dry eye in the future

[calli66]

On drugs that contribute to dry eye--bisphosphonates for osteoporosis.
I saw on another dry eye forum that a rare side effect of Fosamax (for osteoporosis) is dry eyes and uveitis (I don't know what that is). Anyway, I had taken it for 2 years and decided to go off of it for 3 months (taking Evista instead-a less potent preventative) to see if my eyes got better. But--there was no change. So really, I don't think the Fosamax was a problem.
Now I'm starting on Actonel (also a bisphosphonate of some type). Will see if I notice any increased dry eye symptoms from that.

Advil, ibruprofen: I have taken large quantities of this over the last 4-5 years--a miracle for aches and pains, toothaches, back pain. I had heard that it contributes to dry eyes, so I try not to take as much.

C66

[neil0502]

Now I'm starting on Actonel (also a bisphosphonate of some type). Will see if I notice any increased dry eye symptoms from that.

In clinical trials, 3.3% of people taking Actonel reported dry eyes as a symptom.

http://www.pgpharma.com/pi/US-Actonel.pdf

With Fosamax, dry eye isn't listed as a known side effect. Listed as rare side effects are: uveitis [1], scleritis [2] or episcleritis [3].

http://www.fosamax.com/fosamax/share...english/pi.pdf

May want to talk with your doc about this.

Best of luck!

[1] http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/001005.htm
[2] http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/001003.htm
[3] http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/001019.htm

[charon8]

Amy,

On menopause making your eyes worse...well, you are very young, hopefully long before that time they will most likely have a cure for dry eye. It doesn't always make dry eyes worse, I have friends with dry eyes that did not get worse once they went through. Hope that gives you encouragement.

As for me, my dry eyes were caused by several serious conditions, so please don't judge dry eye in general by my post. My eye doc told me he has 30,000 paitents and only four with eyes as dry as mine...hmmm, I wonder if a doc can really have that many patients. He is pretty busy...

It would be an idea maybe to see a good rheumatologist as there are several autoimmune disorders that could be causing your dry eyes.

As mentioned above, various meds MAY contribute. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has published an extremely informative paper:
"Drug Related Adverse Effects of Clinical Importance to the Ophthalmologist"
Sorry, I don't have the website on me, but you can Google it.

Do you keep your house humidity to around 50%? That is a help. Protect your eyes from the sun, as too much light can be an irritant and for some reason make them feel more dry. Avoid smoke if you can.

[neil0502]

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has published an extremely informative paper:
"Drug Related Adverse Effects of Clinical Importance to the Ophthalmologist"
Sorry, I don't have the website on me, but you can Google it.

Good one, Charon....

http://piodr.sterling.net/staticCont...bus%202002.pdf

[SusieD]

Oh my god - I wish I hadnt read that!

Seriously scary stuff.

There is no mention of half that stuff on the patient info leaflet you get with those damn pills! They should be made to list all that - would have made me think twice. The lealet I had didnt even say that dry eyes could be persistent (generic isotretinoin).

Or better still, take the piece of crap drug of the market all together! Sorry I am just in shock at what I've just read - feel like Im well and truly screwed now!!

[charon8]

Susie,

Sometimes you can go to message forums to see how others are rating the meds they are using. I don't know if this is a good one or not, only had a few minutes to search.
http://www.acne.org/rate_item.php?item_id=29

[neil0502]

Susie-

While I clearly ... all too well ... understand what you're feeling, we should be careful not to seek to deprive others of the benefits that they may derive from the drugs that may have hurt us.

Simultaneously, we should seek to raise awareness that:

1) Drugs are an industry .... a HUGE industry with a very powerful lobby in Washington;

2) EVERYTHING has side effects. Make sure you know what you're putting in your body, and talk with your prescribing physician about specific concerns.

3) In the case of Accutane, a quick Google of "Accutane Prescribing Information" brought me enough information to scare me right away. [1]

Susie, I'm clearly not suggesting that you did anything wrong, as an individual. Prescription medicine seems to have caused--or at least made dramatically worse--my condition, too. I'm more suggesting that we, as a nation (world) need to get more clarity around who's looking out for us ... really, then take more responsibility to properly manage our own health care.

Best,
Neil

[1] https://www.ipledgeprogram.com/Documents/Roche%20PI.pdf

[charon8]

This is SCARY...not related to eyes but still makes you wonder. Thirty some years ago, ergotamine was given in hospitals to new mothers who were not nursing. I was one of them. After my third child, a nurse told me that it was taken from the market because it was shown to cause breast cancer.
I was SHOCKED to learn that it is now back on the market!!! Consequently, I ended up with breast cancer...problems leading up to it started around that time.

Another thing. A drug, thalimide (hope I'm spelling that right) was causing terrible birth defects in Germany in the 50's. It was supposedly banned. Then it showed up in smaller doses in anti-nausea pills for pregnant women, in this country, I think it was called Bendectine...in the 80's. I had no knowledge of this, and was given this pill for morning sickness in the first trimester. My daughter , now 25, is gorgeous but in two places her adult teeth never formed. The same, and other various defects were found in kids whose mothers took this pill. I think the company was sued.

OK, I had better shut up. This is an eye forum. Just needed to say a few things.

[neil0502]

Wow, Charon .... you're really coming up with 'em!

Thalidomide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalidomide

In 1967, I had my first (of three) strabismus surgeries done on my eyes. I was about two and a half years old. Somehow ... somehow I still have a recollection of the kid in the hospital bed next to me. He was a "Thalidomide baby."

His family brought him a Gumby doll. I was a tad jealous.

Better living through chemistry, eh?

[Amy09]

its been said that ibeprophen aggrivates dry eye, but what about tylenol? is that okay to take?

[SusieD]

Neil,

Thats why I apologised - it was purely my frustration talking. I am well aware there are people out there who derive great benefits from taking this drug - I am one of them, it did do the job it was supposed to do where my skin was concerned. I know what it feels like to have painful cysts all over your face and what that does to ones opinion of oneself. And for that reason accutane/roaccutane still has a place in the treatment of acne/rosacea and other skin complaints - I see that.

I only agreed to this treatment after everything else had failed (Im talking all the topicals/antibiotics/hormonal/light therapy treatments etc) Anyway Im digressing. I trusted my doctor, I trusted him again when I went back after a month on the drug complaining of dry eyes. I was told not to worry - that it would reverse on discontinuation of the drug. I was concerned so I looked into it more - thats when I found the information on ocular effects. My doc was away so I took myself of the drug right away.

I will never be so naive about anything I put into my body again. I knew about the general side effects that everyone talks about with this drug. But lets face it you never think all those side effects will affect you - otherwise you would never even so much as take a paracetamol again.

[neil0502]

No apology necessary. I agree totally, and empathize completely. I'm so sorry that this happened to you....

[charon8]

Amy,

Tylenol never bothered me...and I use it a lot. And I am very sensitive to meds that cause dry eyes. Just don't drink alcohol while using it, that can be dangerous.