triesence

Triesence contains triamcinolone, a corticosteroid. It prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation.

Triesence is injected into the eye to treat inflammation caused by disease or injury. It is usually given after steroid eye drops have been used without successful treatment of symptoms.

Triesence is also used during a certain type of eye surgery (vitrectomy).

Triesence may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Important information

You should not receive Triesence if you are allergic to triamcinolone, or if you have a fungal infection anywhere in your body. Do not use Triesence without telling your doctor if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby. Use effective birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.

Before receiving Triesence, tell your doctor if you have any type of bacterial, fungal, or viral infection (including tuberculosis). Also tell your doctor if you have cataracts or glaucoma, herpes infection of your eye, diabetes, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, a thyroid disorder, myasthenia gravis, a stomach or intestinal disorder, or a history of recent heart attack.

Before you receive any vaccine, talk with the doctor who is treating you with Triesence. Some vaccines may not work as well or could cause harmful side effects during treatment with steroid medicine.

Steroids can lower the blood cells that help your body fight infections Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Call your doctor for preventive treatment if you are exposed to chicken pox or measles.

There are many other medicines that can interact with Triesence. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.

What should I discuss with my health care provider before receiving Triesence?

You should not receive Triesence if you are allergic to triamcinolone, or if you have a fungal infection anywhere in your body.

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely receive Triesence:

• herpes infection of your eye;

• eye conditions such as cataract or glaucoma;

• diabetes;

• high blood pressure, congestive heart failure;

• any type of bacterial, fungal, or viral infection (including tuberculosis);

• a thyroid disorder;

• a muscle disorder such as myasthenia gravis;

• diverticulitis, stomach or intestinal ulcer, or recent stomach surgery; or

• if you have recently had a heart attack.

FDA pregnancy category D. Do not use Triesence if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby. Use effective birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. Triamcinolone can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use Triesence without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

See also: Pregnancy and breastfeeding warnings (in more detail)

This medication can decrease bone formation, which could lead to osteoporosis, especially with long-term use. Talk with your doctor about your specific risk of bone loss while receiving Triesence.

Steroids can affect growth in children. Talk with your doctor if you think your child is not growing at a normal rate while using this medication.

How is Triesence given?

Triesence is given as an injection into your eye. Your doctor will use a medicine to numb your eye before giving you the injection. You will receive this injection in your doctor"s office or other clinic setting.

For at least 30 minutes after your Triesence injection, your eyes will be checked periodically to make sure the injection has not caused any side effects.

Long-term use of steroids can cause harmful effects on the eyes, such as glaucoma or cataracts. If you receive Triesence for longer than 6 weeks, your doctor may want you to have regular eye exams.

Steroids can lower the blood cells that help your body fight infections. This can make it easier for you to get sick from being around others who are ill, or from bacteria in a skin wound. Steroids can also slow the healing of skin wounds. Use caution to prevent illness, infection, or injury.

Your doctor may instruct you to limit your salt intake while you are receiving Triesence. You may also need to take potassium supplements. Follow your doctor"s instructions.

Triesence can cause you to have unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are being treated with Triesence.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Call your doctor for instructions if you miss an appointment for your injection.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Since this medication is given by a healthcare professional in a medical setting, an overdose is unlikely to occur.

What should I avoid?

Do not receive a smallpox vaccine or any other "live" vaccine if you are being treated long-term with Triesence. Some vaccines may not work as well during treatment with steroid medicine at certain doses. Some vaccines may even cause dangerous side effects when used during steroid treatment. Before you receive any vaccine, talk with the doctor who is treating you with Triesence.

Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Call your doctor for preventive treatment if you are exposed to chicken pox or measles. These conditions can be serious or even fatal in people who are using steroids.

Triesence side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Triesence: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• problems with your vision, pain behind your eyes, or seeing halos around lights;

• eye swelling, redness, severe discomfort, crusting or drainage (may be signs of infection);

• large red or purple spots on your skin;

• fast or slow heart rate;

• feeling short of breath, swelling in your hands or feet;

• dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, uneven heartbeats, seizure);

• severe dizziness or nausea:

• severe depression, changes in mood or behavior, seizures (convulsions); or

• severe pain in your upper stomach.

Less serious Triesence side effects may include:

• mild eye discomfort;

• headaches, back aches, weakness;

• bloating, appetite changes, weight gain;

• changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist), roundness in your face;

• increased acne or facial hair;

• menstrual problems (in women), impotence or loss of interest in sex (in men);

• dry skin, thinning skin, changes in skin color;

• bruising, sweating more than usual; or

• any wound that will not heal.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

See also: Side effects (in more detail)

What other drugs will affect Triesence?

Many drugs can interact with triamcinolone (Triesence). Below is just a partial list. Tell your doctor if you are using:

• amphotericin B (Fungizone, AmBisome, Abelcet);

• birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy;

• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);

• cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran);

• cyclosporine (Neoral, Gengraf, Sandimmune);

• digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin);

• a diuretic (water pill);

• insulin or an oral diabetes medication;

• isoniazid (for treating tuberculosis);

• rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate), or rifapentine (Priftin);

• an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin) or telithromycin (Ketek);

• an antifungal medication such as itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), or voriconazole (Vfend);

• aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), diclofenac (Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), indomethacin (Indocin), piroxicam (Feldene), and others;

• heart or blood pressure medication such as diltiazem (Cartia, Cardizem), quinidine (Quin-G), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan);

• HIV/AIDS medicine such as atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), efavirenz (Sustiva), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nevirapine (Viramune), saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase), ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra), and others;

• medications to treat dementia, such as donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), galantamine (Razadyne), tacrine (Cognex); or

• seizure medication such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol), phenobarbital (Solfoton), phenytoin (Dilantin), and others.

This list is not complete and there are many other medicines that can interact with Triesence. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.