Anesthetics (Ophthalmic)

Before Receiving This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of using the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For local anesthetics used in the eye, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction after use of a local anesthetic in the eye. Such a reaction may include severe itching, pain, redness, or swelling of the eye or eyelid, or severe and continuing watering of the eyes.

Also, tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to tetracaine or other local anesthetics, such as benzocaine, butacaine, butamben, chloroprocaine, procaine, or propoxycaine, when given by injection or applied to the skin.

In addition, tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to aminobenzoic acid (also called para-aminobenzoic acid [PABA]), or if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Although studies on effects in pregnancy have not been done in either humans or animals, proparacaine and tetracaine have not been reported to cause birth defects or other problems in humans.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether proparacaine or tetracaine passes into breast milk. Although most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many of them may be used safely while breast-feeding. Mothers who receive this medicine and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their doctor.

Children - Although there is no specific information comparing use of ophthalmic anesthetics in children with use in other age groups, these medicines are not expected to cause different side effects or problems in children than they do in adults.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information comparing use of ophthalmic anesthetics in the elderly with use in other age groups, these medicines are not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than they do in younger adults.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Before receiving a local anesthetic in the eye, tell your doctor if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of local anesthetics in the eye. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Allergies - The risk of unwanted effects may be increased