Cequa

Cequa is a prescription medication used to treat dry eyes. Cequa belongs to a group of medications called topical immunomodulators, which decrease swelling in the eye and increase tear production.

This medication comes in a solution eye drop form and is used topically (on the eye) twice a day, about 12 hours apart.

Common side effects include eye pain and conjunctival hyperemia (a condition that causes the blood vessels of the eyes to dilate which leads to eye redness, pain, blurred vision, light sensitivity and a variety of other symptoms). 

Cequa is a prescription medication used to increase tear production in people with dry eye.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Cequa. See the “Cequa Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Cequa include:

• Eye pain on installation of drops
• Conjunctival hyperemia (a condition that causes the blood vessels of the eyes to dilate which leads to eye redness, pain, blurred vision, light sensitivity and a variety of other symptoms)
• Eye irritation
• Eyelid inflammation
• Headache
• Urinary tract infection

This is not a complete list of Cequa side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

● Any other eye drop or eye ointment products

This is not a complete list of Cequa drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Cequa including:

● Potential for eye injury and infection. To avoid the the potential for eye injury and contamination, do not touch the vial tip to the eye or other surfaces.

● Cequa should not be administered while wearing contact lenses. Patients with decreased tear production typically should not wear contact lenses. If contact lenses are worn, they should be removed prior to the administration of the solution. Lenses may be reinserted 15 minutes following administration of Cequa ophthalmic solution.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Cequa, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before using Cequa, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions including:

• if you are allergic to Cequa or any of the inactive ingredients in Cequa
• if you have an eye infection
• if you wear contact lenses
• if you use or are planning on using any other eye drop or eye ointment products while using Cequa

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. 

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with Cequa. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication orally (by mouth), and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if Cequa crosses into human milk. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication orally (by mouth), and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication.

● Administer Cequa exactly as prescribed.

● Cequa comes in an eyedrop form and one drop is administered into each eye, twice daily, about 12 hours apart.

● Cequa eye drops are only for use in the eyes. Do not swallow or apply Cequa eye drops to the skin.

● Cequa eye drops come in single-use (one dose) vials. The liquid from one vial should be used immediately after opening. Do not save it for later use.

● If you are wearing contact lenses, remove them before instilling Cequa and wait at least 15 minutes before putting them back in. If you are using artificial tears, instill them at least 15 minutes before or after you instill Cequa.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The recommended dose of Cequa for the treatment of dry eyes is one drop of Cequa twice daily (approximately 12 hours apart) into each eye. Discard the vial immediately after using in both eyes.

If you instill too much Cequa into your eye(s), call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

● Store this medication at room temperature, or 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F), and away from excess heat and moisture.

● Store single-use vials in the original foil pouch.

● Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.

● Opened vials of Cequa eye drops must be discarded after use.

This page was written by Avital Gurman, PharmD Candidate 2021 | UT Austin College of Pharmacy