Brinzolamide

Key facts

• Brinzolamide (the eye drop Azopt) is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor that lowers eye pressure by reducing fluid production inside the eye.
• It's used as an eye drop, usually two or three times daily; shake the bottle before use, since it is a suspension.
• Brinzolamide is chemically a sulfonamide: avoid it if you are allergic to sulfa drugs, and use it with caution if you have severe kidney disease, since enough can be absorbed to cause the same reactions as sulfonamide medicines taken by mouth.
• Seek urgent care for a widespread rash, blistering of the skin or mouth, or sudden vision changes.

What brinzolamide treats

Brinzolamide treats open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension, conditions in which pressure inside the eye is raised and can damage the optic nerve over time. It is used alone or added to other pressure-lowering drops when they do not control eye pressure well enough by themselves.

How brinzolamide works

Carbonic anhydrase is an enzyme in the eye that helps produce the fluid filling the eye's front chamber. Brinzolamide blocks this enzyme, so less fluid is made and the pressure inside the eye falls.

Before you take it

• Do not use brinzolamide if you have a known allergy to sulfonamide medicines.
• Tell your prescriber if you have severe kidney or liver disease, since the drug is cleared by these organs and can build up.
• Combining it with an oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor such as acetazolamide is not recommended, since the added effect is unproven and side effects increase.
• Remove contact lenses before applying a dose and wait at least 15 minutes before reinserting them.

Side effects

Common effects are a bitter or unusual taste, blurred vision right after the drop, and mild eye redness or stinging.

Stop and seek urgent medical care for:

• A widespread skin rash, blistering, or peeling of the skin or lips.
• Sudden eye pain or rapid vision loss.
• Signs of an allergic reaction such as facial swelling or difficulty breathing.

Safety essentials

• Avoid brinzolamide entirely if you have a sulfonamide allergy: as a sulfonamide itself, it can trigger the same reactions, including rare but serious skin reactions and blood disorders.
• If you have significant kidney or liver impairment, tell your prescriber before starting, since clearance of the drug depends on these organs.
• Shake the bottle before each use and wait at least five minutes between this and any other eye drop.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist who knows your health history.