Dexamethasone eye drops

Dexamethasone eye drops are a type of medicine called a steroid (corticosteroid). Steroids are copies of a hormone your body makes naturally. They're not the same as anabolic steroids.

They're used to treat eye inflammation by reducing swelling, redness and irritation. These can be symptoms of eye injuries, surgery, or damage caused by severe allergies or chemicals.

It's also safe to use dexamethasone eye drops in the ear but only when you've been advised to do so by a doctor.

Dexamethasone eye drops come in eye-drop bottles, which may have a preservative in them, or in single dose droppers that are preservative-free. It's available on prescription only.

Dexamethasone eye drops and ointment are also available combined with antibiotics to treat eye inflammation and infection. Brand names include Maxitrol, Sofradex or Tobradex for eyes and Sofradex or Otomize for ears.

Dexamethasone also comes as tablets, a liquid that you swallow, and injections. These are used to treat severe allergy symptoms, croup and lupus. It is also used in hospitals for severe cases of COVID-19 and other serious infections.

Most adults can use dexamethasone eye drops. Children aged 2 years and over can use them, usually when prescribed by a specialist.

Dexamethasone eye drops are not suitable for some people. To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you:

• have ever had an allergic reaction to dexamethasone, or any other medicine
• have an infection in your eye, or it's producing pus
• have tuberculosis (TB)
• have shingles, or another virus infection that could affect the eye
• have glaucoma
• have redness in your eyes that's not caused by a known allergy, irritant or other cause such as surgery
• wear soft contact lenses

The usual dose of dexamethasone eye drops is 1 eye drop in one or both eyes, 4 to 6 times a day. You'll usually do this every 4 hours.

If your eye inflammation is severe, your doctor may recommend putting 1 drop in the affected eye every 30 to 60 minutes until the redness and soreness improves.

1. Wash your hands.
2. If you wear contact lenses, remove them before using your eye drops. It may make your vision blurred if you use them with contact lenses.
3. Shake the bottle well before use and remove the lid. If you're using a single-use dropper, twist off the tip.
4. Make sure the dropper does not touch anything, including your eye, eyelashes, eyelid or your skin.
5. Tilt your head back to look at the ceiling.
6. Use your finger to gently pull down your lower eyelid.
7. Hold the dropper over your eye, look up, and allow 1 drop to fall into your eye.
8. Blink a few times to wash it across your eye.
9. Close your eye and gently press your finger against the corner of your eye for about 30 seconds.
10. Repeat for your other eye, if treating both eyes.
11. Wait 15 minutes before putting your contact lenses back in.

You'll usually only need to use dexamethasone eye drops for a few days. If you're using them after having eye surgery (to remove cataracts, for example), you may need to use them for a few weeks or more.

Once your symptoms are better, your doctor may tell you to reduce your dose slowly before stopping completely. This helps to prevent symptoms coming back.

Sometimes, however, your doctor may ask you to have check-ups if you've been using eye drops for a few weeks. This is to make sure your medicine is working properly and the dose is right for you. Your doctor will check your eyes for:

• an increase in pressure
• any signs of infection

Talk to your doctor if you have stopped using dexamethasone eye drops and your symptoms have come back, or if you want to stop using them.

If you miss your dose of eye drops, use them as soon as you remember, unless it's almost time for your next dose. In this case, skip the missed dose and use it again at the usual time.

Never use more eye drops to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember your medicines.

Using too much dexamethasone eye drops is unlikely to harm you. If you use too much and your eye feels sore, however, rinse your eye with sterile water.

Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if you're worried.

These are some of the common side effects of dexamethasone eye drops. There are things you can do to help cope with them:

If you get these symptoms after using your eye drops, they should go after a few minutes as your eye gets used to the medicine. If they continue, stop using the eye drops and tell your doctor.

You may get some blurred or cloudy vision straight after using the eye drops. If your sight does not go back to normal after a few minutes, or you think your sight is slowly getting worse, stop using the eye drops and tell your doctor.

If you get the taste of the eye drops in your mouth a few minutes after your dose, it may help to rinse your mouth with water or have a drink of water.

Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.

Serious side effects

Call your doctor or call 111 now if you have side effects such as:

• problems with your sight – blurred or cloudy vision that does not improve or gets worse. These can be signs of increased pressure in your eyes (glaucoma) or a cataract
• pain in your eye – this could be a sign of an ulcer on the surface of your eye

Serious allergic reaction

In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to dexamethasone eye drops.

Call 999 now if:

• your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
• you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
• your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
• your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
• you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
• someone faints and cannot be woken up
• a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)

You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.

These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.

These are not all the side effects of dexamethasone eye drops. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet.

You can use dexamethasone eye drops while you're pregnant. Very little is absorbed into your blood and this tiny amount is unlikely to cause any problems.

When you use dexamethasone eye drops while breastfeeding, tiny amounts are likely to be in your breast milk. It is very unlikely to cause any side effects in your baby.

If you notice that your baby is not feeding as well as usual, or if you have any other concerns about your baby, talk to your health visitor, midwife or doctor as soon as possible.

There's no evidence to suggest that using dexamethasone eye drops reduces fertility in either men or women.

Tell your doctor if you're:

• trying to get pregnant
• pregnant
• breastfeeding

It's unlikely that other medicines will affect how your dexamethasone eye drops work. However, tell a pharmacist or doctor if you're taking:

• ritonavir (for HIV infection)
• cobicistat
• other medicines that contain steroids such as eczema creams, asthma inhalers, steroid tablets, injections, nose drops, nasal sprays or other eye drops

These medicines can increase the level of dexamethasone in your body and increase the chances of side effects.

There's not enough information to say that herbal remedies and supplements are safe to take with dexamethasone eye drops. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements.