Pred Forte Eye Drops: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Pred Forte Eye Drops is a steroid eye medicine containing prednisolone acetate, used to treat eye inflammation caused by various conditions such as allergies, injury, or shingles. It works by reducing swelling, redness, and irritation in the eye. It is available as an eye drop suspension and is used exactly as prescribed, with specific dosing by age group. It is not approved for use in anyone younger than 18 years old.

What is Pred Forte Eye Drops

Pred Forte is a steroid eye medicine used to treat eye inflammation. It comes as an eye drop suspension containing prednisolone acetate. Its generic name is prednisolone (ophthalmic), and it belongs to the ophthalmic steroids drug class.

Pred Forte Eye Drops uses

• Treats eye inflammation caused by allergies, severe acne, shingles (herpes zoster), eye injury, chemical burns, or certain other conditions
• Treats steroid-responsive inflammation of the eyelid lining, the white and clear parts of the eye, and the front part of the eye
• Treats irritation, redness, burning, pain, and swelling of the eyes when there is no infection

Benefits of Pred Forte Eye Drops

• Reduces eye inflammation, swelling, redness, and pain
• Blocks the release of chemical substances that cause pain and swelling in the eyes

How Pred Forte Eye Drops works

Pred Forte is a steroid that reduces swelling, redness, and irritation in the eye by blocking chemical substances in the body that cause inflammation.

Pred Forte Eye Drops dosage

Follow all directions on your prescription label and use the medicine exactly as directed. Shake the eye drops well just before each use, and wash your hands before using them. Tilt your head back slightly, pull down your lower eyelid to make a small pocket, and place a drop into this pocket, then close your eyes for 1 to 2 minutes.

Do not touch the dropper tip to your eye or any other surface, since this can contaminate it and cause a serious eye infection. Do not use while wearing soft contact lenses; remove lenses before use and wait at least 15 minutes before putting them back in.

Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 2 days of treatment. If you use this medicine for longer than 10 days, you may need frequent eye pressure checks. Try to use it at the same time each day.

If you are using another eye medicine, wait about 5 minutes before using it. This medicine is for use in the eyes only; avoid contact with the mouth, nose, or open wounds, and rinse with water right away if this happens.

Do not stop using this medicine suddenly; follow your doctor's instructions about gradually reducing the dose. This medicine is not approved for use in anyone younger than 18 years old.

Available forms and strengths

• Eye drops (ophthalmic suspension)

Side effects of Pred Forte Eye Drops

Common

• Mild stinging, burning, or irritation in the eyes
• Dry and itchy eyes
• Rash
• Eye discharge
• Temporary blurred vision

Serious

• Blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights
• Small white or yellow patches on the surface of the eye
• Pain behind the eyes
• Signs of eye infection such as swelling, redness, severe discomfort, crusting, or drainage
• Increased pressure inside the eye, which can lead to glaucoma and vision damage
• Cataracts (clouding of the eye lens)
• Delayed wound healing
• Signs of an allergic reaction such as hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat

Warnings and precautions

• Do not use this medicine if you have an eye infection, including herpes simplex.
• Do not use this medicine if you have untreated eye infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi.
• Using this medicine for a long time can cause cataracts and raised eye pressure, which may damage the optic nerve and affect vision.
• Long-term use may weaken the eye's defenses and increase the risk of new eye infections.
• Long-term use of steroid eye drops has been linked to thinning of the cornea or the white of the eye, which could lead to a hole forming in the eye if used when this tissue is already thin.
• This medicine can hide or worsen an existing eye infection.
• Using steroids after cataract surgery may slow healing and increase certain surgical complications.
• This medicine can make viral eye infections, including herpes simplex, worse or last longer, so it should be used with great caution and close eye monitoring in people with a history of this infection.
• This medicine contains a sulfite that can cause allergic reactions, including severe asthma attacks, in some sensitive people.
• Do not share this medicine with anyone else, even if they have similar symptoms.
• This medicine is not recommended for use in children under 18 years old unless your doctor directs otherwise.
• It is not known if this medicine will harm an unborn baby. It is generally not recommended during pregnancy unless your doctor decides the benefits outweigh the risks. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant.
• You should not breastfeed while using this medicine, since it is not known if it passes into breast milk.
• It is not known how this medicine interacts with alcohol. Ask your doctor before drinking alcohol while using it.
• This medicine may cause temporary blurred vision or eye discomfort. Do not drive or operate machinery until your vision is clear.

Storage

• Store this medicine in an upright position at room temperature
• Do not freeze
• Store at up to 25°C (77°F)
• Protect from freezing
• Keep bottle tightly closed when not in use
• Keep out of the reach of children

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction such as hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Call your doctor right away if you have blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain, seeing halos around lights, white or yellow patches on the eye surface, pain behind the eyes, or signs of an eye infection like swelling, redness, severe discomfort, crusting, or drainage.
• Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 2 days of using this medicine.
• If eye inflammation or pain lasts more than 48 hours or gets worse, see a doctor.
• Seek emergency medical attention or contact your local poison control center if someone accidentally swallows this medicine.

Alternatives

• Lotemax (Loteprednol) 0.5%
• Rimexolone Eye Drops
• Dexamethasone Eye Drops