These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Ethmozine and Glaucoma
Question:I have been taking moricizine hydrochloride about 2 years. It has completely controlled my atrial flutter. Last August, at my annual eye exam, intraocular pressure was slightly elevated and was again last week. I suspect the moricizine of causing the increase in pressure to ca. 23. Moricizine
reduces sodium flux in cardiac muscle tissue could it some-how alter the steady state intraocular fluid? I am taking 1 drop/eye daily of 0.5% timoptic, a beta-blocker. In that low dosage, I am experiencing lowered resting pulse (from 60 to 52), dizziness upon standing quickly, reduced libido, and slight depression. I went on moricizine to get away from the crushing effect of a beta blocker (sotolol) taken orally. Now the moricizine may be forcing me back into the same situation.
Answer:Ethmozine(moricizine hydrochloride) is a relatively new anti-arrhytmic drug. It is used in controlling different irregular heart rythms. I could find no reports of causing glaucoma. However, with a new drug-used in smaller numbers of patients this may or may not he accurate. I would ask your physician to file a drug interaction report. This does not indict the drug;but, does establish a data base in case many cases of glaucoma are reported. Stopping the drug-if cleared by your physician-would be one way to check this. However, I think there should not be a causal relationship. Beta-blockers are very effective in treating glaucoma. However, about 5-10% of patients will experience the systemic effects of beta-blocker eye drops. Eye doctors and the companies are always startled by this and usually deny any interaction. However, this is my experience with my patients. I doubt the moricizine is causing this problem. You should ensure that your Internist or Cardiologist is aware that you are on beta blocker eye drops.
