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OptiPranolol Uses
OptiPranolol is licensed to reduce eye pressure in people with ocular hypertension (high eye pressure) or chronic open angle glaucoma. It works to lower the pressure within the eye by decreasing the amount of fluid produced by the eye. This medication is not approved for use in children, and there are currently no universally accepted "off-label" uses of OptiPranolol.
OptiPranolol® (metipranolol) is a prescription eye drop approved to lower the pressure in the eyes (intraocular pressure) in people with the following conditions:
- Open angle glaucoma
- High eye pressure (known medically as ocular hypertension).
Glaucoma is not a single disease. It is actually a group of diseases sharing certain features such as high pressure within the eye, damage to the optic nerve, loss of peripheral (side) vision, and possibly blindness. Of all the different types of glaucoma, open angle glaucoma is by far the most common (see Types of Glaucoma).
Not everyone with high eye pressure has glaucoma, although high eye pressure can lead to glaucoma. Effectively treating high eye pressure can help prevent glaucoma.
Although there is no cure for open angle glaucoma, symptoms can usually be controlled, and further damage may be prevented or reduced. The most common glaucoma treatments are:
- Medications (see Glaucoma Medications)
- Traditional surgery (see Glaucoma Surgery)
- Laser surgery (see Glaucoma Laser Surgery).
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD