Descriptions. Prednisolone eye drops is used to treat mild to moderate non-infectious eye allergies and inflammation, including damage caused by chemical and thermal burns. Prednisolone eye drops is also used to treat inflammation of the eyes caused by certain conditions.
The most common side effects of prednisolone eye drops, such as burning and stinging in your eyes, are mild. And they may go away within minutes. However, prednisolone eye drops can cause more serious side effects, such as glaucoma and eye infection.
Adults—Instill one or two drops in the affected eye 2 to 4 times a day. Your doctor may tell you to use the drops more often during the first 2 days.
Initial dose: Instill 1 to 2 drops into the conjunctival sac of the affected eye(s) up to every hour during the day and every 2 hours during the night as needed.
Prednisone is a corticosteroid medication that's FDA-approved for many inflammatory, autoimmune, and allergic health conditions. Prednisone should start to work within a couple hours, but it may be a couple days before you see its full effects.
This medicine is 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.
Risks of Overusing Eye Drops
However, overusing these eye drops could cause a rebound effect, where the blood vessels constrict so much and so little oxygen and nutrients reach your eyes that your body overcompensates and dilates the vessels even more. This could worsen and prolong your eye redness and irritation.
Do not stop using Omnipred® eye drops suddenly. Your doctor will need to slowly decrease your dose before you stop it completely. If your symptoms do not improve after 2 days or if they become worse, check with your eye doctor (ophthalmologist) right away.
Shake the bottle well before each use. 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 your eye.
Before using prednisolone eye drops or eye ointment,
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had glaucoma or diabetes. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while using prednisolone eye drops or eye ointment, call your doctor immediately.
While insomnia and weight gain are well-known side-effects of prednisolone, research has historically focussed on more serious side effects such as osteoporosis and fractures.
Official answer. The main difference between prednisone and prednisolone is that prednisone must be converted by liver enzymes to prednisolone before it can work. In people with severe liver disease, prednisolone is usually preferred.
Having said that, it is possible for topical steroid drops like prednisolone to have some mild systemic side effects such as an increase in blood sugar or blood pressure. However, this small increase on its own is usually not enough to cause these issues, unless some predisposing risks were already present.
Use the steroid eye drops for as long as your doctor tells you. Don't stop taking them early without talking to your eye doctor first, and don't use the drops for longer than instructed. Using the medication longer than prescribed can increase the risk of side effects.
It's best to avoid drinking alcohol while taking prednisone or other corticosteroids (“steroids”). Alcohol can make some steroid side effects worse. It can also sometimes worsen the underlying condition being treated. On their own, steroids, like prednisone, and alcohol can suppress your immune system.
Prednisolone (Pred-Forte) and loteprednol (Lotemax) are the most commonly prescribed steroid eye drops after cataract surgery. You may need to use these eye drops 2 to 4 times a day. Expect to continue using them for 2 to 6 weeks after surgery. You'll be able to cut back on how often you use them as time goes on.
Even if you have side effects from the medication, don't stop cold turkey or cut back the dose on your own if you've been on it more than a few weeks. You could go into steroid withdrawal, which can have severe symptoms. It's safer to taper off prednisone. Your doctor will gradually lower your dose.
Once the drop is in the eye, don't blink excessively or rapidly. “Some people feel if they blink and move the eye around they'll get better absorption. That's false,” Marioneaux says.
For drops that are required twice a day, the ideal dosing regimen is every 12 hours, and for drops that are dosed three times a day, the ideal dosing regimen is every 8 hours. However, sometimes that is not practical, and wiggle room of an hour or two (early or late) should be fine.
When your eyes are dry or you are frequently using a drop that has preservatives, your eye has little “cracks/cuts” that are microscopic, therefore it stings when first putting the drops in your eyes. Using artificial tears consistently is the best way to combat this.
The risk of prednisone withdrawal is so high that some healthcare providers will pre-plan a tapering schedule if high doses are used for more than three days. 1 In most cases, however, tapering is only needed if you take prednisone by mouth for more than three weeks. There are no set rules for tapering off prednisone.
There is no set limit on how long you can safely take prednisone. It depends on the dose of prednisone and the condition being treated. It may be prescribed short term or long term. The dosage will be adjusted or stopped based on your response or lack of response to the medication.
How long to take it for. This depends on your health problem or condition. You may only need a short course of prednisolone for up to 1 week. You may need to take it for longer, even for many years or the rest of your life.