Ophthalmic brimonidine is used to treat glaucoma (high eye pressure that can harm nerves and result in visual loss) and ocular hypertension in individuals (pressure in the eyes that is higher than normal but not high enough to cause vision loss). Alpha adrenergic agonists are a group of medications that includes brimonidine. Brimonidine reduces the quantity of fluid in the eyes in order to work.

Brimonidine for use in the eyes is available as a solution (liquid). Typically, it is injected into the afflicted eye or eyes three times each day. Try to space out your three daily doses of brimonidine eye drops by about 8 hours each, and use them at around the same times each day. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. As instructed, use brimonidine eye drops. Use these only as directed by your doctor, neither more nor less often.

Your condition may be managed by brimonidine eye drops, but it won’t be cured. Even if you feel better, continue to use brimonidine eye drops. Without consulting your doctor, never stop using brimonidine eye drops.

Follow these steps to administer the eye drops:

• Use soap and water to thoroughly wash your hands.
• Make sure the dropper tip is not broken or chipped by inspecting it.
• Eye drops and droppers must be kept clean; avoid contacting the dropper tip to your eye or anything else.
• Pull your lower eyelid down to create a pocket with your index finger while cocking your head back.
• With your other hand, place the dropper as near to your eye as you can without touching it, tip down.
• Place the hand’s remaining fingers to your face.
• Squeeze the dropper gently while looking up so that a single drop falls into the lower eyelid’s pocket. Your index finger should be taken off the lower eyelid.
• Tip your head down so that you are looking at the floor while closing your eyes for two to three minutes. Avoid blinking or squeezing your eyelids.
• Give the tear duct a slight squeeze with your finger.
• Use a tissue to remove any extra liquid from your face.
• Wait at least 5 minutes before administering the subsequent drop if you need to use more than one in the same eye.
• Replace and secure the dropper bottle’s cap. Never rinse or clean the dropper tip.
• To get rid of any medication, wash your hands.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before using brimonidine eye drops,

• If you have an allergy to brimonidine eye drops or any other drug, let your doctor or pharmacist know right away.
• If you are taking a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor like isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl), or tranylcypromine, you shouldn’t take brimonidine eye drops (Parnate).
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products that you are now taking or intend to use. Incorporate any of the following: Antidepressants such doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline, amitriptyline, amoxapine (Asendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), and others (Aventyl, Pamelor), sedatives, sleeping pills, tranquillizers, protriptyline (Vivactil), trimipramine (Surmontil), digoxin (Lanoxin), barbiturates such phenobarbital and secobarbital (Seconal), digoxin, and drugs for anxiety, high blood pressure, mental illness, pain, or seizures. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• If you are applying any other topical eye treatments, do so 5 minutes either before or after applying the brimonidine eye drops.
• Inform your physician if you frequently experience lightheadedness after sitting or standing up from a lying position, have ever experienced depression, suffer from any blood circulation-related conditions, such as thromboangiitis obliterans, Raynaud’s disease, or have heart, kidney, or liver disease. These conditions include Raynaud’s disease, which causes episodes of poor blood flow to the fingers and toes, and heart, kidney, or liver disease.
• If you are pregnant or want to become pregnant, let your doctor know. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while using brimonidine eye drops. If you are using brimonidine eye drops, stop breastfeeding.
• Inform your surgeon or dentist that you are using brimonidine eye drops if you are having surgery, including dental surgery.
• Brimonidine eye drops have a potential to make you sleepy. After applying the eye drops, your eyesight can be hazy for a while. Prior to understanding how this drug affects you, avoid using machinery or driving a car.
• Consult your doctor for advice on how to safely consume alcohol while using brimonidine eye drops. Brimonidine eye drops can produce sleepiness, which can be made worse by alcohol.
• If you wear soft contact lenses, let your doctor know. Before using brimonidine eye drops, take off your soft contact lenses, and wait at least 15 minutes before putting them back in.

The missed dose should be administered as soon as you remember. If your next dose is almost due, omit the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing regimen. To make up for a missing dose, do not provide a second dose.

Side effects from brimonidine eye drops are possible. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Eyes that are scratchy, itchy, red, stinging, or burn
• Wet eyes
• Runny or watery eyes
• Having red or swollen eyelids
• Responsiveness to light
• Distorted vision
• Headache
• Drowsiness
• Having trouble falling or staying asleep
• Mouth ache
• Other cold symptoms, such as a runny nose
• Cough
• Unwell throat
• Flu-like signs
• Pressure or discomfort in the face
• Heartburn

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Rash
• Having trouble breathing
• Observing bright flecks or flashes
• Blind areas
• Fainting
• Dizziness
• Nausea

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Store it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your doctor’s appointments.

Do not share your medication with anybody else. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.