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Allergy Drugs: Prescription and OTC »
The arsenal of allergy drugs includes dozens of medications that relieve allergy symptoms when confronted with a trigger known as an allergen. That trigger could be something from a plant, such as pollen, or something from an animal (pet dander, dust mites, cockroaches). Other allergy triggers include certain fragrances or chemical substances.
What causes a person's allergic reaction is highly individual. But the reactions are often universal: swelling and inflammation, especially around the eyes, nose, and throat, usually accompanied by itching.
Some allergy medications work against the effects of histamines, which are released during an allergic reaction. Other medications reduce swelling, affect the immune system, or affect release of other substances associated with allergic reactions.
Many allergy drugs are available without a prescription.
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For topical ocular use only. Not for injection or oral use.
Contamination of Tip and Solution As with any eye drop, to prevent contaminating the dropper tip and solution, care should be taken not to touch the eyelids or surrounding areas with the dropper tip of the bottle. Keep bottle tightly closed when not in use.
Contact Lens Use Patients should be advised not to wear a contact lens if their eye is red.
PATADAY™ (olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution) 0.2% should not be used to treat contact lens related irritation.
The preservative in PATADAY™ (olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution) solution, benzalkonium chloride, may be absorbed by soft contact lenses. Patients who wear soft contact lenses and whose eyes are not red, should be instructed to wait at least ten minutes after instilling PATADAY™ olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution) 0.2% before they insert their contact lenses.
Olopatadine administered orally was not carcinogenic in mice and rats in doses up to 500 mg/kg/day and 200 mg/kg/day, respectively. Based on a 40 μL drop size and a 50 kg person, these doses were approximately 150,000 and 50,000 times higher than the maximum recommended ocular human dose (MROHD). No mutagenic potential was observed when olopatadine was tested in an in vitro bacterial reverse mutation (Ames) test, an in vitro mammalian chromosome aberration assay or an in vivo mouse micronucleus test. Olopatadine administered to male and female rats at oral doses of approximately 100,000 times MROHD level resulted in a slight decrease in the fertility index and reduced implantation rate; no effects on reproductive function were observed at doses of approximately 15,000 times the MROHD level.
Olopatadine was found not to be teratogenic in rats and rabbits. However, rats treated at 600 mg/kg/day, or 150,000 times the MROHD and rabbits treated at 400 mg/kg/day, or approximately 100,000 times the MROHD, during organogenesis showed a decrease in live fetuses. In addition, rats treated with 600 mg/kg/day of olopatadine during organogenesis showed a decrease in fetal weight. Further, rats treated with 600 mg/kg/day of olopatadine during late gestation through the lactation period showed a decrease in neonatal survival and body weight. There are, however, no adequate and well- controlled studies in pregnant women. Because animal studies are not always predictive of human responses, this drug should be used in pregnant women only if the potential benefit to the mother justifies the potential risk to the embryo or fetus.
Olopatadine has been identified in the milk of nursing rats following oral administration. It is not known whether topical ocular administration could result in sufficient systemic absorption to produce detectable quantities in the human breast milk. Nevertheless, caution should be exercised when PATADAY™ olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution) 0.2% is administered to a nursing mother.
Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients below the age of 2 years have not been established.
No overall differences in safety and effectiveness have been observed between elderly and younger patients.
Last reviewed on RxList: 1/27/2011
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
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