Taking timolol tablets with other medicines and herbal supplements

Cautions with other medicines

There are some medicines that may affect the way timolol tablets work. Timolol can also affect other medicines.

Tell your doctor if you're taking any of these medicines:

• any other medicines for high blood pressure - the combination with timolol tablets can sometimes lower your blood pressure too much. This may make you feel dizzy or faint. If this keeps happening to you, tell your doctor – they may change your dose
• other medicines for an irregular heartbeat, such as amiodarone or verapamil
• other medicines which can lower your blood pressure, including some antidepressants, nitrates (for chest pain), baclofen (a muscle relaxant), medicines for an enlarged prostate gland, like tamsulosin or Parkinson's disease medicines such as co-careldopa or levodopa
• medicines for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• medicines for diabetes, particularly insulin or medicines that can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) – timolol may make it more difficult to recognise the warning signs of low blood sugar. Speak to your doctor if you have low blood sugar levels without getting any of the usual warning signs. Check your blood sugar after exercise, and follow usual advice about checking it before driving, or operating machinery
• medicines to treat nose or sinus congestion, or other cold remedies (including those you can buy in a pharmacy)
• medicines for allergies, such as ephedrine, noradrenaline or adrenaline

Mixing timolol tablets with herbal remedies and supplements

Some herbal remedies, such as cod liver oil, hawthorn and garlic, may cause low blood pressure (hypotension).

There's not enough information to say that other complementary medicines and herbal remedies are safe to take with timolol. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.