Lignocaine Hydrochloride & Fluorescein Sodium Eye Drops
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops.
It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have benefits and risks. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you using Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about this medicine, ask your doctor.
Keep this leaflet in a safe place.
You may need to read it again.
What Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops is used for
Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops contains lignocaine hydrochloride and fluorescein sodium. Lignocaine (also know as lidocaine) belongs to a group of medicines called local anaesthetics, which temporarily numbs the surface of the eye. Fluorescein temporarily colours your eye orange or green and helps your doctor to examine them.
Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops are used to numb and stain the surface of the your eye(s),
for a short time only, to allow your doctor to examine your eye. Most often, the eye drops are used to allow the pressure inside your eyes to be measured.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed to you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
Before you are given Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops
When you must not be given it
Do not use Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops if you have an allergy to:
any medicine containing Lignocaine or Fluorescein
any other local anaesthetic
any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
shortness of breath
wheezing or difficulty breathing
swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
rash, itching or hives on the skin
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal.
This medicine has been developed for use in the eye only. It should not be swallowed or injected.
If you are not sure whether you should be given this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you are given it
Tell your doctor if you have had an allergy to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits involved.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start using Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops may interfere with each other. These medicines may be affected by Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to use different medicines.
Your doctor will advise you and decide whether or not to give you Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops.
How Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops is given
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor carefully.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
How much to use
Your doctor will put the correct number of drops of Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops into your eye(s) before starting the procedure on your eye(s). Your doctor will not give you a prescription for your own use. This medicine has been specifically developed for use by your doctor to numb the feeling in your eye(s) while he/she is attending to your eye(s).
The usual dose is one or more drops into your eye(s) as required before starting the procedure on your eye(s). The number of times your doctor will put drops in your eye(s) will depend on the type and length of the procedure to be performed.
Your eye drops are not intended for long-term use. Frequent use of a local anaesthetic in the eye over long periods of time may affect your eyesight.
If you are wearing contact lenses, you will be asked to remove them before putting in the eye drops. You may put your contact lenses back into your eye after the numbness has worn off or when your doctor tells you to.
Do not touch or rub your eye while your eye is numb.
You may scratch the surface of the eye and damage it. Your doctor will put a patch over your eye after
finishing the procedure to protect your eye and stop you from touching it.
If you use too much (overdose)
The doctor giving you Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops will be experienced in its use, so it is unlikely that you will be given an overdose.
If too many drops have accidentally been put into your eye(s), immediately rinse your eye(s) with warm water.
Accidental swallowing of the solution is unlikely to cause any bad side effects due to the low content of Lignocaine & Fluorescein. If you think that you or anyone else may have swallowed any or all of the contents of the container of Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops, immediately telephone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre
After being given Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops
Things you must do
Protect your eyes from dust.
You should protect your anesthetised eye from dust particles, which could cause infections.
Things you must not do
Do not touch or rub your eye while your eye is numb.
You may scratch the surface of the eye and damage it. Your doctor will put a patch over your eye after finishing the procedure to protect your eye and stop you from touching it.
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops affects you.
This medicine generally does not cause any problems with your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. However, it may cause transient blurred vision at the time of application and sufficient time should be allowed to regain clear vision before driving or operating hazardous machinery.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you do not feel well while you are using Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops.
This medicine helps most people to numb the eye, but it may have unwanted effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects.
Do not be alarmed by the following lists of side effects.
You may not experience any of them.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
irritation or feeling of having something in the eye
The above list includes the more common side effects of your medicine. They are usually mild and short lived.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. Tell your doctor if you notice any other effects.
Some of the side effects considered very rare include swelling around the eye, difficulty breathing, symptoms of shock, itchy skin rash with raised blotches.
After using Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops
Storage
Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops will be stored by your doctor in a refrigerator (2-8°C). The eye drops should not be frozen or exposed to strong light.
Discard each single dose unit and any remaining solution in it immediately after use. Do not save unused contents.
Product description
What it looks like
Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops come in single dose units containing 0.5mL of a clear, fluorescent red-orange solution. Each carton contains 20 single dose units.
Ingredients
Minims Lignocaine & Fluorescein Eye Drops contains Lignocaine 4%w/v and Fluorescein 0.25%w/v as the active ingredients.
They also contain:
* Povidone
* Hydrochloric acid
* Water - Purified
The eye drops do not contain any preservatives.
