6 Corticosteroid (Steroid) Eye Drops: Uses, Formulations, and How to Save
Steroid eye drops, such as prednisolone, may be prescribed to treat inflammation from eye surgery. Learn more with this list of popular steroid eye drops.
Zylet
Used for Eye Infection, Eye Inflammation
Used for Eye Infection, Eye Inflammation
Zylet is a combination eye drop medication that contains two active ingredients: loteprednol and tobramycin. It's approved for use in people 7 years and older to treat bacterial eye infections, like pink eye, and related eye redness and swelling (inflammation). The corticosteroid (or steroid), loteprednol, helps lessen eye inflammation and the aminoglycoside antibiotic, tobramycin, fights off bacteria causing the eye infection. Zylet eye drops are placed directly into the affected eye(s) every 4 to 6 hours. Side effects include eye irritation and headache.
What is Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin)?
What is Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) used for?
- Eye inflammation from a bacterial infection in the eye
- Eye inflammation when there's a risk for a bacterial infection in the eye
How Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) works
Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) is a combination eye drop containing two medications.
- Loteprednol is a corticosteroid medication. When it's placed in the eye, loteprednol lessens inflammation in the eye. This helps relieve eye itching, swelling, pain, and redness.
- Tobramycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic. It works by stopping bacteria from making certain proteins that they need to survive.
Drug facts
| Common Brands | Zylet |
|---|---|
| Drug Class | Corticosteroid / Antibiotic |
| Controlled Substance Classification | Not a controlled medication |
| Generic Status | Lower-cost generic available |
| Availability | Prescription only |
Side effects of Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin)
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
- Redness and swelling of the cornea of the eye (15%)
- Headache (14%)
- Higher eye pressure (10%)
- Burning and stinging sensation in the eye (9%)
Less Common Side Effects
- Vision problems
- Oozing (discharge) from the eye
- Itchy eye
- Watery eye
- Eye sensitivity to light
- Eye discomfort
Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Allergic reaction: hives; trouble breathing; swelling in the face, tongue, or throat
The following Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) side effects have also been reported
Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible:
- Allergic reactions—skin rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Eye pain, change in vision, vision loss
- New or worsening eye pain, redness, irritation, or discharge
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your care team if they continue or are bothersome):
- Burning or stinging of the eyes after use
- Eye irritation or itching
- Headache
- Sensitivity to light
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Pros and cons of Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin)
Pros
- Relieves eye inflammation and treats the bacteria eye infection at the same time
- Conveniently combines two medications into a single product
- Applied directly to the eyes (where the inflammation and infection is)
Cons
- Need to use multiple times per day
- Might be difficult for some people to use properly
- Not available as a lower-cost generic; brand-name medication only
Pharmacist tips for Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin)
- Be sure to use Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) for the full amount of time that your prescriber told you to, even if your eye symptoms start getting better. Stopping Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) too soon can cause your infection to come back and be harder to treat.
- Let your prescriber know if your eye symptoms don't start to improve after you've used Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) for 2 days. Your prescriber might consider a different medication to help relieve your symptoms and treat your infection better.
- You'll need to speak with your prescriber first if you finish your prescription of Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) and feel like you need a refill. You'll probably need an eye exam to make sure that the medication is working for you and that it isn't causing side effects (e.g., high eye pressure).
- Don't wear contact lenses while you're using Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin). In general, it's best not to wear contacts while you have an eye infection, since this can affect how quickly your symptoms improve.
- Throw away any contact lenses you were wearing before you started using Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin). These contact lenses most likely have bacteria on them. Wear a new pair of contacts once your infection completely goes away.
- Keep the Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) bottle at room temperature. Don't put it in the refrigerator or freezer.
How to use Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin):
- Wash your hands before and after you put Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) drops in your eyes. Don't let the dropper tip touch your eye or any other surface, and don't touch the tip with your hands. This lowers the risk for contaminating the medication with germs.
- Shake the Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) bottle well before each use.
- Tilt your head backward and look up. Gently pull your bottom eyelid down to make a small pocket. Then, hold the eye drop bottle upside down right above the eye. Squeeze the bottle so that 1 drop of medication falls into the pocket. Don't blink or wipe your eye. Close your eye and press a finger against the inside corner of your eye for about a minute to help keep the medication in your eye.
- If you need to use other eye drop medications in addition to Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin), wait 5 minutes between using each medication. This helps give your eye time to fully absorb each medication.
Risks and warnings for Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin)
Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) 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.
For use in the eye only
Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) is an eye drop medication that you should place on the surface of the eye only. Don't put Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) on or into any other place on your body.
Eye infections and eye problems when used for a long time
- Risk factors: Long-term use | History of glaucoma or cataracts | History of viral infections (including herpes simplex) in the eye | Recent surgery in the cornea
Long-term use of Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) can raise your risk of developing new or worsening eye infections. It also raises your risk for glaucoma, cataracts, and vision problems. If you need to take Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) for a long time (10 days or longer), you'll need regular eye exams to check the health of your eyes. Let your prescriber know if you have any vision changes, eye pain, or new symptoms of an eye infection while you're using this medication.
Slow healing of the eye after an eye procedure
- Risk factors: Recent cataract surgery
Using steroid eye drops like Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) after cataract surgery can slow the healing process in the eye. Let your prescriber know if you've recently had cataract surgery or other type of eye surgery.
Possible eye injury or damage
Steroid eye drops like Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) can also possibly cause eye injury or damage, including thinning of the cornea (the outer layer of your eye). Call your prescriber right away if you notice changes in vision, eye pain, or watery eyes. You might need to get your eyes checked for injury. Speak with your prescriber if you're concerned about this risk.
Don't wear contact lenses
Don't wear contact lenses while you're using Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin). This eye drop medication contains a preservative that can damage contact lenses.
In general, it's recommended that you avoid wearing contact lenses while you have an eye infection (such as pink eye) because it could irritate your eye even more. Throw away any contacts you wore before you started treatment since they might have bacteria on them. Ask your primary care provider or optometrist when it's safe to wear contact lenses again once your infection clears.
Allergic reaction
- Risk factors: Allergy to aminoglycoside antibiotics
Let your prescriber know if you're allergic to aminoglycoside antibiotics like tobramycin. It's possible that you might be allergic to Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) too. Serious allergic reactions can be life-threatening, and they can include reactions like facial swelling, dizziness, and anaphylaxis (e.g., closing of the throat). Get medical help right away if you notice hives, rash, swelling of the lips or tongue, or trouble breathing after you use Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin).
Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) dosage
The average cost for 1 eye dropper of 5ml of 0.5%/0.3% of Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) is $35.00 with a free GoodRx coupon. This is 91.01% off the average retail price of $389.14.
How much does Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) cost?
To access savings, use a GoodRx coupon and pay just a fraction of the retail price.
Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) 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 Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin) will not be safe for you to take.
- Use for viral, fungal, or mycobacterial infections in the eye
What are alternatives to Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin)?
There are a number of medications that your doctor can prescribe in place of Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin). Compare a few possible alternatives below.
News about Zylet (loteprednol / tobramycin)
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