The Latisse prescribing information, the label for a 0.03% eyelash product, says the product "may lower intraocular pressure although not to a level that will cause clinical harm". The same label says patients using prostaglandin analogs for eye pressure reduction should only use Latisse after consulting with their physician. Lumigan 0.01% is a different product, indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, with its own label.
The Latisse and Lumigan labels
Each statement in this guide is tagged with the label it comes from, so the 2 products stay apart.
| Question | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Lumigan 0.01%: what is it for? | The Lumigan 0.01% label highlights describe a prostaglandin analog "indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension". |
| Lumigan 0.01%: strength and directions? | The same label lists an ophthalmic solution containing 0.1 mg/mL of bimatoprost, with a recommended dosage of 1 drop in the affected eye(s) once daily in the evening. |
| Latisse 0.03%: what is it for? | The Latisse highlights describe a prostaglandin analog indicated to treat hypotrichosis of the eyelashes. |
What the Latisse label says about eye pressure
These 4 statements come from the Latisse label (bimatoprost 0.03%, eyelashes), not the Lumigan label.
- The patient counseling section says the product "may lower intraocular pressure although not to a level that will cause clinical harm".
- The highlights say IOP-lowering prostaglandin analogs in ocular hypertensive patients "may decrease the IOP-lowering effect", and that patients using these products concomitantly "should be closely monitored for changes to their IOP".
- The patient counseling section names Lumigan: patients using prostaglandin analogs including Lumigan for IOP reduction should only use Latisse after consulting with their physician and should be monitored for changes to their intraocular pressure.
- The patient information says that with a history of abnormal IOP, Latisse should only be used under the close supervision of a physician.
A generic bimatoprost 0.03% eyelash label from Sandoz Inc. carries a matching warning: concurrent administration with IOP-lowering prostaglandin analogs in ocular hypertensive patients may decrease the IOP-lowering effect.
What studies of eyelash use measured
Both studies below tested bimatoprost 0.03% for eyelashes and report group averages.
A prospective, open-label study of dermal bimatoprost 0.03% for eyelash growth reported that the mean change from baseline intraocular pressure was less than 1 mmHg at each time point, but statistically significant at weeks 1 and 4 (written as p< or =.047 in the abstract).
In 2 Japanese randomized studies of bimatoprost 0.03% for eyelash hypotrichosis, ophthalmic examination showed slightly greater mean reductions in intraocular pressure with bimatoprost than with vehicle. The abstract says the reductions were within the normal range for daily IOP fluctuations.
What general glaucoma sources say
These pages describe glaucoma in general, not bimatoprost. MedlinePlus states that not everyone with high eye pressure develops glaucoma, and that some people may even get glaucoma with normal eye pressure. The National Eye Institute says that at first glaucoma doesn't usually have any symptoms, and that half of people with glaucoma don't even know they have it.
MedlinePlus also says that sudden symptoms of intense eye pain, blurry vision, red eyes, or an upset stomach (nausea) mean a person needs to go to an eye care provider or an emergency room right away, and that these could be symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma.
What this does not tell you
The Lumigan 0.01% text describes a glaucoma product and the Latisse text describes an eyelash product. Neither label describes the other. Group averages do not describe any one person's eye pressure, and these sources do not say whether a particular person has glaucoma or high eye pressure. For people with a history of abnormal IOP, the Latisse label refers to a physician.
The label statements are about the approved Latisse product. The studies above name bimatoprost 0.03%, and the descriptions used here do not say how the tested product was made. The FDA states that "Compounded drugs are not FDA approved, which means the agency does not review their safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed." Nothing here shows that a compounded product has the same strength, sterility or effect on eye pressure as an approved one.