Brinzolamide is a medicine that treats high pressure inside the eye (ocular hypertension) and glaucoma.
High pressure can happen when too much fluid builds up inside your eye. If it's not treated, high pressure in the eye can damage your optic nerve and cause vision loss or blindness.
Most cases of glaucoma are caused by a build-up of pressure in the eye when the fluid cannot drain properly. The pressure damages the optic nerve. Brinzolamide helps the eye to produce less fluid.
Brinzolamide is available on prescription only. It comes as eye drops. The bottle of eye drops contains a preservative (benzalkonium chloride) to keep it sterile.
Your doctor may also prescribe timolol or brimonidine eye drops to use with brinzolamide.
There are some combined eye drops. The brand Azarga contains brinzolamide and timolol, and Simbrinza contains brinzolamide and brimonidine.
Key facts
- You'll usually use brinzolamide eye drops 2 or 3 times a day.
- It may take up to 4 weeks for brinzolamide eye drops to work fully.
- If it works for you, you'll usually use brinzolamide for the rest of your life.
- It's important to use your eye drops regularly and to go for check-ups, to make sure your vision is not getting worse.
- Common side effects include an itchy or painful eye and a feeling that something's in your eye.
- If you have blurred vision after you put the eye drops in, do not drive, cycle, or use machinery or tools until you can see clearly again.