Ocular Effects of Medications

During your eye examination, our optometrists will ask what medications you might be taking. While the medications are needed to control a specific health condition, many medications can have eye side effects. There can be a wide range of reaction depending on the person and dosage. Some medications can have mild, non-sight threatening effects that are treatable, while others have a higher risk to cause permanent vision loss.

We recommend you always read the manufacturer insert and consult with your doctor to educate yourself for potential side effects. Often, your doctor may recommend having your eyes examined initially before you start a medication to establish a baseline reading and then have regular follow up exams to monitor for any eye side effects.

We would like to provide a list of the common medications that have known eye side effects, ranging from the most severe to the least severe side effects.

Medication	Condition	Ocular Side Effect
Hydroxychloroquine / Plaquenil	Rheumatoid Arthritis / Lupus	Corneal / Retinal disease
Prednisone	Asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Colitis, etc.	Cataracts, Glaucoma
Amiodarone	Heart Arrhythmia	Corneal disease
Tamoxifen	Breast Cancer	Retinal disease
Anti-histamines	Allergies	Dry eyes
Anti-depressants	Depression	Blurred vision
Accutane	Acne	Dry eyes
Viagra	Erectile Dysfunction	Blurred vision, Colour vision defects

Many of the eye side effects of medications are treatable and reversible, if diagnosed in the early stages. We recommend that you talk to both your family doctor/specialist and your optometrist to determine what eye testing should be done and how often it should be done.