Timolol en collyre pour le glaucome

About timolol eye drops

In chronic open-angle glaucoma there is damage to the optic nerve at the back of your eye. It is usually caused by an increase in pressure within your eye. Timolol eye drops work by lowering the pressure in your eye. It is thought they do this by reducing the amount of fluid that you make that fills the front part of your eye (called aqueous humour). By reducing the amount of fluid produced, it reduces the pressure within your eye.

Timolol can be used alone or in combination with other treatments for glaucoma, such as bimatoprost, latanoprost, travoprost, tafluprost, brinzolamide, dorzolamide, or brimonidine. Please refer to the individual leaflets which are available for each of these treatments for more information.

Before using timolol eye drops

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start using the drops it is important that your doctor knows:

• If you have asthma or any other breathing problems.

• Si vous souffrez d'une maladie cardiaque.

• Si vous êtes enceinte ou si vous allaitez.

• If you have Raynaud's syndrome or low blood pressure.

• If you are being treated for thyroid problems or diabetes.

• Si vous portez des lentilles de contact souples.

• If you know you have a problem with the surface of your eye (the cornea), or if you have a condition called dry eye.

• Si vous prenez d'autres médicaments. Cela inclut tous les médicaments disponibles sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médicaments complémentaires.

• If you have any allergies. It is particularly important that you tell your doctor if you have had a bad reaction to any eye drops.

How to use timolol eye drops

• Avant de commencer à utiliser le collyre, lisez la notice d'information imprimée par le fabricant qui se trouve dans l'emballage. Elle vous donnera plus d'informations sur le collyre et vous fournira une liste complète des effets secondaires que vous pourriez ressentir en l'utilisant.

• Use one drop into the eye (or eyes) affected. Some timolol eye drops should be put in twice a day; others should be used once a day only. Your doctor will tell you which is right for you and this will also be printed on the label of the pack to remind you about what the doctor said. Remember to use the drops at regular intervals and try not to miss any doses.

• If you do forget to use the drops, put them in as soon as you remember, but do not 'double up' to make up for any missed doses.

1. Wash your hands well before you use the drops. Shake the container.

2. Remove the cap (or flip off the tip of the unit if you are using a single-dose unit).

3. Penchez légèrement la tête en arrière et tirez la paupière inférieure de votre œil pour former une poche.

4. Hold the bottle or single-dose unit upside down near to your eye. Try not to touch your eye as you do this.

5. Press lightly to release one drop into your eye. Only use a second drop if the first drop missed going into your eye.

6. Fermez l'œil pendant une minute ou deux et appuyez doucement sur le côté de votre nez, à l'endroit où le coin de l'œil rejoint le nez. Cela permet d'empêcher la goutte de s'écouler et de la maintenir dans l'œil.

7. Repeat the process in your other eye if you have been told to use the drops in both eyes. The contents of one single-dose unit are enough for both eyes.

8. Replace the cap (or if you are using a single-dose unit, throw it away).

Tirer le meilleur parti de votre traitement

• Veillez à ne pas toucher l'extrémité du compte-gouttes avec votre œil, vos doigts ou toute autre surface. Ceci afin d'éviter que les gouttes ne soient contaminées.

• Si vous utilisez d'autres gouttes pour les yeux, attendez 5 à 10 minutes entre chaque application. Cela permet d'éviter de faire pénétrer dans l'œil une quantité de liquide supérieure à ce qu'il peut supporter. Sinon, les gouttes déborderont de l'œil et n'auront pas l'effet escompté.

• When first put in, eye drops can make your eyes water and may sometimes cause blurred vision. If this happens, it should quickly clear. Make sure you can see clearly again before you drive, or before you use tools or machines.

• Do not wear soft contact lenses if you are using eye drops from a bottle unless your doctor has advised that you can do so. This is because there is a preservative in bottles of eye drops which can affect some soft contact lenses. You may wear soft contact lenses while you are using single-dose drops as there is no preservative in these (but remember to take out your lenses to apply the drops and wait for at least 15 minutes before putting lenses back in).

• Keep your regular appointments with your doctor and eye clinic, so that your progress can be checked.

• If you are having an operation or any dental treatment, remember to tell the person carrying out the treatment that you are using timolol eye drops. This is because the drops could interfere with some medicines used during surgery.

Can timolol eye drops cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, eye drops can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains the most common ones associated with timolol. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your drops. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Important: si vous présentez les symptômes suivants, demandez immédiatement conseil à votre médecin :

• Difficultés respiratoires, telles qu'une respiration sifflante ou un essoufflement.

• Une réaction de type allergique, telle qu'un gonflement du visage.

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes qui pourraient être dus au collyre, demandez conseil à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien.

How to store timolol eye drops

• Conservez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.

• Always check the expiry information on the container. Eye drops in bottles only keep for four weeks once the bottle has been opened, so do not use the drops if the bottle has been open for longer than this. This will help to prevent the risk of eye infections.

• Single-dose units should be used immediately the unit is opened. Do not store or re-use opened units for later doses. This is because single-dose units do not contain any preservative.
  

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments