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What is tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic?
Tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic narrows the blood vessels (veins and arteries) in your eyes. Tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic is used to relieve redness, burning, irritation, and dryness of the eyes caused by wind, sun, and other minor irritants. Tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What are the possible side effects of tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using tetrahydrozoline and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• severe burning, stinging, redness, or swelling of your nose;

• fast or pounding heartbeats; or

• increased blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, trouble concentrating, chest pain, numbness, seizure).

Less serious side effects may include:

• burning, stinging, pain, or increased redness of the eye;

• tearing or blurred vision;

• nausea;

• nervousness, dizziness, drowsiness;

• sleep problems (insomnia); or

• headache.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effects.

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How should I use tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic?
Use this medication exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended. Do not use tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic more often than recommended, or use it for longer than 48 to 72 hours without a doctor's advice. Long-term use of this medication may damage the blood vessels in the eyes. Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or if they get worse. Wash your hands before and after using the eye drops. Do not use this medication while you are wearing contact lenses. This medication may contain a preservative that can be absorbed by soft contact lenses. Wait at least 15 minutes after using tetrahydrozoline before putting your contact lenses in.

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What is the most important information I should know about tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic?
You not use tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic without a doctor's advice if you have glaucoma. Do not use this medication while you are wearing contact lenses. This medication may contain a preservative that can be absorbed by soft contact lenses. Wait at least 15 minutes after using tetrahydrozoline before putting your contact lenses in. Do not allow the dropper tip to touch any surface, including the eyes or hands. If the dropper becomes contaminated it could cause an infection in your eye, which can lead to vision loss or serious damage to the eye.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Use the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to use the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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What other drugs will affect tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic?
Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you also use any of the following drugs: an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate); or a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran), sotalol (Betapace), timolol (Blocadren), and others. This is not a complete list and there may be other drugs that can interact with tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic has not been formally assigned to a pregnancy category by the FDA. Other formulations of tetrahydrozoline have been assigned to pregnancy category C. Neither animal reproduction studies nor controlled data from human pregnancy are available. Tetrahydrozoline should only be given during pregnancy when benefit outweighs risk.

There are no data on the excretion of tetrahydrozoline into human milk.

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What happens if I overdose?
An overdose of tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic is not likely to cause life-threatening symptoms.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic?
You not use tetrahydrozoline ophthalmic without a doctor's advice if you have glaucoma. Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have: heart disease or coronary artery disease; high blood pressure; diabetes; or a thyroid disorder. FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether tetrahydrozoline nasal passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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