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Compare Zioptan vs. Pilocarpine

Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, warnings, and more.

  • Zioptan (tafluprost)
    Pilocarpine (Salagen)
  • Zioptan (tafluprost)
    Pilocarpine (Salagen)

  • Summary of Zioptan vs. Pilocarpine

    Summary for Prostaglandin
    Prescription only

    Zioptan (tafluprost) helps lower pressure in the eye and treats glaucoma. Like the other eye drops in the same medication class, it can cause changes to your eyelashes and eye color. It comes in convenient single-use containers, but it is only available as a brand medication, so it can be expensive.

    Summary for Cholinergic agonist
    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 of Zioptan vs. Pilocarpine

    Indications for
    •High pressure in the eye caused by open-angle glaucoma (the most common type of glaucoma) or ocular hypertension (high pressure inside the eye)
    Indications for
    •Dry mouth due to radiation therapy for head and neck cancer
    •Dry mouth due to Sjögren's syndrome

  • Pros and Cons of Zioptan vs. Pilocarpine

    Pros and Const for Prostaglandin
    Pros
    •Good at treating high eye pressure
    •Only used once a day and comes in single-use containers
    •Is preservative-free, which may be less irritating to the eye
    Cons
    •Can permanently change the color of your eyes
    •Doses inside a foil pouch must be used within 30 days after the pouch is opened.
    •Only available as a brand medication, so it can be more expensive than alternatives
    Pros and Const for Cholinergic agonist
    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 of Zioptan vs. Pilocarpine

    Common Side Effects for
    •Eye redness (4-20%)
    •Eye stinging or irritation (7%)
    •Headache (6%)
    •Eye itching or redness due to allergy (5%)
    •Common cold (4%)
    Common Side Effects for

    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 of Zioptan vs. Pilocarpine

    Common Side Effects for
    •DARKER EYES, EYELIDS, OR EYELASHES
    •THICKER EYELASHES
    •EYE INFLAMMATION AND SWELLING
    Common Side Effects for
    •Possible worsening of medical conditions
    •Vision changes
    •Dose too high

  • Prices with our coupons for Zioptan vs. Pilocarpine

    Learn more about Zioptan
    Learn more about Pilocarpine

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