Xalatan
TAKE CHARGE
And learn about glaucoma and your treatment.
XALATAN is used to treat ocular hypertension (high pressure in the eye) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. These conditions may eventually affect your eyesight.
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WHAT IS GLAUCOMA?
The eye
Your eye and ocular pressure
Ocular hypertension
What is ocular hypertension (high pressure in the eye)?
- The front of the eye is filled with a clear fluid that creates a pressure inside the eye (called intraocular pressure). This clear fluid is different from the fluid that creates tears.
- In a healthy eye, the pressure is maintained when the fluid in the eye is drained out as quickly as it is produced.
- If an imbalance exists where the amount of fluid produced does not equal the amount drained, this may lead to an increase in eye pressure (ocular hypertension).
- Over time, the increase in pressure may eventually affect your eyesight.
You have been diagnosed with ocular hypertension
- You can’t “feel” high pressure in the eye.
- The only way to know if you have high pressure in the eye is to have your eye doctor measure it.
You have been prescribed XALATAN
- XALATAN is an eye drop that can help lower the pressure in your eye.
- Make sure you understand how and when to take XALATAN.
- Remember to return for regular eye checkups, so your doctor can monitor your eye pressure and see if any changes to your treatment are necessary.
It is important to follow your doctor’s instructions – take your medication as prescribed and return for checkups as recommended.
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RISK FACTORS
Who gets glaucoma?
Anyone can get glaucoma, but some people may have increased risk factors including:
- Age: Everyone over 60 years of age is at an increased risk of developing glaucoma.
- A family history of glaucoma: If you have a family history of glaucoma, you have a much greater risk of developing it. Glaucoma may have a genetic link, meaning there’s a defect in one or more genes that may cause certain individuals to be unusually susceptible to the disease.
- Ethnic background: People of African and Asian heritage are at a higher risk of glaucoma. The reasons for these differences aren’t clear.
- Other medical conditions: Diabetes increases your risk of developing glaucoma. A history of high blood pressure or heart disease can also increase your risk, as can hypothyroidism.
- Eye injuries or eye surgery: Severe eye injuries can result in increased eye pressure. Certain types of eye surgery also may trigger secondary glaucoma.
- Nearsightedness: Being nearsighted, which generally means that objects in the distance look fuzzy without glasses or contacts, increases the risk of developing glaucoma.
- High intraocular pressure: If your intraocular pressure is higher than normal, you’re at an increased risk of developing glaucoma. However, not everyone with elevated intraocular pressure develops the disease. Additionally, not everyone with glaucoma has high intraocular pressure.
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LIVING WITH GLAUCOMA
Eye care
Routine eye exams
Keeping your eyes healthy, through routine eye exams, is important in maintaining your overall eye health. It is strongly recommended that you schedule an appointment with your optometrist/ophthalmologist for a routine eye exam at least yearly. Depending on the severity of your disease, you may require more frequent assessments.
Other useful eye care tips
In addition to regularly scheduled visits with an eye care professional, there are other things that can be done.
- Wear sunglasses all year round, even on cloudy days.
- Consume a balanced diet.
- Get regular exercise.
Taking XALATAN as prescribed
XALATAN is an eye drop that can lower the pressure in the eye. Taking your prescribed medication as recommended could be beneficial in helping to reach your desired target eye pressure.
Taking your medication as prescribed can be challenging. Sometimes, you may forget to administer your eye medication. Your eye care specialist may have some suggestions to help you take your medication properly. Be open and honest and tell your eye care specialist if you are having difficulty taking your medication as prescribed. This information may help your eye care specialist make important treatment decisions for your eyes.
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XALATAN TIPS
Tips to help you remember to take your drops:
- If you don’t understand what your eye drops do, ask your doctor to explain – knowing how your medications work can help make you want to take them.
- Take your eye drops at the same time every day. The best time to do this is in the evening. Try to link using your eye drops with something else that you do regularly, like brushing your teeth. Keep your eye drops near your toothbrush to help you remember.
- Put a reminder note somewhere you’ll see it – on the fridge, on the medicine cabinet or on the bathroom mirror.
- Use a “dry erase” whiteboard and write down all the medications you take in one day, including your eye drops. Then check off each medication when you take it. Erase the check marks at the end of the day and start again.
- Set your alarm watch to beep when it is time to put in your eye drops.
- Ask a friend or family member to remind you to put in your eye drops. If you have friends who also use medication, create a “buddy system” and remind each other.
- Remember to take your eye drops with you when you are travelling.
- Make sure you don’t run out of eye drops – know how long a bottle of eye drops should usually last and fill your prescription before you are due to run out.
If you are still having trouble remembering to put in your drops, there are aids and alarms available that may help. Ask your doctor about these.
The XAL-EASE® Eye Drop Delivery Aid
Use XAL-EASE with one bottle of XALATAN eye drops to help with drop delivery.
XAL-EASE® Pharmacia & Upjohn Company, owner/Pfizer Canada Inc., Licensee
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RESOURCES
Additional resources
The following is a list of organizations and associations that you can turn to for more information and additional support:
What does XALATAN do?
XALATAN is used to treat ocular hypertension (high pressure in the eye) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
The active ingredient is latanoprost, which is a type of medication called a prostaglandin. It helps to lower the pressure within the eye by increasing the natural outflow of fluid from inside the eye.
Who should not use XALATAN?
Do not use XALATAN if you have a known hypersensitivity to latanoprost or any of the nonmedicinal ingredients in XALATAN. The important nonmedicinal ingredients are benzalkonium chloride, sodium chloride, sodium dihydrogen phosphate monohydrate, disodium phosphate anhydrous and water.
XALATAN is also not recommended for use in children.
What should I tell my doctor before I take XALATAN?
Before you take XALATAN, talk to your doctor or pharmacist if:
- you are allergic to any of the ingredients in XALATAN.
- you are using any other eye drops or taking any other medication.
- you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant or are planning a pregnancy.
- you are breast feeding or planning to breastfeed.
- you have or have had herpes simplex keratitis (inflammation of the cornea caused by the herpes simplex virus).
- your eyes are sensitive to light.
- you have liver or kidney problems.
- you have or have had eye inflammation (e.g. uveitis, iritis).
Learn More: Taking this medication >
How should I take XALATAN?
The usual adult dose of XALATAN is one drop in each of the affected eyes, once a day. The best time to do this is in the evening.
XALATAN should be used regularly until your doctor tells you to stop. Follow these steps to help you use XALATAN properly:
- Wash your hands and sit or stand comfortably. If you wear contact lenses, take them out before using your eye drops.
- Open the bottle. Hold it in one hand and steady your thumb against your brow or the bridge of your nose.
- Use your index finger to gently pull down the lower eyelid of the affected eye to create a pocket for the drop.
- Gently press the side of the bottle to allow only a single drop to fall into the pocket. If you put in too many drops, you may feel some slight irritation. Do not let the tip of the bottle touch your eye.
- Close your eye for 2 to 3 minutes.
- If your doctor has told you to use drops in both eyes, repeat the process for the other eye.
What precautions should I take when using XALATAN?
- Do not allow the dropper tip of the bottle to touch your eye or anything else, because this could contaminate the tip with bacteria known to cause serious eye infections. If you experience any type of eye condition or have surgery, immediately talk to your doctor about continuing to use the bottle of XALATAN you are using.
- If you are using more than one type of eye drop medication, wait at least 5 minutes between each different eye drop.
What if I wear contact lenses?
XALATAN contains a preservative that may be absorbed by contact lenses and stain them a brown colour. Always take your contact lenses out before using XALATAN. You can put them in again 15 minutes after applying the eye drops.
What if I take too much XALATAN?
Contact a health care practitioner, a hospital emergency department or a regional Poison Control Centre immediately, even if there are no symptoms.
What if I miss a dose of XALATAN?
If you miss a dose, continue treatment with the next dose as usual the following day.
How should I store XALATAN?
Before XALATAN is first opened, keep it in a fridge (between 2°C and 8°C/36°F and 46°F), out of direct light. Once the bottle has been opened, you may keep it at room temperature up to 25°C. Make sure to keep it in a safe place, out of the reach and sight of children.
XALATAN must be used within 6 weeks after opening the bottle. After 6 weeks, discard the bottle and any unused contents. XALATAN should not be used after the expiry date on the bottle.
Learn More: Safety information >
What side effects can XALATAN cause?
- XALATAN may make your iris (the coloured part of your eye) look more brown. This happens most commonly if your iris has mixed colours, i.e., blue-brown, grey-brown, green-brown or yellow- brown. This may be permanent. If you use XALATAN in one eye only, colour changes in the iris may appear only in the treated eye.
- XALATAN may cause your eyelashes to darken, appear thicker and longer than they usually do, and increase in number. This might cause eye irritation due to the growth of misdirected eyelashes — tell your doctor if this happens. These changes will go away after you stop using XALATAN.
- A very small number of people may notice their eyelids look darker after using XALATAN for some time. This may be more noticeable if you are only treating one eye. This may be permanent.
- When using XALATAN, you might feel as if there is something in your eye(s). Your eye(s) might water and become red. You may also develop a small cyst in your iris. As with other eye drops, if your vision is blurred when you first put your drops in, wait until this wears off before you drive or operate machinery.
- A few people using XALATAN have developed a skin rash.
- A few people may experience changes in their vision, sometimes in combination with a red and sore/painful eye. These changes do not always occur right after administering the drops, and if they occur, you may find that reading and seeing fine details is more difficult. Although unlikely, if you experience any of these changes, stop using XALATAN and contact your doctor immediately.
- Dizziness and headache have also been reported.
XALATAN may also cause the following side effects:
- Common eye side effects: burning and stinging, blurred vision, red eyes, foreign body sensation, itching, increased iris pigmentation, damage of the cornea in a pinpoint pattern, dry eyes, excessive tearing, eye pain, eyelid crusting, red and swollen eyelid, eyelid discomfort/pain, photophobia (visual sensitivity to light)
- Uncommon eye side effects: discharge from the eye, diplopia (double vision), conjunctivitis, iritis/uveitis (inflammation of the interior of the eye), darkening of the palpebral skin (skin related to the eyelid), iris cyst (small cyst appearing in the colored part of the eye), disorder of the conjunctiva
- Common body side effects: upper respiratory tract infection, cold/flu, pain in muscle/joint/back, chest pain/angina pectoris, rash/allergic skin reaction
When should I contact my doctor about side effects?
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you experience:
- Blurred or wavy vision in the middle of the eye and changes in your colour perception (this could indicate a condition called macular edema)
- Blurred vision, pain, redness, tearing, discharge and sensitivity to light (this could indicate an infection or infestation in your eye)
Stop taking XALATAN and call your doctor or pharmacist if you experience:
- Asthma, a worsening of asthma, or an acute asthma attack
- Difficulty breathing
- A severe skin reaction, including a rash and skin degradation in different parts of the body
Exclusive XALATAN doctor discussion guide!
Be prepared for your next doctor’s appointment and get information about XALATAN.