Rapitil Eye Drops

What are Rapitil Eye Drops?

Rapitil eye drops are a prescription-only medication used to treat the symptoms of hay fever and other allergies, including allergic reactions to animal hair and dust mites.

How does Rapitil work?

Rapitil contains the active ingredient nedocromil sodium, a type of medicine thought to be a mast cell stabilizer. Mast cells are a part of the immune system which become sensitised when exposed to allergens, such as pollen or dust mites. The mast cells release the substance histamine, which stimulates the body’s reactions to allergens, such as a runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing and wheezing. Nedocromil is sodium is thought to stabilise the mast cells, preventing the release of histamine. Raptil works locally to counter inflammation in the eyes, helping to prevent symptoms such as redness, itching and watery discharge.

How long do Rapitil eye drops take to work?

Rapitil works best if you begin using it a few days before you are exposed to allergens. For example, begin using Rapitil in advance of the pollen season to relieve symptoms of hay fever. You should use Rapitil twice daily in the morning and the evening for up to 12 weeks to keep symptoms at bay. If you wear contact lenses, remove them before using Rapitil, and wait for 15 minutes before putting them back in.

Active ingredients

The active ingredient in Rapitil is nedocromil sodium.

Inactive ingredients

The inactive ingredients of Rapitil are disodium edetate, benzalkonium chloride, sodium chloride and purified water.

How to use Rapitil eye drops

Always use Rapitil as instructed by a doctor or pharmacist. Wash your hands thoroughly and, if you wear them, remove contact lenses. Tilt your head back and squeeze one drop into your lower eyelid without touching your eye. Close your eye and wipe away any excess liquid with a clean tissue. Repeat in your other eye and replace the cap onto the bottle immediately.

Rapitil dosage

For treating allergies such as hay fever, the recommended dose of Rapitil is one drop in each eye twice a day for no longer than 12 weeks. This can be increased to four times a day if necessary. For treating kerato conjunctivitis, the recommended dose is one drop in each eye 4 time da day.

Rapitil side effects

Like all medicines, Rapitil can cause side effects in some people, although these are not experienced by anyone. If you experience itching, redness or swelling, stop using Rapitil and contact a doctor immediately. Around 1 in 10 people may experience the following:

• Stinging or burning, or blurred eyesight. This should only occur for a short amount of time after administration and should quickly wear off.
• Change in the way things taste
• Mild eye irritation

If symptoms persist, speak to a doctor or pharmacist for advice on alternative treatments.

Contraindications

Do NOT use Rapitil if you are allergic to nedocromil sodium or any of the other ingredients of this treatment. You should take particular care with Rapitil and speak to a doctor if you wear soft contact lenses. Rapitil is not recommended for use in patients who wear soft contact lenses. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to a doctor before using Rapitil.

Can I use Rapitil with other eye drops?

Rapitil can be used with eye drops prescribed for other reasons, although you should check with your doctor first. If you are using two different types of eye drops, you should leave a gap of at least 5 minutes between administering each type.

Will Rapitil affect my vision?

Rapitil may cause some blurred vision when administered, but Rapitil should not affect your vision in the long-term. If you wear soft contact lenses, you should take particular care while using Rapitil.

Can I drive whilst using Rapitil?

Rapitical can cause some blurred vision when administered. If you experience this, do not try to drive until your vision has cleared. 

Drug interactions

There are no known drug interactions of Rapitil. Speak to a doctor if you intend to use other eye drops at the same time. In mst cases this is fine, but you should leave a gap of at least 5 minutes between administration of different types of eye drops.

Tips to avoid hay fever

There is no cure for hay fever, and while it is not serious it can be very irritating. However, there are some measures you can take to ease symptoms. When outside during a time when the pollen count is high, try wearing wrap around sunglasses and put vaseline on your nostrils to keep the pollen out of your eyes and nose. Avoid walking on freshly cut grass, try to keep the windows of your house shut and do not keep fresh flowers in the house. Avoid drying your clothes outside, as they can catch pollen, and buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car.

Can I use Rapitil with other hay fever treatments?

Rapitil can be used in combination with other hay fever treatments. Oral antihistamines such as Loratadine, Cetirizine, Telfast and Fexofenadine can be taken once daily to treat the general symptoms of hay fever and other allergies. Additionally, antihistamine nasal sprays  such as Rhinolast, Beconase, Avamys and Dymista can also be used to relieve nasal swelling, ithing, sneezing and congestion.

Optilast vs Rapitil eye drops

An alternative to Rapitil eye drops is Optilast eye drops. Rapitil works by inhibiting mast cells from provoking an allergic reaction and works best in a preventative capacity. Optilast is an antihistamine that is a fast-working treatment for the symptoms, providing immediate relief of symptoms as they appear. 

Alternatives to Rapitil

There are several different treatments for hay fever. Optilast eye drops contain an antihistamine and effectively relieve the symptoms of hay fever as they occur. For relieving inflammation and irritation of the nasal passage, nasal sprays such as Rhinolast, Beconase, Avamys and Dymista are available. For treating general symptoms of hay fever, antihistamine tablets such as  Loratadine, Cetirizine, Telfast and Fexofenadine can be purchased from Dr Felix and taken once or twice daily as necessary.

Can I use Rapitil eye drops for other allergies?

Rapitil can be used as a local treatment for any minor allergy that causes irritation of the eyes. It is also prescribed to treat more severe allergic reaction called vernal keratoconjunctivitis, which causes small bumps along the inside of the eyelid and increased sensitivity to light.

Sources

• Patient Information Leaflet
• NHS > Hay Fever