What is AK-Pentolate (Cyclopentolate Ophthalmic)?

Cyclopentolate ophthalmic relaxes muscles in your eye to dilate (widen) your pupil.

Cyclopentolate ophthalmic is used to dilate your pupil in preparation for an eye exam.

Cyclopentolate ophthalmic may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking AK-Pentolate (Cyclopentolate Ophthalmic)?

You should not receive this medication if you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to cyclopentolate ophthalmic, or if you have angle-closure glaucoma.

Before you receive this medication, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have glaucoma. Your doctor may need to watch you closely for certain side effects after you receive cyclopentolate ophthalmic.

FDA pregnancy category C. Cyclopentolate may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant before you receive this medication.

Cyclopentolate ophthalmic can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not receive this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Infants and children may be more likely to have side effects from cyclopentolate ophthalmic. Watch for signs of behavior changes in a child who has been treated with this medication.

AK-Pentolate Side Effects

What are the possible side effects of AK-Pentolate (Cyclopentolate Ophthalmic)?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Tell your doctor at once if you feel dizzy or have eye pain, blurred vision, or a rapid pulse right after receiving cyclopentolate eye drops.

Call your doctor if you have any of these serious side effects within a day or two after receiving cyclopentolate ophthalmic:

• blurred vision or light sensitivity that lasts longer than 48 hours after receiving cyclopentolate
• fast or uneven heart rate
• warmth, redness, or tingly feeling under your skin
• severe skin rash
• slow or shallow breathing; or
• hallucinations or unusual behavior (especially in children)

Less serious side effects may include:

• blurred vision
• sensitivity to sunlight
• mild stinging or burning in your eye; or
• swelling of the eyelids

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

AK-Pentolate Interactions

What other drugs affect AK-Pentolate (Cyclopentolate Ophthalmic)?

The following drugs can interact with cyclopentolate ophthalmic. Tell your doctor if you are using any of these:

• procainamide (Procan, Pronestyl, Procanbid)
• disopyramide (Norpace)
• propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran)
• quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex)
• antihistamines (cold or allergy medicines)
• antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon), doxepin (Sinequan), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), and others
• atropine (Donnatal, and others), benztropine (Cogentin), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), methscopolamine (Pamine), or scopolamine (Transderm-Scop)
• bladder or urinary medications such as darifenacin (Enablex), tolterodine (Detrol), solifenacin (Vesicare), and others
• irritable bowel medications such as dicyclomine (Bentyl), hyoscyamine (Anaspaz, Cystospaz, Levsin, and others), or propantheline (Pro-Banthine)
• an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate)
• phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), prochlorperazine (Compazine), thioridazine (Mellaril), trifluperazine (Stelazine); or
• irritable bowel medications such as dicyclomine (Bentyl), hyoscyamine (Anaspaz, Cystospaz, Levsin, and others), or propantheline (Pro-Banthine)

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with cyclopentolate ophthalmic. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

What should I avoid while taking AK-Pentolate (Cyclopentolate Ophthalmic)?

Cyclopentolate ophthalmic can cause blurred vision for up to 24 hours after using it. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be able to see clearly.

Cyclopentolate ophthalmic may also make your eyes more sensitive to light. Until the effects wear off, protect your eyes from the sun or bright light.

AK-Pentolate Dosage

How should I take AK-Pentolate (Cyclopentolate Ophthalmic)?

Cyclopentolate is usually given in and eye doctor’s office, about 40 to 50 minutes before your eye exam or other procedure.

You should not receive this medication while you are wearing contact lenses. Cyclopentolate ophthalmic may contain a preservative that can be absorbed by soft contact lenses. Wait at least 15 minutes after receiving the eye drops before putting your contact lenses in.

Your doctor will tilt your head back slightly and pull down your lower eyelid. The correct number of eye drops will then be placed into one or both eyes.

After the eye drops are placed, gently press your finger to the inside corner of the eye (near your nose) for about 1 minute to keep the liquid from draining into your tear duct.

Do not allow the dropper tip to touch any surface, including your eyes or hands. If the dropper becomes contaminated it could cause an infection in your eye, which can lead to vision loss or serious damage to the eye.

What happens if I overdose on AK-Pentolate (Cyclopentolate Ophthalmic)?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have received too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include dry mouth, warmth or redness under your skin, fast heart rate, urinating less than usual, drowsiness, or loss of coordination.

What happens if I miss a dose of AK-Pentolate (Cyclopentolate Ophthalmic)?

Since cyclopentolate ophthalmic is usually given as needed by a healthcare professional, it is not likely that you will miss a dose.

Edited from everydayhealth.com