Cyclopentolate: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Cyclopentolate is a medicine sold in the U.S. under one brand. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Available as
- Drops
- Sold as
- Cyclogyl
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $2 per ml — not your price
How cyclopentolate is dosed
From the FDA label for Cyclogyl (application ANDA084110). Other cyclopentolate products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Adults: Instill one or two drops of 0.5%, 1% or 2% solution in the eye which may be repeated in five to ten minutes if necessary. Complete recovery usually occurs in 24 hours. Complete recovery from mydriasis in some individuals may require several days. Children: Instill one or two drops of 0.5%, 1% or 2% solution in the eye which may be repeated five to ten minutes later by a second application of 0.5% or 1% solution if necessary. Small Infants: A single instillation of one drop of 0.5% in the eye. To minimize absorption, apply pressure over the nasolacrimal sac for two to three minutes. Observe infant closely for at least 30 minutes following instillation. Individuals with heavily pigmented irides may require higher strengths.
Cyclopentolate side effects
Ocular: Increased intraocular pressure, burning, photophobia, blurred vision, irritation, hyperemia, conjunctivitis, blepharoconjunctivitis, punctate keratitis, synechiae have been reported. Non-ocular: Use of cyclopentolate has been associated with psychotic reactions and behavioral disturbances, usually in children, especially with 2% concentration. These disturbances include ataxia, incoherent speech, restlessness, hallucinations, hyperactivity, seizures, disorientation as to time and place, and failure to recognize people. This drug produces reactions similar to those of other anticholinergic drugs, but the central nervous system manifestations as noted above are more common. Other toxic manifestations of anticholinergic drugs are skin rash, abdominal distention in infants, unusual drowsiness, tachycardia, hyperpyrexia, vasodilation, urinary retention, diminished gastrointestinal motility and decreased secretion in salivary and sweat glands, pharynx, bronchi and nasal passages. Severe manifestations of toxicity include coma, medullary paralysis and death.
Who shouldn’t take cyclopentolate
Should not be used if the patient is hypersensitive to any component of this preparation.
Cyclopentolate drug interactions
Cyclopentolate may interfere with the ocular anti-hypertensive action of carbachol, pilocarpine, or ophthalmic cholinesterase inhibitors.
Every cyclopentolate product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Cyclogyl.
Cyclopentolate recalls
From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.
How long cyclopentolate keeps
No cyclopentolate label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does cyclopentolate expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsCyclopentolate and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for cyclopentolate: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadNo information is available on the use of cyclopentolate during breastfeeding. Anticholinergic drugs might interfere with breastfeeding. A single dose of ophthalmic cyclopentolate is not likely to interfere with breastfeeding; however, during long-term use, observe the infant for signs of decreased lactation (e.g., insatiety, poor weight gain). To substantially diminish the amount of drug that reaches the breastmilk after using eye drops, place pressure over the tear duct by the corner of the eye for 1 minute or more, then remove the excess solution with an absorbent tissue.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised April 19, 2021. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about cyclopentolate
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 413 reports naming cyclopentolate, and the FDA flagged 79% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- dizziness35 reports
- eye pain29 reports
- nausea28 reports
- keratopathy27 reports
- headache25 reports
- toxic anterior segment syndrome21 reports
- dyspnoea20 reports
- back pain19 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean cyclopentolate caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is cyclopentolate?
Cyclogyl (Cyclopentolate Hydrochloride) is a medication supplied as a solution/ drops.
Can you take cyclopentolate with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run cyclopentolate against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does cyclopentolate come in?
Across the brands we track, cyclopentolate is currently marketed as drops, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic cyclopentolate?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic cyclopentolate product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Has cyclopentolate been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 1 recall record whose product description mentions cyclopentolate. The most recent: Tropicamide 1%/Cyclopentolate 1%/Phenylephrine 2.5%/Ketorolac 0.5% Topical Ophth… (Nov 20, 2025). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Cyclopentolate: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/cyclopentolate
- MLA
- “Cyclopentolate: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/cyclopentolate.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for cyclopentolate on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.