Patanol (generic: olopatadine) is a prescription medication used to treat allergic pink eye. Patanol belongs to a group of drugs called antihistamines. It works by blocking the release of histamine from certain cells in the body.
This medication comes in the form of an eye drop. It is usually given as one drop in each affected eye, twice daily.
Common side effects of Patanol are headache, blurred vision, and eye burning or stinging.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Patanol will harm your unborn baby.
No Patanol drug interactions have been identified, however, you should tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Not all drug interactions are known or reported and new drug interactions are continually being reported.
Patanol is a prescription eye drop used to treat allergic conjunctivitis (known as allergic pink eye).
This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Patanol is for ophthalmic (eye) use only.
Do not use Patanol if you are allergic to any ingredient in it.
Do not wear contact lenses if your eyes are red. Patanol should not be used to treat contact lens-related irritation, or redness.
The preservative in Patanol, benzalkonium chloride, may be absorbed by soft contact lenses. Patients who wear soft contact lenses and whose eyes are not red should wait at least ten minutes after instilling Patanol before inserting contact lenses.
Do not allow dropper tip to contact your eye or any other surface.
Patanol comes as a liquid to instill in the eye. It is usually instilled in the affected eye(s) twice a day, around 6 to 8 hours apart. Use Patanol exactly as prescribed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
To instill the eye drops, follow these steps:
- Wash your hands using soap and water.
- Make sure the dropper tip is not chipped or cracked.
- Do not allow dropper tip to contact your eye or any other surface.
- Tilt your head back, pull down the lower lid of your eye with your index finger to form a pocket.
- While looking up, gently squeeze the dropper so that a single drop falls into the pocket made by the lower eyelid. Remove your index finger from the lower eyelid.
- Close your eye for 2 to 3 minutes without blinking or squeezing your eyelids, and tilt your head down as though looking at the floor.
- Place a finger on the tear duct and apply gentle pressure.
- Wipe any excess liquid from your face with a tissue.
- If you are to use more than one drop in the same eye, wait at least 5 minutes before instilling the next drop.
- Replace and tighten the cap on the dropper bottle. Do not wipe or rinse the dropper tip. Keep bottle tightly closed when not in use.
- Wash your hands to remove any medication.
Before using Patanol, tell your doctor:
- if you are allergic to Patanol or any other medicine
- about all of the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements
- if you are pregnant or breastfeeding
If you use too much Patanol or if someone accidentally takes it by mouth, call your local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.
The recommended dose is one drop in each affected eye two times per day, approximately 6 to 8 hours between doses.
Store this medication at temperatures between 39°F and 77°F (4°C-25°C).
Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children.
Active ingredient: olopatadine hydrochloride
Inactive ingredients: benzalkonium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate, sodium chloride, hydrochloric acid/sodium hydroxide, water.
Patanol can cause side effects including:
- headache
- blurred vision
- eye burning or stinging
- dry eyes
- sore throat
- taste changes
Tell your doctor if any side effect is bothersome or does not go away.
This is not a complete list of Patanol side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Patanol there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Patanol.
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Patanol is excreted in human breast milk or if it will harm your nursing baby.