Xalacom Eye Drop 0.005%/0.5% 2.5ml

About Xalacom Eye Drop 0.005%/0.5% 2.5ml

Xalacom Eye Drop Uses

• Lowers elevated intraocular pressure in open angle glaucoma
• Reduces eye pressure in ocular hypertension
• Used when a single beta blocker or prostaglandin drop alone does not control pressure well enough
• Combines two pressure lowering mechanisms in one bottle for patients on multiple glaucoma drops

Xalacom Eye Drop Benefits

• Once daily dosing combines two active ingredients instead of two separate bottles
• Lowers eye pressure through two different, complementary mechanisms
• Can reduce pressure more than either latanoprost or timolol used alone
• Simplifies a treatment routine for patients already needing dual therapy

What Experts Say

Ophthalmologists across Pakistan reserve fixed combination drops like latanoprost with timolol for patients whose eye pressure stays too high on a single glaucoma medicine. Combining two different mechanisms in one bottle also helps patients who struggle to remember multiple separate drops through the day.

The two ingredients work in complementary ways. Latanoprost increases fluid outflow through the uveoscleral pathway, while timolol, a non selective beta blocker, reduces how much aqueous fluid the eye produces in the first place. Together they typically lower pressure more than either drug used alone.

Because timolol can be absorbed into the bloodstream through the eye, doctors screen for asthma, chronic lung disease, slow heart rate, and heart block before prescribing it, and they counsel diabetic patients that it can mask the warning signs of low blood sugar. Routine follow up checks pressure control alongside heart rate and breathing.

Drug Class

• Prostaglandin F2 alpha analog combined with a non selective beta blocker
• Fixed dose ocular hypotensive combination

Xalacom Eye Drop 0.005%/0.5% 2.5ml formula

• Latanoprost + Timolol Maleate

Available forms

• Eye Drop

How to use Xalacom Eye Drop 0.005%/0.5% 2.5ml?

• Wash hands before touching the bottle or eye
• Tilt the head back and gently pull down the lower eyelid to form a small pocket
• Instil one drop into the affected eye or eyes, once daily in the morning
• Press a finger gently on the inner corner of the eye for about a minute after each drop, to limit drainage into the nose and throat
• Wait at least 5 minutes before using any other eye drop
• Remove contact lenses before instilling the drop and wait 15 minutes before putting them back
• Avoid touching the dropper tip to the eye or any surface

Drug Interactions

• Oral Beta Blockers: Combining with oral beta blocker tablets can add up to a dangerously slow heart rate or low blood pressure
• Calcium Channel Blockers: Oral calcium channel blockers such as verapamil or diltiazem taken together with this drop can cause additive drops in heart rate, blood pressure, and heart conduction problems
• Other Topical Beta Blocker Drops: Using two beta blocker containing eye drops together increases systemic beta blocker effects without added benefit
• Digoxin And Antiarrhythmics: May add to slowing of the heart rate when used with digoxin or other heart rhythm medicines
• Insulin And Diabetes Tablets: Can mask the early warning symptoms of low blood sugar, so glucose monitoring needs closer attention
• Clonidine: Stopping clonidine while on a beta blocker eye drop can cause a rebound rise in blood pressure
• Other Prostaglandin Drops: Using more than one prostaglandin analog together can raise eye pressure instead of lowering it

Risks and warnings

• Asthma And COPD: Contraindicated in patients with bronchial asthma, a history of asthma, or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease because the timolol component can trigger bronchospasm
• Slow Heart Rate Or Heart Block: Contraindicated in sinus bradycardia, sick sinus syndrome, and second or third degree heart block not controlled by a pacemaker
• Heart Failure: Avoid in uncontrolled heart failure or cardiogenic shock, since the beta blocker component can worsen cardiac function
• Masked Low Blood Sugar: Can hide the warning signs of hypoglycemia, such as a racing heart, in people with diabetes who use insulin or sulfonylureas
• Eye Color Change: Can cause a slow, often permanent increase in brown pigment in the iris
• Eyelash Changes: May cause eyelashes to grow longer, thicker, and darker, and can darken surrounding eyelid skin
• Eye Infection Risk: Avoid use with active eye infections or before recent eye surgery unless a doctor confirms it is safe
• Macular Edema Risk: Caution advised in patients without a natural lens or with a history of retinal problems
• Pregnancy And Breastfeeding: Not recommended unless a doctor decides the benefit clearly outweighs the risk

Xalacom Eye Drop 0.005%/0.5% Side Effects

• Mild stinging or burning right after the drop is applied
• Eye redness and irritation
• Watery eyes or a gritty, foreign body feeling
• Blurred vision for a few moments after instillation
• Gradual darkening of the iris color
• Longer, thicker, or darker eyelashes
• Darkening of the skin around the eyelid
• Slow heart rate or noticeable palpitations
• Shortness of breath or wheezing, especially in people with lung disease
• Fatigue, dizziness, or cold hands and feet
• Low blood pressure
• Rarely, worsening of heart failure symptoms
• Rarely, swelling of the macula at the back of the eye

Storage Conditions

• Store unopened bottles in the refrigerator between 2°C and 8°C
• Once opened, keep the bottle at room temperature, below 25°C
• Discard the bottle 4 weeks after first opening, even if some solution remains
• Keep the bottle in its outer carton to protect it from light
• Keep out of reach of children