Mydriacyl
Mydriacyl is a 1% tropicamide eye drop that widens the pupil and relaxes focus for eye examinations, sold in bottles.
- Category
- Eye Care
- Active ingredient
- Tropicamide
- Route
- Topical
- Form
- Eye drops
- Strengths
- 1%
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Therapeutic Class
- Anticholinergic, Mydriatic
- Pharmacological Class
- Pupil dilator
- Minor Side Effects
- Blurred vision, Stinging upon application
- Moderate Side Effects
- Photophobia, Dry mouth
- Dosage Forms
- Eye drops
- Administration Route
- Topical
- Originator
- Alcon
- Onset Time
- 15–30 minutes
- Duration
- 3–8 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature, keep bottle tightly closed.
What you will receive
Mydriacyl is the originator brand name, made by Alcon. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Mydriacyl.
- The same active ingredient (Tropicamide) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
What pack sizes does Mydriacyl come in?
Mydriacyl 1% comes in bottles, in packs of 1 to 5 bottles. It is generic tropicamide, not the original Mydriacyl. Larger packs cost less per bottle.
How are Mydriacyl bottles delivered to Hong Kong?
Mydriacyl bottles ship by tracked courier, which takes 5 to 9 business days and includes online tracking. Every order arrives in plain, unbranded packaging with nothing on the outside about the contents.
How long does Mydriacyl keep the pupil dilated?
Several hours, though not for everyone alike. Within 15 to 30 minutes of the drop the pupil is open, and from there it narrows gradually. Reading is the last ability to recover: a page or phone screen can stay smudged for the rest of the afternoon, and daylight may sting until the pupil is back to size.
Can I drive after having Mydriacyl drops?
No, not while the effect lasts. A wide pupil floods the eye with light and close-up sight goes soft, which makes driving, cycling or running machinery unsafe for a few hours. Get home by taxi, bus or with someone else at the wheel, and wear sunglasses on the way.
How many drops of Mydriacyl are usually put in?
One drop in each eye is the usual starting point, with a second drop about five minutes later if the pupil needs to open further. The examiner checks how the pupil responds before starting, so the number of drops depends on the eye.
Does Mydriacyl sting when it goes in?
A brief sting or burning feeling as the drop lands is common and passes quickly. The eye may look red or watery for a while afterwards. Light sensitivity is the effect people notice most, because a wide pupil cannot shut out bright light.
Do I need to take my contact lenses out for Mydriacyl?
Yes. Take soft or rigid lenses out before the drops go in and leave them out until your vision is back to normal, since a lens can trap the solution and blurred focus makes reinserting it awkward. Pack a case and solution if you will need them.
About Mydriacyl
What Mydriacyl drops are for
Mydriacyl is tropicamide 1%, an eye drop that widens the pupil and temporarily switches off the eye's focusing muscle. A wider pupil gives a clear view of the retina, the optic nerve and the vessels at the back of the eye; relaxing the focus lets an optometrist or ophthalmologist measure short or long sight without the eye correcting itself mid-test. Tropicamide is a common choice for routine checks because it acts within minutes and its effect wears off faster than older dilating drops.
How the drops are used
Soft or rigid, contact lenses have to come out first. Then one drop is placed in each eye. If the pupil is slow to open, the examiner adds another drop about five minutes later. Once the pupil is wide, usually after 15 to 30 minutes, the exam can start. Sight stays blurred up close for some hours afterwards, so sunglasses help and a lift or taxi home beats driving or cycling. Put the lenses back only when your vision has settled.
What you may notice afterwards
A short sting as the drop goes in is common, and the eye can look red or watery for a while. Because the pupil cannot narrow, bright light is uncomfortable and reading is hard until the focus returns. A little of the drop reaches the bloodstream, which some people notice as a dry mouth, flushing or a faster heartbeat. The drops can also raise the pressure inside the eye, most of all where the drainage angle is narrow; severe eye pain with a red eye and haloes around lights is the sign of that and needs attention straight away.
Mydriacyl and the other tropicamide bottle
Tropicamide 1% also comes in bottles under its own name — see Tropicamide. Same strength, same form, different name on the pack. Order whichever name your practice or supplier works with.
Looking after the bottle
Keep the cap screwed on and the bottle somewhere cool and dark, out of children's reach. Do not use it after the date printed on the bottle, and throw it away if the liquid has changed colour or looks cloudy or gritty.
Sources
- Tropicamide Ophthalmic: MedlinePlus Drug Information — National Library of Medicine
- Tropicamide 1% w/v eye drops, solution, single-dose container — UK Electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC)