Alcaftadine

What is Alcaftadine?

• Alcaftadine (Lastacaft) is an H1 histamine receptor antagonist used to prevent eye irritation brought on by allergic conjunctivitis.

Alcaftadine

Alcaftadine

What are the uses of this medicine?

• Alcaftadine (Lastacaft) is used for the prevention of itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis.

How does this medicine work?

• Alcaftadine is an H1 histamine receptor antagonist and inhibitor of the release of histamine from mast cells.
• Decreased chemotaxis and inhibition of eosinophil activation has also been demonstrated.

Who Should Not Use this medicine ?

This medicine cannot be used in patients who:

• with hypersensitivity to any component in the product.

What drug interactions can this medicine cause?

• No formal drug interaction studies have been conducted with Lastacaft.

Is this medicine FDA approved?

• It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2010, under the trade name Lastacaft.

How should this medicine be used?

Recommended dosage:

• Instill one drop in each eye once daily.
• If more than 1 topical ophthalmic medicinal product is being used, each one should be administered at least 5 minutes apart.

Administration:

• Instill one drop in each eye once daily.
• To minimize eye injury and contamination of the dropper tip and solution, advise patients to not touch the eyelids or surrounding areas with the dropper tip, as this may contaminate the contents.
• Advise patients not to wear a contact lens if their eye is red.
• Advise patients remove contact lenses prior to instillation of Lastacaft.

What are the dosage forms and brand names of this medicine?

This medicine is available in fallowing doasage form:

• As Ophthalmic solution containing alcaftadine 0.25% (2.5 mg/mL)

This medicine is available in fallowing brand namesː

• Lastacaft

What side effects can this medication cause?

The most common side effects of this medicine include:

• eye irritation
• burning and/or stinging on instillation
• eye redness
• eye pruritus

What special precautions should I follow?

• To minimize the risk of eye injury and contamination, do not touch dropper tip to eyelids and surrounding areas, or any other surface. Keep bottle tightly closed when not in use.
• Patients should be advised not to wear a contact lens if their eye is red.
• Lastacaft® should not be used to treat contact lens-related irritation.
• Lastacaft® should not be instilled while wearing contact lenses.
• Remove contact lenses prior to instillation of Lastacaft.
• The preservative in Lastacaft®, benzalkonium chloride, may be absorbed by soft contact lenses.
• Lenses may be reinserted after 10 minutes following administration of Lastacaft.

What to do in case of emergency/overdose?

• In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline of your country. In the United States, call 1-800-222-1222.

• Overdose related information is also available online at poisonhelp.org/help.
• In the event that the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services. In the United States, call 911.

Can this medicine be used in pregnancy?

• There are no adequate and well-controlled studies with Lastacaft in pregnant women to inform a drug associated risk.
• There are limited data with the use of alcaftadine eye drops in pregnant women.
• Advise pregnant women of a potential risk to the fetus and mother.
• Lastacaft® should only be used during pregnancy if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus and mother.

Can this medicine be used in children?

• Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients below the age of 2 years have not been established.

What are the active and inactive ingredients in this medicine?

Active ingredients:

• alcaftadine

Inactive ingredients:

• benzalkonium chloride
• edetate disodium
• sodium phosphate, monobasic
• water
• sodium chloride
• sodium hydroxide
• hydrochloric acid

Who manufactures and distributes this medicine?

Distributed by:

• Allergan, an AbbVie company
• Madison, NJ

What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?

• Store at 15°C to 25°C (59°F to 77°F).

• Dailymed label info on Alcaftadine
• FDA Alcaftadine

Alcaftadine Resources
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