Altafluor
Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) is a combination eye drop that's used before an eye exam. It contains fluorescein, a dye that helps your optometrist or ophthalmologist see inside your eye. The eye drop also contains benoxinate, a local anesthetic that numbs your eye. This medication is safe for adults and children. The eye specialist will usually put 1 to 2 drops into the eye before the exam. Side effects can include eye redness, irritation, and stinging. The numbness from the medication can last several minutes.
What is Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate)?
What is Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) used for?
- Numbing the eye and helping with imaging for eye exams or other eye procedures
How Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) works
Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) is a combination of two medications.
- Fluorescein is a topical dye. It highlights things in your eye, such as eye parts. This helps your eye specialist examine your eye and check for anything unusual (like certain eye conditions, injury, or infection).
- Benoxinate is a local anesthetic. This means it blocks any feelings of pain you might have during the eye exam.
Drug facts
Side effects of Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate)
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Eye redness
- Stinging feeling in the eye
- Burning sensation in the eye
- Eye irritation
- Blurry vision
- Inflamed cornea (punctate keratitis)
The following Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) side effects have also been reported
Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible:
- Allergic reactions—skin rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Change in vision
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report these to your care team if they continue or are bothersome):
- Burning or stinging of the eyes after use
- Eye redness
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Pros and cons of Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate)
Pros
- Starts to work very quickly (less than a minute)
- Few side effects that affect the eye only
Cons
- Might need extra drops to continue the numbing effect if your eye procedure lasts a while
- Can't touch the eye for several minutes afterwards to avoid getting your eye hurt
Pharmacist tips for Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate)
- Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) is usually placed into your eye by a healthcare professional at a clinic or medical office right before an eye procedure. You won't need to take any of this eye drop home to use.
- Avoid touching your eye(s) for at least 20 minutes after you get Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) drops placed in your eye(s). The eye will be numb for about 20 minutes. During this time, you might not realize that you've accidentally hurt your eye.
- You might need to wait longer than 20 minutes before you can touch your eye if the healthcare professional gave you extra drops of Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) during the procedure. Extra drops make the numbing effect last longer. Follow the eye specialist's instructions.
- You might have some blurry vision and eye discomfort when Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) is used. But contact your healthcare professional if you start having concerning trouble seeing after your eye exam or procedure.
- Avoid touching the tip of the eye drop bottle to prevent germs from spreading into the medication.
Common questions about Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate)
Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) works very quickly. It takes about 5 to 45 seconds for the numbing effect of the medication to kick in. For this reason, the healthcare professional will put in the eye drops shortly before they start the exam or procedure. They might put more drops into your eye throughout the procedure if needed since the medication's numbing effect lasts for about 20 minutes before wearing off.
The numbing effect of Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) eye drops lasts for about 20 minutes. Avoid touching your eye for at least 20 minutes after the drops get placed in your eye. You could accidentally hurt your eye without knowing it since you won't be able to feel pain there. Follow the healthcare professional's instructions after your eye exam or eye procedure.
It's possible that you might feel some burning in the eye when the healthcare professional puts Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) drops in your eye.
Avoid rubbing or touching your eye(s) for at least 20 minutes after the healthcare professional places the Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) drops in your eye. Your eye will be numb, which means that you might not feel any pain if you've accidentally hurt it. Follow the healthcare professional's directions on how to take care of your eye right after the eye exam or procedure.
Yes. Researchers studied Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) in children and found that it works and is safe to use. But make sure that your child doesn't rub or touch their eyes for at least 20 minutes after their eye exam or procedure. This helps prevent your child from accidentally hurting their own eye while it's still numb from the medication. Follow any other specific instructions that their eye specialist provides about the time after the procedure.
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Risks and warnings for Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate)
Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Corneal damage
Using Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) for a long time or using too much of the medication can lead to damage to your cornea (the clear, protective, outer layer of the eye). This damage might sometimes lead to vision loss. For this reason, the healthcare professional will make sure to give you an appropriate amount of medication for your eye procedure and no more than that.
Accidentally injuring the eye while it's numb
Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) makes your eye(s) numb, so you won't feel eye pain or irritation. You might not know or recognize that you've accidentally injured your eye after the procedure. Make sure to avoid touching your eye(s) for at least 20 minutes after the healthcare professional puts the drops in the eye. This helps prevent eye injury.
Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) dosage
Eye dropper| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5ml of 0.25%/0.4% | 1 eye dropper | $36.97 | $36.97 |
Typical dosage for Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate)
Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) is usually given in a clinic or healthcare setting shortly before your eye exam or procedure. Your optometrist or ophthalmologist will make sure you get the drops placed into your eye at the correct dose and time.
In general, the healthcare professional will put 1 to 2 drops of the medication into the eye(s) as needed for the numbing effect.
The eye drops contain 0.25% of fluorescein and 0.4% of benoxinate.
How much does Altafluor (fluorescein / benoxinate) cost?
$36.97
