Generic name: Prednisolone acetate
What is Pred Forte?
Pred Forte (prednisolone acetate ophthalmic suspension USP) is a steroid medicine used to treat eye swelling caused by infection, injury, surgery, or other conditions. Pred Forte is available in generic form.
Health Benefits
Pred Forte eye drops offer a number of potential health benefits.
For example, the medication can help to:
Reduce swelling in the eyes
Relieve pain and irritation
Heal damage from injury or surgery
Prevent further damage to the eyes
Pred Forte may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
Side Effects
Prednisolone acetate ophthalmic suspension USP) may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor right away if you have:
Eye pain or increased pressure in your eyes
Blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye sensitivity to light
Seeing halos around lights
Signs of infection in your eye (redness, swelling, discharge)
Steroid medicine can weaken your immune system, making it easier for you to get an infection. Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Do not receive a “live” vaccine while using this medicine. The vaccine may not work as well during this time, and may not fully protect you from disease. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), polio, rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), zoster (shingles), and nasal flu (influenza) vaccine.
Pred Forte can cause a gradual decline in vision if used for a long time. This may be permanent. Call your doctor if you have any changes in your vision. Your steroid medication needs may change if you have surgery, are ill, are under stress, or stop taking a steroid medicine abruptly. Do not use 2 doses at the same time or extra doses.
Dosage
The usual dose of Pred Forte is 1 or 2 drops in the affected eye(s) up to 4 times daily.
To apply the eye drops:
Wash your hands first. To avoid contamination, be careful not to touch the dropper tip or let it touch your eye or any other surface.
Tilt your head back slightly and pull down on your lower eyelid to create a small opening.
Hold the dropper above the eye with the tip down. Look up and away from the dropper as you squeeze out a drop, then close your eye.
Gently press your finger to the inside corner of your eye (near your nose) for about 1 minute, to keep the liquid from draining into your tear duct.
If you use more than one drop in the same eye, wait at least 5 minutes before putting in the next drop.
Do not touch the tip of the eye dropper or place it directly on your eye. A contaminated dropper can infect your eye, which could lead to serious vision problems.
Do not allow the tip of the bottle to contact anything, including your eyes or hands. If this happens, rinse immediately with cool tap water
Interactions
Steroid medicine can interact with other drugs, vitamins, or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well.
To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs you’re taking. To find out how this drug might interact with something else you’re taking, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with prednisolone ophthalmic are:
Aminoglycoside antibiotics such as tobramycin (Nebcillin) and amikacin (Amikin)
Cyclosporine (Restasis, Sandimmune)
Tacrolimus (Prograf)
Mechanism of Action
Prednisolone acetate is a glucocorticoid that works by inhibiting the release of inflammatory chemicals from the cells. This action helps to reduce inflammation in the eyes.
Pharmacokinetics
After topical ocular administration, prednisolone acetate is absorbed through the cornea and conjunctiva. Prednisolone acetate is metabolized to prednisolone by esterases in the eye tissues. The mean elimination half-life of prednisolone after ocular administration is 3-4 hours.
