Home > Community Treatment Reports and Side Effects > Durezol

What is the most important information I should know about difluprednate ophthalmic?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to difluprednate, or if you have any type of viral or fungal eye infection, ocular herpes, or an untreated infection in your eye or elsewhere, including chickenpox.

Before using difluprednate ophthalmic, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have herpes. You may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use difluprednate.

Do not allow the dropper tip to touch any surface, including the eyes or hands. If the dropper becomes contaminated it could cause an infection in your eye, which can lead to vision loss or serious damage to the eye.

Do not stop using difluprednate suddenly without first talking to your doctor. Tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 2 days of treatment with difluprednate ophthalmic.

Do not wear any contact lens that has not been approved by your doctor.

Do not use difluprednate ophthalmic while you are wearing regular contact lenses. This medication may contain a preservative that can be absorbed by soft contact lenses and cause discoloration. Wait at least 15 minutes after using difluprednate before putting your contact lenses in.

Do not use any other eye medications unless your doctor has prescribed them.

Warning

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Back to Treatment Report

What is difluprednate ophthalmic?

Difluprednate is a steroid medicine. It prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation.

Difluprednate ophthalmic (for the eye) is used to treat eye swelling caused by surgery.

Difluprednate ophthalmic may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Precautions

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to difluprednate, or if you have any type of infection, especially:

  • a fungal or bacterial eye infection;
  • any type of viral eye infection, such as ocular herpes; or
  • an untreated infection in your eye or elsewhere, including chickenpox.

Before using difluprednate ophthalmic, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have herpes. You may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use difluprednate.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether difluprednate ophthalmic passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not wear any contact lens that has not been approved by your doctor.

Do not use difluprednate ophthalmic while you are wearing regular contact lenses. This medication may contain a preservative that can be absorbed by soft contact lenses and cause discoloration. Wait at least 15 minutes after using difluprednate before putting your contact lenses in.

Do not use any other eye medications unless your doctor has prescribed them.

Difluprednate can cause side effects that may impair your vision. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to see clearly.

Back to top

Instructions

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

An overdose of difluprednate is not likely to cause life-threatening symptoms.

Use the medication as soon as you remember the missed dose. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and use the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Back to top

Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

  • pain behind your eyes, sudden vision changes, severe headache;
  • sudden eye irritation;
  • blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights; or
  • signs of new eye infection, such as swelling, draining, or crusting of your eyes.

Less serious side effects may include mild burning, stinging, or itching of your eyes.

  • feeling like something is in your eye;
  • eyes being more sensitive to light;
  • eye pain, itching, or redness; or
  • itchy or watery eyes.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Back to top

Interactions

It is not likely that other drugs you take orally or inject will have an effect on difluprednate ophthalmic used in the eyes. But many drugs can interact with each other. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Back to top

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04