Latanoprost: uses, dosing, side effects & brands

Latanoprost is a medicine sold in the U.S. under 3 brand and generic names, for open-angle glaucoma. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.

By the pharmaranks editorial teamReviewed against the FDA (openFDA label, NDC Directory & Enforcement) sourcesUpdated Jul 24, 2026How we research

Key facts

Treats (across its forms): Open-Angle Glaucoma
Available as: Solution · Drops
Sold as: 3 products — Latanoprost, Xalatan and Xelpros
Prescription?: Prescription only
Generic available?: Yes
What the pharmacy pays: about $2 per ml — not your price

How Xelpros is dosed

From the FDA label for Xelpros (application NDA206185). Other latanoprost products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

The recommended dosage is one drop in the affected eye(s) once daily in the evening. If one dose is missed, treatment should continue with the next dose as normal. The dosage of XELPROS should not exceed once daily; the combined use of two or more prostaglandins, or prostaglandin analogs including XELPROS is not recommended. It has been shown that administration of these prostaglandin drug products more than once daily may decrease the intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering effect or cause paradoxical elevations in IOP. Reduction of the intraocular pressure starts approximately 3 to 4 hours after administration and the maximum effect is reached after 8 to 12 hours. XELPROS may be used concomitantly with other topical ophthalmic drug products to lower intraocular pressure. If more than one topical ophthalmic drug is being used, the drugs should be administered at least five (5) minutes apart. Contact lenses should be removed prior to the administration of XELPROS, and may be reinserted 15 minutes after administration. One drop in the affected eye(s) once daily in the evening. ( 2 )

Everything below is the FDA label for Xelpros (drops). Latanoprost is also sold as solution, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

Xelpros side effects

Most common ocular adverse reactions (incidence ≥5%) for XELPROS are: eye pain/stinging, ocular hyperemia, conjunctival hyperemia, eye discharge, growth of eyelashes, and eyelash thickening. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. at 1-800-818-4555 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. Across multiple clinical trials conducted with XELPROS (latanoprost ophthalmic emulsion) 0.005%, the most frequently reported ocular adverse reactions were eye pain/stinging upon instillation and ocular hyperemia, reported in 55% and 41% of XELPROS treated patients, respectively (Table 1). Less than 1% of patients discontinued therapy because of intolerance to the eye pain/stinging or to the ocular hyperemia. Table 1. Ocular Adverse Reactions Reported by ≥ 1% of Subjects Receiving XELPROS System Organ Class/ Preferred Term XELPROS (N = 448) Eye disorders 325 (73%) Eye pain / stinging 246 (55%) Ocular hyperemia 185 (41%) Conjunctival hyperemia 65 (15%) Eye discharge 53 (12%) Growth of eyelashes 47 (11%) Eyelash thickening 35 (8%)…

Who shouldn’t take Xelpros

Known hypersensitivity to latanoprost, or any other ingredients in this product. Known hypersensitivity to latanoprost or any other ingredients in this product. ( 4 )

Xelpros drug interactions

In vitro studies have shown that precipitation occurs when eye drops containing thimerosal are mixed with XELPROS. If such drugs are used, they should be administered at least five (5) minutes apart. The combined use of two or more prostaglandins, or prostaglandin analogs including XELPROS is not recommended. It has been shown that administration of these prostaglandin drug products more than once daily may decrease the IOP lowering effect or cause paradoxical elevations in IOP. Thimerosal: Precipitation may occur if drugs containing thimerosal are used concomitantly with XELPROS. If such drugs are used, they should be administered at least five (5) minutes apart. ( 7 )

Every latanoprost product we track (3)

Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.

Latanoprost products
#	Drug	Rating	Type	Form	Generic?	Pharmacy pays
1	Latanoprost	66/100	Prescription	Solution	Generic	$2	View →
2	Xalatan	Not yet rated	Prescription	Drops	Generic	$2	View →
3	Xelpros	Not yet rated	Prescription	Drops	Generic	$2	View →

Latanoprost recalls

From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.

How long latanoprost keeps

No latanoprost 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 latanoprost expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labels

Latanoprost and breastfeeding

From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.

No information is available on the use of latanoprost during breastfeeding. Because of its short half-life it is not likely to reach the bloodstream of the infant or cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. Professional guidelines consider prostaglandin eye drops acceptable during breastfeeding. 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.

Full LactMed record for latanoprost: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider instead

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised November 15, 2024. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.

What people report to the FDA about latanoprost

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 35,025 reports naming latanoprost, and the FDA flagged 47% 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:

treatment failure5,805 reports
fatigue1,779 reports
eye irritation1,483 reports
headache1,258 reports
diarrhoea1,255 reports
dizziness1,132 reports
eye pain1,125 reports
nausea1,102 reports

Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean latanoprost 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 August 25, 2026.

Related calculators

How long it stays in your system →

Frequently asked questions

What is Xelpros?

Xelpros (Latanoprost) is a medication used to treat Open-Angle Glaucoma.

Can you take latanoprost 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 latanoprost against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.

What brand names is latanoprost sold under?

We track 3 latanoprost-containing products in the U.S.: Latanoprost, Xalatan and Xelpros. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.

What forms does latanoprost come in?

Across the brands we track, latanoprost is currently marketed as solution and 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 latanoprost?

Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic latanoprost 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 latanoprost been recalled?

The FDA's Enforcement database lists 2 recall records whose product description mentions latanoprost. The most recent: Latanoprost NDC# 82187-1002-1 Container Description: Amber colour bottle (Feb 7, 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). Latanoprost: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/latanoprost
MLA: “Latanoprost: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/latanoprost.

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 latanoprost on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.