If your doctor ordered two different eye drops to be used together, wait at least 10 minutes between the times you apply the medicines. This will help to keep the second medicine from ''washing out'' the first one.

To use the eye drops:

• First, wash your hands. Tilt the head back and, pressing your finger gently on the skin just beneath the lower eyelid, pull the lower eyelid away from the eye to make a space. Drop the medicine into this space. Let go of the eyelid and gently close the eyes. Do not blink. Keep the eyes closed and apply pressure to the inner corner of the eye with your finger for 1 or 2 minutes to allow the medicine to be absorbed by the eye.
• If you think you did not get the drop of medicine into your eye properly, use another drop.
• To keep the medicine as germ-free as possible, do not touch the applicator tip to any surface (including the eye). Also, keep the container tightly closed.

Use this medicine only as directed. Do not use more of it and do not use it more often than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of too much medicine being absorbed into the body and the chance of side effects.

It is important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits. This is to make sure the medicine is working properly.

Dosing

The dose of ophthalmic apraclonidine will be different for different patients. Follow the doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of ophthalmic apraclonidine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

• For ophthalmic solution (eye drops) dosage form:
  • For glaucoma (0.5% apraclonidine):
    • Adults Use one drop in each eye two or three times a day.
    • Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • For preventing ocular hypertension before and after eye surgery (1% apraclonidine):
    • Adults One drop is placed in the affected eye one hour before surgery, then one drop in the same eye immediately after surgery.
    • Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose

If you are using this medicine regularly and you miss a dose, use it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• The 0.5% eye drops may be stored in the refrigerator. However, keep the medicine from freezing.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of using the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For apraclonidine, the following should be considered:

Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to apraclonidine or clonidine. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as preservatives.

Pregnancy Apraclonidine has not been studied in pregnant women. However, apraclonidine has been shown to cause death of the fetus when given by mouth to pregnant rabbits in doses that are many times larger than the human dose. Before using this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding It is not known whether apraclonidine passes into the breast milk. Although most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many of them may be used safely while breast-feeding. Mothers who are using 0.5% apraclonidine and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their doctor. For mothers who are to be treated with 1% apraclonidine during eye surgery, your doctor may want you to stop breast-feeding during the day of your surgery.

Children Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of apraclonidine in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of apraclonidine in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are using any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

• Depression or
• Heart or blood vessel disease or
• High blood pressure Apraclonidine may make the condition worse

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease Higher blood levels of apraclonidine may result, which may lead to increased side effects

• Unusual reaction to a medicine that reduces the pressure within the eye Apraclonidine is a strong reducer of eye pressure and could also cause this reaction

• Vasovagal attack (history of) The signs and symptoms are paleness, nausea, sweating, slow heartbeat, sudden and severe tiredness or weakness, and possibly fainting, usually brought on by emotional stress caused by fear or pain. Apraclonidine may cause this reaction to happen again