Alphagan

I had cataract surgery 4 months ago. I have monofocal lenses and for the most part I'm happy with the outcome. I have large pupils so I have minor aberrations at night. The doctor asked to try Alphagan 0.1. It is working very well as all the aberrations are totally eliminated at night. My question, is it safe to use Alphagan 2 or 3 times a week? I would not need it every day since the effect actually lasts a couple of days. Would long term use reduced the effectiveness of Alphagan? Thank you

[John C Hagan]

Alphagan-P (bromonidine) is used to treat open angle glaucoma and I have several hundred patients that have used it 2 or 3 times per day with no long term side effects.

The most common reason to discontinue Alphagan is redness, irritation, burning eyes and eyelids. This occurs in about 8% of patients taking the medication for long periods of time.

JCH III MD

[lsnstr]

Thanks for your quick response. I have one more question. Does the pupil size reducing effect of Alphagan diminished over time or it will always reduce the pupil when applied? My concern is that after a few months, Alphagan will not longer have an effect on pupil size. Again I’m only using Alphagan 2 or 3 times a week, one drop a day when I do use it. Thank you.

[John C Hagan]

The effect of alphagan which is primarily to prevent the pupil from enlarging in the dark is not permanent and will go away as the drops is metabolized. Most of it is broken down by the body in less than 24 hours. Most people using the drops as you do use it daily.

JCH III MD