Ocupress is a prescription eye drop used to treat open angle glaucoma and high eye pressure. This eMedTV segment explores how Ocupress works, describes how to use the eye drop, and explains what side effects may occur with this medication.
Eye redness, burning, and irritation are some of the most commonly reported side effects of Ocupress. This eMedTV resource lists other common side effects, as well as rare but potentially serious problems that require medical attention.
Ocupress can help lower eye pressure in people with open angle glaucoma or high eye pressure. This eMedTV Web page discusses the uses of Ocupress in more detail, explains how the drug works, and explores the use of this medicine in children.
There is only one standard dose of Ocupress, regardless of your weight or the severity of your condition. As this eMedTV segment explains, the recommended starting dosage is one drop of the medication in the affected eye(s) twice daily.
If you take Ocupress with methacholine, reserpine, or other beta blockers, drug interactions may occur. As this eMedTV page explains, drug interactions with Ocupress could lead to serious side effects (such as severe, asthma-like breathing problems).
You may not be able to safely use Ocupress if you have asthma. This eMedTV page offers more information on who should not use this drug. Warnings and precautions on what side effects may occur with Ocupress are also included in this article.
It is not known exactly what to expect from an overdose of Ocupress (carteolol). This page from the eMedTV library lists some of the predicted effects of an overdose and explains what steps your healthcare provider may take to treat the overdose.
At this time, it is not known whether Ocupress (carteolol) is safe to take if you're expecting. This eMedTV article provides more details on pregnancy and Ocupress, including information on what happened when this drug was given to pregnant animals.
The full risks of using Ocupress (carteolol) while nursing are currently unknown. As this eMedTV segment explains, since no studies have been done on breastfeeding and Ocupress, it is not known whether this drug passes through breast milk.
Ocupress (carteolol) eye drops are currently available in generic form. This article from the eMedTV archives describes the strengths available for generic Ocupress and explains whether these products are equivalent to the brand-name medication.
