Ocular Side Effects

If you are taking any of the a following medications, inform your Optometrists and have your eyes checked regularly to prevent further serious and permanent problems.

Ocular problems that may be caused from some common or frequently used medications.

Anti-arrhythmic drugs

Amidarone HCL (Cordarone): affects the cornea (micro-deposits similar to choroquine toxicity with whorl-like pigment in the subepithelial layers) and the lens anterior subcapsular lens deposits along the visual axis), and optic neuropathy or optic neuritis which can lead to blindness.

Anti-coagulants

Aspirin can aggravate any ocular bleeding. Warfarin sodium (Coumadin) can increase the risk of severe conjunctival or retinal hemorrhaging.

Anti-histamines (Claritin, Zantac)

Common causes of increased dry eye, headache, drowsiness, dry mouth, conjunctivits and ocular pain.

Anti-malarials (also used for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, a diseases.)         

Chloroquine (Aralen phosphate) and hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil sulfate) can affect the cornea (whorl-pattern opacity) lids and retina (pigmentary degeneration or stippling or ottling of the macular pigmented epithelium and may progress to a "bull's eye maculopathy".)            

Anti-neoplastic drugs

Tamoxifen citrate (Nolvadex) can cause maculopathy with bilateral,  superficial, yellow-white crystalline, ringlike deposits, causing vision loss and central fields abnormalities.

Anti-psychotics & phenothiazines

Chlorpromazine HCL (Thorazine) and thioridazine HCL (Mellaril) can cause pigmentary changes in the cornea, conjunctiva, and anterior subcapsular cataracts. Chlorpromazine rarely affects the retina, but thioridazine may creating pigmentary changes which can affect visual acuity, color vision and dark adaptation.

The benzodiapines (Valium), and phenothiazines can commonly cause dry eye symptoms.  The serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Prozac) can cause dryness symptoms including  dry mouth and reduced contact lens intolerance, eye pain, conjunctivitis, and disturbed accommodation.

Anti-tuberculosis drugs

Ethambutol HCL (Myambutol), isoniazid (Laniazid) and rifampin (Rimactane) with ethambutol being the most dangerous affecting the optic nerve triggering optic neuritis (retrobulbar neuritis) and blindness.Rifampin can change tears, sweat, saliva,urine, feces and contact lenses a red-orange color.

Beta-Blockers

Can cause dry eyes (especially when prescribed for control of migraine symptoms), & increased corneal punctate staining.

Cardiac glycosides

Digoxin (Lanoxin) and digitoxin (Crystodigin) may cause color vision disturbance,flickering or flashing lights, colored spots, snowy, hazy or blurred vision, dimming vision and heightened sensitivity to glare. Color vision testing may indicate a reduction in both red-green and blue-yellow discrimination. These ocular symptoms indicates life-threatening cardiac consequences and should be reported to the physician or cardiologists.

Corticosteroids  

Prednisone and cortisone acetate affect the lens (posterior subcapsular cataract) and elevate intraocular pressure, can cause extraocular muscle palsy, periorbital  chemosis and ptosis. prolonged use of corticosteroids may induce glaucoma and increase the risk of secondary ocular infections due to fungi or viruses.

Oral contraceptives

Can cause retinal or cerebral vascular occlusion, retinal migraines, periphlebitis, optic neuritis and pseudotumor cerebri. May alter tear production and cause complications with contact  lens wear or contact lens intolerance but no well documented studies to support this.

Estrogen users (menopause, hypoestrogenism, osteoporosis, or atrophic vaginitis) may report increased symptoms of dry eyes, corneal sensitivity, water retention including corneal edema and contact lens intolerance.