Brimonidine (Ophthalmic)

Brand Names : Alphagan

Before Using 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 ophthalmic brimonidine, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to brimonidine. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as preservatives.

Pregnancy - Brimonidine has not been studied in pregnant women. Studies in animals have shown that brimonidine crosses the placenta, but very high doses have not been shown to cause harmful effects in the fetus.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether brimonidine passes into human breast milk. However, it has been shown to pass into the milk of nursing animals.

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients. There is no specific information comparing use of brimonidine in children with use in other age groups.

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 or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of brimonidine in the elderly with use in other age groups.

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. When you are using brimonidine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor activity ( isocarboxazid [e.g., Marplan], phenelzine [e.g., Nardil], procarbazine [e.g., Matulane], selegiline [e.g., Eldepryl], tranylcypromine [e.g., Parnate]) - Brimonidine should not be taken while you are taking or within two weeks of taking monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors

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

• Heart or blood vessel disease or
• Low blood pressure - Although very little ophthalmic brimonidine is absorbed into the body, there is a possibility that it could affect blood pressure

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Higher blood levels of brimonidine may result

• Mental depression - Use of brimonidine may make this condition worse