loteprednol
Loteprednol (Lotemax) is a steroid eye medication that comes in many strengths and forms to treat various eye conditions including recent eye surgery, dry eye, inflammation, and seasonal allergies.
What is Loteprednol (Lotemax)?
What is Loteprednol (Lotemax) used for?
- Dry eye disease
- Eye inflammation conditions
- Inflammation and pain after eye surgery
- Eye inflammation due to seasonal allergies
How Loteprednol (Lotemax) works
Loteprednol (Lotemax) is a steroid medication for your eyes. It helps block chemicals in the eye that cause inflammation, itching, and redness.
Drug facts
More on Loteprednol (Lotemax) essentials
Side effects of Loteprednol (Lotemax)
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
- Blurry vision
- Burning after placing the drops into the eye
- Itching
- Feeling like there's something in your eye
Less Common Side Effects
- Eye inflammation
- Eye redness
- Headache
- Runny nose
- Throat irritation or inflammation
- High eye pressure
- Cataract
- Slower healing
- Infection
- Eye injury
- Worse vision
Loteprednol (Lotemax) serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- High eye pressure, injury, or infection: eye pain, discomfort, or change in vision that doesn't go away
The following Loteprednol (Lotemax) side effects have also been reported
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:
More common
Blurred vision or other change in vision
redness or swelling of the eye
sensitivity of the eyes to light
swelling of the membrane covering the white part of the eye
Less common
Decreased vision
discharge from the eye
eye discomfort, irritation, or pain
redness of the eyelid or inner lining of the eyelid
tiny bumps on the inner lining of the eyelid
Incidence not known
Blindness
gradual blurring or loss of vision
loss of vision
slow wound healing
tearing
vomiting
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:
More common
Burning feeling when medicine is applied
feeling of something in the eye
headache
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.
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Pros and cons of Loteprednol (Lotemax)
Pros
- Applied directly where the pain or inflammation is
- Causes fewer serious side effects than oral medications
- Available as a suspension, gel, and ointment form
Cons
- Slows healing and raises your risk of eye infection
- May have to be used up to four times a day
- Most forms are brand name only and may be expensive.
Pharmacist tips for Loteprednol (Lotemax)
- Wash your hands before and after using loteprednol (Lotemax). Don't touch the tip of the container with your eye, hands, or any other surface. This will help you avoid contaminating the medication with germs or bacteria.
- Suspension form: Shake the bottle well before each use. Gently pull down your lower eyelid and place the drop(s) into the space between your eyelid and eyeball. Afterwards, close your eye and put one finger to the inner corner of your eye by the nose and press lightly for a minute or two. This helps make sure your eye absorbs the drop.
- Ointment form: Gently pull down your lower eyelid and put the ointment into the space between your eyelid and eyeball. Then, let go of the eyelid, look downwards, and close your eye for a minute or two so the medication is able to reach all the necessary parts of the eye.
- Don't put any other medications in the eye for at least 5 minutes before or after loteprednol (Lotemax).
- If your symptoms don't start to get better after 2 days, or if they get worse, contact your provider.
- If you are using loteprednol (Lotemax) for more than 10 days, it's best to follow-up with your provider regularly to monitor for side effects like high eye pressure.
Common questions about Loteprednol (Lotemax)
No, loteprednol (Lotemax) is not an antibiotic. It is a steroid (corticosteroid), so it treats inflammation but doesn't kill bacteria. Loteprednol is available in a combination eye drop with an antibiotic called tobramycin (brand name Zylet).
Use loteprednol (Lotemax) for up to two weeks if treating dry eye disease or to help recover after eye surgery. For certain eye inflammation conditions, you may need to use it for much longer; for example, in the clinical studies for giant papillary conjunctivitis, people took loteprednol (Lotemax) for six weeks. If you use this medication for more than 10 days, remember to follow-up with your provider on a regular basis to monitor for long-term side effects such as high eye pressure and infection.
Loteprednol 0.5% gel and suspension are available as generics. Other forms of loteprednol (Lotemax) are brand-name medications only. If you're having trouble paying for loteprednol (Lotemax), talk to your provider to see if you can take something else for your condition. There are some other steroid eye medications, like Pred Forte (prednisolone acetate), that are generic and could be much cheaper.
Loteprednol (Lotemax) should not be used by itself to treat pink eye (also known as conjunctivitis), since the condition is usually due to a bacterial or viral infection. Steroids like loteprednol (Lotemax) help with inflammation and irritation, but they also make it harder to get rid of the underlying infection or can even make the infection worse. If you have pink eye, it's best to get it diagnosed by a healthcare professional so that you get the right treatment for it. Some cases of pink eye may be treated with loteprednol (Lotemax) in combination with an antibiotic.
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Risks and warnings for Loteprednol (Lotemax)
Loteprednol (Lotemax) 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.
HIGH EYE PRESSURE (GLAUCOMA)
- Risk factors: Using loteprednol (Lotemax) for a long time | History of glaucoma
Using steroid eye medications like loteprednol (Lotemax) for a long time can lead to high eye pressure (glaucoma) which can damage your eye nerves and affect your vision. Let your provider know right away if you notice any eye pain, discomfort, or change in vision that doesn't go away. If you are going to be using loteprednol (Lotemax) for a while, you should be following up with your provider to check the pressure in your eyes.
CATARACTS
Steroid eye medications like loteprednol (Lotemax) can cause cataracts. Let your provider know right away if your vision gets worse or if you see glares or halos from lights at nighttime. It's okay to use this medication if you just had cataract(s) removed, but don't use it for longer than two weeks, and remember to follow-up with your provider regularly.
NEW OR WORSENED INFECTION
- Risk factors: Using loteprednol (Lotemax) for a long time | History of herpes eye infection
Since steroids slows the immune system, using loteprednol (Lotemax) raises your chance of getting a fungal or viral eye infection. Steroids can also affect the symptoms of the infection by making them better or worse. If your eye(s) feel worse while using loteprednol (Lotemax), or if your symptoms don't start to get better after a couple of days, talk to your provider right away. You will need to follow up with your provider if you finish your prescription of loteprednol (Lotemax) and feel like you need a refill.
EYE INJURY OR DAMAGE
- Risk factors: Using steroids in the eye for a long time | Thin corneas or sclera (the white part of your eye) | Recent cataract surgery
Steroids eye drops like loteprednol (Lotemax) can make certain parts of your eye thinner. When the corneas or sclera (the white part of your eye) get too thin, they can tear and cause more serious damage. Your risk of these problems is higher if you already have thin corneas or sclera or if you are using this medication for a long time. If you recently had cataract surgery, using loteprednol (Lotemax) can slow down the healing process and raise your risk of getting blebs (fluid-filled blisters) in the eye. Call your provider right away if you experience eye pain or discomfort, if your eye is tearing up more than usual, or if your vision gets worse.
CONTACT LENS USE
It's best not to wear contacts if you recently had eye surgery or if you're dealing with eye conditions such as inflammation and allergies. Ask your provider whether you can wear contacts while you are on loteprednol (Lotemax). If you are allowed to wear contacts, keep in mind that some forms of loteprednol (Lotemax) have a preservative, benzalkonium chloride, which can damage soft contact lenses. Remove soft contacts before using a dose of loteprednol (Lotemax), and wait at least 15 minutes after your dose before putting them back in.
Loteprednol (Lotemax) dosage
Bottle of gel| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5g of 0.5% | 1 bottle | $51.47 | $51.47 |
Interactions between Loteprednol (Lotemax) and other drugs
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 not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
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.
- Bemiparin
- Lutetium Lu 177 Dotatate
- Macimorelin
- Nadroparin
- Sargramostim
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.
- Auranofin
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Loteprednol (Lotemax) contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Loteprednol (Lotemax) will not be safe for you to take.
- Viral, fungal, or mycobacterial infection in the eye
- Allergy to loteprednol, other corticosteroids, or any other ingredient in loteprednol (Lotemax)
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