Betagan/Levobunolol

Betagan is an eye infection drop type medicine. It is used to treat glaucoma to reduce blood pressure elevated in the eye. Your eye contains an aqueous liquid, which is constantly being drained from the eye and is replaced with a new one. Glaucoma can occur when the fluid is not it drains quickly. This causes the pressure inside the eye to increase it can eventually damage your vision. Betagan works by reducing the production of liquid. Such a reduction decreases the pressure inside the eye. Betagan belongs to a group of drugs called beta-blockers.

Betagan has beta-blocking action, with reduced intraocular pressure. The start of the action, with a drop of a Betagan eye drop, it can be detected one hour after the start of treatment.

Betagan is indicated for the control of intraocular pressure in chronic open-angle glaucoma and high eye pressure. It is indicated in patients with ocular hypertension (when the pressure in the eye is higher than normal) or open-angle glaucoma (a disease in which the eye pressure rises due to reduced drainage from the eye).

Do not use the bottle if the safety seal on the bottleneck is broken before using it for the first time.

Apply the eye drops as follows:

1. Wash your hands. Tilt your head back and look up at the ceiling.
2. Gently pull down on the lower eyelid until there is a small gap.
3. Turn the bottle upside down and squeeze it so that one drop falls into each eye that needs treatment.
4. While holding the eye in which you have administered the treatment closed, press your finger to the beginning of the eye (where it meets the nose) and hold it for two minutes.

If a drop falls out of the eye, try again.

To avoid contamination, do not allow the dropper tip to touch the eye or anything else. Replace the cap and tighten it immediately after use. Wipe off any excess liquid from your cheek with a clean tissue. The correct application of the eye drops is very important. If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. If in doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again. The recommended dose is 1 drop in the affected eye or eyes, 1 or 2 times a day. Normally, your doctor will check your eye pressure 4 weeks after starting treatment. You may need to take another medicine with Betagan to control your condition.

Like all medicines, Betagan can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

You should contact your doctor or go to a hospital immediately if you experience:

• Skin rash, difficulty swallowing or breathing, swelling of the lips, face, throat, or tongue (these could be signs of a serious allergic reaction)
• Difficulty breathing (including asthma)
• Loss of consciousness (or some similar sensation)
• Unusual or slow heart rate
• Low blood pressure

The side effects described above are serious and, in rare cases, can be life-threatening.

The Betagan side effects that may appear are:

• Generalized allergic reactions, including swelling under the skin, that can occur in areas such as the face and extremities, and that can obstruct the airways, which can lead to difficulties in swallowing or breathing or life-threatening severe and sudden allergic reactions.
• Stroke, decreased blood supply to the brain, increased signs and symptoms of myasthenia gravis (muscle disorder), and unusual sensations (such as tingling).
• Decreased glucose levels.
• Nightmares and memory loss.
• After detachment of the layer under the retina, which contains blood vessels, after filtering surgery, it can cause visual disturbances, erosion of the cornea (damage to the front layer of the eyeball), drooping of the upper eyelid (which would cause the eye to remain half-closed), double vision.
• Myocardial infarction, heart failure, chest pain, congestive heart failure (heart disease with difficulty breathing and swelling of the feet and legs due to fluid accumulation), fluid accumulation in the extremities.
• Cold feet and hands.
• Airway tightness in the lungs (mainly in patients with pre-existing conditions such as asthma), cough.
• Altered sense of taste, indigestion, diarrhea, dry mouth, abdominal pain, vomiting.
• Alopecia, silvery-white skin rashes (psoriatic exanthema), or worsening psoriasis.
• Muscle pain not caused by exercise.
• Sexual dysfunction
• Decreased sexual appetite.