[Behavior of intraocular pressure during long-term treatment with a guanethidine-adrenaline combination]

Eight patients with chronic open-angle glaucoma treated regularly with different drugs (mainly timolol) and having a mean IOP of 20,4+/-1,2 mm Hg were subsequently treated for 9 months with Suprexon eye drops (guanethidine 1% + epinephrine 0,2%). At the end of the study the mean IOP was 17,6+/-1,3 mm Hg. Suprexon eye drops were found to have a long-lasting hypotensive effect. The straight-line regression test utilizing all the IOP measurements - 7 within the 9 months of the trial - showed no statistically significant tachyphylaxis (p less than 0.03). As a consequence no other drugs had to be added to control the IOP. Moreover, this treatment proved to be significantly more potent than timolol (p less than 0.05). While under treatment the patients suffered from conjunctival hyperemia and ocular pain, but these diminished in the course of time. No systemic side effects were observed.