azelastine eye drop
Azelastine is an eye drop medication that's used to ease eye itchiness from allergies. It's an antihistamine eye drop that adults and children ages 3 years and up can use. The typical dosage is one drop in the affected eye(s) twice a day. The most common side effects include temporary eye stinging and burning after you put the eye drops in. Azelastine is available only as a lower-cost generic medication. The brand name, Optivar, is no longer available in the U.S.
What is Azelastine?
What is Azelastine used for?
How Azelastine works
Azelastine is a second-generation antihistamine. It blocks histamine, a natural chemical your immune system releases that can cause allergy symptoms. When it's placed in the eye, azelastine helps relieve eye symptoms caused by allergies, such as eye itching.
Drug facts
Side effects of Azelastine
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
- Temporary eye burning or stinging (30%)
- Headaches (15%)
- Bitter taste (10%)
Less Common Side Effects
- Eye redness
- Eye pain
- Temporary blurry vision
- Feeling tired
- Flu-like symptoms (cough, congestion)
- Itching
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Shortness of breath
The following Azelastine 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:
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
Bitter taste in mouth
headaches
temporary eye burning or stinging
Less common
Burning, dry or itching eyes
blurred vision, temporary
chills
eye discharge or excessive tearing
general feeling of discomfort or illness
hoarseness or other voice changes
itching skin
joint pain
loss of appetite
muscle aches and pains
redness, pain, swelling of eye, eyelid, or inner lining of eyelid
shivering
sweating
tender, swollen glands in neck
trouble in swallowing
trouble sleeping
unusual tiredness or weakness
vomiting
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 Azelastine
Pros
- Generally well-tolerated
- Relieves eye itching for up to 8 to 10 hours
- Safe to use in children 3 years of age and older
Cons
- Can cause temporary eye burning right after using
- Can absorb into soft contact lenses and cause damage
- Only available by prescription unlike other eye drops for allergies that can be found over the counter
Pharmacist tips for Azelastine
- Only use azelastine for your eyes.
- Always wash your hands with soap and water before you use azelastine eye drops so that you don't spread germs to your eyes.
- Don't let the tip of the azelastine bottle touch the eye or other surfaces. Otherwise, the medication might get contaminated with bacteria or other germs.
- Make sure to take your contact lenses out before each time you use azelastine eye drops. There's a preservative in the eye drops that can damage your contact lenses. Wait at least 10 minutes after you place azelastine into your eye before putting your lenses back in.
- Don't wear contact lenses if your eyes are red since it can make your eye symptoms worse.
- You can use azelastine eye drops with other eye drop medications. But wait 3 to 5 minutes in between each eye drop medication to use the next medication. This gives enough time for each eye medication to get absorbed properly into your eye(s).
- Mild eye irritation is a common side effect of azelastine, but it's temporary. Stop using the medication and talk to an eye specialist if you experience eye discomfort that doesn't go away or gets worse.
- How to use azelastine eye drops: Pull down your lower eyelid with one hand and hold the bottle upside down with the other. Tilt your head back and squeeze 1 drop of medication into your affected eye. Then, close your eye and press your finger on the corner of your eye closest to your nose for 1 minute. Repeat these steps if you need to use azelastine in your other eye.
Common questions about Azelastine
No. Optivar is considered an antihistamine, not a steroid medication. Though they work differently, both types of medication can help relieve eye discomfort caused by allergies. In general, steroid eye drops are used to treat more severe eye symptoms caused by allergies, such as eye inflammation. On the other hand, antihistamine eye drops can help relieve red, itchy eyes from allergies. Ask a primary care provider or pharmacist to help decide which type of eye drop medication is best for you based on your symptoms.
Yes, Optivar is an antihistamine. It blocks histamine, a chemical that causes allergic reactions in the body in response to allergens like pollen or dust. When Optivar is put in the eye, it relieves eye itching caused by allergies.
No, Optivar isn't known to raise blood pressure. Talk to a primary care provider if you happen to notice changes to your blood pressure while you're using this eye drop. Your primary care provider can check whether there's something else going on.
The most common side effects with Optivar eye drops are bitter taste in the mouth and mild burning or stinging in the eye. These side effects are typically temporary. In one clinical study, most people who used Optivar eye drops and had these side effects were able to continue to use the medication for symptom relief with no major issues. Talk to a healthcare professional if your side effects don't go away.
You can continue to use Optivar twice a day as long as you have allergy-related eye itching. In one clinical study, people have used this medication for more than a month with improvement in their allergic eye symptoms compared to placebo. Keep in mind that if you need to use Optivar for more than a month, it might be best to follow up with an eye specialist to see whether there are other medical conditions going on.
A clinical study showed that Optivar eye drops can start working within 3 minutes to relieve eye itching. Talk to your eye specialist if your eye symptoms don't go away or get worse after you start using this medication.
Optivar isn't available over the counter. You'll need a prescription from an eye specialist or healthcare professional. But there are other antihistamine eye drops, such as olopatadine (Pataday), that you can buy over the counter at your local pharmacy.
Ask your care team before you use Optivar while pregnant. Although Optivar eye drops haven't been well-studied in pregnancy, azelastine taken orally (by mouth) has caused serious harm to unborn baby animals at high doses. Because of this risk, it's recommended that you talk with your OB-GYN or primary care provider about taking any allergy medications during pregnancy.
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Risks and warnings for Azelastine
Azelastine 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.
Only use on the surface of the eye
Use azelastine on the surface of the eye only. Don't place the medication in your mouth, nose, or anywhere else on your body. Also don't use azelastine as an injection into any parts of the eye.
Contamination of eye drops and risk for eye infection
Don't let the tip of the bottle touch the eye, eyelid, or other surfaces. Also don't touch the tip with your fingers. Doing so can contaminate azelastine, and using contaminated medication in the eye can lead to serious harm to the eye, such as infection.
Avoid wearing soft contact lenses
Azelastine eye drops contain a preservative called benzalkonium chloride. This preservative can get absorbed by soft contact lenses and cause damage to the contacts. If you wear soft contact lenses, take them out before you place azelastine eye drops into the eye. Then, wait at least 10 minutes after you use the medication to put your lenses back in. Don't use azelastine to treat eye irritation that's caused by contact lenses.
Azelastine dosage
Eye dropper| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6ml of 0.05% | 1 eye dropper | $15.22 | $15.22 |
Typical dosage for Azelastine
Each drop contains 0.05% of azelastine.
- Adults and children age 3 and older: The typical dose is 1 drop in affected eye(s) twice a day.
Interactions between Azelastine 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 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.
How much does Azelastine cost?
$15.22
What are alternatives to Azelastine?
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