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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    When is it best to use my glaucoma drops -Timoptil- night or morning?

    Related Topic
    I've been using these drops for a while and IOP suddenly started going up again. Used to use them at night but now using them in morning
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  • 11

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    I have thirty years in private practice as an optometrist at the same location in Leichhardt and have done four postgraduate courses pertaining to Diseases … View Profile

    It is advisable to use these glaucoma drops in the morning. Timoptol is a beta-blocker which may slow down the heart rate and decrease blood pressure if absorbed systemically after instillation into the eye. During the night blood pressure naturally decreases. If Timoptol is used at night, the blood pressure may become further decreased by the systemic effect of the drops. This may lead to reduced blood flow to the optic nerve and so potentially cause further damage to the optic nerve. Hence, progression of glaucoma.    
    To reduce the risk of systemic absorption of eyedrops it is recommended to apply digital (finger) pressure to the nasal corner of the eyelids and keep the eyes closed for one minute, after instillation.

  • 8

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    Glaucoma Australia is the peak glaucoma awareness/education/support association in Australia.It is a national, not-for-profit registered charity dedicated to providing educational services to raise awareness about … View Profile

    There are two types of Timoptol (Timoptol and Timoptol-XE) and each type has two strengths (0.25% and 0.50%). Whilst your doctor will tell you how many drops you need to use each day, the usual dose of Timoptol is one drop in the affected eye(s) twice a day and for Timoptol XE, one drop in the affected eye(s) once a day. Follow all directions given to you by your doctor carefully as they may differ from the information contained in the leaflet that comes with the bottle.

    The manufacturer does not indicate a particular time of day to take the product(s) in their product information. Use Timoptol every day, at about the same time each day, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Using your eye drops at the same time each day will have the best effect on your eye pressure. It will also help you remember when to use the eye drops. as the previous responder mentions, occlude the tear duct to maximise local absorption and minimise systemic side effects.

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