Precautions
“Tamoxifen has long been known to cause eye problems, including dryness, irritation, cataracts, and deposits in the retina, in the area of the macula, that result in macular edema,” said K. V. Chalam, MD, PhD, MBA, professor and chair of ophthalmology at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville.
Can tamoxifen cause eye problems?
- Blistering, peeling, loosening of the skin
- constipation
- dark urine
- diarrhea
- general feeling of discomfort or illness
- indigestion
- muscle pain
- large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or genitals
- loss of appetite
- nausea
What are the possible side effects of tamoxifen?
When it comes to preventive uses, tamoxifen has a good track record of substantially reducing new or recurrent cancer in women with high levels of cancer risk. Another positive is its cost. As an older drug, tamoxifen is available in generic form, so it is likely to be less expensive than some newer medications.
Does tamoxifen really work?
Tamoxifen lowers the risk of [ 91 ]:
- Breast cancer recurrence
- Breast cancer in the opposite breast
- Death from breast cancer
How effective is tamoxifen?
Is tamoxifen a low dose?
Is tamoxifen a chemo drug?
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Can tamoxifen affect your eyes?
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, some research has indicated that long-term use of tamoxifen can lead to eye issues, such as irritation, dry eyes, and cataracts. Research in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment studied the effects of tamoxifen in women being treated for breast cancer.
Does breast cancer treatment affect eyesight?
Though uncommon, breast cancer treatment may affect your eyes and vision, including causing red, itchy, or dry eyes; watery eyes; blurry or double vision; or making you see dark spots. Though not a common side effect, breast cancer treatment may affect your eyes, including your vision.
Can tamoxifen cause optic nerve damage?
Tamoxifen ocular toxicity can affect the cornea, lens, retina, macula, and optic nerve. Tamoxifen optic neuropathy is an important complication due to its potentially devastating effect on vision.
Can taking tamoxifen cause cataracts?
Tamoxifen can induce cataracts, particularly posterior subcapsular cataracts, in many users.
Can tamoxifen cause macular degeneration?
The relative risk was 1.40 (95% confidence interval 0.94-2.10) for standard-term users and 1.70 (1.11-2.59) for long-term users. Tamoxifen use was unrelated to frequency of glaucoma or macular degeneration or to Amsler grid test results.
Can tamoxifen cause eye inflammation?
February 13, 2007 –- A new study has found that tamoxifen use may lead to eye problems among middle-aged women older than 50 years.
What is tamoxifen retinopathy?
Tamoxifen is an anti-estrogen agent that is used in the treatment of patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers. It can lead to a retinopathy characterized by central vision loss and superficial crystalline deposits.
Can you take a break from tamoxifen?
If you experience side effects and decide to take a break from taking tamoxifen, it is likely that the side effects will reappear once you start taking the drug again. Menopausal-like symptoms are fairly common but are usually mild and disappear when tamoxifen is no longer taken.
Can tamoxifen cause retinal detachment?
Conclusion. Tamoxifen-induced retinopathy could be detected by SD-OCT and EOG. As it is irreversible, patients who are given tamoxifen need regular ophthalmic consultation, including SD-OCT and EOG before and during the treatment in order to early detect and avoid further retinal damage.
Does medication blurred vision go away?
Medications can have a variety of effects on your eyes, ranging from minor, temporary issues such as blurred vision to permanent damage.
Can tamoxifen cause floaters?
We recommend prompt evaluation by an ophthalmologist in those patients on tamoxifen who report floaters, scotoma, or decreased vision. Treatment in these patients should be coordinated together with the patient's oncologist.
What medications cause eye problems?
If you take any of these types of medicines, you could get dry eye:Diuretics.Antihistamines.Antidepressants.Cholesterol-lowering drugs.Beta-blockers.Birth control pills.
Can radiation therapy affect your eyesight?
Possible side effects of radiation therapy The main concern with radiation therapy is damage to parts of the eye, leading to problems such as blurry vision, dry eye, cataracts, retinal detachment, glaucoma (increased pressure inside the eye), loss of eye lashes, problems with tear ducts, or bleeding into the eye.
Can radiation for breast cancer cause cataracts?
Cancer treatments, including radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy can cause cataracts. However, in almost all cases, the benefit of the cancer treatment outweighs the risk of developing a cataract.
Does medication blurred vision go away?
Medications can have a variety of effects on your eyes, ranging from minor, temporary issues such as blurred vision to permanent damage.
What are the side effects of breast radiation therapy?
Side effects of radiotherapySkin reactions.Swelling of the breast.Pain in the breast or chest area.Hair loss in the armpit.Sore throat.Tiredness and fatigue.Lymphoedema.Change in breast shape, size and colour.More items...
Tamoxifen, fatigue and eye problems - Breast Cancer Now Forum
I'm 36 and have been on tamoxifen since June 2010. I had various side effects along the way but recently i've been experiencing extreme fatigue and I also seem to be having vision problems. My eyes are dry, teary at times, has lots of discharge especially in the mornings when i wake up. It's also pa...
OCT Provides Fuller Picture of Tamoxifen Retinopathy
Download PDF. Tamoxifen retinopathy may be more of an issue than previously recognized, researchers in South Korea have found—and optical coherence tomography (OCT) may be needed to diagnose the earliest signs of the condition. 1 Previous studies have found a prevalence rate of 1.5% to 11.8% in patients being treated for breast cancer.
Ocular side-effects in breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen ...
Purpose: 3Tamoxifen and toremifene are non-steroidal anti-oestrogens widely used in the treatment of advanced breast cancer and as adjuvant therapy following surgery in early stage disease. Tamoxifene has also been approved for use in reducing the incidence of breast cancer amongst high risk women. However, certain well documented adverse effects, mainly involving the reproductive organs, have ...
Eye problems in breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen
Background: Tamoxifen is an oral anti-estrogen used in the treatment of breast cancer and recently approved to reduce the incidence of breast cancer in high risk women. As a large clinical trial of tamoxifen has reported an increased risk of cataract, we conducted a study of women with breast cancer to evaluate the association of tamoxifen with cataracts and other eye problems.
What are the side effects of taking Tamoxifen?
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking tamoxifen: More common. Absent, missed, or irregular menstrual periods. bladder pain. blindness. bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet. bloody or cloudy urine. blurred vision. chills.
Does tamoxifen need immediate medical attention?
Side effects not requiring immediate medical attention. Some side effects of tamoxifen may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine.
Is tamoxifen safe for women with breast cancer?
Discuss risks and benefits of tamoxifen with women at high risk for breast cancer and women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) when considering tamoxifen use to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer . For most patients already diagnosed with breast cancer, the benefits of tamoxifen outweigh its risks. Serious and life-threatening uterine ...
Does Tamoxifen help with breast cancer?
For most patients already diagnosed with breast cancer, the benefits of tamoxifen outweigh its risks. Oral route (Tablet) Serious and life-threatening uterine malignancies, stroke, and pulmonary embolism have been associated with tamoxifen use in the risk reduction setting (women with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ ...
What is Tamoxifen citrate?
Tamoxifen citrate has active ingredients of tamoxifen citrate. It is often used in breast cancer. eHealthMe is studying from 10,959 Tamoxifen citrate users for its effectiveness, alternative drugs and more.
What is Vision blurred?
Vision blurred is found to be associated with 3,107 drugs and 2,801 conditions by eHealthMe.
How long does it take for tamoxifen to cause eye problems?
“The side effects usually occur at least one year after therapy begins,” Dr. Fraunfelder said.
What is the best alternative to tamoxifen?
Alternatives to tamoxifen. Oncologists have the option of prescribing raloxifene (Evista) as an alternative to tamoxifen for breast cancer prophylaxis, and it may have a more favorable side effect profile.
Does tamoxifen cause macular edema?
Chalam, MD, PhD, MBA, professor and chair of ophthalmology at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville. Most of the ocular side effects are dose related, he said. “Certainly, the side effects we see with tamoxifen are much less profound than they used to be because of the lower doses now used.” Years ago, many breast cancer patients were prescribed doses of 150 mg or more, he noted. “In such cases, the ocular side effects from tamoxifen could be profound. That’s not the case anymore with the usual dose of 20 mg or less.”
Does tamoxifen cause retinopathy?
Retinopathy. However, use of tamoxifen, particularly at higher doses and for longer periods of time, may lead to retinopathy, Dr. Fraunfelder said. “Patients on tamoxifen can get striking white to yellow refractile bodies around the macula.
Does tamoxifen help with breast cancer?
Widespread effects. Tamoxifen is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) and acts against breast cancer by occupying estrogen receptors. It’s the only SERM approved for every stage of breast cancer. Because estrogen affects a wide variety of physiological functions and estrogen receptors are present in the eye, ...
Does breast cancer cause ocular side effects?
Only a small percentage of breast cancer patients experience clinically evident ocular side effects from their medications. Nevertheless, because these drugs are so widely used, the related eye conditions may affect many women. The breast cancer medication most commonly identified with ocular side effects is tamoxifen.
Does 5-fluorouracil affect the eye?
However, chemotherapy agents, such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), can also have ocular side effects. And more researchers are becoming concerned that the drugs known as aromatase inhibitors, which now are often prescribed as adjuvant endocrine therapy, may also have adverse effects on the eye, including small retinal hemorrhages, ...
Case report
A 45-year-old woman, a breast cancer patient with a history of receiving modified radical mastectomy in 1999, complained of progressive visual loss in her left eye for 5 weeks. Before her first presentation, she had received a cumulative dose of 1.86 g tamoxifen (20 mg/day) as postoperative adjuvant therapy for 3 months.
Affiliations
Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Does tamoxifen cause eye problems?
February 13, 2007 –- A new study has found that tamoxifen use may lead to eye problems among middle-aged women older than 50 years. Researchers reporting online January 27 in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment observed physical changes within the eye, including a reduction in optic cup size. "Clinicians need to be aware that if patients on tamoxifen are complaining of vision problems, these concerns need to be taken seriously," lead author Alvin Eisner, PhD, from the Oregon Health and Science University Neurological Sciences Institute and the Casey Eye Institute, in Portland, told Medscape.
Is tamoxifen smaller than anastrozole?
The investigators found that the optical cup volumes of the tamoxifen users were significantly smaller than the cup volumes of the anastrozole users, which were indistinguishable from normal. Because the cup volumes of the tamoxifen users decreased markedly with age at about 50 years and because anastrozole is indicated only for postmenopausal ...
Is tamoxifen a low dose?
Ocular toxicity is uncommon in the current clinical setting of long-term, low-dose tamoxifen use. Physicians should be aware of the potential for ocular toxicity ...
Is tamoxifen a chemo drug?
Clinical trials of tamoxifen in chemoprevention of breast cancer among high-risk women have focused attention on potential adverse effects of long-term tamoxifen use, including the possibility of ocular toxicity. This review evaluates the published case reports, clinical series, and clinical trial data on ocular toxicities attributed to tamoxifen.