What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider Before Taking It?
You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking bimatoprost if you:
- Have an inflammatory eye condition such as iritis or uveitis
- Have any allergies, including allergies to food, dyes, or preservatives
- Are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
- Are breastfeeding.
Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about all other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Bimatoprost belongs to a class of medications known as prostaglandins. It works by opening the channels that drain fluid from the eye, helping the excess eye fluid to drain from the eye more easily. By reducing eye pressure, the medication can help prevent damage to the optic nerve (and the vision loss that accompanies such damage) caused by high eye pressure.
When and How to Take Bimatoprost
Some general considerations for when and how to take this drug include the following:
- Bimatoprost comes in the form of eye drops. It is usually taken once a day in the evening.
- Always wash your hands thoroughly before using it.
- Gently pull your lower eyelid down with a finger (most people find that their middle fingers work best) to create a small pocket. Without actually touching the dropper to the eye, squeeze the bottle to place one drop into the lower eyelid.
- Keep the bottle free of contamination by avoiding touching the tip to anything, including your eye, hands, or any surfaces.
- If you use other eye drops, make sure to separate bimatoprost and your other eye drops by at least five minutes.
- If you wear contacts, remove them before using bimatoprost and wait at least 15 minutes before putting them back in.
- For bimatoprost to work properly, it must be taken as prescribed. It will not work if you stop taking it.
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