An Introduction to Optivar Side Effects
As with any medicine,
Optivar® (
azelastine ophthalmic solution) can cause side effects. However, not everyone who takes the medication will have problems. In fact, some people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or are easily treated by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Optivar. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Optivar side effects with you.)
Common Side Effects of Optivar
Optivar has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials in which the side effects of a group of people taking the drug were documented and then compared to another group taking a placebo eye drop (that did not contain any active ingredient).
As a result, it was possible to see what side effects occurred, how often they appeared, and how they compared to the group taking the placebo.
In these studies, the most common side effects of Optivar included:
- Temporary eye burning or stinging -- in up to 30 percent of people
- Headaches -- up to 15 percent
- Bitter taste -- up to 10 percent.
Other common side effects (reported in 1 to 10 percent of people) included:
- Inflammation of the eye
- Eye pain
- Fatigue
- Flu-like symptoms (such as fever or chills)
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Blurred vision.
It should be noted that many of these side effects are also symptoms of eye
allergies, and it is possible that they are not really side effects of Optivar at all.
