Dorzolamide (Ophthalmic)

Brand Names : Trusopt

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 dorzolamide, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to ophthalmic dorzolamide or to any of the sulfonamides (sulfa medicines); furosemide (e.g., Lasix) or thiazide diuretics (water pills); oral antidiabetics (diabetes medicine you take by mouth); or the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor-type glaucoma medicine you take by mouth (for example, acetazolamide [e.g., Diamox], dichlorphenamide [e.g., Daranide], or methazolamide [e.g., Neptazane]). Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as benzalkonium chloride or other preservatives.

Pregnancy - Ophthalmic dorzolamide has not been studied in pregnant women. However, one animal study has shown that this medicine, when given in very high doses, causes toxicity in the mother and birth defects in the fetus. Before using this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether ophthalmic dorzolamide passes into breast milk. However, other carbonic anhydrase inhibitors may pass into breast milk. These medicines are not recommended during breast-feeding, because they may cause unwanted effects in nursing babies. It may be necessary for you to use another medicine or to stop breast-feeding during treatment. Be sure you have discussed this with your doctor.

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

Older adults - This medicine has been tested in a limited number of patients 65 years of age or older and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does 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. When you are using ophthalmic dorzolamide, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are using any of the following:

• Silver preparations for the eye, such as silver nitrate - Ophthalmic dorzolamide should not be used with ophthalmic silver preparations, since a chemical reaction may occur

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

• Kidney disease, severe, or
• Liver disease - Use of ophthalmic dorzolamide may lead to increased side effects from the medication

• Kidney stones - Use of ophthalmic dorzolamide may make this condition worse