Pilocarpine vs. Combigan for Glaucoma and Eye Pressure: Important Differences and Potential Risks.

Pilocarpine

(Salagen)

Combigan

(brimonidine / timolol)

Summary for Pilocarpine

Prescription only

Pilocarpine (Salagen) is a cholinergic agonist that's used to help certain adults with dry mouth. It's a tablet that's taken by mouth 3 to 4 times per day. Side effects can include sweating, nausea, and runny nose. It's important to tell your provider and pharmacist about your medical history and your other medications because pilocarpine (Salagen) can sometimes worsen certain medical conditions and interact with many different medications.

Indications for Pilocarpine

Dry mouth due to radiation therapy for head and neck cancer
Dry mouth due to Sjögren's syndrome

Pros and Cons for Pilocarpine

Pros

Works well to help with dry mouth
Can start to work quickly (about 20 minutes)
Available as a lower-cost, generic medication

Cons

Need to take 3 or 4 times a day
Can take several weeks to get the most benefit from the medication
Can have a lot of side effects since the medication can reach and affect many parts of your body

Common Side Effects for Pilocarpine

Treatment of dry mouth from radiation:

Sweating (up to 68%)
Nausea (up to 15%)
Chills (up to 15%)
Runny nose (up to 14%)
Flushing (up to 13%)
Frequent urination (up to 12%)
Weakness (up to 12%)
Dizziness (up to 12%)

Treatment of dry mouth from Sjögren's syndrome:

Sweating (40%)
Frequent urination (10%)
Flushing (9%)
Chills (4%)

Warnings for Pilocarpine

Possible worsening of medical conditions
Vision changes
Dose too high

Summary for Combigan

Prescription only

Combigan is a combination eye drop containing brimonidine (an alpha agonist) and timolol (a beta blocker). It's used to lower high pressure inside the eye in adults with conditions like glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Typically, you apply one drop to the affected eye(s) twice daily, about 12 hours apart. Common side effects include eye redness, itching, or dryness. Combigan (brimonidine / timolol) is available as both a brand-name and generic medication.

Indications for Combigan

Treatment of high pressure in the eye in people ages 2 years and older with:

Pros and Cons for Combigan

Pros

Convenient to have a single eye drop that combines two different medications
Can be stored at room temperature
Possible option for children older than 2 years old

Cons

Used twice a day
Can cause tiredness or drowsiness in some people
Not for people with asthma, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or certain heart-related problems

Common Side Effects for Combigan

Reported in up to 15% of people in clinical studies:

Eye redness
Eye itching
Eye burning or stinging

Warnings for Combigan

Only use in the eye
Allergic reaction of the eye
Interaction with inhaled beta agonists for asthma or COPD
Worsening heart problems
Worsening of other medical conditions
Masked symptoms of low blood sugar in people with diabetes
Masked symptoms of high thyroid hormone levels (hyperthyroidism)

Prices with our coupons for Pilocarpine vs. Combigan

Pilocarpine1 eye dropper / 15ml of 1%

$30.76$101.74

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Brimonidine/Timolol1 eye dropper / 5ml of 0.2%/0.5%

$27.97$242.61

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Pilocarpine vs. Combigan

Pilocarpine

Combigan

Summary for Pilocarpine

Indications for Pilocarpine

Pros and Cons for Pilocarpine

Pros

Cons

Common Side Effects for Pilocarpine

Warnings for Pilocarpine

Summary for Combigan

Indications for Combigan

Pros and Cons for Combigan

Pros

Cons

Common Side Effects for Combigan

Warnings for Combigan

Prices with our coupons for Pilocarpine vs. Combigan

Compare other Glaucoma and Eye Pressure drugs

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Pilocarpine

Combigan

Summary for Pilocarpine

Indications for Pilocarpine

Pros and Cons for Pilocarpine

Pros

Cons

Common Side Effects for Pilocarpine

Warnings for Pilocarpine

Summary for Combigan

Indications for Combigan

Pros and Cons for Combigan

Pros

Cons

Common Side Effects for Combigan

Warnings for Combigan