Xalatan

What does XALATAN do?

XALATAN is used to treat high pressure in the eye in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. These conditions may eventually affect your eyesight.

How does XALATAN work?

XALATAN is a solution for use only in the eyes. The active ingredient in XALATAN is one of a group of medications known as prostaglandins. It helps to lower the pressure within the eye by increasing the natural outflow of fluid from inside the eye.

What are the ingredients in XALATAN?

Medicinal ingredients: Latanoprost.
Non-medicinal ingredients: benzalkonium chloride, disodium phosphate anhydrous, sodium chloride, sodium dihydrogen phosphate monohydrate, water for injection.

Who should not use XALATAN?

Do not use XALATAN if:

• you have a known hypersensitivity to latanoprost, benzalkonium chloride, any other ingredient in this product or any part of the container.

What should I tell my doctor before I take XALATAN?

To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take XALATAN. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you:

• are using any other eye drops or taking any other medication.
• are pregnant, think you might be pregnant or you are planning a pregnancy.
• are breast feeding or planning to breastfeed.
• have or have had herpes simplex keratitis (inflammation of the cornea caused by the herpes simplex virus).
• have eyes that are sensitive to light.
• have liver or kidney problems.
• have or have had eye inflammation (for example uveitis, iritis).

Learn More: Taking this medication >

What precautions should I take when using XALATAN?

Other warnings you should know about:
XALATAN is not recommended for use in children.
Driving and Using Machinery: Your sight may become blurred for a short period of time just after using XALATAN. Do NOT drive or use machines until your sight is clear again.
Contact Lenses: XALATAN contains a preservative that may be absorbed by contact lenses and stains them a brown colour. The preservative may form a solid with an ingredient (thimerosal) present in many contact lens soaking solutions. Contact lenses can be reinserted 15 minutes after applying the eye drops.

If you are using more than one type of eye drop medication, wait at least 5 minutes between each different eye drop.

Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.

The following may interact with XALATAN:
Based only on your healthcare professional’s advice, XALATAN may be used together with other eye drops to further lower intraocular pressure. If more than one eye drop is being used, they should be administered at least 5 minutes apart.

How should I take XALATAN?

Usual adult dose:

• 1 drop of XALATAN should be dropped into the affected eye(s) once daily. The best time to do this is in the evening.
• Do not allow the dropper tip of the bottle to touch the eye or anything else, because this could contaminate the tip with common bacteria known to cause eye infections.
• Serious damage to the eye and loss of vision may result if you use eye drop solutions that have become contaminated.
• If you experience any type of eye condition or have surgery, immediately talk to your healthcare professional about continuing to use XALATAN.

Follow these steps to help you use XALATAN properly:

1. Wash your hands and sit or stand comfortably. If you wear contact lenses, remove them before using your eye drops.
2. Once the bottle is opened, hold it in one hand and steady your thumb against your brow or the bridge of your nose.
3. Use your index finger to gently pull down the lower eyelid of the affected eye(s) to create a pocket for the drop.
4. Gently press the side of the bottle to allow only a single drop to fall into the pocket. Do not let the tip of the bottle touch your eye.
5. Close your eye for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. If your healthcare professional has told you to use drops in both eyes, repeat the process for the other eye. XALATAN should be used until your doctor tells you to stop.

What if I take too much XALATAN?

If you think you, or a person you are caring for, have taken too much XALATAN, contact a healthcare professional, hospital emergency department, or regional poison control centre immediately, even if there are no symptoms.

What if I miss a dose of XALATAN?

If you forget one dose of XALATAN, continue with the next dose as normal. Do not take two doses to make up for the one that you missed. If you take too many doses, you may irritate your eye.

Learn More: Safety information >

What are possible side effects from using XALATAN?

These are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking XALATAN. If you experience any side effects not listed here, tell your healthcare professional.

When should I seek medical help for side effects?

UNCOMMON OCULAR ADVERSE EVENTS

Macular edema: blurred or wavy vision in the middle of the eye and colors perception changes.
Herpetic keratitis: Infection and infestations of the eyes (blurred vision, pain, redness, tearing, discharge, sensitivity to lights).

Stop taking XALATAN and get immediate medical help if you experience:

UNCOMMON SYSTEMIC ADVERSE EVENTS

Asthma (or Asthma aggravation or Acute asthma attack): difficulty breathing and coughing, chest tightness, wheezing or whistling sound when breathing.
Severe skin reactions: rash and skin degradation in different parts of the body.

If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, tell your healthcare professional.

Reporting Side Effects

You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:

• Visiting the Web page on Adverse Reaction Reporting (www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/medeffect-canada/adverse-reaction-reporting.html) for information on how to report online, by mail or by fax; or
• Calling toll-free at 1-866-234-2345.

NOTE: Contact your health professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice.

How should I store XALATAN?

• Before XALATAN is first opened, keep it in a fridge (between 2°C and 8°C), out of direct light.
• Once the bottle has been opened, XALATAN may be kept at room temperature up to 25°C.
• XALATAN must be used within 6 weeks after opening the bottle.
• Discard the bottle and/or unused contents after 6 weeks. XALATAN should not be used after the expiry date on the bottle.
• Keep out of reach and sight of children.