Timolol - Warnings and Precautions

5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Potential for Severe Respiratory or Cardiac Reactions Cardiac Failure Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Potentiation of Vascular Insufficiency Increased Reactivity to Allergens Potentiation of Muscle Weakness Masking of Hypoglycemic Symptoms in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Masking of Thyrotoxicosis Ocular Hypersensitivity 5.1 Potential for Severe Respiratory or Cardiac Reactions Brimonidine tartrate and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution contains timolol maleate; and although administered topically can be absorbed systemically.

Therefore, the same types of adverse reactions found with systemic administration of beta-adrenergic blocking agents may occur with topical administration.

For example, severe respiratory reactions and cardiac reactions including death due to bronchospasm in patients with asthma, and rarely death in association with cardiac failure have been reported following systemic or ophthalmic administration of timolol maleate [see Contraindications ] .

Additionally, ophthalmic beta-blockers may impair compensatory tachycardia and increase risk of hypotension.

5.2 Cardiac Failure Sympathetic stimulation may be essential for support of the circulation in individuals with diminished myocardial contractility, and its inhibition by beta-adrenergic receptor blockade may precipitate more severe failure.

In patients without a history of cardiac failure, continued depression of the myocardium with beta-blocking agents over a period of time can, in some cases, lead to cardiac failure.

At the first sign or symptom of cardiac failure, Brimonidine tartrate and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution should be discontinued [see Contraindications ] .

5.3 Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (e.g., chronic bronchitis, emphysema) of mild or moderate severity, bronchospastic disease, or a history of bronchospastic disease (other than bronchial asthma or a history of bronchial asthma, in which Brimonidine tartrate and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution is contraindicated [see Contraindications ] ) should, in general, not receive beta-blocking agents, including Brimonidine tartrate and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution.

5.4 Potentiation of Vascular Insufficiency Brimonidine tartrate and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution may potentiate syndromes associated with vascular insufficiency.

Brimonidine tartrate and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution should be used with caution in patients with depression, cerebral or coronary insufficiency, Raynaud’s phenomenon, orthostatic hypotension, or thromboangiitis obliterans.

5.5 Increased Reactivity to Allergens While taking beta-blockers, patients with a history of atopy or a history of severe anaphylactic reactions to a variety of allergens may be more reactive to repeated accidental, diagnostic, or therapeutic challenge with such allergens.

Such patients may be unresponsive to the usual doses of epinephrine used to treat anaphylactic reactions.

5.6 Potentiation of Muscle Weakness Beta-adrenergic blockade has been reported to potentiate muscle weakness consistent with certain myasthenic symptoms (e.g., diplopia, ptosis, and generalized weakness).

Timolol has been reported rarely to increase muscle weakness in some patients with myasthenia gravis or myasthenic symptoms.

5.7 Masking of Hypoglycemic Symptoms in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Beta-adrenergic blocking agents should be administered with caution in patients subject to spontaneous hypoglycemia or to diabetic patients (especially those with labile diabetes) who are receiving insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents.

Beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agents may mask the signs and symptoms of acute hypoglycemia.

5.8 Masking of Thyrotoxicosis Beta-adrenergic blocking agents may mask certain clinical signs (e.g., tachycardia) of hyperthyroidism.

Patients suspected of developing thyrotoxicosis should be managed carefully to avoid abrupt withdrawal of beta-adrenergic blocking agents that might precipitate a thyroid storm.

5.9 Ocular Hypersensitivity Ocular hypersensitivity reactions have been reported with brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solutions 0.2%, with some reported to be associated with an increase in intraocular pressure [see Contraindications ] .

5.10 Contamination of Topical Ophthalmic Products After Use There have been reports of bacterial keratitis associated with the use of multiple-dose containers of topical ophthalmic products.

These containers had been inadvertently contaminated by patients who, in most cases, had a concurrent corneal disease or a disruption of the ocular epithelial surface [see Patient Counseling Information ] .

5.11 Impairment of Beta-adrenergically Mediated Reflexes During Surgery The necessity or desirability of withdrawal of beta-adrenergic blocking agents prior to major surgery is controversial.

Beta-adrenergic receptor blockade impairs the ability of the heart to respond to beta-adrenergically mediated reflex stimuli.

This may augment the risk of general anesthesia in surgical procedures.

Some patients receiving beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agents have experienced protracted severe hypotension during anesthesia.