Optilast 0.05% Eye Drops

Optilast eye drops is a prescription-only medicine which contains an active ingredient called Azelastine hydrochloride 0.05%. Azelastine belongs to a group of medicines called antihistamines. Antihistamines relieve itchy, puffy, and watery eyes by reducing the release of histamine from mast cells, reducing your immune response to allergens such as pollen, house dust mites, or animals. Azelastine has shown to reduce inflammation of the eye.

Patients suffering from moderate to severe symptoms of allergic rhinitis, can use oral antihistamine tablets and a steroid nasal spray as triple therapy.

Optilast eye drops should be used in adults and children four years and older one drop in each eye twice daily can be increased, if necessary, to four times daily. If allergen exposure is anticipated, Optilast should be administered prophylactically prior to the exposure. Do not use optliast for longer than six weeks. If the symptoms worsen or do not improve after 48 hours, you should consult your doctor or The Family Chemist clinician.

1. Wash your hands.
   2. Gently wipe around your eyes with a tissues to remove any moisture
   3. Unscrew the top of the bottle and check that the dropper is clean.
   4. Gently pull your lower eye lid down
   5. Carefully place the drop inside the middle of your lower eyelid (Diagram 3). Take care not to let the dropper touch your eye.
2. Release your lower eye lid and gently press on the inner corner of your eye against the bridge of your nose. Keeping your finger pressed against your nose, slowly blink your eyes a few times to spread the drop across the surface of your eye.
3. Blot away any excess medicine with a tissue.
4. Repeat this for your other eye.

This medicine can cause side effects like all medicines, although not everybody gets them.

These effects include Slight irritation (burning, itching, watering) in the eyes after putting in Optilast. This should not last long. A bitter taste in your mouth. This should quickly disappear, especially if you have a soft drink.

Do not use Optilast if you are allergic to Azelastine or any other ingredients in this medicine.