Phospholine Iodide
Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) is an older eye drop used to lower pressure inside of the eye. It's also used to diagnose and treat a type of eye crossing in children. It's brand name only and might be expensive.
What is Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate)?
What is Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) used for?
- High eye pressure
- Crossed eyes in children
How Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) works
Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. It blocks enzymes (proteins) that break down acetylcholine, which is a natural chemical in your body that lowers in pressure in the eye. In children with crossed eyes, it works on muscles in the eye that help adjust focus.
Drug facts
Side effects of Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate)
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
- Eye stinging
- Eye burning
- Watery eyes
- Eye twitching
- Eye redness
- Browache
- Nearsightedness with blurred vision
Less Common Side Effects
- Detachment of your retina (a light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye)
- Reactivation of eye inflammation
- Iris cysts
- Thickening of the conjunctiva (tissue that covers the whites of the eyes and inside the eyelids)
- Abnormal heart rate or rhythm
The following Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) 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:
Rare
Burning, redness, stinging, or other eye irritation
veil or curtain appearing across part of vision
Symptoms of too much medicine being absorbed into the body
Increased sweating
loss of bladder control
muscle weakness
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach cramps or pain
shortness of breath, tightness in chest, or wheezing
slow or irregular heartbeat
unusual tiredness or weakness
watering of mouth
The most common of these symptoms, especially in children, are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps or pain. Your doctor may tell you to stop taking the medicine if any of these side effects occur.
Too much medicine being absorbed is rare with the eye ointment form of this medicine.
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:
Blurred vision or change in near or distance vision
difficulty in seeing at night or in dim light
headache or browache
twitching of eyelids
watering of eyes
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 Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate)
Pros
- Conveniently stored at room temperature
- Dose can be personalized based on response
- Not many interactions with other medications or supplements
Cons
- Might cause burning or stinging eyes
- Drops can be uncomfortable to use
- Unknown if safe to use during pregnancy
Pharmacist tips for Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate)
- Your provider will prepare the Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) eye drops for you before it's ready to use.
- Wash your hands before and after using Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) to prevent contamination (spread of germs). This will also help prevent the medication from absorbing into your skin if it gets on your hands.
- Avoid touching the tip of the eye drop bottle with your eye or anything else to keep it clean.
- To use Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate), use clean fingers to make a pocket between your eye and your lower eyelid. Look up while gently squeezing a drop of Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) into your eye. Apply pressure on the inner corner of your eye with a finger for 1 to 2 minutes to keep the drop in your eye. Remove extra medication around your eye with a tissue.
- Stop using Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) and call your provider if you experience abnormal heart rate or rhythm, trouble urinating, excessive drooling, diarrhea, extreme sweating, muscle weakness, or breathing problems.
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Risks and warnings for Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate)
Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) 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.
Interactions with other medications
It's important to let your providers know all of the medications you're taking before having surgery requiring general anesthesia. A medication called succinylcholine (Anectine) is sometimes used during procedures, and it could cause serious heart and breathing problems in people taking Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate). In addition, people who are taking other anticholinesterase medications (e.g., pyridostigmine (Mestinon)) are at a higher risk for more side effects when taking Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) at the same time.
Worsening of certain medical conditions
- Risk factors: History of retinal detachment | Vagotonia (overstimulation of the vagus nerve) | Asthma | Gut or stomach problems | Slow heart rate | Low blood pressure | Recent heart attack | Seizures | Parkinsonism
Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) can make certain conditions worse. Make sure to go over your full medical history with your provider so they can determine if Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) is safe for you. If you have any of the risk factors listed above, your provider will monitor you more closely while you're using this medication. Let them know if any of your symptoms get worse.
Risk of more side effects with exposure to insecticides and pesticides
If you're exposed to insecticides or pesticides while receiving Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate), you might experience more side effects. This is because these chemicals have similar effects as Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) in your body. Make sure to wear a mask and avoid getting insecticides or pesticides on your skin if you need to be near them. Wash your body and change your clothing often. If you're exposed to these chemicals and notice more side effects like trouble breathing, more sweating, diarrhea, vomiting, or very watery eyes, get medical help right away.
Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) dosage
Kit| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5ml of 1.25% | 1 kit | $2,827.40 | $2,827.40 |
Typical dosage for Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate)
Your dose depends on the condition you're using Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) for. Your provider will adjust the dose based on your response.
- High eye pressure: The typical starting dose is 1 drop into the affected eye(s) in the morning and at bedtime.
- Crossed eyes: The typical starting dose is 1 drop into both eyes every night at bedtime for 2 to 3 weeks.
Interactions between Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) 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 any of these medicines, 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 medicines in this class 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.
- Albuterol
- Bimatoprost
- Ceritinib
- Clonidine
- Crizotinib
- Diltiazem
- Dronedarone
- Epinephrine
- Fenoldopam
- Fingolimod
- Formoterol
- Indacaterol
- Iohexol
- Lacosamide
- Latanoprost
- Levalbuterol
- Olodaterol
- Oxymetazoline
- Paroxetine
- Ponesimod
- Rivastigmine
- Salmeterol
- Tafluprost
- Tegafur
- Terbutaline
- Thimerosal
- Travoprost
- Unoprostone
- Verapamil
- Vilanterol
How much does Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) cost?
$2,827.40
Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) 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 Phospholine Iodide (echothiophate) will not be safe for you to take.
- Uveitis (a type of eye inflammation)
- Certain cases of angle-closure glaucoma
