Carteolol helps lower pressure within the eye and treats glaucoma. It can be used by itself or together with other eye drops.
Carteolol is a beta blocker that lowers the amount of fluid in the eye. When there is less fluid inside the eye, the eye pressure goes down.
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.
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Less common
Blurred vision
chest pain or discomfort
confusion
dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position suddenly
shortness of breath
slow or irregular heartbeat
sweating
unusual tiredness or weakness
Incidence not determined
Blue lips, fingernails, or skin
blurred, cloudy, or yellow vision
change in color vision
confusion
decreased urine output
decreased vision after sunset and before sunrise
difficult or labored breathing
difficulty seeing at night
dilated neck veins
discoloration of white part of eye
disturbed color perception
drainage from the eye
drooping upper eyelids
double vision
extreme fatigue
eye redness, irritation, pain, burning, or tearing
fast heartbeat
halos around lights
hoarseness
inability to speak
increase in blood flow to the whites of the eyes
increased sensitivity of eyes to sunlight
irregular, fast or slow, or shallow breathing
irritation
joint pain, stiffness, or swelling
loss of vision
night blindness
noisy breathing
overbright appearance of lights
pain or tenderness around eyes and cheekbones
pounding or rapid pulse
rash
redness of skin
redness, swelling, and/or itching of eye and eyelid
seeing double
seizures
severe numbness, especially on one side of the face or body
severe or sudden headache
slurred speech
stuffy or runny nose
swelling of eyelids, face, fingers, lips, hands, feet, or lower legs
temporary blindness
tightness in chest
tiredness
troubled breathing
tunnel vision
unusual feeling in the eyes
weakness in arm and/or leg on one side of the body, sudden and severe
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Incidence not determined
Change in taste or bad, unusual, or unpleasant (after) taste
discouragement
feeling sad or empty
headache
irritability
lack of appetite
lack or loss of strength
loss of interest or pleasure
trouble concentrating
trouble sleeping
unable to sleep
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
No, carteolol has not been discontinued by the FDA as of this current time. It's not used very often, though, so your pharmacy may have to special order it.
These are two prescriptions in the same class of medications: beta blocker eye drops. They work in very similar ways, but timolol has more possible side effects than carteolol.
Very small amounts of carteolol are absorbed into your bloodstream, so while it's possible for it to cause changes to blood pressure, it's very unlikely. If you do notice any changes to your blood pressure after starting carteolol, let your provider know right away.
Carteolol 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.
Beta blockers can cause people with an overactive thyroid to not recognize the signs of hyperthyroidism, such as a fast heart rate. Very small amounts of carteolol are absorbed into your bloodstream, so this is very rare with beta blocker eye drops. Make sure your provider knows if you have thyoid problems before starting carteolol.
Beta blockers can cause people to experience muscle weakness. This may cause you to have droopy eyelids. Talk to your provider if you start to have any type of muscle weakness after starting carteolol.
| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5ml of 1% | 1 eye dropper | $13.84 | $13.84 |
| 15ml of 1% | 1 eye dropper | $28.97 | $28.97 |
| 10ml of 1% | 1 eye dropper | $24.79 | $24.79 |
Carteolol is typically used as 1 drop in the affected eye(s) twice daily.
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.