Prescription medication · Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor (Ophthalmic)
dorzolamide
Also sold as Trusopt. This medicine treats high pressure inside your eye.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 7,422
- FDA reportsLightly reported
- 2
- InteractionsFew interactions
- $1.41
- Generic price (NADAC)
What the data shows
dorzolamide (Trusopt) is a prescription Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor (Ophthalmic), reported less often than most tracked drugs (7,422 FDA reports), with 2 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
dorzolamide (Trusopt) is a prescription Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor (Ophthalmic). This medicine treats high pressure inside your eye.
Dorzolamide eye drops help lower pressure in the eye. It is used for people with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$1.41/unit
Generic Available
Yes (22 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
This medicine treats high pressure inside your eye.
Common side effects
Burning, stinging, or discomfort in the eye right after using the drops, Bitter taste in your mouth, Superficial punctate keratitis (small spots on the surface of the eye)
Key warnings
Dorzolamide contains a sulfonamide.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from dorzolamide's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Dorzolamide is a type of medicine called a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. It works by decreasing the amount of fluid your eye makes. This lowers the pressure inside your eye.
How to Take It
Use one drop in the affected eye(s) three times a day. You can use dorzolamide with other eye drops to lower eye pressure. If you use other eye drops, wait at least 5 minutes between each medicine.
This is a plain-language summary of dorzolamide's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
It is not known if dorzolamide is safe to use during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if dorzolamide passes into breast milk.
This is a plain-language summary of dorzolamide's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, use it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
This is a plain-language summary of dorzolamide's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store dorzolamide at room temperature, between 59° to 86°F (15° to 30°C). Protect from light.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 7,422 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for dorzolamide, by number of reports
- Treatment not working
Treatment not working
1,369 reports
- Feeling tired 444
Feeling tired
444 reports
- Headache 356
Headache
356 reports
- Pain 321
Pain
321 reports
- Eye pain 292
Eye pain
292 reports
- Eye irritation 281
Eye irritation
281 reports
- Allergic reaction 265
Allergic reaction
265 reports
- Skin rash 252
Skin rash
252 reports
- Pain in arm or leg 251
Pain in arm or leg
251 reports
- Weight loss 242
Weight loss
242 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for dorzolamide each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where dorzolamide sits
dorzolamide has more FDA adverse-event reports than 33% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is dorzolamide; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 7,422 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
7,422
Reports Mentioning Death
381
5.1% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
1,356
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TREATMENT FAILURE | 1,369 |
| 4 | FATIGUE | 444 |
| 5 | HEADACHE | 356 |
| 6 | PAIN | 321 |
| 7 | EYE PAIN | 292 |
| 8 | EYE IRRITATION | 281 |
| 9 | HYPERSENSITIVITY | 265 |
| 10 | RASH | 252 |
| 11 | PAIN IN EXTREMITY | 251 |
| 12 | WEIGHT DECREASED | 242 |
| 13 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 241 |
| 14 | DYSPNOEA | 238 |
| 15 | DIZZINESS | 234 |
| 16 | CONFUSIONAL STATE | 233 |
| 17 | DIARRHOEA | 221 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Dorzolamide contains a sulfonamide. Rarely, severe reactions to sulfonamides have happened, even death. If you have signs of a serious reaction or allergy, stop using this medicine right away.
Known Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Potential additive effect of oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor with dorzolamide hydrochloride and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution. ( 7.7 ) 7.1 Oral Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors There is a potential for an additive effect on the known systemic effects of carbonic anhydrase inhibition in patients receiving an oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor and dorzolamide hydrochloride and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution. The concomitant administration of dorzolamide hydrochloride and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution and oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors is not recommended.
Mechanism: Using these drugs together can cause their effects to stack up, which may lead to more side effects throughout your body.
What to do: This combination is not recommended, and you should talk to your doctor about other options.
7.2 High-Dose Salicylate Therapy Although acid-base and electrolyte disturbances were not reported in the clinical trials with dorzolamide hydrochloride ophthalmic solution, these disturbances have been reported with oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and have, in some instances, resulted in drug interactions (e.g., toxicity associated with high-dose salicylate therapy).
Mechanism: Taking two drugs that both contain dorzolamide can cause the medicine to build up in your body and lead to chemical imbalances in your blood.
What to do: Check with your pharmacist to make sure you are not using two different products that contain the same active ingredient at the same time.
This is a plain-language summary of interactions documented in FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before combining medications.
Common Questions
Can I use dorzolamide with other eye drops?
What should I do if I experience burning or stinging in my eye?
Can dorzolamide cause allergic reactions?
What if I wear contact lenses?
Is it okay to drive while using these eye drops?
What if I accidentally use too much of the eye drops?
How long can I use dorzolamide after opening the bottle?
Can dorzolamide cause any other side effects?
What if I am taking other medications?
Can dorzolamide cure my glaucoma?
What are the common side effects of dorzolamide?
Does dorzolamide interact with other medications?
What drug class is dorzolamide?
Is dorzolamide safe during pregnancy?
Related Medications in Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor (Ophthalmic)
Other drugs grouped near dorzolamide - same-class peers and common alternatives.
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bimatoprost
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What the FDA Data Shows for dorzolamide
The FDA label for dorzolamide (sold under brand names such as Trusopt) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor (Ophthalmic) class. This medicine treats high pressure inside your eye. Official labeling lists 4 commonly reported side effects, including Burning, stinging, or discomfort in the eye right after using the drops, Bitter taste in your mouth, Superficial punctate keratitis (small spots on the surface of the eye).
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 7,422 voluntary reports. The database also lists 2 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $1.41.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: January 9, 2026
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages