Flarex

Generic name: Fluorometholone Ophthalmic
Drug class: Ophthalmic steroids

Usage of Flarex

Flarex (for the eyes) is a steroid medicine used to treat eye inflammation caused by surgery, injury, or other conditions.

Flarex may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Flarex side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Flarex may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

pain behind your eyes, sudden vision changes;

slow healing after your eye surgery;

eye pain, tunnel vision, or seeing halos around lights; or

signs of new eye infection, such as swelling, draining, or crusting of your eyes.

Common side effects of Flarex may include:

mild stinging or burning in your eyes;

feeling like something is in your eye;

red or puffy eyelids;

blurred vision; or

drooping eyelids.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Flarex

You should not use fluorometholone if you are allergic to it, or if you have any type of bacterial, fungal, or viral infection of the eye (including herpes).

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

glaucoma; or

cataracts.

It is not known whether Flarex will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant.

You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.

Flarex should not be given to a child younger than 2 years old.

Relate drugs

How to use Flarex

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Wash your hands before using eye medication.

Shake the eye drops well just before each use.

To use the eye drops: Tilt your head back slightly and pull down your lower eyelid to create a small pocket. Hold the dropper above the eye and squeeze a drop into this pocket. Close your eyes for 1 or 2 minutes.

Use only the number of drops your doctor has prescribed.

Do not the eye drops use while wearing soft contact lenses. A preservative in Flarex could permanently stain the lenses. Use the medicine at least 15 minutes before inserting your contact lenses.

To apply the ointment: Tilt your head back slightly and pull down your lower eyelid to create a small pocket. Squeeze a ribbon of ointment from the tube into this pocket. Blink your eye gently and then keep it closed for 1 or 2 minutes. Wipe excess ointment from your eyelashes using a clean tissue.

Do not touch the tip of the eye dropper or ointment tube or place it directly on your eye. A contaminated tube tip can infect your eye, which could lead to serious vision problems.

Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 2 days of treatment.

If you use this medicine for longer than 10 days, you may need frequent vision tests to check the pressure inside your eyes.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not freeze. Keep the bottle or tube tightly closed when not in use.

You should not stop using this medicine suddenly. Follow your doctor's instructions about tapering your dose.

Warnings

You should not use Flarex if you have any type of bacterial, fungal, or viral infection of the eye (including herpes).

What other drugs will affect Flarex

Medicine used in the eyes is not likely to be affected by other drugs you use. But many drugs can interact with each other. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all medicines you use, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.