What are the side effects of Dexamethasone Ophthalmic?
Last updated September 7, 2026.
Most side effects of dexamethasone eye drops are short and mild, such as stinging and a few minutes of blurred vision, but longer use can raise the pressure inside your eye, cloud the lens, and hide an eye infection. How much this matters depends on how long you use the drops and why. A short course after eye surgery or for a flare of inflammation carries less risk than weeks of daily use. If you have glaucoma, a family history of it, diabetes, or a past herpes eye infection, tell your prescriber before you start. Pressing gently on the inner corner of your eye for a minute after each drop keeps more medicine in the eye and less in your bloodstream. Keep the bottle tip from touching your eye, lashes, or fingers so you do not seed an infection into an eye that cannot fight back well.
What to do
- Stick to the stated course: Use the drops for exactly as long as your prescriber said, and do not restart an old bottle for a new problem.
- Ask about pressure checks: If you will use the drops longer than about 10 days, arrange for your eye pressure to be measured.
- Flag your eye history first: Tell your prescriber if you have glaucoma, diabetes, cataracts, or a previous herpes or fungal eye infection.
- Punctal occlusion after drops: Close your eye and press the inner corner near your nose for about a minute to keep the drop where it belongs.
- Keep the tip clean: Do not let the bottle touch your eye, lashes, or fingers, and do not share the bottle with anyone.
- Call for these signs: Get seen promptly for eye pain, worsening or blurred vision that does not clear, halos around lights, or thick discharge.
Related questions
- Are medication side effects worse at first
- Can i get health insurance outside open enrollment
- Can i see what my doctor wrote about me
- Can i text a doctor about medication side effects