Latanoprost eye drops is used to treat certain kinds of glaucoma. It is also used to treat a condition called hypertension of the eyealone or together with other medicines to lower pressure inside the eye that is caused by open-angle glaucoma or ocular (eye) hypertension. Latanoprost appears to work by increasing the outflow of fluid from the eye. This lowers the pressure in the eye.

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

Use this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not use more of it, do not use it more often, and do not use if for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of side effects.

To use the eye drops:

Wash your hands with soap and water before and after you use this medicine.
Shake well just before each use.
Tilt your head back. Press your finger gently on the skin just beneath the lower eyelid and pull it 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.
To keep the medicine as germ-free as possible, do not touch the applicator tip to any surface (including the eye). Also, keep the container tightly closed. Serious damage to the eye and possible loss of vision may result from using contaminated eye medicines.
You should not use this medicine if you have contact lenses in your eyes. Remove your contact lenses before using it. Wait at least 15 minutes after you use the medicine before putting the contact lenses back in.

If you will be using latanoprost with other eye medicines, use them at least 5 minutes apart from each other.

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

Eye pain or stinging

Less common

Decreased vision

painful irritation of the clear front part of the eye

swelling or redness of the eye and the lining of the eyelid

Incidence not known

Arm, back, or jaw pain

blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin

blurred vision or other change in vision

burning, dry, or itching eyes

chest pain or discomfort

chest tightness or heaviness

chills

cough

diarrhea

difficulty breathing

discharge, excessive tearing

fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse

itching

joint or muscle pain

noisy breathing

red skin lesions, often with a purple center

sensitivity of the eye to light

sore throat

sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips

tearing

unusual tiredness or weakness

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:

More common

Drainage from the eyes

longer and thicker eyelashes

Less common

Eyelash discoloration

feeling of having something in the eye

Incidence not known

Darkening of the eyelid skin color

dizziness

headache

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.

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly and to check for unwanted effects.

If itching, redness, swelling, or other signs of eye or eyelid irritation occur, check with your doctor. These signs may mean that you are allergic to this medicine.

This medicine may cause blurred vision or other vision problems. If these occur, do not drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are not able to see well. If these eye changes are bothersome, check with your doctor.

While you are using latanoprost, the iris (colored part) of your treated eye may slowly become more brown in color. This is more likely to happen if you have blue-brown, gray-brown, green-brown, or yellow-brown eyes. You may notice this change usually within several months or years from the start of treatment. You may also have darkening of the eyelid skin color or longer, thicker, and darker eyelashes. These changes to the iris, eyelid, and lashes may be permanent even if you stop using latanoprost. However, any of these changes will affect only the eye being treated with latanoprost. Check with your doctor if you have any concerns about this.