reported by some patients include.
If any of these persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Rare but serious side effects that have been associated with Levobunolol Hydrochloride include:
You should seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of these symptoms. Do not wait to see if they will go away by themselves. 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.
It is not known whether Betagan ophthalmic solution is excreted in human milk. However, beta blocker drugs administered systemically (orally, intramuscular injection) are known to be excreted in human milk. For this reason, caution should be exercised when Betagan eye drops are administered to a nursing woman.
REFERENCE:Sweetman SC. Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference, 36th Ed. London: Pharmaceutical Press, 2009:1822-1883.
A number of visitors have written to me asking for recommendations pertaining to eye-care products and books for obtaining more information. I have joined with Amazon.com to create a dependable resource for books and products. You can find these materials at the Eye-Care Store. My goal in providing information about medications is to give you a starting point for having an informed conversation with your doctor. However, under no circumstances should the information presented here be used as a substitute for an ongoing consultation with your doctor. Since I have not examined you, I only can speak in terms of generalities, whereas your doctor has sufficient clinical details to evaluate your case specifically and prescribe appropriate treatment.
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