Simbrinza (brinzolamide/brimonidine tartrate) is a prescription drug that helps treat increased eye pressure from certain eye conditions. The drug comes as an eye suspension. You place one drop into your affected eye three times daily.

Simbrinza is used in adults and certain children to help treat increased eye pressure from:

Simbrinza has two active ingredients:

  • brinzolamide, which belongs to the carbonic anhydrase inhibitors group of medications
  • brimonidine tartrate, which belongs to the alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonists group of medications

This article describes the dosage of Simbrinza, as well as its strength and how to use it. To learn more about Simbrinza, see this in-depth article.

This section describes the usual dosages of Simbrinza. Keep reading to learn more.

What is Simbrinza’s form?

Simbrinza is available as a suspension, which is a type of liquid mixture. You use it as an eye drop.

What strength does Simbrinza come in?

Simbrinza comes in one strength: 10 milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL) of brinzolamide and 2 mg/mL of brimonidine tartrate. Doctors and pharmacists sometimes simplify this description to 1%/0.2%.

What is the usual dosage of Simbrinza in adults?

Your doctor will likely start you on the recommended dosage of Simbrinza that provides the desired effect.

The information below describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended. But be sure to use the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. They’ll determine the best dosage to fit your needs.

Dosage for increased eye pressure

Simbrinza is used to help treat increased eye pressure from open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension in adults. The typical Simbrinza dosage for adults is one drop in each affected eye three times daily.

What’s the dosage of Simbrinza for children?

Simbrinza is used to help treat increased eye pressure from open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension in children ages 2 years and older.

The dosage used in children is the same as the dosage in adults. To learn more, see the “What is the usual dosage of Simbrinza in adults?” section above.

For more information about Simbrinza’s dosage for children, talk with your child’s doctor or a pharmacist.

Is Simbrinza used long term?

Yes, you’ll usually use Simbrinza as a long-term treatment. You and your doctor can discuss whether it’s safe and effective for your condition. If you agree that it is, you’ll likely use it long term.

Simbrinza is available as a liquid suspension that’s used as an eye drop. You’ll put one drop into each affected eye three times daily. So you’ll get a dose about every 8 hours.

Be sure to shake the bottle before you administer your dose of Simbrinza. And if you use other eye drops, separate doses of each eye medication by at least 5 minutes.

If you wear contact lenses, remove them before putting Simbrinza drops in your eyes. You may replace your contact lenses at least 15 minutes after a dose of Simbrinza.

Be sure to wash your hands before using Simbrinza. Do not touch the tip of the eyedrop bottle to your eye or any other surface. Doing so could increase the risk of serious eye infections caused by bacteria.

For information on the expiration, storage, and disposal of Simbrinza, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Accessible drug containers and labels

Some pharmacies provide medication labels that:

  • have large print
  • use braille
  • feature a code you can scan with a smartphone to change the text to audio

Your doctor or pharmacist may be able to recommend pharmacies that offer these accessibility features if your current pharmacy doesn’t.

If you miss a dose of Simbrinza, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can advise whether you can take the missed dose or skip it.

If you need help remembering to give your dose of Simbrinza on time, try using a medication reminder. This can include setting an alarm or downloading a reminder app on your phone.

Do not use more Simbrinza than your doctor prescribes, as this can lead to harmful effects.

Symptoms of overdose

Simbrinza is available as a suspension, which is a type of liquid mixture. You use it as an eye drop.

But if Simbrinza is taken by mouth, symptoms of an overdose may occur. These include:

What to do in case you use too much Simbrinza

Call your doctor right away if you think you’ve used too much Simbrinza. You can also call 800-222-1222 to reach America’s Poison Centers or use its online resource. But if you have severe symptoms, immediately call 911 (or your local emergency number) or go to the nearest emergency room.

Below are answers to some commonly asked questions about Simbrinza’s dosage.

Is Simbrinza’s dosage similar to the dosage of Combigan or Lumigan?

The forms and uses of each drug are similar, but the drugs have differences.

Simbrinza (brinzolamide/brimonidine tartrate), Combigan (brimonidine/timolol), and Lumigan (bimatoprost) all are eye drops. Each is used to treat increased eye pressure from open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

But the dose in milligrams and how often you use each drug differ. You use Simbrinza three times daily. You use Combigan two times daily and Lumigan once daily.

Your doctor will prescribe the drug and the dosage that’s right for you. To learn more about how these drugs compare, talk with your doctor.

How long does it take for Simbrinza to start working?

Simbrinza starts to work after your first dose. Because of how the drug works, you likely won’t feel the drug working in your eye to lower pressure. However, your eye specialist will monitor you during treatment to check whether the drug is working for your condition.

If you have other questions about what to expect from your Simbrinza treatment, talk with your doctor.

The sections above describe the usual dosage provided by Simbrinza’s drugmaker. If your doctor recommends this drug, they’ll prescribe the dosage that’s right for you.

Remember, you should not change your dosage of Simbrinza without your doctor’s recommendation. Only use Simbrinza exactly as prescribed. Talk with your doctor if you have questions or concerns about your current dosage.

Here are some examples of questions you may want to ask your doctor:

  • Will I need a dosage adjustment if I experience side effects from my dosage of Simbrinza?
  • How does the dosage of Simbrinza compare with the dosage of Xalatan (latanoprost)?
  • Will my dosage of Simbrinza need to change if I use other eye medications?

To learn more about Simbrinza, see this “Simbrinza (brinzolamide/brimonidine tartrate)” article.

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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.