Decrease of elevated intraocular pressure in adult patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma.
Decrease of elevated intraocular pressure in paediatric patients aged 2 months to < 18 years with ocular hypertension or paediatric glaucoma.
What are Travatan eye drops used for?
- Lowering raised pressure in the eyeball (ocular hypertension).
- Open angle glaucoma.
How does travoprost work?
- The pressure inside the eyeball (the intraocular pressure) is naturally maintained by a continuous flow of liquid called aqueous humour through the eyeball. Aqueous humour is produced by a part of the eye called the ciliary body and drains out of the eyeball through channels called the trabecular meshwork.
- If the outflow of aqueous humour is blocked, the aqueous humour builds up inside the eye, increasing the pressure within the eyeball. This pressure needs to be reduced, as otherwise it can damage the optic nerve and impair vision.
- Travoprost reduces the pressure in the eyeball by mimicking the action of a naturally-occurring prostaglandin. Prostaglandins are a group of natural body chemicals found in many places in the body.
How do I use Travatan eye drops?
- One drop of Travatan eye drops should be put into the affected eye(s) once a day. The drops are most effective if they are used in the evening.
- If you wear contact lenses, you should remove them before putting in Travatan eye drops. You should wait at least 15 minutes after using the drops before putting your contact lenses back in.
- It is recommended that immediately after administering the eye drops, you press on the tear duct (at the corner of the eye closest to your nose) for about one minute. This is to minimise the amount of travoprost that may be absorbed into the bloodstream, which will increase the local effect in the eye and minimise any adverse effects elsewhere in the body.
- When using the eye drops you should take care to not touch the dropper tip to any surface, or to your eye, in order to avoid contaminating the eye drops.
- If you forget a dose of Travatan don't worry, just carry on as usual. Do not use the drops more than once in a day to make up for a missed dose.
- Keep using Travatan eye drops every day unless your doctor tells you to stop.
Who should not use Travatan eye drops?
This medicine is not recommended for babies under two months of age, as there is no information regarding its safety and efficacy in this age group.
Travatan eye drops should not be used if you are allergic to any of their ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy. If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using Travatan eye drops and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Travatan eye drops should be used with caution in
- Children.
- Closed angle glaucoma.
- Glaucoma present from birth (congenital glaucoma).
- Glaucoma caused by the growth of new blood vessels over the iris (neovascular glaucoma).
- Glaucoma caused by accumulation of pigment particles in the drainage channels of the eye (pigmentary glaucoma).
- Glaucoma caused as a result of a disorder of part of the eyeball called the ciliary body (pseudoexfoliative glaucoma).
- Thyroid eye disease.
- Inflammatory conditions of the eye, eg conjunctivitis.
- People with an artificial lens in the eye (pseudophakia).
- People with no lens in the eye (aphakia).
- People with a closed or blocked retinal vein.
- People with diabetes affecting the eyes (diabetic retinopathy).
- People with a history or risk of inflammation of the middle layer of the eyeball (uveitis) or the iris (iritis).
- People who suffer from asthma or breathing difficulties.
Can I use Travatan eye drops while pregnant or breastfeeding?
- Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
- Travoprost could be harmful to a developing baby. Travatan eye drops should not be used during pregnancy unless considered essential by your doctor, because the medicine could be absorbed into the bloodstream.
- Women who could get pregnant should use an effective method of contraception to avoid getting pregnant while using Travatan eye drops. Seek further medical advice from your doctor.
- Women who are pregnant or are trying for a baby should take care to avoid getting Travatan eye drops on the skin, as the medicine can be absorbed through the skin. If you accidentally get a lot of the eye drops solution on your skin you should wash it off straight away.
- It is not known if travoprost passes into breast milk after being applied into the eye. The manufacturer states that Travatan eye drops are not recommended for women who are breastfeeding. Seek further medical advice from your doctor.
What are the possible side effects of Travatan eye drops?
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with Travatan eye drops. Just because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
Very common (affect more than 1 in 10 people)
- Red eye(s).
Common (affect between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 people)
- Change in colour of the iris.
- Eye pain, itching, irritation or discomfort.
- Dry eye(s).
Uncommon (affect between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 people)
- Darkening, thickening and lengthening of the eyelashes.
- Darkening of the eyelid(s) or skin around the eye(s).
- Swelling, redness or itching of the eyelid(s).
- Dislike of light (photophobia).
- Watery eyes.
- Blurred vision.
- Inflammation of the front of the eye, called the cornea (keratitis).
- Inflammation of the middle layer of the eyeball (uveitis).
- Inflammation of the iris (iritis).
- Inflammation of the eyelid(s) (blepharitis).
- Inflammation of the membrane covering the eyeball (conjunctivitis).
- Inflammation inside the eyeball.
- Headache.
- Dizziness.
- Shortness of breath, asthma.
- Throat irritation.
- Awareness of your heartbeat (palpitations).
Rare (affect between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 people)
- Unpleasant taste.
- Eye numbness.
- Halo vision.
- Dilated pupil(s).
- Changes in blood pressure.
- Slow or irregular heart beat.
- Skin rash.
Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you want any more information about the possible side effects of travoprost.
Can I use Travatan eye drops with other medicines?
- If you are using more than one type of eye drop you should administer them at least five minutes apart, to prevent the second drop washing away the first. Use eye gels or ointments last.
Eye drops can be absorbed into the bloodstream and for this reason you should always tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already using, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any new medicines with Travatan eye drops, to make sure that the combination is safe.
References:
https://chealth.canoe.com/drug/getdrug/travatan-z
https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/eye-care/a8335/travatan-eye-drops-travoprost/
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/1556/smpc
https://www.rxlist.com/travatan-drug.htm
http://www.openingsprogram.com/explore-treatments/travatan-z-solution.shtml
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-20653/travatan-with-benzalkonium-ophthalmic-eye/details
https://www.nps.org.au/medical-info/medicine-finder/travatan-eye-drops
https://www.practo.com/medicine-info/travatan-eye-drops-45562
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