Tobradex vs. Otiprio for Ear Infection: Important Differences and Potential Risks.

TobraDex

(tobramycin / dexamethasone)

Otiprio

(ciprofloxacin)

Summary for Tobradex

Prescription only

TobraDex (tobramycin / dexamethasone) is available as eye drops and an eye ointment. It's used to treat and relieve bacterial eye infections. This medication contains tobramycin (an aminoglycoside antibiotic that helps fight the infection) and dexamethasone (a corticosteroid that helps lower eye inflammation). Most people have few to no side effects from the medication when they use it as directed. But the medication can raise your eye pressure if you use it for more than 10 days.

Indications for Tobradex

Eye inflammation from a bacterial infection in the eye
Eye inflammation when there's a risk for a bacterial infection in the eye

Pros and Cons for Tobradex

Pros

Relieves eye inflammation and treats bacterial eye infection at the same time
Combines two medications into one eye product for convenience
Applied directly where the infection is (in the eye)
Is safe and work wells for children as young as 2 years old
Eye drops are available as a lower-cost generic

Cons

Need to use multiple times a day
Must shake the eye drop bottle before each use, which can be easy to forget
Can cause eye irritation or allergic reactions for some people
Requires an eye exam after 10 days of use to check your eye pressure
Only treats some bacterial eye infections; it doesn't treat fungal or viral infections

Common Side Effects for Tobradex

Eye irritation
Eye redness
Itchy eyelids
Swollen eyelids

Warnings for Tobradex

Only use on the surface of the eye
Higher eye pressure
New or worsened eye infections
New eye problems (e.g., injury, cataracts)
Possible allergic reaction

Summary for Otiprio

Discontinued

Otiprio (ciprofloxacin) is an antibiotic that's given directly in the ear to treat certain ear infections in people age 6 months and older. This medication belongs to the fluoroquinolone drug class. It's given as a single dose into the infected ear by a healthcare professional. Side effects include feeling irritated and having common cold symptoms like runny nose. Otiprio (ciprofloxacin) is no longer available in the United States because it was discontinued. There's a different brand of ciprofloxacin ear drops that's still available called Cetraxal.

Indications for Otiprio

Middle ear infections in people ages 6 months and older undergoing ear tube placement
Outer ear infection (swimmer's ear) in people ages 6 months and older