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Bimatoprost  (Ophthalmic)

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Brand Names

In the U.S.—

  • Lumigan

Category


Description

Bimatoprost (By-Matoh-prohst) is used to treat certain diseases of the eye like glaucoma which occurs in many people as they grow older. Glaucoma is caused by high pressure in your eye and can lead to pain from pressure in your eye and then can eventually harm your vision. This medicine can help you keep your sight by reducing the pressure in your eye and stopping eye pain.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription, in the following dosage form:



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 bimatoprost, the following should be considered:

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

Pregnancy—Bimatoprost has not been studied in pregnant women. However, in animals given very high doses, it caused some harmful effects on animals' offspring. 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 bimatoprost passes into human breast milk. Although most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many of them may be used safely while breast-feeding. Mothers who are taking this medicine and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their doctor.

Children—Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of bimatoprost 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 bimatoprost 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. Tell your health care professional 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 bimatoprost. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:


Proper Use of This Medicine

Use this medicine only as directed. Do not use more of it and do not use it more often than your doctor ordered.

If your doctor ordered two different eye drops to be used together, wait at least 5 minutes between the times you apply the medicines. This will help to keep the second medicine from “washing out” the first one.

The preservative used in these eye drops may be absorbed by soft contact lenses and cause irritation of your eyes. Soft contact lenses should be taken out before you use bimatoprost eye drops. Lenses may be put back in the eyes 15 minutes after you have used the medicine.

To use:

To keep the medicine as germ-free as possible, do not touch the applicator tip to any surface (including the eye). Also, keep the container tightly closed. Serious damage to the eye and possible loss of vision may result from using contaminated eye drops.

Dosing—

The dose of bimatoprost will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of bimatoprost. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

Missed dose—

If you miss a dose of this medicine, use it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage—

To store this medicine:


Precautions While Using This Medicine

It is important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly and is not causing unwanted effects.

If itching, redness, swelling, or other signs of eye or eyelid irritation occur, check with your doctor. These signs may mean that you are allergic to bimatoprost.

Check with your doctor if you get an injury or infection in your eye or if you are scheduled to have eye surgery. Your doctor may want you to use a fresh bottle of bimatoprost eye drops in case the present bottle of eye drops has become contaminated during use.

This medicine may cause some people to have blurred vision for a short time after each use. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you cannot see properly.

While you are using bimatoprost, the iris (colored part) of your treated eye(s) may slowly become more brown in color. The change in color of the iris is noticeable usually within several months or years from the start of treatment with bimatoprost. In addition, there may be a darkening of eyelid skin color. Also, your eyelashes may become longer, thicker, and darker. These changes to the iris, eyelid, and lashes may be permanent even if you stop using bimatoprost. Also, these changes to the iris, eyelid, and lashes will affect only the eye being treated with bimatoprost. Therefore, if only one eye is being treated, only that eye may develop darker iris, eyelid, and eyelashes and other changes to the eyelashes, and you may have differently appearing eyes. Check with your doctor if you have any questions about this.

Bimatoprost may cause your eyes to become more sensitive to light than they are normally. Wearing sunglasses and avoiding too much exposure to bright light may help lessen the discomfort.


Side Effects of This Medicine

Side Effects of This Medicine

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

Other side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. However, check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome.

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.



Developed: 07/24/2001

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