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.
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.
Source:Â DailyMed
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.
Generally well-tolerated
Relieves eye itching for up to 8 to 10 hours
Safe to use in children 3 years of age and older
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
---|---|---|---|
6ml of 0.05% | 1 eye dropper | $13.00 | $13.00 |
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.
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.
Temporary relief of allergy eye symptoms, such as itching and redness
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American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. (2024). Tips for administering eye drops.
Apotex Corp. (2023). Azelastine hydrochloride- azelastine hydrochloride solution/drops [package insert]. DailyMed.Â
Friedlaender, M. H., et al. (2000). Evaluation of the onset and duration of effect of azelastine eye drops (0.05%) versus placebo in patients with allergic conjunctivitis using an allergen challenge model. Ophthalmology.
Gudgel, D. T., et al. (2023). How to put in eye drops. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
MedlinePlus. (2017). Histamine: The stuff allergies are made of.
Ohbayashi, M., et al. (2010). The role of histamine in ocular allergy. Histamine in Inflammation.
Williams, P. B., et al. (2010). Azelastine hydrochloride, a dual-acting anti-inflammatory ophthalmic solution, for treatment of allergic conjunctivitis. Clinical Ophthalmology.
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