How and when to use bimatoprost - Brand name: Lumigan

It's important to use bimatoprost as your doctor has advised.

Dosage and strength

Bimatoprost eye drops come in 2 strengths. It comes as:

• 0.1mg/ml, where 1ml of liquid contains 0.1mg of bimatoprost
• 0.3mg/ml, where 1ml of liquid contains 0.3mg of bimatoprost

Your doctor will decide which strength is right for you.

The usual dose is 1 drop into the affected eye or eyes once a day.

It either comes as a bottle with multiple doses in it or as a pack of single-dose droppers.

How to use bimatoprost eye drops

Always read the instructions that come with your medicine.

It's best to use your eye drops in the evening as bimatoprost works better then.

If you wear contact lenses, make sure you take them out before using your eye drops. Wait 15 minutes before putting your lenses back in. The drops may make your vision blurred if you use them with contact lenses. Also, the preservative used in some bottled eye drops may change the colour of your contact lenses.

1. Wash your hands.
2. If you're using a bottle, shake it and twist off the cap. If it does not come with a separate dropper and you have not used these drops before, practise gently squeezing the bottle away from your eye first, to get used to the pressure and the time it takes for 1 drop to fall out. If you're using the single-dose dropper, twist off the tip.
3. Use your finger to gently pull down the lower eyelid to form a small pocket and tilt your head back.
4. Make sure the tip of the dropper or bottle does not touch your eye, eyelashes, eyelid, or any other surface.
5. Hold the dropper or the tip of the bottle over your eye and squeeze the dropper or bottle gently so that 1 drop goes into the pocket formed by your lower eyelid. Try to avoid the eye drop liquid touching the skin around your eye.
6. Release your lower eyelid and close your eye. This helps to keep the drop in the eye.
7. Wipe away any extra liquid with a clean tissue.
8. Repeat in your other eye if your doctor has told you to do this. There's enough liquid in 1 single-dose dropper to put a drop in both eyes if needed.
9. Put the cap back on the bottle. If you're using the single-dose dropper, throw it away.

If you have difficulty opening your eye drop bottles or putting eye drops into your eyes, talk to your pharmacist as there are devices that can help you with this.

If you use bimatoprost with other eye drops, wait at least 5 minutes before using the other eye drops. The second eye drops can wash out the bimatoprost, so it may not work as well. It's best to use eye ointments last.

Expiry dates

If you're using bimatoprost in a bottle, use the eye drops before the expiry date on the bottle and within 4 weeks of opening.

The single-dose droppers come in sachets. Check the sachet to find out the expiry date and how soon you need to use the droppers after you have opened the sachet. Use the droppers before the expiry date and within the time limit shown on the sachet. This might be 7 days or 30 days depending on the manufacturer.

It's important to use your eye drops before their expiry date. This will reduce the risk of eye infections and reduce the risk of the eye drops not working as they should.

You could write the date you opened the bottle or packet on the label or the box. This will help you know when you need to start using a new one.

How long to use it for

You'll usually use bimatoprost for the rest of your life. However, if it does not work well enough or if you get side effects your doctor may recommend a different treatment or additional eye drops.

It's important to use your eye drops regularly and go for check-ups to make sure your vision is not getting worse.

Talk to your doctor if you want to stop using bimatoprost. Stopping could cause the pressure in your eye to rise and could lead to sight loss.

If you forget to use it

If you forget a dose of bimatoprost, use a single drop as soon as you remember, unless it's nearly time for your next dose. In this case, skip the missed dose and use your next dose at the usual time.

Never use 2 doses at the same time. Never use an extra dose to make up for a forgotten one.

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

If you use too much

Using too many drops can irritate your eye and make it water and turn red.

If you get too much bimatoprost in your eye, rinse it all out with water. Do not put any more drops in until it's time for your next dose.

Any irritation, watering or redness should get better, but if you're worried about it ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.