travoprost
Travoprost (Travatan Z) is a prescription prostaglandin eye drop that helps lower pressure in the eye. It's a first-choice medication for treating glaucoma in people over the age of 16. Typically, you apply travoprost (Travatan Z) once a day at night. This medication can cause eye redness and changes to eye color as side effects. It's available as a brand name and generic medication.
What is Travoprost (Travatan Z)?
What is Travoprost (Travatan Z) used for?
High pressure in the eye from:
Fluid build-up in the eye (ocular hypertension)
How Travoprost (Travatan Z) works
Travoprost (Travatan Z) is a prostaglandin eye drop. It helps fluid drain from inside the eye. When there's less fluid inside the eye, the eye pressure goes down.
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What are the side effects of Travoprost (Travatan Z)?
Common Side Effects
- Eye redness (30-50%)
- Vision problems (5-10%)
- Eye discomfort (5-10%)
- Feeling like there's something in your eye (5-10%)
- Eye pain (5-10%)
- Itchy eye (5-10%)
Other Side Effects
- Eyelid irritation or crusting
- Cataract (cloudy area in the lens of the eye)
- Dry eye
- Change in eye color
- Pink eye
- Light sensitivity
- Bruising in the eye
- Tearing
Serious Side Effects
- Eye swelling or change in vision
Source: DailyMed
The following 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
Eye discomfort
feeling of having something in the eye
Less common
Acid or sour stomach (heartburn or indigestion)
blood in the urine
chest pain or tightness
eye discharge or excessive tearing
faintness or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position
loss of bladder control
lower back pain
muscle pain or stiffness
pain, swelling, or redness in the joints
pain or burning while urinating
pelvic pain
slow or irregular heartbeat (less than 50 beats per minute)
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.
Pros and cons of Travoprost (Travatan Z)
Pros
A first-choice treatment option for high eye pressure
Applied once a day
Doesn't contain the preservative benzalkonium chloride
Cons
Can cause eye redness
Might permanently change the color of your eyes
Requires you to take out your contact lenses
Pharmacist tips for Travoprost (Travatan Z)
Wash your hands before putting travoprost (Travatan Z) drops in your eyes. Don't touch the dropper tip with your eye, hands, or any other surface. This will help you avoid eye infections by preventing the spread of germs and bacteria into the solution.
If you wear contacts, remove them and wait 15 minutes after applying travoprost (Travatan Z) drops before you put them back in your eyes.
After placing a drop in the eye, close your eye and press one finger to the inner corner of your eye by the nose for 1 minute. This helps make sure your eye absorbs the drop.
Your eye specialist might prescribe travoprost (Travatan Z) along with other eye drops. If you're applying more than one eye drop at the same time, wait at least 5 minutes between each drop to give your eyes time to absorb each medication.
It's not easy to tell if your eye pressure is improving at home. Make sure to use travoprost (Travatan Z) as prescribed, even if you don't notice any difference in your symptoms or vision right away. Your ophthalmologist will check how well travoprost (Travatan Z) is working for you through regular eye exams. Ask your prescriber how often you need to come into the office for an exam.
Let your ophthalmologist know right away if you injured your eye. Travoprost (Travatan Z) can put you at risk for eye swelling and inflammation, which might worsen the injury. Your prescriber can let you know if it's safe to continue using travoprost (Travatan Z) or if you need to pause this medication until your eyes heal.
Travoprost (Travatan Z) can make you grow more eyelashes or cause your current eyelashes to become longer and thicker. This is a known side effect of all prostaglandin eye drops, including latanoprost (Xalatan) and bimatoprost (Lumigan). This eyelash effect usually goes away after you stop using travoprost (Travatan Z).
Store travoprost (Travatan Z) at room temperature or in a cool place like the refrigerator. Don't freeze the medication.
Frequently asked questions about Travoprost (Travatan Z)
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What are the risks and warnings for Travoprost (Travatan Z)?
Travoprost (Travatan Z) 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.
Darker eyes, eyelids, or eyelashes
Risk factors: Long-term use of travoprost (Travatan Z)
Travoprost (Travatan Z) can darken the color of your eyes, eyelids, and eyelashes. Most people notice these changes after they've used travoprost (Travatan Z) for a few months or years. Typically, the color changes in the eyes are likely to become permanent, while color changes to the eyelids and eyelashes might not be. Please be aware that these side effects aren't known to be harmful. But it's best to check in with your ophthalmologist regularly so they can make sure your eyes stay healthy.
Eyelash changes
Travoprost (Travatan Z) can make your eyelashes grow longer and thicker. These changes usually go away after you stop using travoprost (Travatan Z).
Eye inflammation and swelling
Risk factors: Eye inflammation | Eye infection
Travoprost (Travatan Z) can cause or worsen inflammation of the eyes. Let your ophthalmologist know if you already have red, itchy, or painful eyes from other conditions, such as an eye infection. Ask them if you should still continue to use travoprost (Travatan Z) while your eyes are inflamed.
Sometimes, people reported swelling in the eyes (macular edema) while using travoprost (Travatan Z). Let your ophthalmologist know right away if you notice any blurry vision or vision changes while using this medication.
Bacterial infections
Risk factors: Corneal disease | Injury or damage to the surface of the eye
Use of travoprost (Travatan Z) can cause bacterial keratitis, a bacterial infection of the cornea (the protective covering on the front of the eye). These infections tend to happen if your bottle of eyedrops gets contaminated with bacteria. It's important to wash your hands before each use, and be careful not to touch the dropper tip with your eye, hands, or any other surface. Contact your ophthalmologist if you notice redness, discharge, or pain in your eye.
Avoid contact lenses
If you wear contacts, remove them before using travoprost (Travatan Z). Wait at least 15 minutes after your dose before putting your contacts back in.
Travoprost (Travatan Z) dosage forms
Typical dosing for Travoprost (Travatan Z)
The typical dose is 1 drop in the affected eye(s) once daily in the evening.
Interactions between Travoprost (Travatan Z) 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. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
How much does Travoprost (Travatan Z) cost?
What are alternatives to Travoprost (Travatan Z)?
High pressure in the eye from:
Fluid build-up in the eye (ocular hypertension)
High pressure in the eye caused by ocular hypertension (high pressure inside the eye) or open-angle glaucoma (the most common type of glaucoma)
Lowering pressure in the eye in people with ocular hypertension (high pressure in the eye) or open-angle glaucoma
What is the latest news about Travoprost (Travatan Z)?
Travoprost (Travatan Z) images
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References
Best studies we foundBoyd, K. (2023). What is ocular hypertension? American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Gudgel, D. T. (2023). How to put in eye drops. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Gupta, D., et al. (2016). Glaucoma. American Family Physician.
Healio. Alcon receives FDA approval for preservative-free travoprost. Ocular Surgery News.
National Eye Institute. (2022). Macular edema.
National Eye Institute. (2021). How to put in eye drops.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. (2023). TRAVATAN Z- travoprost solution/ drops. DailyMed.
Wang, J. L., et al. (2020). Comparison of the effectiveness and safety of travoprost and latanoprost for the management of open‑angle glaucoma given as an evening dose. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine.
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