Acular

Acular is used for the treatment of swelling, itching, redness or irritation in the eye following an eye surgery or during such operation to prevent restriction of pupil.

It is a prescription drug which is available in the form of solution or suspension to be put directly in the eyes.

Before using Acular, you must know all about the risks and complications associated with it.

The patient is the authoritative figure when it comes to any medical procedure or any drug therapy. It is important for the patient to know all the details about the drug and then start using it.

Doctor also has a duty to bring out answers from the patient which play important role in treatment like history, any allergy or any medical condition the patient has. For this purpose, it is important to have a detailed session between patient and the physician before starting this drug to sort out all the details.

Detailed history of a patient is extremely important prior to any medical therapy and in this case it is more likely that a drug be started after it.

Allergies or any history of allergy to any drug, food, preservatives, dyes or animal products; history of drug usage, past medical or surgical procedure should also be kept in record to predict any drug interaction.

Physical examination should be done before starting this drug so that any physiological or pathological condition by which this drug may interfere may be ruled out.

Age specific analysis is vital to have information about side effects of different age groups. There are not enough studies to prove its safety in children, elderly, pregnant or breastfeeding women. It is, however, considered to be safe for use in every age group.

Drug interactions are the effects on the therapy or the condition for which the drug is used by other drugs used concomitantly. It is necessary that no drug be started without consulting a physician as other drug may cause alteration in the effect of drug or its removal from the body.

There are two drugs, ciprofloxacin and erlotinib which result in increase in the interactions and hence their usage with this drug is either avoided or used in low dosage if necessary at all. Patient should also be counselled about effects of alcohol and tobacco on the patient as these may cause severe interactions.

Medical conditions, other than the condition for which this drug is used, may also affect working of the drug and cause harm. It is important for the patient to give detailed history, and important for the doctor to derive such details from the patient to avoid such circumstances.

The conditions which may interact with this drug include:

• Hemophilia or other bleeding problems and viral eye infection.

The use of contact lenses may result in eye irritation, redness and burning of the eyes.

To use Acular properly, you must follow all instructions given by your doctor.

It is a prescription drug for application directly into the eyes. Pull the lower eyelid away from the eye and put the drops by a dropper.

Keep the eyes closed after putting the drug for some time to allow maximum absorption.

Use the drug as advised by doctor and do not over or under use it.

Before using Acular, there are some precautions you must take.

Precautions are the part and parcel of any treatment and patient must adhere to these to improve the outcome. It is the duty of the doctor or any medical care provider to make the patient aware about these tips as an aid to the therapy.

Regular checkup is necessary to look for the progress of the treatment.

Avoid wearing soft contact lenses during treatment to avoid irritation.

Regular checkup of vision is necessary.

Do not start any other drug, prescription or non-prescription, without consulting your physician.

Store it in a dry place at room temperature. Keep it away from the reach of children.

As with many medications, there are several potential side effects associated with Acular.

There is no drug in the world which is without its unwanted effects. Some drugs are relatively safe for use while for some drug, the patient should be cautious as these drugs may cause more harm than good.

Patient should always get medical help in case of any adverse effect, no matter how much trivial it is.

Common side effects include:

• Burning,
• stinging,
• mild discomfort and dry eyes.

Less common effects include:

• bleeding in the eye,
• redness,
• swelling,
• blurred vision,
• fever,
• itching,
• nausea,
• pain,
• sensitivity to light,
• shortness of breath,
• sticky eyelashes,
• swelling of face,
• throbbing pain,
• chest tightness,
• difficulty in breathing and wheezing.