Loteprednol

What is this medication for?

Loteprednol is a type of corticosteroid. It reduces eye inflammation by reducing symptoms of swelling, redness, and itchiness in the eyes.

It is used to treat various eye inflammation conditions such as severe dry eyes, allergic eye, and inflammation of the eyes after surgery.

It may be used in combination with other medications such as antibiotic preparation (e.g tobramycin) as advised by your doctor.

How should I take or use this medication?

• Proper use of eye drop
  • Wash your hands with soap and water, and read the instructions on the label.
  • Shake the bottle.
  • Tilt your head backwards and look up.
  • Gently pull the lower eyelid down to form a pocket and squeeze the bottle to apply one drop into your eye. To prevent the tip of the bottle from getting dirty, make sure the tip does not touch the eye or any other surface.
  • Close your eyes gently and wipe off any excess eye drops around your eyes with a clean tissue.
  • Keep your eyes closed and press down gently on the inner corner of your eye for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the medication to be absorbed.
  • Repeat the steps for the other eye if the eye drop is prescribed for use on both eyes.
  • If you need to use more than 1 drop of medication, or if you are using another type of eye drop, wait at least 5 to 10 minutes before applying the next eye drop. This is to prevent the first drop of medication from being washed away by the second drop before it has time to work. This also prevents any medication interactions between different eye drops.
  • If your doctor prescribed both eye drops and eye ointments, you should use the eye drops first.
  • Click on these links for
    • A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Instil Eye Drops
• Do not wear contact lenses during the treatment period and only after the infection has cleared.
• Do not stop using the medication without checking with your healthcare professional.
• Steroid eye preparation is prescribed for your current eye condition only. Do not self medicate without your doctor’s advice.

What should I do if I forget to take or use this medication?

If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Then take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take two doses to make up for the missed dose. 

What precautions should I take when taking or using this medication?

Inform your healthcare professional if: 

• You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication
• You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding: 
• You are taking any other medications, including supplements, traditional medications and herbal remedies.

What are some common side effects of this medication? ​

• Eye stinging or burning sensation
• Eye redness
• Eye irritation

These symptoms are usually mild and will go away after some time. Check with your healthcare professional if these conditions are severe or do not improve.

• Increase in eye pressure/glaucoma
  • The doctor will monitor your eye pressure while you are on this medication.
• Increase risk of eye infections
• Increase risk of cataract formation
  • Check with your healthcare professional if you have blurring of vision or any other changes in vision that do not go away.
• Headache
  • Headaches are less likely to happen with the use of eye drops. You may press down gently on the inner corner of your eye for 1 to 2 minutes after applying the medication to reduce the chance of headaches occurring.
  • You may choose to take paracetamol to help with the headache. If the headaches are frequent or do not go away, please check with your healthcare professional.

What are some rare but serious side-effects that I need to seek medical advice immediately? 

The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following: 

• Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
• Difficulty in breathing
• Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

How should I store this medication?

Store in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep this medication away from children. 

How do I throw away this medication safely? ​

Pack this medication into a black trash bag and seal it tightly before throwing it into the rubbish chute or bin.

Record the date opened on the container. Throw it away immediately once contaminated or after reaching its in-use shelf life as recommended by the manufacturer, which is 4 weeks after opening.