Tetrahydrozoline Ophthalmic

Ophthalmic tetrahydrozoline is used to relieve minor eye irritation and redness caused by colds, pollen, and swimming.

Ophthalmic tetrahydrozoline comes as a solution (liquid) to instill in the eyes. The eye drops are usually instilled in the affected eyes three or four times a day as needed. Follow the directions on the package label or your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use tetrahydrozoline exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than directed by your doctor or written on the package label. To use the eye drops, follow these steps:

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Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.</li>
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Check the dropper tip to make sure that it is not chipped or cracked.</li>
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Avoid touching the dropper tip against your eye or anything else; eye drops and droppers must be kept clean.</li>
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While tilting your head back, pull down the lower lid of your eye with your index finger to form a pocket.</li>
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Hold the dropper (tip down) with the other hand, as close to the eye as possible without touching it.</li>
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Brace the remaining fingers of that hand against your face.</li>
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While looking up, gently squeeze the dropper so that a single drop falls into the pocket made by the lower eyelid. Remove your index finger from the lower eyelid.</li>
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Close your eye for 2 to 3 minutes and tip your head down as though looking at the floor. Try not to blink or squeeze your eyelids.</li>
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Place a finger on the tear duct and apply gentle pressure.</li>
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Wipe any excess liquid from your face with a tissue.</li>
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If you are to use more than one drop in the same eye, wait at least 5 minutes before instilling the next drop.</li>
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Replace and tighten the cap on the dropper bottle. Do not wipe or rinse the dropper tip.</li>
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Wash your hands to remove any medication.</li></ul>

<p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Tetrahydrozoline eye drops may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

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stinging or burning of the eye</li>
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blurred vision</li>
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increased eye redness or irritation</li></ul></p> <p></p> <p>If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop using tetrahydrozoline eye drops and call your doctor immediately:

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headache</li>
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sweating</li>
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fast or irregular heartbeat</li>
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nervousness</li></ul>If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at <a href='http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch'>http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch</a>] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].</p>

Before using tetrahydrozoline eye drops, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to tetrahydrozoline or any other medications. tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially eye medications, medications for high blood pressure, MAO inhibitors [phenelzine (Nardil) and tranylcypromine (Parnate)], and vitamins. tell your doctor if you have any eye disease or infection, heart disease, high blood pressure, or an overactive thyroid gland. if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell your doctor or dentist that you are using tetrahydrozoline eye drops. You may have to stop using tetrahydrozoline eye drops for a short time. tell your doctor if you wear soft contact lenses. If the brand of tetrahydrozoline eye drops you are using contains benzalkonium chloride, wait at least 15 minutes after using the medicine to put in soft contact lenses.