Lastacaft

Lastacaft is a prescription medication used to prevent eye itchiness caused by a condition called allergic conjunctivitis. Lastacaft belongs to a group of drugs called antihistamines. These work by blocking the effects of histamine, a substance in the body that causes itching and allergies. 

This medication comes in eyedrop form and is usually administered once per day.

Common side effects of Lastacaft include eye irritation, burning or stinging after administration, and eye redness.

Lastacaft can also cause blurred vision. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Lastacaft affects you.

Lastacaft is a prescription medication used to prevent eye itchiness caused by a condition called allergic conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis, also known as "pink eye," occurs when there is inflammation or swelling in the clear layer of tissue in the eye (conjunctiva) caused by a reaction to 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.

• Allergan, Inc.

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

Common side effects of Lastacaft include the following:

• eye redness
• burning or itching of the eyes
• eye swelling
• blurred vision

This is not a complete list of Lastacaft 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 Lastacaft 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 Lastacaft including the following:

• Infection. Avoid allowing the tip of the Lastacaft 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 Lastacaft. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of an infection:

• sore throat
• fever or chills
• unusual discharge from the eye

Lastacaft should not be used to treat contact lens-related irritation and should not be instilled while wearing contact lenses. The preservative in Lastacaft, benzalkonium chloride, may be absorbed by soft contact lenses.

Remove contact lenses prior to instillation of Lastacaft. Lenses may be reinserted after 10 minutes following administration of Lastacaft.

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

Lastacaft can also cause blurred vision. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Lastacaft affects you.

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 Lastacaft, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

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

• are allergic to Lastacaft or to any of its ingredients
• are pregnant or breastfeeding
• wear contact lenses
• have or suspect you have any kind of eye infection
• are currently using any other eyedrop products

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.

Lastacaft falls into category B. There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with Lastacaft. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication, and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication. Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response, this drug should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.

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

It is not known if Lastacaft 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 Lastacaft.

Use Lastacaft exactly as prescribed.

Lastacaft comes in eyedrop form and is typically instilled into the affected eye(s) once daily.

Avoid allowing the tip of the Lastacaft 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 Lastacaft. The bottle should be kept tightly closed when not in use.

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

If more than one eyedrop product is being used, the drugs should be administered at least five minutes apart.

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 of Lastacaft for the prevention of eye itchiness due to allergic conjunctivitis is 1 drop into the affected eye once daily.

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

Store at 15°-25°C (59°-77°F).

Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.