Pemirolast (Ophthalmic)

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Apr 25, 2022.

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

• Alamast

Pharmacologic Class: Mast Cell Stabilizer

Uses for pemirolast

Pemirolastis used to treat the itching in your eyes that happens with allergies.

Pemirolast works by preventing certain types of inflammatory cells from releasing irritating substances that cause allergic symptoms.

Pemirolast is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before using pemirolast

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For pemirolast, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to pemirolast or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Pemirolast has been tested in children 3 years of age and older and, in effective doses, has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems than it does in adults.

Geriatric

There is no specific information available comparing the use of pemirolast in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Interactions with food/tobacco/alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other medical problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of pemirolast. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Contact lens–related irritation—Pemirolast should not be used to treat this condition

Proper use of pemirolast

Pemirolast is used to help treat the itching that often occurs with allergic conjunctivitis.

• To use the eye drops form of pemirolast:
  • First, wash your hands. Then tilt the head back and, pressing your finger gently on the skin just beneath the lower eyelid, pull the lower eyelid away from the eye to make a space. Drop the medicine into this space. Let go of the eyelid and gently close the eyes. Blink a few times to make sure the eye is covered with the medicine.
  • To keep the medicine as germ-free as possible, do not touch the applicator tip to any surface (including th..