INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS
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Read this leaflet carefully before you start to use PATANOL Eye Drops.
This leaflet has been written to answer some common questions about PATANOL. It does not contain all of the available information and does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. In deciding to prescribe PATANOL for you or your child, your doctor has weighed the potential risks and benefits of using this medicine.
The information in this leaflet applies to PATANOL only. This information does not apply to similar products, even if they contain the same ingredients.
If you have any concerns about using PATANOL, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with your medicine. You may need it again.
PATANOL belongs to the group of medicines called antihistamines and also to the group of medicines called anti-allergics.
PATANOL is used to treat seasonal allergic conjunctivitis. This is an inflammation of the eye caused by pollens which gives watery, itchy and/or red eyes.
Before prescribing PATANOL for you or your child, your doctor will have examined the eye and decided that PATANOL is the right medicine.
Your doctor may have prescribed PATANOL for another reason. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why PATANOL has been prescribed for you or your child.
PATANOL is not addictive.
Do not use PATANOL if:
You or your child are allergic to olopatadine or to any other of the ingredients in PATANOL (these are listed under Product Description)
Do not use PATANOL just before having a bath, shower or going swimming. If you do, you may reduce the effectiveness of PATANOL.
Do not use PATANOL if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
Do not use PATANOL if the date (EXP) printed on the label and carton has passed. If you use PATANOL after the expiry date has passed, it may not work.
Do not give PATANOL to a child under 3 years. The safety and effectiveness of PATANOL in children under 3 years have not been established.
Do not put PATANOL into your eye(s) while you are wearing soft contact lenses. You can put your soft contact lenses into your eyes 10 minutes after you have used PATANOL.
PATANOL has been developed for use in the eye only. It is not to be swallowed or injected.
Let your doctor know if any of the following applies before you or your child start using PATANOL:
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell them before you use PATANOL.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you or your child are taking any other medicines, including medicines that you buy at a pharmacy or health food shop without a doctor's prescription. This is particularly important if you or your child are currently using any other type of eye drops.
Some medicines may affect the way others work. Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to tell you what to do when using PATANOL with other medicines.
The usual dose of PATANOL is one to two drops in the affected eye(s) twice each day. The dosing instructions will be printed on the label your pharmacist put on the bottle or carton.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor carefully. They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions on the label, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
It is important to use PATANOL exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. If you use it less often than you should, it may not work as well and the eye problem may not improve. Using it more often than you should may not improve the eye problem any faster and may cause increased side effects.
Use PATANOL at about the same time every day unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
Do not touch the tip of the dropper with your fingers, to the eye or any other surface. This will help prevent the eye drops becoming dirty or contaminated.
Follow these steps to use PATANOL:
There might be a slight burning feeling in the eye(s) shortly after using PATANOL. If this persists, or is very uncomfortable, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how long to use PATANOL.
Do not take PATANOL longer than your doctor tells you. If you use PATANOL longer than your doctor or pharmacist tells you, the chance of side effects may increase.
If you are unsure about when or how to stop using PATANOL you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
If you forget to use PATANOL you should put the drops that you missed in the eye(s) as soon as you remember and then go back to using them as recommended by your doctor. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the dose that you missed and continue using them as recommended.
Never take a double dose to make up for the one that you missed.
If you are not sure what to do, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering to use the medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
Immediately telephone the nearest Poisons Information Centre (telephone 0800 POISON or 0800 764 766), your doctor or go to Casualty at the nearest Hospital, if you think that you or someone else has swallowed PATANOL. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
Tell all doctors and pharmacists who are treating you or your child that PATANOL is being used.
If you feel that PATANOL is not helping the eye problem, tell your doctor or pharmacist.
Tell your doctor if, for any reason, you have not used PATANOL exactly as prescribed. Otherwise your doctor may think that it was not effective and change the treatment unnecessarily.
You should tell your doctor if you become pregnant while you are using PATANOL.
You should not drive or operate any machinery if PATANOL affects your vision or makes you feel drowsy in any way.
If the itching or pain in the eye does not diminish or increases, or severe pain is experienced in the eye, contact your doctor immediately.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are concerned about the length of time that you or your child have been using PATANOL.
All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, however most of the time they are not. You may need to seek medical treatment if you or your child get some of the side effects.
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you or your child do not feel well while using PATANOL.
Tell your doctor immediately and stop using PATANOL at the first sign of a skin rash or any other sign of allergy (e.g. hives).
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. Let your doctor know if you observe any unwanted effects while using PATANOL, even if they do not appear in the list above.
Do not feel alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Store PATANOL in a cool, dry place where the temperature stays below 25 °C. Do not leave PATANOL in the car, in the bathroom or in other warm, damp places. Heat and temperature can destroy some medicines.
Do not refrigerate PATANOL.
Keep PATANOL, and all other medicines, in a safe place away from children. A locked cupboard at least one and a half meters above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Discard each bottle of PATANOL 4 weeks after it has been opened. Write the date the bottle was opened on the label to remind you when to discard the bottle.
If your doctor tells you to stop using PATANOL or it has passed its expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any that is left over.
PATANOL is a colourless to pale yellow liquid that comes in a 5 mL dropper bottle.
Olopatadine.
Benzalkonium chloride, sodium chloride, sodium phosphate - dibasic, purified water.
In New Zealand this product is supplied by:
Pacific Pharmaceuticals Ltd
76 Leonard Road
Mt Wellington
AUCKLAND
This leaflet was prepared on 01 March 2002
PATANOL® is a trademark of Alcon