Azopt Suspension: Uses, indications and precautions when using

Increased eye pressure, also known as glaucoma, is a very dangerous disease that, if left untreated, can lead to permanent blindness. There are many different types of glaucoma medications, typically Azopt Suspension with the active ingredient Brinzolamide, which is a diuretic in nature.

Brinzolamide in Azopt Suspension is a medicine to treat glaucoma (open-angle type) or other eye conditions. Medicines that lower the pressure inside the eyeball help prevent permanent vision loss (blindness). Azopt Suspension is a diuretic in the class of carbonic anhydrase enzyme inhibitors, which work by reducing the volume of fluid in the eye.

Azopt Suspension is an eye drop, usually used 3 times a day, one drop at a time in the affected eye or as specifically prescribed by your doctor. Before use, the patient should shake the bottle of Azopt Suspension well. When using any eye drops, the user must wash their hands thoroughly. To limit contamination or dirt, limit touching the tip of the dropper and do not let it touch your eyes or any other surface.
Preservatives in Azopt Suspension can be absorbed by soft contact lenses. Therefore, patients who wear contact lenses need to remove them before use, and only wear them again after 15 minutes of instillation. The steps to use Azopt Suspension are as follows:
When instilling the drug, the user needs to tilt his head back, look up, and pull the lower eyelid down to form a medicine bag; Hold the dropper containing Azopt Suspension directly over the eye and place one drop in the pouch; After instilling Azopt Suspension, the patient should look down and gently close their eyes for 1 to 2 minutes; Place a finger in the corner of the eye (near the nose) and gently press, this will prevent the Brinzolamide from leaking out; Try not to blink and not rub your eyes after using Azopt Suspension ; Repeat the steps with the other eye if indicated; Do not wash the dropper.

If the patient is using another eye medication (such as eye drops or ointment), the above medications should be administered at least 10 minutes apart and the eye drops should be used before the eye ointment.
An important requirement when using Azopt Suspension is that it is necessary to use regular eye drops, regularly as directed to achieve the best effect, the patient must continue to use brinzolamide even if the eyes feel normal. Usually, because most patients with glaucoma will have no obvious symptoms.
SEE ALSO: Glaucoma (predominantly common): How is it diagnosed and treated?

Common side effects of Azopt Suspension :
Temporary blurred vision; A bitter, sour or other unusual taste in the mouth; Dry eyes ; temporarily itchy, red, or uncomfortable eyes; Feeling of something in the eye; Eye discharge; Headache . If these side effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor immediately. Some rare but very serious side effects of Azopt Suspension can include:
Painful swelling of the eyes or eyelids; Stomach pain, back pain; Persistent nausea, vomiting; Yellow eyes, yellow skin, dark urine; easy bruising or bleeding; Unusual fatigue; Infection (manifested as fever, chills, persistent sore throat); Chest pain.

Before using Azopt Suspension, you should tell your doctor if you have ever had a history of allergic reactions to brinzolamide, other ingredients in the medicine or any other allergic condition. In addition, before using Azopt Suspension for glaucoma treatment, patients should also note some medical history, especially:
Other eye diseases; Kidney disease; Liver failure. If you have an infection, injury or surgery in one eye, you should talk to your doctor about whether you should continue using Azopt Suspension. The patient's vision may be temporarily reduced or unstable after instilling Azopt Suspension. If that happens, the person should not drive, use machinery, or do tasks that require clear vision until it is safe to do so.
Azopt Suspension should only be used when clearly needed by a woman who is pregnant and needs to discuss the risks and benefits with her doctor prior to instillation. Azopt Suspension has not been studied in human milk. Because Azopt Suspension still carries a potential risk of harm to a nursing infant, consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

The patient's doctor or pharmacist will be aware of any existing drug interactions and plan to carefully monitor the patient before administering Azopt Suspension. Therefore, patients should not arbitrarily use, stop or change the dose of any medicine without the permission of the doctor. Some products may interact with Azopt Suspension, especially: aspirin or high-dose salicylates (arthritis medicines). The patient continues to take low-dose aspirin as prescribed by the doctor to prevent myocardial infarction or stroke (dose 81-325mg per day).
Azopt Suspension can be harmful if swallowed. Call 911 immediately if you have any unusual symptoms caused by using too much Azopt Suspension at once. Laboratory tests or eye exams should be performed periodically to monitor patient progress or check for adverse events.
To ensure safety and monitor disease status after using Azopt Suspension, patients should perform periodic health check-ups or follow-up appointments as prescribed by their doctor. At Vinmec International General Hospital, there are now a full range of tests and clinical examinations to check the patient's health status, monitor the time after using the drug of the patient. The entire examination and testing process at Vinmec is carried out by a team of experienced and qualified medical doctors and modern medical facilities, so it can give accurate results, helping doctors advice on the best treatment.

Reference source: webmd.com