Blephamide

Blephamide is a prescription medication used to treat eye inflammation and bacterial infections of the eye.

It is a combination product containing two medications: sulfacetamide and prednisolone. Sulfacetamide belongs to a class of medications called sulfonamide antibacterials. These work by preventing bacteria from making certain chemicals they need in order to survive. Prednisolone belongs to a class of medications called corticosteroids, which reduce inflammation by preventing the body from making chemicals that are involved in inflammation.

This medication comes in eye ointment form and is typically applied three or four times daily and once or twice at night.

Common side effects of Blephamide include allergic skin reactions, skin irritation, and delayed wound healing.

Blephamide is a prescription medication used to treat inflammatory conditions of the eye and bacterial infections of the eye caused by susceptible bacteria.

Blephamide is not effective in treating bacterial eye infections caused by Neisseria species, Pseudomonas species, and Serratia marcescens.

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

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
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• your weight
• your height
• your age
• your gender

The recommended dose of Blephamide for the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the eye and bacterial infections of the eye caused by susceptible bacteria is an approximately 1/2 inch ribbon of ointment applied into the lower eyelid three or four times daily and once or twice at night. If symptoms fail to improve after two days, consult your physician.

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

• Bacterial and fungal corneal ulcers. Consult your physician right away and stop taking Blephamide if you experience severe eye pain and/or pus or blood discharge from the eye.
• Non-specific conjunctivitis, conjunctival hyperemia, and secondary infections. Consult your physician right away and stop taking Blephamide if you experience eye hypersensitivity, eye aggravation, eye swelling, or severe eye pain.
• Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. Consult your physician right away and stop taking Blephamide if you experience skin rashes or other serious reactions after taking Blephamide.
• High blood pressure of the eye and/or glaucoma. If Blephamide is used for 10 days or longer, eye blood pressure should be routinely monitored.
• Defects in visual acuity and fields of vision. Consult your physician right away and stop taking Blephamide if you experience impaired vision.
• Posterior subcapsular cataract formation. Consult your physician right away and stop taking Blephamide if you experience grey spots in your field of vision.
• Acute anterior uveitis. Consult your physician right away and stop taking Blephamide if you experience abnormal eye pain.

Do not take Blephamide if:

• you are allergic to Blephamide or any of its ingredients
• you have a viral or fungal eye infection

To prevent contamination, care should be taken to avoid touching the tube tip to eyelids or to any other surface. The use of this tube by more than one person may spread infection. Keep tube tightly closed when not in use.

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

Common side effects of Blephamide include the following:

• allergic skin reactions
• skin irritation
• delayed wound healing
• increased blood pressure in the eye

This is not a complete list of Blephamide 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.

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

• medications, supplements, or alternative medication products containing silver
• procaine
• tetracaine
• chloroprocaine

This is not a complete list of Blephamide drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

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.

Blephamide falls into category C. No studies have been done in animals, and no well-controlled studies have been done in pregnant women. Blephamide should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.

It is not known if Blephamide 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 Blephamide.