Epinastine

Epinastine is a prescription medication used to prevent itching of the eyes caused by allergic conjunctivitis or allergies.

Epinastine belongs to a group of drugs called antihistamines. These work by preventing the release of histamine, which causes allergic reactions and itchiness in the eyes.

This medication comes in eye drop form and is typically administered twice daily.

Common side effects of epinastine include burning or itching of the eyes, swollen eyelids, eye redness, headache, runny nose, and cough.

Epinastine is a prescription medication used to prevent itchy eyes associated with allergic conjunctivitis or allergies.

Conjunctivitis, also known as "pink eye," occurs when there is inflammation or swelling in the clear layer of tissue on the eye (conjunctiva) and can be caused by a reaction to irritants, pollen, dander, mold, or other allergens as well as bacteria, fungi, and/or viruses.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Epinastine may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Elestat

Serious side effects have been reported with epinastine. See the “Epinastine Precautions” section.

Common side effects of epinastine include the following:

• burning or itching of the eyes
• swollen eyelids
• eye redness
• headache
• runny nose
• cough

This is not a complete list of epinastine side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

No epinastine drug interactions have been reported by the manufacturer. However, you should tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Not all drug interactions are known or reported and new drug interactions are continually being reported.

Serious side effects have been reported with epinastine including the following:

• Infection. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of an infection.
  • sore throat
  • fever or chills

Do not take epinastine if you are allergic to epinastine or to any of its ingredients.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of epinastine, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking epinastine, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to epinastine or to any of its ingredients
• are pregnant or breastfeeding
• wear contact lenses

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X - are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Epinastine falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if epinastine crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using epinastine.

Use epinastine exactly as prescribed.

Epinastine comes in eye drop form and is typically instilled into the eyes twice daily, usually once in the morning and evening.

Avoid allowing the tip of the epinastine container to contact the eye, surrounding structures, fingers, or any other surface in order to avoid contamination by common bacteria known to cause eye infections. Serious damage to the eye and subsequent loss of vision may result from using contaminated epinastine. The bottle should be kept tightly closed when not in use.

epinastine should not be used for contact lens-related irritation. Remove contact lenses prior to use of epinastine. The preservative in epinastine, benzalkonium chloride, may be absorbed by soft contact lenses. Lenses may be reinserted after 10 minutes following administration of epinastine.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of epinastine at the same time.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• how you respond to this medication

The recommended dose epinastine for the prevention of itching of the eyes is 1 drop into each eye twice daily. Treatment should be continued throughout the period of allergen exposure, such as pollen season, even if symptoms are absent.

If you use too much epinastine, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If epinastine is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Store epinastine at room temperature.
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.