Difluprednate eye drops is used to treat eye pain, redness, and swelling caused by eye surgery. It is also used to treat an eye condition called endogenous anterior uveitis (eye inflammation). This medicine belongs to the group of medicines known as corticosteroids (steroids or cortisone-like medicines).

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription. .

Your eye doctor will tell you how much of this medicine to use and how often. Do not use more medicine or use it more often than your doctor tells you to. This medicine is not for long-term use.

To use the eye drops:

First, wash your hands. Tilt your head back and, pressing your finger gently on the skin just beneath the lower eyelid, pull the lower eyelid away from the eye to make a space. Drop the medicine into this space. Let go of the eyelid and gently close the eyes. Do not blink. Keep the eyes closed and apply pressure to the inner corner of the eye with your finger for 1 or 2 minutes to allow the medicine to be absorbed by the eye.
If you think you did not get the drop of medicine into your eye properly, use another drop.
Immediately after using the eye drops, wash your hands to remove any medicine that may be on them.
To keep the medicine as germ-free as possible, do not touch the applicator tip to any surface (including the eye). Always keep the container tightly closed.
If you are using this medicine after an eye surgery, use one bottle for each eye only. Use of the same bottle of eye drops for both eyes is not recommended.

The preservative used in these eye medicines may be absorbed by soft contact lenses and cause irritation of your eyes. Contact lenses should be taken out before you use difluprednate. Lenses may be put back in the eyes 10 minutes after you have used the medicine.

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

More common

Blurred vision

change in color vision

decreased vision or other changes in vision

difficulty seeing at night

eye discomfort

eye pain

eye redness

increase in blood flow to the whites of the eyes

increased sensitivity of the eyes to sunlight

painful irritation of the front clear part of the eye

sensitivity of the eyes to light

swelling or redness of the eye and lining of the eyelid

Less common

Eyelid irritation and crusting

tearing

throbbing eye pain

watering of the eyes

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Less common

Dry eyes

Rare

Burning, itching, or soreness of the eye

feeling of having something in the eye

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Your eye doctor will want to examine your eye(s) at regular visits to make sure the medicine is working properly and is not causing unwanted effects.

Difluprednate eye drops are not for long-term use. Steroid eye drops may cause glaucoma (increased pressure inside the eye) or posterior subcapsular cataracts (a rare type of cataract) if used too long Slow or delayed healing may also occur while you are using this medicine after cataract surgery. You will need to have regular eye exams with your doctor to check for these problems.

If you hurt your eye or develop an eye infection, talk with your doctor right away. You may need to change your medicine or stop using it.

If your symptoms do not improve or if your condition becomes worse, check with your doctor.