Medications Used to Treat Glaucoma
Medication | Some Side Effects | Comments |
|---|---|---|
Prostaglandin-like compounds | ||
Increased eye and skin pigmentation Elongated and thickened eyelashes Muscle, joint, and back pain Rash Possible worsening of inflammation within the front part of the eye (uveitis) | How they work: Increase aqueous humor outflow Given as: Eye drops Other comments: These drops have few serious bodywide side effects. | |
Beta-blockers | ||
Levobetaxalol | Shortness of breath in people with asthma or other lung disorders that cause wheezing Slow heart beat Insomnia Fatigue Depression Confusion Sexual dysfunction See table Antihypertensive Medications | How they work: Decrease aqueous humor production Given as: Eye drops Other comments: These drops do not affect pupil size. Some side effects are worse in people with heart or blood vessel disease. Some side effects may develop slowly and may be mistakenly attributed to aging or other bodily processes. |
Cholinergic medications* | ||
Sweating Headache Involuntary, shaking movement Tremor Excess saliva production Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea | How they work: Constrict the pupil (miosis) and increase aqueous humor outflow Given as: Eye drops Other comments: These drops are not as effective as beta-blockers. People who have darker pupils may need high-strength drops. These medications make it harder for the eyes to adapt to darkness. | |
Cholinesterase inhibitors* | ||
Same as for cholinergic agonists but more likely to occur | How they work: Constrict the pupil (miosis) and increase aqueous humor outflow Given as: Eye drops Other comments: These drops are very long acting. They can cause cataracts and retinal detachment and should not be taken by people who have closed-angle glaucoma. These medications make it harder for the eyes to adapt to darkness. | |
Rho kinase inhibitor | ||
Eye redness Broken blood vessels in the eye Corneal deposits | How they work: Increase aqueous humor outflow Given as: Eye drops | |
Alpha-adrenergic agonists | ||
Increase in blood pressure or heart rate Abnormal heart rhythm May excessively dilate the pupil High rate of allergic reactions and decreased response if given over a period of time so that larger doses are required to have the same effect (tachyphylaxis) May cause dry mouth, has a lower rate of allergic reactions than the other medications, and can be fatal in children less than 2 years of age | How they work: Decrease aqueous humor production and increase aqueous humor outflow Given as: Eye drops | |
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors | ||
Fatigue Altered taste Loss of appetite Depression Kidney stones Body salt (electrolyte) abnormalities Numbness or tingling Low or high blood cell counts (blood dyscrasias) Weight loss Nausea Diarrhea Bad taste in the mouth Rash | How they work: Decrease aqueous humor production Given as: | |
Osmotic diuretics | ||
Increase urine production Can have serious side effects in some people (for example, worsening of heart failure or brain dysfunction) by changing body salt (electrolyte) levels or may cause dehydration | How they work: Increase concentration of salts in the blood, which draws fluid from the eye by osmosis Given as: Other comments: These medications are used most often to treat acute closed-angle glaucoma. | |
* These medications are rarely used. | ||