Betaxolol Ophthalmic

Betaxolol Ophthalmic is indicated for the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with chronic open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

• Betaxolol Ophthalmic is available under the following different brand names: Betoptic, Betoptic S

Common side effects of Betaxolol Ophthalmic include:

• burning
• stinging
• dry eyes
• blurred vision
• swollen or puffy eyes
• feeling like something is in the eye
• headache
• dizziness
• a spinning sensation
• depression
• sleep problems (insomnia)
• muscle weakness
• altered sense of taste or smell

Serious side effects of Betaxolol Ophthalmic include:

• hives
• difficulty breathing
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
• wheezing
• chest tightness
• trouble breathing
• shortness of breath
• chest pain
• cough with foamy mucus
• swelling
• rapid weight gain
• drooping eyelids
• muscle weakness in the arms or legs

Rare side effects of Betaxolol Ophthalmic include:

• none

Seek medical care or call 911 at once if you have the following serious side effects:

• Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, coordination loss, unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors
• Serious eye symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights
• Serious heart symptoms include fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in the chest; shortness of breath; sudden dizziness, light-headedness, or passing out

This is not a complete list of side effects and other serious side effects or health problems that may occur because of the use of this drug. Call your doctor for medical advice about serious side effects or adverse reactions. You may report side effects or health problems to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Adult and pediatric dosage

Ophthalmic solution

1. 0.5% (Betoptic)

Ophthalmic suspension

• 0.25% (Betoptic S)

Elevated Intraocular Pressure

Adult dosage

• Suspension: 1 drop in the affected eye every 12 hours
• Solution: 1-2 drops in the affected eye every 12 hours

Pediatric dosage

• 0.25% suspension: 1 drop in the affected eye every 12 hours

Open-Angle Glaucoma

Pediatric dosage

• 0.25% suspension: 1 drop in the affected eye every 12 hours

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows:

• See “Dosages”

If your medical doctor is using this medicine to treat your pain, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, healthcare provider, or pharmacist first.

• Betaxolol Ophthalmic has no noted severe interactions with any other drugs.
• Betaxolol Ophthalmic has no noted serious interactions with any other drugs.
• Betaxolol Ophthalmic has no noted moderate interactions with any other drugs.
• Betaxolol Ophthalmic has no noted minor interactions with any other drugs.

This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Visit the RxList Drug Interaction Checker for any drug interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist about all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you and share this information with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your healthcare professional or doctor for additional medical advice, health questions, or concerns.

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity, sinus bradycardia, cardiogenic shock, more than 1st-degree AV block, overt cardiac failure

Effects of drug abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Betaxolol Ophthalmic?”

Long-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Betaxolol Ophthalmic?”

Cautions

• As with many topically applied ophthalmic drugs, this drug is absorbed systemically; the topical administration of Betaxolol Ophthalmic may cause the same adverse reactions that are associated with systemic administration of beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors; these include severe respiratory reactions and cardiac reactions, including death due to bronchospasm in patients with asthma and death due to cardiac failure (reported with topical application of beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors)
• Beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors should be administered with caution in patients subject to hypoglycemia or those with diabetes (especially labile diabetes) who are receiving insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents; beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors may mask the signs and symptoms of acute hypoglycemia
• Beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors may mask certain clinical signs (eg, tachycardia) of hyperthyroidism; patients suspected of developing thyrotoxicosis should be managed carefully to avoid abrupt withdrawal of beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors, which might precipitate a thyroid storm
• Beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors have been reported to potentiate muscle weakness consistent with certain myasthenic symptoms (eg, diplopia, ptosis, and generalized weakness)
• Exercise caution in the treatment of glaucoma patients with excessive restriction of pulmonary function; there have been reports of asthmatic attacks and pulmonary distress during treatment with betaxolol
• Although rechallenges of some patients with betaxolol Ophthalmic have not adversely affected pulmonary function test results, the possibility of adverse pulmonary effects in patients sensitive to beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors cannot be ruled out
• While taking beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors, patients with a history of atopy or a severe anaphylactic reaction to a variety of allergens may be more reactive to repeated accidental, diagnostic, or therapeutic challenges with such allergens; such patients may be unresponsive to usual doses of epinephrine used to treat anaphylactic reactions
• In patients with angle-closure glaucoma, the immediate treatment objective is to reopen the angle; this may require constricting the pupil; therapy has little or no effect on the pupil and should not be used alone in the treatment of angle-closure glaucoma
• Because of the potential effects of beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors on blood pressure and pulse, these inhibitors should be used with caution in patients with vascular insufficiency; if signs or symptoms suggesting reduced cerebral blood flow or Raynaud’s phenomenon develop following the initiation of therapy with this drug, alternative therapy should be considered
• Bacterial keratitis may occur with the use of multiple-dose containers of topical Ophthalmic products when these containers are inadvertently contaminated by patients who, in most cases, had a concurrent corneal disease or a disruption of the ocular epithelial surface; instruct patients on appropriate instillation techniques
• Choroidal detachment after filtration procedures reported with administration of aqueous suppressant therapy
• The preservative benzalkonium chloride may be absorbed by soft contact lenses; contact lenses should be removed during the instillation of the drug but may be reinserted 15 minutes after the instillation
• Surgical anesthesia
  • The necessity or desirability of withdrawal of beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors prior to major surgery is controversial; beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors impair the ability of the heart to respond to beta-adrenergically mediated reflex stimuli; this may augment the risk of general anesthesia in surgical procedures
  • Some patients receiving beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors have experienced protracted, severe hypotension during anesthesia; difficulty in restarting and maintaining the heartbeat has also been reported
  • In patients undergoing elective surgery, consider the gradual withdrawal of beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors
  • If necessary, during surgery, the effects of beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitors may be reversed by sufficient doses of adrenergic agonists

Pregnancy and Lactation

• Use with caution if the benefits outweigh the risks during pregnancy
• Lactation
  • Excretion in milk unknown; use with caution