hydrocortisone (as the acetate)
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment.
It does not contain all of the available information.
It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist. All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you using this against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any concerns about using this medicine.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again.
What Siguent Hycor 1% is used for
Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment contains 1% hydrocortisone (as the acetate) as the active ingredient.
This medicine is a type of glucocorticoid and belongs to the group of medicines called corticosteroids.
It is used in inflammatory (red, swollen) conditions of the eye including:
- allergic conjunctivitis
- nonpurulent (non-pus producing) conjunctivitis or swollen eyelids
- herpes zoster ophthalmicus
- recurrent marginal ulceration (recurring eye ulcers).
Siguent Hycor 1% is for use in the eyes only. It should not be taken by mouth.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why it has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another purpose.
It is available only on a doctor’s prescription.
Before you use it
When you must not use it
Do not use it if you are allergic to:
- hydrocortisone or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
Do not use Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment if you have an acute herpes infection of the eye (herpes simplex), vaccinia (a special form of chicken pox), varicella or other viral infections of the eye, ocular tuberculosis, fungal diseases of the eye or pus-producing infections of the eye.
Do not wear contact lenses while using Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment as it may increase the risk of infection.
Do not use it after the expiry date printed on the pack. If you use it after the expiry date has passed, it may have no effect at all, or worse, there may be an entirely unexpected effect.
Do not purchase or use this ointment if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
Before you start to use it
You must tell your doctor if you:
- are allergic to any other medicines or any foods, dyes or preservatives
- have glaucoma or a family history of glaucoma
- wear contact lenses
- have cataracts
- are diabetic
- have a disease where the cornea is thinned (perforation may occur).
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medication, including medicines, creams, ointments or lotions that you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Do not use in children unless specifically directed to by your doctor.
Some medicines may interfere with Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment.
These include:
- drugs used to treat glaucoma
- atropine and related compounds, these include medicines used to relieve stomach cramps or spasms, to prevent travel sickness and to treat parkinson’s disease.
The above medicines may either reduce the effectiveness of this medicine, reduce their own effectiveness and/or react with it resulting in untoward or sometimes dangerous side effects.
This list is not exhaustive. Your doctor or pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while using it.
How to use it
How to use it
Gently pull out the lower eyelid to form a sac. Run the ointment into the sac, then allow the eye to close. Apply gentle pressure on the closed eye for about one minute.
Try not to let the nozzle of the tube contact the eye when applying. If handled incorrectly, eye ointments such as Siguent Hycor 1% can become contaminated by bacteria which can cause, when applied to the eye, further infections.
How much to use
Siguent Hycor 1% should be applied two to four times a day or as directed by your doctor.
Do not use more than the amount advised or use this medicine more frequently than directed. It is important to use the ointment exactly as directed. If you use less than you should, it may not work as well and your medical condition may not improve. Using it more frequently than you should may not improve your condition any faster and may cause or increase side effects.
How long to use it
Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment should be used as long as your doctor thinks it is necessary.
If you forget to use it
Use it as soon as you remember and then return to your normal dosing time. If your next dose is almost due, leave using it until that time.
Do not try to make up for missed doses by using more than one dose at a time. This may increase the chance of getting an unwanted side effect.
If you accidentally swallow it
Immediately phone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) for advice, or go to casualty at your nearest hospital, if you think you or anyone else may have swallowed Siguent Hycor 1%. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. Also report any other medicine or alcohol which has been taken. You may need urgent medical attention.
While you are using it
Things you must do
Tell your doctor if you feel it is not helping your condition.
Tell your doctor if, for any reason, you have not used this medicine as prescribed. Otherwise, your doctor may think that it was not effective and change your treatment unnecessarily.
Always discuss with your doctor any problems or difficulties during or after using Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment.
If you develop any other eye condition such as injury, eye surgery or infections while using this medicine, seek your doctor’s advice concerning the continued use.
Things you must not do
Do not give it to anyone else even though their symptoms seem similar to yours.
Do not use it for other conditions unless your doctor tells you. Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment has been prescribed for you for a specific condition. If you use it for another reason, it may not work or may make the condition worse.
Do not give this ointment to small children.
Things to be careful of
Do not use Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment for a long time. If you use it for longer than recommended or use more than the prescribed dose, the chances of absorption of the drug into the body and the chance of side effects increases.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are concerned about the length of time you have been using it.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while using Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment.
All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions you may have.
The most common side effect is temporary blurred vision (especially after application of the eye ointment).
Uncommon to rare side effects include:
- burning, stinging, redness or watering of the eyes
- corneal thinning (resulting in decreased vision, watering of the eyes)
- cataracts
- glaucoma
- blurred vision.
There is a possibility of absorption into the body of hydrocortisone, especially if this ointment is used for a long time. This may result in effects to the organs that regulate and maintain hormone levels in the body. Your doctor will decide if there is a need for a test to monitor the hormone levels in the blood.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you have any other problems while using this ointment even if you do not think the problems are connected with this medicine or are not listed in this leaflet.
Do not be alarmed by this list of side effects or their discussion. You may not experience any of them.
After using it
Storage
Discard any of the ointment still left after 4 weeks from first using it.
Store below 25°C.
Keep it where children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one and a half metres above the floor is a good place to store medicines.
Do not store it or any other medicines in a bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it in the car or on windowsills.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop using Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment or it has passed its expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any left over.
Product description
What it looks like
Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment is a soft, yellowish-white sterile ointment with a faint odour of paraffin and lanolin. It is packed in a special eye ointment tube with an elongated nozzle.
Ingredients
Active ingredient:
Each gram of Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment contains 10 mg of hydrocortisone (as the acetate).
Other ingredients:
- white soft paraffin
- liquid paraffin
- wool fat.
Siguent Hycor 1% eye ointment does not contain any preservatives.
Sponsor
Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd
34-36 Chandos Street
St Leonards NSW 2065
Australia
Australian Registration Number: AUST R 139082
This information was revised in February 2020.
Published by MIMS April 2020
