Timolol: uses, dosing, side effects & brands

Timolol is a beta-adrenergic blocker sold in the U.S. under 7 brand and generic names, for angina pectoris, open-angle glaucoma and heart failure. 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

Drug class: Beta-Adrenergic Blocker
Treats (across its forms): Angina Pectoris, Open-Angle Glaucoma and Heart Failure
Available as: Drops · Tablet · Solution
Sold as: 7 products — Betimol, Blocadren and Timolol Maleate, and others
Prescription?: Prescription only
Generic available?: Yes
What the pharmacy pays: about $1 per ml — not your price

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How Betimol is dosed

From the FDA label for Betimol (application NDA020439). Other timolol products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

Betimol® Ophthalmic Solution is available in concentrations of 0.25% and 0.5%. The usual starting dose is one drop of 0.25% Betimol® in the affected eye(s) twice a day. If the clinical response is not adequate, the dosage may be changed to one drop of 0.5% solution in the affected eye(s) twice a day. If the intraocular pressure is maintained at satisfactory levels, the dosage schedule may be changed to one drop once a day in the affected eye(s). Because of diurnal variations in intraocular pressure, satisfactory response to the once-a-day dose is best determined by measuring the intraocular pressure at different times during the day. Since in some patients the pressure-lowering response to Betimol® may require a few weeks to stabilize, evaluation should include a determination of intraocular pressure after approximately 4 weeks of treatment with Betimol®. Dosages above one drop of 0.5% Betimol® twice a day generally have not been shown to produce further reduction in intraocular pressure. If the patient's intraocular pressure is still not at a satisfactory level on this regimen, concomitant therapy with pilocarpine and other miotics, and/or epinephrine, and/or systemically administered carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, such as acetazolamide, can be instituted.

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

Betimol side effects

The most frequently reported ocular event in clinical trials was burning/stinging on instillation and was comparable between Betimol ® and timolol maleate (approximately one in eight patients). The following adverse events were associated with use of Betimol ® in frequencies of more than 5% in two controlled, double-masked clinical studies in which 184 patients received 0.25% or 0.5% Betimol ® : OCULAR: Dry eyes, itching, foreign body sensation, discomfort in the eye, eyelid erythema, conjunctival injection, and headache. BODY AS A WHOLE: Headache. The following side effects were reported in frequencies of 1 to 5%: OCULAR: Eye pain, epiphora, photophobia, blurred or abnormal vision, corneal fluorescein staining, keratitis, blepharitis and cataract. BODY AS A WHOLE: Allergic reaction, asthenia, common cold and pain in extremities. CARDIOVASCULAR: Hypertension. DIGESTIVE: Nausea. METABOLIC/NUTRITIONAL: Peripheral edema. NERVOUS SYSTEM/PSYCHIATRY: Dizziness and dry mouth. RESPIRATORY: Respiratory infection and sinusitis. In addition, the following adverse reactions have been reported with ophthalmic use of beta blockers: OCULAR: Conjunctivitis, blepharoptosis, decreased corneal sensitivity, visual disturbances including refractive changes, diplopia and retinal vascular disorder. BODY AS A WHOLE: Chest pain. CARDIOVASCULAR: Arrhythmia, palpitation, bradycardia, hypotension,…

Who shouldn’t take Betimol

Betimol ® is contraindicated in patients with overt heart failure, cardiogenic shock, sinus bradycardia, second- or third-degree atrioventricular block, bronchial asthma or history of bronchial asthma, or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or hypersensitivity to any component of this product.

Betimol drug interactions

Beta-adrenergic blocking agents Patients who are receiving a beta-adrenergic blocking agent orally and Betimol ® should be observed for a potential additive effect either on the intraocular pressure or on the known systemic effects of beta-blockade. Patients should not usually receive two topical ophthalmic beta-adrenergic blocking agents concurrently. Catecholamine-depleting drugs Close observation of the patient is recommended when a beta-blocker is administered to patients receiving catecholamine-depleting drugs such as reserpine, because of possible additive effects and the production of hypotension and/or marked bradycardia, which may produce vertigo, syncope, or postural hypotension. Calcium antagonists Caution should be used in the co-administration of beta-adrenergic blocking agents and oral or intravenous calcium antagonists, because of possible atrioventricular conduction disturbances, left ventricular failure, and hypotension. In patients with impaired cardiac function, co-administration should be avoided. Digitalis and calcium antagonists The concomitant use of beta-adrenergic blocking agents with digitalis and calcium antagonists may have additive effects in prolonging atrioventricular conduction time. Injectable Epinephrine (See PRECAUTIONS, General, Anaphylaxis .)

Every timolol product we track (7)

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

Timolol products
#	Drug	Rating	Type	Form	Generic?	Pharmacy pays
1	Betimol	70/100	Prescription	Drops	Generic	$1	View →
2	Blocadren	70/100	Prescription	Tablet	Generic	$1	View →
3	Timolol Maleate	70/100	Prescription	Solution	Generic	$1	View →
4	Istalol	Not yet rated	Prescription	Drops	Generic	$1	View →
5	Timoptic	Not yet rated	Prescription	Solution	Generic	$1	View →
6	Timoptic in Ocudose	Not yet rated	Prescription	Solution	Generic	$1	View →
7	Timoptic-Xe	Not yet rated	Prescription	Solution	Generic	$1	View →

Combination products containing timolol

A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.

Timolol recalls

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

How long timolol keeps

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

Timolol and breastfeeding

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

Because of the variability in excretion of timolol into breastmilk and minimal reported experience during breastfeeding, other agents may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.

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

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised April 15, 2026. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.

What people report to the FDA about timolol

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 27,201 reports naming timolol, and the FDA flagged 52% 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 failure4,064 reports
fatigue1,187 reports
eye irritation1,160 reports
eye pain1,133 reports
diarrhoea963 reports
dizziness944 reports
vision blurred855 reports
nausea836 reports

Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean timolol 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 26, 2026.

Related calculators

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Frequently asked questions

What is Betimol?

Betimol ® (timolol ophthalmic solution), 0.25% and 0.5%, is a non-selective beta-adrenergic antagonist for ophthalmic use.

What kind of drug is timolol?

The FDA classifies timolol as a beta-adrenergic blocker. Beta-blockers block adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline from acting on beta-adrenergic receptors, mainly in the heart. This slows the heart rate, reduces how forcefully the heart contracts, and lowers blood pressure, easing the workload on the heart. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.

Can you take timolol 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 timolol 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 timolol sold under?

We track 7 timolol-containing products in the U.S.: Betimol, Blocadren, Timolol Maleate, Istalol, Timoptic, Timoptic in Ocudose and Timoptic-Xe. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.

What forms does timolol come in?

Across the brands we track, timolol is currently marketed as drops, tablet and solution, 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 timolol?

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

The FDA's Enforcement database lists at least 5 recall records whose product description mentions timolol. The most recent: Dorzolamide HCl and Timolol Maleate Ophthalmic Solution (Jul 22, 2026). 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). Timolol: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/timolol
MLA: “Timolol: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/timolol.

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 timolol on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.