Upneeq

Upneeq is the only FDA-approved prescription eye drop used to treat acquired blepharoptosis (also known as ptosis or ‘low-lying lids’) in adults. Upneeq eye drops lifts your upper eyelids to open your eyes.

Upneeq contains the medicine oxymetazoline hydrochloride 0.1% which is used to treat droopy or ‘low-lying’ eyelids. Many people seek treatment as droopy eyelids can make them appear tired or make their eyes look smaller than normal.

This condition can also affect eyesight by blocking your vision or reducing your field of vision. This can affect your everyday life and make simple tasks such as driving or reading more challenging.

A lower strength of oxymetazoline hydrochloride (0.05%) is also used in nasal decongestants. These are designed to temporarily relieve a blocked nose caused by colds, allergies, and hay fever.

Upneeq works by stimulating a muscle that helps to raise the eyelid, known as the Müller’s muscle. The levator muscle together with small contributions from Müller's muscle helps to maintain the normal position of the upper eyelid.

When the drops are applied to the eye, it causes this muscle to contract. This allows the eyelid to open 1-2 millimetres wider than before treatment.

Upneeq was proven to be safe and effective to use in clinical trials, the results showed that:

• Most patients had a lift in their eyelids within 2 hours
  • 84% of patients had some form of improvement
  • 74% of patients had more than a 50% improvement
• Upneeq helped patients with acquired ptosis see more by improving their upper field of vision on the first day of treatment with 87.8% of patients showing some form of improvement.


How long does Upneeq last?

In clinical trials, most patients had a lift in their eyelids that continued to last up to 8 hours after applying the eye drops.

To use the drops correctly, follow these 3 easy steps:

1. Wash your hands before use. Then, cut open the foil wrapper and remove one single-use vial.
2. Apply one drop of Upneeq in each affected eye once a day. Each vial only contains enough solution for one drop in each eye.
3. Throw away the vial after applying the drops as vials should not be re-used after opening.

To avoid contaminating the vials, avoid touching the tip of the vial to your eye or any other surface.

If you are a contact lens wearer, remove your contacts before applying Upneeq. You can put them back 15 minutes after application.

Upneeq should only be used as an eyedrop, you should never swallow or ingest this solution or use this medication in any other way.

Upneeq is suitable for people with acquired ptosis. However, not all causes of this condition can be treated with Upneeq. It is also not designed to be used in people with a droopy eyelid or eyelids since birth (congenital ptosis).

This medication should be used with caution if you:

• Have heart disease
• Feel faint when you stand up fast
• Have uncontrolled high or low blood pressure
• Have Sjögren’s syndrome (an immune system disorder)
• Have reduced blood flow to the brain or heart
• May have untreated narrow-angle glaucoma

If any of these conditions apply to you, contact your doctor if your symptoms get worse when using this medication.

Drug interactions

Upneeq belongs to a class of medications that may affect your blood pressure and should be used carefully if you currently take:

• Other alpha-adrenergic antagonist medications
• Beta-blockers
• Medications to treat high blood pressure
• Medications to treat an enlarged prostate
• Cardiac glycosides (for treating heart failure and irregular heartbeats)
• Antidepressants (such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors - MAOI)

If you need to use more than one eye drop for other medical conditions, you should leave at least 15 minutes between applying each medication.

Ensure you tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, herbal medicines and supplements. Your doctor will check to see if there are any interactions to make sure Upneeq is safe for you to use.

This medication is safe and well tolerated in most people with side effects only occurring in 1-5% of patients.

Upneeq’s most common side effects that were reported include:

• Eye inflammation
• Red eye(s)
• Dry eye(s)
• Blurred vision
• Eye pain (when using the medication)
• Eye irritation
• Headache

If you experience any side effects that concern you, report them to your doctor.

To buy Upneeq online from SpeedyHealth, you must first complete an online questionnaire. Our doctors will then review your answers to see if the treatment is suitable for you.

Once approved, a prescription will be sent to our pharmacy, where we will pack and ship your medication to you.