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Timolol is a non-selective beta blocker; as a 0.5 percent eye drop it is one of the oldest and cheapest treatments for open angle glaucoma.
- One of the genuinely good old drugs, decades in use
- Pennies a bottle, and the pressure really comes down
- Lowers the pressure that quietly destroys the optic nerve
- Cuts aqueous humour production at the source
- A long established 0.5 percent drop for open angle glaucoma
Mechanism
Blocking beta-2 receptors on the ciliary epithelium reduces the cyclic AMP signalling that drives aqueous humour production, so intraocular pressure falls. The drop drains through the nasolacrimal duct onto nasal mucosa and is absorbed straight into the systemic circulation, bypassing the liver, which is how an eye drop produces whole body beta blockade.
Safetyrisks and cautions, not medical advice
ophthalmic timolol reaches the systemic circulation without first pass metabolism and has caused fatal bronchospasm in asthmatics as well as severe bradycardia and heart block
Subjective profileweighing the evidence above
One of the genuinely good old drugs; decades of use, pennies a bottle, and a real reduction in the pressure that quietly destroys the optic nerve. The catch is that an eye drop is not a local treatment. It drains down the nasolacrimal duct onto nasal mucosa and enters the bloodstream without passing the liver first, which is how a glaucoma drop has killed asthmatics through bronchospasm and put other people into heart block. Asthma, COPD or a slow resting pulse all have to be on the table before the first bottle, and since glaucoma needs measured pressures anyway, this is a drug for an ophthalmologist to choose.
Where to buy
Suppliers
Vendors carrying Timolol, with live product details and codes. Links are affiliate links that support the wiki at no cost to you.
RUPharma🌐
Timolol