Treatment of elevated intraocular pressure with concurrent levobunolol and pilocarpine

Between July 1983 and January 1986, 54 patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension were treated for 3 months with 2% pilocarpine hydrochloride (given four times daily) and one of two beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs, levobunolol hydrochloride (0.5% [17 patients] or 1% [19 patients]) or 0.5% timolol maleate (18 patients), given twice daily. Before entry into the study all patients had had stable intraocular pressure (IOP) with treatment with 0.5% timolol and 2% pilocarpine. Stable IOP was successfully maintained in up to 88% of the patients in the two levobunolol-pilocarpine groups and in 83% of those in the timolol-pilocarpine group. Two patients experienced adverse reactions: one, who received timolol and pilocarpine, suffered blepharoconjunctivitis, and the other, who received 1% levobunolol and pilocarpine, experienced bradycardia. The results indicate that the levobunolol-pilocarpine regimens were as safe and effective as the timolol-pilocarpine regimen in stabilizing IOP.