AZARGA® Eye Drops Brinzolamide 10 mg/mL and timolol 5 mg/mL CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION What Is In This Leaflet Although AZARGA helps control your glaucoma, it does not cure it. Please read this leaflet carefully For more information about before you use any AZARGA Eye What AZARGA is used glaucoma, contact Glaucoma drops. for Australia on 1800 500 880 or Glaucoma New Zealand on 09 373 This leaflet answers some common AZARGA is used to lower pressure 8779. questions about AZARGA. It does in the eye and to treat glaucoma. not contain all of the available Glaucoma is a condition in which the Your doctor may have prescribed information. It does not take the pressure of fluid in the eye may be AZARGA for another reason. Ask place of talking to your doctor or high. However, some people with your doctor if you have any questions pharmacist. glaucoma may have normal eye about why AZARGA has been The information in this leaflet was pressure. prescribed for you. last updated on the date listed on the Glaucoma is usually caused by a There is no evidence that AZARGA final page. More recent information build-up of the fluid which flows is addictive. on the medicine may be available. through the eye. This build up occurs You should ensure that you speak because the fluid drains out of your Use in Children to your pharmacist or doctor to eye more slowly than it is being There is not enough information to obtain the most up to date pumped in. Since new fluid continues recommend the use of this medicine information on the medicine. to enter the eye, joining the fluid in children under the age of 18 years. already there, the pressure continues You can also download the most up to rise. This raised pressure may to date leaflet in Australia from damage the back of the eye resulting www.novartis.com.au and in New in gradual loss of sight. Damage can Zealand from Before you use progress so slowly that the person is www.medsafe.govt.nz. not aware of this gradual loss of AZARGA The updates may contain important sight. Sometimes even normal eye information about the medicine and pressure is associated with damage to When you must not use it its use of which you should be aware. the back of the eye. Do not use AZARGA if you have an All medicines have risks and There are usually no symptoms of allergy to: benefits. Your doctor has weighed glaucoma. The only way of knowing • Brinzolamide the expected benefits of you using that you have glaucoma is to have • Timolol or other beta blockers AZARGA against the risks this your eye pressure, optic nerve and which are used to treat high blood medicine could have for you. visual field checked by an eye pressure, heart problems, angina, If you have any concerns about specialist. If glaucoma is not treated, migraine, anxiety and glaucoma taking this medicine, ask your it can lead to serious problems, doctor or pharmacist. including total blindness. In fact, • Sulphonamides or sulpha- containing medicines Keep this leaflet with the medicine. untreated glaucoma is one of the most common causes of blindness. • Any of the other ingredients in You may need to read it again. AZARGA combines two ingredients, AZARGA listed at the end of this brinzolamide and timolol. leaflet. Brinzolamide is a carbonic anhydrase Some of the symptoms of an allergic inhibitor and timolol is a beta- reaction may include: blocker. Both brinzolamide and • shortness of breath timolol work by reducing the production of fluid within the eye. • wheezing or difficulty breathing AZARGA® EYE DROPS 1 • swelling of the face, lips, tongue Your doctor will discuss the possible a prescription from your pharmacy, or other parts of the body risks and benefits of using AZARGA supermarket or health food shop. • rash, itching or hives on the skin. during pregnancy. Some medicines and AZARGA may Do not use AZARGA if: You are breast-feeding or intend to interfere with each other or add to the breast-feed. effects of AZARGA. These include: • the safety seal around the closure and neck area is broken Your doctor will discuss the possible • medicines for high blood pressure risks and benefits of using AZARGA or heart conditions, including a • the bottle/packaging is torn or when you are breast feeding. group of medicines called beta- shows signs of tampering You have or have had any medical blockers and calcium channel • the expiry date on the conditions such as: blockers bottle/carton has passed. • • problems with your kidneys digoxin, a medicine used to treat If it has expired or is damaged, return heart failure it to your pharmacist for disposal. If • diabetes mellitus • medicines such as quinidine or you use this medicine after the expiry • Raynaud's disease amiodarone used to treat slow or date has passed, it may not work. • severe heart disease irregular heart beat Tell your doctor if you have or • Prinzmetal angina, blood • clonidine, a medicine used to have had any medical conditions, circulation problems or low treat high blood pressure and particularly the following: blood pressure migraines • respiratory problems such as • impaired corneas which can • other medicines or eye drops for asthma, chronic obstructive occur in diabetes mellitus glaucoma lung disease (emphysema), • • bronchitis or other types of problems with your corneas medicines used to treat diabetes breathing problems such as low endothelial cell • carbonic anhydrase inhibitors counts or corneal dystrophies • bronchial hyper-reactivity seen such as acetazolamide • in chronic asthma and narrow angle glaucoma • medicines such as cimetidine obstructive lung disease • thyrotoxicosis, a condition used to treat stomach or bowel • heart and circulation where there is too much thyroid ulcers conditions, such as a very slow in the body. • medicines such as ketoconazole, heart rate, an irregular If you are unsure if you have any of itraconazole, clotrimazole and heartbeat, heart failure, chest these conditions ask your doctor. ritonavir pain or low blood pressure If you have not told your doctor • parasympathomimetics. • a condition called about any of the above, tell them These medicines may be affected by hyperchloraemic acidosis (too before you use AZARGA. AZARGA, or may affect how well it much acidity in your blood) Do not put AZARGA Eye Drops works. You may need different • severe kidney impairment into your eye(s) while you are amounts of your medicines, or you • severe allergic rhinitis or wearing contact lenses. may need to take different medicines. hayfever. Do not put the eye drops into your If you are unsure if you are taking or eye(s) while you are wearing soft If you are not sure whether you using any of these medicines ask contact lenses. The preservative in should start using AZARGA, talk your doctor or pharmacist. AZARGA (benzalkonium chloride) to your doctor. Your doctor or pharmacist has more may be deposited in soft contact information on medicines to be Before you start to use it lenses. careful with or avoid while using You can put your soft contact lenses AZARGA. Tell your doctor if you have had an back into your eyes 15 minutes after allergy to any other medicines or you have used AZARGA. any other substances, such as foods, preservatives or dyes. Using other medicines How to use AZARGA Tell your doctor if: Tell your doctor if you are taking or You are pregnant or plan to using any other medicines, including Carefully follow all directions become pregnant. other eye drops or ointments, and any given to you by your doctor and other medicines that you buy without pharmacist. AZARGA® EYE DROPS 2 They may differ from the 5. Hold the bottle upside down in 11. If necessary, repeat the above information contained in this leaflet. one hand between your thumb steps for the other eye. If you are being changed from one and middle finger (see Diagram 12. Your eyelids can only hold less medicine to another, follow your 1). than one drop at a time, so it is doctor’s instructions carefully as to normal for a small amount of the when to stop the medicine and when eye drop to spill onto your cheek. to start the new eye drops. You should wipe away any If you do not understand the spillage with a tissue. instructions on the carton, ask 13. Replace the cap on the bottle, your doctor or pharmacist for closing it tightly. Diagram 1 help. 14. Wash your hands again with soap 6. While tilting your head back, and water to remove any residue. How much to use gently pull down the lower eyelid of your eye to form a You may feel a slight burning Use AZARGA only when prescribed pouch/pocket. sensation in the eye shortly after by your doctor. using the eye drops. If this persists, 7. Place the tip of the bottle close to or is very uncomfortable, contact The usual dose of AZARGA is ONE your eye. Do not let it touch your your doctor or pharmacist. DROP in the affected eye(s) TWICE eye. Do not squeeze the bottle. DAILY. Usually, this means ONE Be careful not to touch the dropper 8. Release ONE DROP into the DROP in the affected eye(s) first tip against your eye, eyelid or pouch/pocket formed between thing in the morning, and ONE anything else. DROP in the evening. your eye and eyelid by gently tapping or pressing the base of This will help prevent the drops Your doctor will tell you how many the bottle with your forefinger becoming dirty or contaminated.