Phenylephrine Hydrochloride Eye Drops
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops, including how to use the eye drops.
It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have benefits and risks. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you using Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about using this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine.
You may need to read it again.
What Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops is used for
Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops belongs to a class of medicines called sympathomimetic agents. It is used to dilate (enlarge) the pupil of the
eye so that your doctor can examine your eye(s). It is usually used at the beginning of an eye examination.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed to you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
Before you use Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops
When you must not use it
Do not use Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops if you have an allergy to:
Any medicine containing Phenylephrine
Any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
Shortness of breath
Wheezing or difficulty breathing
Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
Rash, itching or hives on the skin
Do not use the 10% strength of Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops in children or the elderly.
Children and the elderly may be more susceptible to the effects of phenylephrine.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal.
If you are not sure whether you should start using this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you start to use it
Tell your doctor if you have had an allergy to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if you have or have had any of the following medical conditions:
Glaucoma (high pressure in the eye)
Asthma
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Fast heart beat
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland)
Arteriosclerosis
Heart disease
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or are breast-feeding.
Your doctor will discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start using Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops may interfere with each other. These include:
Medicines to lower blood pressure
Medicines to treat depression
Medicines to treat heart disease
These medicines may be affected by Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to use different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist will have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while using Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops.
How to use Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor carefully.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions on the label, ask your doctor for help.
How much to use
Use Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops only when prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor will tell you how often to use the eye drops and how many drops to use each time.
Adults: The usual dose is one drop instilled into the eye(s). This may be repeated once if necessary, at least one hour after the first drop.
Children and Elderly: The usual dose is one drop of the 2.5% solution to the eye(s).
Sometimes a drop of local anaesthetic may be used before using Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops. This is to help prevent the stinging effect of phenylephrine eye drops.
How to use it
Your doctor will normally instil the drops into your eyes for you. If you are instilling your own drops, then follow the directions below.
You may find it easier to put drops in your eye while you are sitting or lying down.
If you are wearing contact lenses, remove them before putting the drops in your eye.
If you are instilling your own drops, then follow these steps to use the eye drops.
1. Wash your hands well with soap and water.
4. Hold the container upside down in one hand between your thumb and forefinger.
5. Using your other hand, gently pull down your lower eyelid to form a pouch/pocket.
6. Tilt your head back and look up.
7. Put the tip of the container close to your lower eyelid. Do not let it touch your eye.
8. Release the required number of drops into the pouch/pocket formed between your eye and eyelid by gently squeezing the container.
9. Close your eye. Do not blink or rub your eye.
10. While your eye is closed, place your index finger against the inside corner of your eye and press against your nose for about two minutes. This is very important when administering to children. This will help to stop the medicine from draining through the tear duct to the nose and throat, from where it can be absorbed into other parts of your body.
11. Repeat steps 4-10 for the other eye if needed.
12. Throw away any eye drops left in the container.
13. Wait 15 minutes before replacing your contact lenses.
If you use too much (overdose)
Accidental swallowing of the solution is unlikely to cause any bad side effects due to the low content of Phenylephrine. If you think that an infant or young child may have swallowed any or all of the contents of the container of Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops, immediately telephone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre.
While you are using Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops
Things you must do
If you have any irritation, pain, swelling, excessive tear production or light-sensitivity occur while using the eye drops, flush the treated eye(s) with lots of water (room temperature) for at least 15 minutes.
Stop using the eye drops and contact your doctor if these symptoms persist.
Things you must not do
Do not use this medicine to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if you think they have the same condition as you.
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops affects you.
This medicine generally does not cause any problems with your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. However, it may cause stinging and transient blurred vision at the time of application and sufficient time should be allowed to regain clear vision before driving or operating hazardous machinery.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you do not feel well while you are using Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops.
This medicine helps most people but it may have unwanted effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects.
Do not be alarmed by the following lists of side effects.
You may not experience any of them.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
Local irritation or stinging or feeling of having something in the eye on instillation
Blurred vision and/or problems seeing clearly
Sensitivity to light
Headache or brow ache
Red eyes
The above list includes the more common side effects of your medicine.
Tell your doctor immediately or visit Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you notice any of the following:
Fast or irregular heart beat
Whitening of the skin
Trembling or tremors
Increased sweating
The above list includes very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation. These side effects are rare.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. Tell your doctor if you notice any other effects.
After using Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops
Storage
Keep the unopened eye drops in a refrigerator (2-8°C) where children cannot reach them. Do not freeze the eye drops or expose them to strong light.
Discard each single dose unit and any remaining solution in it immediately after use. Do not save unused contents.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop using the eye drops or they have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any remaining containers.
Product description
What it looks like
Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops comes in single dose units containing 0.5mL of a clear, colourless solution. Each carton contains 20 single dose units.
Ingredients
Minims Phenylephrine Eye Drops contains 2.5%w/v or 10%w/v of phenylephrine hydrochloride as the active ingredient.
It also contains:
Sodium metabisulphite
Disodium edetate
Water - Purified
The eye drops do not contain any preservatives.
