Like acetazolamide, methazolamide (Neptazane) is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor that raises the urinary volume and modifies blood and urine PH. Patients with persistent open-angle glaucoma are treated with it.

Methazolamide Uses:

• Glaucoma:
  • It is used for the management of secondary or chronic open-angle glaucoma.
  • It is also used for the short-term treatment of acute angle-closure glaucoma before surgery.

Methazolamide (Neptazane) Dose in Adults:

Methazolamide (Neptazane) Dose in the treatment of Glaucoma:

• For glaucoma treatment, the dose is usually 50 to 100 mg taken by mouth 2 to 3 times a day.

Use in Children:

Not indicated.

Pregnancy Risk Factor C

• Tests on animals showed that the medicine might cause problems during pregnancy.

Use of methazolamide while breastfeeding

• We don't know if methazolamide passes into breast milk.
• Since it might harm a breastfeeding baby, moms have to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking the medicine.

Methazolamide Dose in Kidney Disease:

In cases of severe renal failure, it is not advised.

Methazolamide Dose in Liver disease:

In cases of severe liver failure, it is not advised.

Side effects of Methazolamide (Neptazane):

• Renal:
  • Nephrolithiasis
  • Polyuria
• Central Nervous System:
  • Paresthesia
  • Seizure
  • Fatigue
  • Flaccid Paralysis
  • Confusion
  • Drowsiness
  • Malaise
• Miscellaneous:
  • Fever
• Dermatologic:
  • Skin Rash
  • Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
  • Erythema Multiforme
  • Skin Photosensitivity
  • Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
  • Urticaria
• Endocrine & Metabolic:
  • Electrolyte Disturbance
  • Metabolic Acidosis
  • Glycosuria
• Gastrointestinal:
  • Dysgeusia
  • Melena
  • Decreased Appetite
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
• Genitourinary:
  • Crystalluria
  • Hematuria
• Hematologic & Oncologic:
  • Leukopenia
  • Pancytopenia
  • Bone Marrow Depression
  • Hemolytic Anemia
  • Agranulocytosis
  • Aplastic Anemia
  • Immune Thrombocytopenia
• Hypersensitivity:
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Hypersensitivity Reaction
• Hepatic:
  • Fulminant Hepatic Necrosis
  • Hepatic Insufficiency
• Ophthalmic:
  • Myopia
• Otic:
  • Auditory Disturbance
  • Tinnitus

Contraindications to Methazolamide (Neptazane):

Methazolamide might not be safe for people with:

• Major kidney or liver problems.
• Broken adrenal glands (glands above your kidneys).
• Severe liver disease.
• A specific acid imbalance in the blood.
• Low salt or potassium in the blood.
• A certain type of glaucoma if treated for a long time.

Warnings and precautions

CNS effects

• This medicine might affect your brain, making you less alert or coordinated.
• Be careful, especially when doing tasks like driving.

Electrolyte disturbance:

• The medicine might change the balance of certain minerals in your body, especially potassium.
• If you're at risk, you need regular checks for low potassium levels and its signs.

Allergy to sulfonamide ("sulfa")

• Some medications contain a chemical called sulfonamide, and some people are allergic to it.
• In the past, there were concerns that if you were allergic to one sulfonamide medication, you might react to all of them.
• But now, we know that the risk of reacting to other sulfonamide medicines, especially non-antibiotic ones, is very low.
• Severe reactions are rare, but if you had a severe reaction before, some doctors may still avoid giving you medicines with sulfonamides.

Diabetes:

• If you have early-stage diabetes or full-blown diabetes, be careful when using this medicine.
• It might affect your blood sugar levels.

Hepatic impairment

• If you have liver problems, be careful with this medicine.
• It might make a liver condition called hepatic encephalopathy worse.
• Don't use it if you have severe liver issues or cirrhosis.

Respiratory disease

• If you have lung diseases like emphysema or blocked airways, be careful with this medicine.
• It might make a breathing-related condition called respiratory acidosis worse.

Methazolamide: Drug Interaction

Monitoring parameters:

CBC (Complete Blood Count)

• When: At the start and then every so often.
• Why: To check the health of your blood cells.

Platelet Count

• When: At the start and then every so often.
• Why: To see if you have enough platelets, which help blood clot.

Serum Electrolytes

• When: Every so often.
• Why: To check the balance of minerals in your blood.

How to administer methazolamide (Neptazane)?

It is administered orally without regard to meals.

Mechanism of action of Methazolamide (Neptazane):

• Methazolamide slows down an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase, which is mainly found on the edge of cells in a part of the kidney called the proximal tubule.
• When this enzyme is slowed down, more urine is produced, and it becomes more basic (alkaline).
• As a result, less acid and ammonia get removed from the body through the urine.

Start Working:

• Takes 2-4 hours to start working, which is slower than a similar drug called acetazolamide.

Strongest Effect:

• Felt around 6-8 hours after taking.

Lasts:

• The effects last between 10-18 hours.

Getting into the Body:

• It enters the body slowly.

Spread in the Body:

• It spreads through a volume of 17-23 liters in the body.

Binding:

• About 55% of it sticks to proteins in the blood.

Breaking Down:

• It's broken down slowly in the stomach and intestines.

How Long in Body:

• Half of it is gone from the body in about 14 hours.

Leaving the Body:

• It's removed from the body through urine, and about 25% leaves the body without changing.Top of Form

International Brands of Methazolamide:

• Neptazane
• Glaumetax
• Mezomine

Methazolamide Brands Names in Pakistan:

Not Available.