Like all medicines, brinzolamide can cause side effects, but not everyone gets them.
Common side effects of brinzolamide
There are things you can do to help cope with these possible side effects of brinzolamide:
An itchy or painful eye and a feeling that something's in your eye, blurred vision, or watery eyes
This should go away on its own but talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're concerned about this. A cold water compress on the closed eye may help.
If the eye drops irritate your eyes and make them water so much that you think about stopping using the drops, talk to your doctor straight away. They may prescribe something different for you.
Do not drive, cycle, use tools or operate heavy machinery until your eyes feel comfortable again and your vision is clear.
Your eyes becoming sensitive to bright light (photophobia)
Wearing sunglasses may help.
A bad or unusual taste in your mouth
This usually only lasts up to 5 minutes. Drink some water or juice, or chew some sugar-free gum.
Keep using the medicine, but speak to a doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.
Serious side effects
Skin rashes
Some people get a skin rash with brinzolamide. Most skin rashes are not serious.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a possible serious side effect of brinzolamide. It causes flu-like symptoms, followed by a red or purple rash that spreads and forms blisters. The affected skin eventually dies and peels off.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome is more common in:
- children
- people who developed a rash with a different medicine in the past
- people who are allergic to an antibiotic called trimethoprim
- people also taking a medicine called sodium valproate
To help prevent the chance of you getting a rash that could be confused with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, it's best not to try new medicines or food during the first 3 months of treatment with brinzolamide.
It's also best to not start brinzolamide within 2 weeks of a viral infection, vaccination, or rash caused by something else.
Immediate action required: Go to A&E now if:
- you get a severe rash with flushing, blisters or ulcers – these can be signs of Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
Bring all the medicines you take with you.
Other serious side effects
Do not use any more brinzolamide and call a doctor or call 111 straight away if you:
- become short of breath
- have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and your breathing gets worse
- get an irregular, slow or fast heart rate (heart palpitations)
Immediate action required: Call 999 if:
- you have chest pain – this can be a sign of reduced blood flow to the heart (angina)
- you have severe shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Serious allergic reaction
In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to brinzolamide.
Immediate action required: Call 999 now if:
- your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
- you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
- your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
- your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
- you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
- someone faints and cannot be woken up
- a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)
You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.
These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.
Do not drive yourself to A&E.
The person you speak to at 999 will give you advice about what to do.
Other side effects
These are not all the side effects of brinzolamide. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet.
Reporting side effects
You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.