Latanoprost (Ophthalmic)

Brand Names : Xalatan

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 latanoprost, the following should be considered:

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

Pregnancy - Latanoprost has not been studied in pregnant women. However, latanoprost has been shown to cause death of the fetus when given to pregnant rabbits in doses many times larger than the human dose. 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 latanoprost passes into the 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 using 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 latanoprost 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. Although there is no specific information comparing use of latanoprost in the elderly with use in other age groups, this medicine has been used mostly in elderly patients and is not expected 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 latanoprost, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Thimerosal-containing ophthalmic medications - A precipitation occurs (a solid settles out of the solution) when latanoprost is applied at the same time as a thimerosal-containing ophthalmic medicine; you should wait at least 5 minutes between using these two types of eye drops

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

• Eye disease, such as iritis or uveitis - Use of latanoprost may make the condition worse

• Eye problems, such as loss of the lens of the eye or
• Intraocular lens (IOL) replacement - May be more prone to an adverse reaction called macular edema

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Higher blood levels of latanoprost may result, which may lead to increased side effects