NAPHAZOLINE (Ophthalmic)
Some commonly used brand names are:
In the U.S.?
- Ak-Con
- Albalon
- Allerest
- Allergy Drops
- Clear Eyes Lubricating Eye Redness Reliever
- Comfort Eye Drops
- Degest 2
- Estivin II
- I-Naphline
- Muro's Opcon
- Nafazair
- Naphcon
- Naphcon Forte
- Ocu-Zoline Sterile Ophthalmic Solution
- VasoClear
- VasoClear A
- Vasocon Regular
In Canada?
- Ak-Con
- Albalon Liquifilm
- Naphcon Forte
- Vasocon
Generic name product may be available in the U.S.
Category
Description
Naphazoline (naf-AZ-oh-leen) is used to relieve rednessdue to minor eye irritations, such as those caused by colds, dust, wind, smog,pollen, swimming, or wearing contact lenses.
Some of these preparations are available only with your doctor's prescription.Others are available without a prescription; however, your doctor may havespecial instructions on the proper use of this medicine for your medical problem.
Naphazoline is available in the following dosage form:
Ophthalmic- Ophthalmic solution (eye drops) (U.S. and Canada)
Before Using This Medicine
If you are using this medicinewithout a prescription, carefully read and follow any precautions on the label.For ophthalmic naphazoline, the following should be considered:
Allergies?Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual orallergic reaction to naphazoline. Also tell your health care professionalif you are allergic to any other substances, such as preservatives.
Pregnancy?This medicine may be absorbed into the body. However,studies on effects in pregnancy have not been done in either humans or animals.
Breast-feeding?Naphazoline may be absorbed into the mother's body.However, this medicine has not been reported to cause problems in nursingbabies.
Children?Use by infants and children is not recommended, sincethey are especially sensitive to the effects of naphazoline.
Older adults?Many medicines have not been studied specificallyin older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactlythe same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effectsor problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing useof naphazoline in the elderly with use in other age groups.
Other medicines?Although certain medicines should not be usedtogether at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used togethereven if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want tochange the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health careprofessional if you are using any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter[OTC]) medicine.
Other medical problems?The presence of other medicalproblems may affect the use of ophthalmic naphazoline. Make sure you tellyour doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus or
- Heart disease or
- High blood pressure or
- Overactive thyroid?Use of ophthalmic naphazoline may make thecondition worse
- Eye disease, infection, or injury?The symptoms of the conditionmay be confused with possible side effects of ophthalmic naphazoline
Proper Use of This Medicine
Do not usenaphazoline ophthalmic solution if it becomes cloudy or changes color.
Naphazoline should not be used in infants and children. It may cause severe slowing down of the central nervous system (CNS),which may lead to unconsciousness. It may also cause a severe decrease inbody temperature.
Use this medicine only as directed. Do not usemore of it, do not use it more often, and do not use it for more than 72 hours,unless otherwise directed by your doctor. To do so may make your eye rednessand irritation worse and may also increase the chance of side effects.
To use:
- First, wash your hands. With the middle finger, apply pressure tothe inside corner of the eye (and continue to apply pressure for 1 or 2 minutesafter the medicine has been placed in the eye). Tilt the head back and withthe index finger of the same hand, pull the lower eyelid away from the eyeto form a pouch. Drop the medicine into the pouch and gently close the eyes.Do not blink. Keep the eyes closed for 1 or 2 minutes to allow the medicineto be absorbed.
- To keep the medicine as germ-free as possible, do not touch the applicatortip to any surface (including the eye). Also, keep the container tightly closed.
Dosing?The dose of ophthalmic naphazoline will bedifferent for different patients. Follow your doctor'sorders or the directions on the label. The following information includesonly the average doses of ophthalmic naphazoline. Ifyour dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells youto do so.
- For ophthalmic solution (eye drop) dosageform:
- For eye redness:
- Adults?Use one drop not more often than every four hours.
- Children?Use is not recommended.
Storage?To store this medicine:
- Keep out of the reach of children.
- Store away from heat and direct light.
- Keep the medicine from freezing.
- Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be surethat any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.
Precautions While Using This Medicine
If eye pain or change in vision occurs or if redness or irritationof the eye continues, gets worse, or lasts for more than 72 hours, stop usingthe medicine and check with your doctor.
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 mayneed medical attention.
When this medicine is used for short periods of time at recommended doses,side effects usually are rare. However, check with your doctor as soon aspossible if any of the following occur:
With overuse or long-term use
Symptoms of too much medicine being absorbed into the body
Other side effects may occur that usually do not need medicalattention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjuststo the medicine. However, check with your health care professional if eitherof the following side effects continues or is bothersome:
Other side effects not listed abovemay also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check withyour health care professional.
Revised: 02/24/1994
