Oh come on.
Seriously?
We’re talking about a glaucoma medication preserved with BAK, whose toxicity is known to cause harm to the cornea in all kinds of ways when exposure is frequent. And we’re studying whether refrigerating it will make it more comfortable to put it in?
Fine, refrigerate away, but the damn drops are still causing long term harm. We need more preservative-free glaucoma meds!
J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2018 Sep 11. doi: 10.1089/jop.2018.0023. [Epub ahead of print]
Bozic M, Stojkovic M, Knezevic M, Marjanovic I, Bobic-Radovanovic A.
Abstract
PURPOSE:
To test the hypothesis that the use of refrigerated fixed combination of dorzolamide 2% plus timolol 0.5% solution (COSOPT®) is associated with less ocular discomfort compared with the use of this solution kept at room temperature.
METHODS:
In this prospective comparative study, 30 primary open-angle patients and 30 healthy subjects filled in the questionnaire on symptoms (Ocular Surface Disease Index) and subjective stinging feeling scale (1-10), at the start of study and 30 days after continuous use of refrigerated fixed combination or placebo eye drops. Results were processed by applying the methods of descriptive (arithmetical mean, standard deviation) and analytical statistics for evaluation of significance of the difference (Student's t-test).
RESULTS:
Ocular discomfort parameters were significantly lower after the use of refrigerated fixed combination of dorzolamide 2% plus timolol 0.5% solution (t-test, P < 0.0001). Breakup time, Schirmer 1 test, and intraocular pressure values did not differ.
CONCLUSIONS:
The use of refrigerated fixed combination of dorzolamide 2% plus timolol 0.5% (COSOPT) solution is associated with less ocular discomfort than the use of the same fixed combination at room temperature.