We’re warm-blooded mammals and that means we do best when we are in higher temperatures as compared to overly cool ones. And without a wetsuit you’re not going to find us voluntarily swimming in seawaters far north of the equator in November. But some animals do better in the cold, and some Rx medications need to be kept cool too. Some of them will spoil if they are kept in warm temperatures, while those of us who pop the pills will shiver if we’re feeling really chilled. This leads to does Lumigan need to be refrigerated. 

It is a medication used for glaucoma treatment or to treat ocular hypertension, and Lumigan is formulated to reduce the pressure on the optic nerve that is at the root of either condition. But the active ingredient in the medication – Bimatoprost – will lose its constituency if it gets too warm and so users will be told they need to be mindful of how warm it is anywhere they might be keeping this medication in between eyedrop applications.  

The ideal range is between 36 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and so as that relates to does Lumigan need to be refrigerated it means that room temperature in a lot of places in America is going to be just fine. Summertime may be an exception to that as it can go above 36 (25 Celsius) quite easily in most parts of the country. But in wintertime the only Americans who’ll need to refrigerate their glaucoma treatment medication are going to be ones in Florida, Arizona, or Hawaii for the most part.  

Eyes Have It 

It’s interesting to note how some races will have people with a variety of eye colors, while on the other hand you’ll have every single East Asian on earth with brown eyes. Evolution is fascinating stuff, but how this connects to does Lumigan need to be refrigerated is that storage temperature isn’t the only consideration with using glaucoma treatment medication safely. Meds that mimic prostaglandins can actually change the pigment of the iris and tissue around the eyelid for people that have light-colored eyes. 

Glaucoma and cataracts are two very different degenerative eye conditions, but people with cataracts aren’t going to be using Lumigan. With glaucoma, it’s all about that pressure buildup, whereas with cataracts, it’s the crystallin proteins breaking down in the eye. We’ve gone over everything there is to say about does Lumigan need to be refrigerated, and it does need to be kept under 36 degrees, so it stays effective for glaucoma treatment. But we can conclude this blog entry by looking that the possibility of pigment changes in the eye again.  

It just so happens that people who are of African or Latin descent are more at risk for glaucoma. Now there are not many Africans with blue or green eyes, but there can plenty of light-eyed people from Latin America and these people should be doubly careful if they are using Lumigan for ocular hypertension or glaucoma. They will need to keep it refrigerated if the room temperature in their home is warm, and adhere to the dosage regulations as laid out by their doctor.