Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml belongs to a class of ophthalmic preparations called anti-glaucoma agents primarily used to treat increased pressure in the eyes. Glaucoma is an eye condition that causes damage to the optic nerve (essential for good vision) due to abnormally increased pressure in the eye. Ocular hypertension is increased pressure in the eye due to poor drainage of aqueous humour (fluid in the eye that maintains normal pressure by its continuous flow).

Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml contains Levobunolol, which is a beta-blocker. It works by blocking beta-receptors located in the eyes and decreasing the secretion of aqueous humour (fluid of eyeball that maintains eye pressure), thereby lowering the raised eye pressure. Thus, it prevents eyes from getting blind due to glaucoma and raised eye pressure. 

Use Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml as prescribed. Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml is only for use in eyes. You are advised to use Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml for as long as your doctor has prescribed it based on your medical condition. In some cases, you may experience redness, itching, irritation or pain in the eyes, swelling of eyelids, blurred vision and dry eyes. Most of these side effects of Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects worsen or persist, please consult your doctor.

If you are allergic to Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml is not recommended for children below 18 years of age. You are not advised to use Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml if you are pregnant or breastfeeding unless prescribed by a doctor. You are advised to remove soft contact lenses before using Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml as it may cause discolouration of the soft contact lens. If you get any new eye problem, an eye infection or notice any allergic reactions such as itching or redness of the eye and skin rash, please consult your doctor immediately. You are advised to maintain a 10 minutes time gap between using Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml and other eye drops. Please do not touch the container tip to the eye, eyelids or surrounding areas as it may contaminate Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml and cause eye infections. If you have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Raynaud’s disease or Raynaud’s syndrome (poor blood circulation), diabetes, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), irregular heartbeat, heart failure or any other heart problems, inform your doctor before taking Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml. 

Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml contains Levobunolol used to treat increased pressure in the eye in conditions such as glaucoma (damage of optic nerve) and ocular hypertension (high fluid pressure inside the eye). Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml blocks beta-receptors on the ciliary body (part of the eye that produces aqueous humour). It decreases the secretion of aqueous humour (a liquid that maintains normal pressure in the eyeball) by the ciliary body into the eyeball. Thereby lowers the pressure in the eye by reducing aqueous humour entry into the eyeball.

• Redness, itching, irritation or pain in the eyes
• Swelling of eyelids
• Blurred vision
• Dry eyes

If you are allergic to Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml is not recommended for children below 18 years of age. You are not advised to use Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml if you are pregnant or breastfeeding unless prescribed by a doctor. You are advised to remove soft contact lenses before using Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml as it may cause discolouration of the soft contact lens. If you get any new eye problem, an eye infection or notice any allergic reactions such as itching or redness of the eye and skin rash, please consult your doctor immediately. You are advised to maintain a 10 minutes time gap between using Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml and other eye drops. Please do not touch the container tip to the eye, eyelids or surrounding areas as it may contaminate Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml and cause eye infections. In very rare cases, you may notice cloudy patches on the cornea (transparent layer at the front of the eye) due to the accumulation of calcium as Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml contains phosphates responsible for causing such severe damage to the cornea. If you have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Raynaud’s disease or Raynaud’s syndrome (poor blood circulation), diabetes, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), irregular heartbeat, heart failure or any other heart problems, inform your doctor before taking Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml.

Drug-Drug Interaction: Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml may have interaction with high blood pressure-lowering medicines (amlodipine), medicines used to treat irregular heartbeat (digoxin, amiodarone), antidiabetic drugs and medicines to dilate the pupil (adrenaline).

Drug- Food Interaction: No interactions found.

Drug-Disease Interaction: If you have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Raynaud’s disease or Raynaud’s syndrome (poor blood circulation), diabetes, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), irregular heartbeat, heart failure or any other heart problems, inform your doctor before taking Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml.

• AMLODIPINE
• DIGOXIN
• AMIODARONE
• ADRENALINE

• Avoid baked foods such as cakes, cookies, donuts or fried items such as French fries and stick margarine as these foods may worsen glaucoma and damaged the optic nerve.
• Please cut down your coffee intake as it may increase pressure in the eye and replace coffee with green tea.
• Avoid exercises such as any position where the head is lower than the body like inverted yoga pose as it may increase pressure in the eye. Doing selective exercises is advised for glaucoma patients.

• You are advised to inform your doctor before any operation that you are using Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml as it may alter the effects of some medicines used during anesthesia.
• Your doctor may monitor eye pressure after 4 weeks of starting treatment with Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml.
• Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml may make it harder to tell if you have signs of an overactive thyroid like a fast heartbeat. So, if you have an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) and have stopped taking Betagan 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution 5 ml all of a sudden, it may be life-threatening. 

Glaucoma: It is an eye condition that causes damage to the optic nerve (essential for good vision) due to abnormally increased pressure in the eye. If it is not treated in time, it may cause blindness. Usually, there are no symptoms of glaucoma initially except the slow loss of vision gradually. However, some symptoms include visible rainbow-colored circles around bright lights or blurred vision. Rarely, glaucoma can develop suddenly with intense pain in the eye, visual disturbance, or nausea.

Ocular hypertension: It is a condition caused due to poor drainage of aqueous humor (fluid in the eye that maintains normal pressure by its continuous flow). This leads to the building up of excess fluid in the eye, resulting in increased pressure inside the eye without any damage to the optic nerve. If ocular hypertension is not controlled, it may lead to glaucoma.