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Brimonidine

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Description

Brimonidine is available as eye drops and skin gel. The eye drops are used in the treatment of ocular hypertension and glaucoma (different conditions that occur due to high pressure of fluids in your eyes) and minor eye irritations. The topical gel is used to reduce the symptoms of rosacea (a skin condition that causes flushing of the face and visible blood vessels). This medicine works by reducing the production of fluid in your eyes, which lowers eye pressure, and by contracting the blood vessels of your skin. Brimonidine eye drops can cause side effects like blurred vision, dry eyes, and burning sensation in the eyes. The topical gel may cause skin dryness and itching/burning sensation on the skin. Most of these symptoms occur for a short duration and get resolved with time. Consult your doctor if these side effects remain for a long time or become worse. Avoid driving immediately after instilling the eye drop as your vision might be a little blurry after using this medicine. Brimonidine is for external use only. Instill Brimonidine eye drop as instructed by your doctor. For administering the eye drop, tilt your head back slightly and pull down your lower eyelid to squeeze the eye drop from the dropper. For Brimonidine gel, apply a thin layer on the affected area and leave it to dry. Complete the whole treatment to see maximum benefits. Brimonidine is not recommended for use if you are allergic to this medicine. Inform your doctor if you are taking any other medicines as they might interact with this medicine and increase the risk of undesired effects. Use this medicine with caution if you have pre-existing liver or kidney problems. Consult your doctor if you are pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
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Side effects

Major & minor side effects for Brimonidine

Headache

Dizziness

Blurred vision

Eye irritation

Dry eyes

Burning or itching of eyes

Acne

Dry skin

Itching or burning sensation of the skin

Uses of Brimonidine

What is it prescribed for?

Intraocular hypertension

Intraocular hypertension is a condition characterized by high pressure within your eyes. It is caused due to excess production of aqueous humour (fluid within your eyes) and the incapacity of your eye to drain it. Brimonidine helps to lower high pressure in your eyes.

Open angle Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye condition that occurs due to increased pressure within your eyeballs. Open-angle glaucoma is a condition in which the eye's drainage canal becomes blocked over time leading to increased pressure inside the eyes. It can cause damage to the optic nerve (an eye nerve) that may eventually lead to vision loss. Brimonidine is used to reduce the fluid pressure inside the eyes in open-angle glaucoma.

Rosacea

Rosacea is a skin condition that usually affects the face. In such conditions, the blood vessels under your skin get swollen and skin around the area becomes irritated and red. Brimonidine is used to treat rosacea.
Concerns

Commonly asked questions

  • Onset of action

    The effect of Brimonidine eye drops can be observed within 2 hours. The effect of Brimonidine gel can be observed within 30 minutes of application.

  • Duration of effect

    The effect of Brimonidine lasts for an average duration of 12 hours.

  • Safe with alcohol?

    Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.

  • Is it habit forming?

    No habit-forming tendency has been reported for Brimonidine.

  • Usage in pregnancy?

    Brimonidine is not recommended for use during pregnancy as the risk to your foetus is not known. Hence, consult your doctor before starting the treatment with this medicine.

  • Usage while breast-feeding?

    Brimonidine is not recommended for use while breastfeeding as it is not known if this medicine is passed into breastmilk. Hence, consult your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

Allergy

Brimonidine is not recommended for use if you are allergic to it. Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms such as skin rash, swelling and/or itching (especially in the face, lips, throat), breathing difficulty, etc.

Warnings for special population

Pregnancy

Brimonidine is not recommended for use during pregnancy as the risk to your foetus is not known. Hence, consult your doctor before starting the treatment with this medicine.

Breast-feeding

Brimonidine is not recommended for use while breastfeeding as it is not known if this medicine is passed into breastmilk. Hence, consult your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

General warnings

Contact lens

Brimonidine eye drops are not recommended for use if you are wearing contact lenses. The lenses should be removed prior to administration and can be reinserted 15 minutes after the installation of this medicine.

Driving or operating machines

Brimonidine eye drops may cause blurred vision and rarely dizziness or drowsiness. Hence, avoid performing activities such as driving vehicles or operating machines if you experience any of these symptoms.

Risk of contamination (eye drops)

If the tip of Brimonidine eye drop is contaminated by bacteria, it can lead to bacterial keratitis (an infection of the cornea). Hence, take all hygienic precautions while taking this medicine to prevent contamination. Avoid touching the tip of the dropper with your eyes.

Use of topical form (gel)

Brimonidine gel is not recommended for use in the eyes.

Use in children

Brimonidine gel is not recommended for use in children below 18 years of age since the safety and efficacy of use are not clinically established. Brimonidine eye drop is not recommended for use in children below 12 years of age since the safety and efficacy of use are not clinically established.

Missed Dose

Apply/administer the missed dose of Brimonidine as soon as possible. Skip the missed dose if it is time for your next scheduled dose. Do not instill/apply a double dose to make up for the missed one.

Overdose

Never take more than the prescribed dose. Seek emergency medical attention in case of an overdose with Brimonidine.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.

Interaction with Alcohol

Description

Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.

Instructions

Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.

Interaction with Medicine

Antihypertensives

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors

Central nervous system depressants

Disease interactions

Depression

Brimonidine may cause depression in some cases. Hence, it should be used with caution if you have depression due to the risk of worsening your condition.

Liver/kidney impairment

Topically administered Brimonidine may be absorbed into the bloodstream and rarely increase the risk of side effects. Hence, it should be used with caution if you have impaired liver and kidney function.

Food interactions

Information not available.

Lab interactions

Information not available.
This is not an exhaustive list of possible drug interactions. You should consult your doctor about all the possible interactions of the drugs you’re taking.
Eye drops: Instill Brimonidine as directed by your doctor. Wash your hands properly before administering Brimonidine eye drops. Tilt your head back slightly and pull down your lower eyelid to create a small pocket. Hold the dropper close to the eye with the tip facing downwards. Squeeze the dropper so that a drop of medicine falls in the pocket. Close eyes for 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat the same for your next dose. Topical use: Wash and dry the affected area before using the gel. Apply a thin layer of brimonidine gel (pea-sized amount) to the affected area of the skin once daily. Do not cover the application area with bandages or other coverings unless specifically instructed by the doctor. Brimonidine cream is for external use only.

Miscelleneous

Usage does not depend on food timings

To be taken as instructed by doctor

Does not cause sleepiness

How it works

Brimonidine eye drops reduce the high pressure inside the eyes by decreasing the production of fluid (aqueous humour) in your eyes. Brimonidine gel tightens the facial blood vessels and reduces the symptoms of rosacea.

Legal Status

Approved

Approved

Approved

Approved

Classification

Category

Alpha adrenergic agonists

Schedule

Schedule H

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https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601232.html>

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https://www2.medicines.org.uk/emc/PIL.29410.latest.pdf>

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https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/020613s031lbl.pdf>

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http://www.galdermausa.com/pi/mirvasopi.pdf>

Pbm.va.gov. 2021. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 7 February 2021].

https://www.pbm.va.gov/PBM/clinicalguidance/drugmonographs/Brimonidine_Gel_MIRVASO_Monograph.pdf>

Allergan-web-cdn-prod.azureedge.net. 2021. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 7 February 2021].

https://allergan-web-cdn-prod.azureedge.net/allergan/allergannewzealand/media/allergannewzealand/products/alphagan-p-nz-ds.pdf>
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Information on this page was last updated on 30 Sep 2021

Disclaimer

We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.