Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml belongs to a class of anti-hypertensive drugs called 'beta-blockers' primarily used to treat increased pressure in the eye in conditions of glaucoma (damage of optic nerve) and ocular hypertension (high fluid pressure inside the eye). Glaucoma is an eye condition which causes damage to the optic nerve (essential for good vision) due to abnormally increased pressure in the eye. Ocular hypertension is increased pressure in the eye due to poor drainage of aqueous humour (fluid in the eye that maintains normal pressure by its continuous flow).

Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml works by decreasing the secretion of aqueous humour (a liquid that maintains normal pressure in the eyeball) by the ciliary body into the eyeball. Thereby lowers the pressure in the eye by reducing aqueous humour entry into the eyeball.

Use Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml as prescribed. Your doctor will advise you on how many drops to instill based on your medical condition. In some cases, you may experience redness, itching, stinging or burning in the eyes, swelling of the eyelid and dry eyes. Most of these side effects of Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects worsen or persist, please consult your doctor.

If you are known to be allergic to Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml should be used with caution in children. Your doctor will estimate the benefits and risks of Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml in children, and if Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml is used in newborn, they should be under close observation for 1 to 2 hours after the first dose and adverse effects should be monitored. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please inform your doctor before taking Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml. You are advised to remove soft contact lenses before using Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml as it may cause discolouration of soft contact lens.

Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml is used to treat increased pressure in the eye in conditions such as glaucoma (damage of optic nerve) and ocular hypertension (high fluid pressure inside the eye). Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml decreases the secretion of aqueous humour (a liquid that maintains normal pressure in the eyeball) by ciliary body into eyeball. Thereby, lowers pressure in the eye by reducing aqueous humour entry into the eyeball.

• Redness, itching, stinging or burning in the eyes
• Swelling of eyelid
• Dry eyes

If you have diabetes, asthma, heart problems, Raynaud's disease (poor blood circulation), and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), please inform your doctor before taking Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml. Pregnant or nursing mothers are advised to consult a doctor before taking Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml. If you get any new eye problem, an eye infection, or notice any allergic reactions such as itching or redness of the eye and skin rash, please consult your doctor immediately. You are advised to remove soft contact lenses before using Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml as it may cause discoloration of soft contact lenses. In sporadic cases, you may notice cloudy patches on the cornea (transparent layer at the front of the eye) due to the accumulation of calcium as Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml contains phosphates responsible for causing such severe damage to the cornea.

Drug-Drug Interaction: Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml may have interaction with high blood pressure-lowering medicines (clonidine, reserpine, amlodipine, nifedipine, diltiazem, metoprolol, verapamil), heart-related medicines (digoxin), antidepressants (paroxetine, fluoxetine), antimalarial drugs (quinidine), and medicines for severe allergic reaction (adrenaline).

Drug-Food Interaction: Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml may interact with marijuana. Therefore, avoid marijuana intake while taking Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml as it may decrease the effect of Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml and cause increased heart rate, high blood pressure or other heart-related problems.

Drug-Disease Interaction: Inform your doctor if you have diabetes, asthma, heart problems, Raynaud's disease or Raynaud's syndrome (poor blood circulation) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland) before taking Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml.

• CLONIDINE
• RESERPINE
• AMLODIPINE
• NIFEDIPINE
• DILTIAZEM
• METOPROLOL
• VERAPAMIL
• DIGOXIN
• PAROXETINE
• FLUOXETINE
• QUINIDINE
• ADRENALINE

• Avoid intake of baked foods such as cakes, cookies, donuts or fried items such as French fries and stick margarine as these foods may worsen glaucoma and damage optic nerve.
• Cut down your coffee intake as it may increase pressure in the eye and replace coffee with green tea.
• Avoid exercises such as any position where head is lower than body like inverted yoga pose as it may increase pressure in the eye. Doing selective exercises is advised for glaucoma patients.

• Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml should be used with extreme caution in children and if you notice abnormal breathing, wheezing, coughing or unusual pauses in breathing, stop using Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml and consult a doctor immediately. 
• If you have an injury to the eye or eye infection, inform your doctor.
• You are advised to inform your doctor before any operation that you are using Timolen 0.5% Drops 5 ml as it may alter the effects of some medicines that are used during anesthesia
• Routine eye tests are recommended at least every 2 years to detect glaucoma as it does not show any symptoms initially.

Glaucoma: It is an eye condition that causes damage to the optic nerve (essential for good vision) due to abnormally increased pressure in the eye. If it is not treated in time, it may cause blindness. Usually, there are no symptoms of glaucoma initially except the slow loss of vision gradually. However, some symptoms include visible rainbow-colored circles around bright lights or blurred vision. Rarely, glaucoma can develop suddenly with intense pain in the eye, visual disturbance, or nausea. Ocular hypertension is a condition caused due to poor drainage of aqueous humor (fluid in the eye that maintains normal pressure by its continuous flow). This leads to the build-up of excess fluid in the eye resulting in increased pressure inside the eye without any damage to the optic nerve. If ocular hypertension is not controlled, it may lead to glaucoma.