Atropine Sulfate Ophthalmic Ointment and Dimethyl sulfoxide Intravesical

• Generic Name: atropine ophthalmic
• Dosage Forms: ophthalmic ointment
• Other Brand Names: Atropine-1, Isopto Atropine, Atropisol, Ocu-Tropine, Atropine Care, Atrosulf-1, Atropin-Care

Atropine causes the muscles in your eye to become relaxed. This widens (dilates) your pupil so that it will not respond to light.

Atropine ophthalmic (for the eye) is used to dilate your pupils when you have an inflammatory condition or in postsurgery situations in which this effect may be helpful.

Atropine ophthalmic is also used in people with a condition called amblyopia (sometimes called "lazy eye"). Atropine ophthalmic can be placed into the stronger eye to temporarily blur the vision in that eye. This helps strengthen the weaker eye because the brain will force that eye to work harder to focus.

Atropine ophthalmic may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

• Generic Name: dimethyl sulfoxide
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Cryoserv, Rimso-50

Dimethyl sulfoxide is a purified preparation used in the bladder to relieve the symptoms of the bladder condition called interstitial cystitis. A catheter (tube) or syringe is used to put the solution into the bladder where it is allowed to remain for about 15 minutes. Then, the solution is expelled by urinating.

Interstitial cystitis is the only human use for dimethyl sulfoxide that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Claims that dimethyl sulfoxide is effective for treating various types of arthritis, ulcers in scleroderma, muscle sprains and strains, bruises, infections of the skin, burns, wounds, and mental conditions have not been proven.

Although other preparations of dimethyl sulfoxide are available for industrial and veterinary (animal) use, they must not be used by humans, because of their unknown purity. Impurities in these preparations may cause serious unwanted effects in humans. Even if dimethyl sulfoxide is applied to the skin, it is absorbed into the body through the skin and mucous membranes.

Dimethyl sulfoxide is available only with your doctor's prescription.