Few patients consider visual symptoms as being related to their medicine. However, when you realize that your eyes are really just an extension of your brain, an organ which is extremely sensitive to many drugs, it is not surprising that vision can be impaired by a host of medications.
Vision can be impaired by many medications.
The National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects has
published the following list of drugs which might be associated with
macular degeneration. The drugs with more tenuous links to macular
degeneration are followed by a question (?) mark. The generic name is
in bold type and followed by various proprietary names from around
the world.
If you have any questions or want more information about any drug
on this list and its possible links to macular degeneration, talk to
your prescribing physician and/or ophthalmologist. You may also want to
discuss whether the use of a drug on this list outweighs the
increased risk of side effects compared with other treatments. Be sure
to mention any prescribed or over the counter medications and other
supplements you're taking. Describe any side effects you may have
experienced. Remember, no summary can take the place of careful
discussions with your health care professionals.
Macular Edema
Acetazolamide
Defiltran (Fr.), Diamox, Diazol (S. Afr.), Didoc (Jap.), Diuramid
(Pol.), Glaucomide (Austral.), Glaupax (Swed.), Hydrazol
Allopurinol (?)
Bloxanth (Canad.), Epidropal (Germ.), Foligan (Germ.), Lopurin,
Urosin (Germ.), Zyloprim, Zyloric (G.B.)
Aluminum Nicotinate
Nicalex
Betaxolol (?)
Betoptic
Broxyquinoline
Colipar (Fr.), Fenilor (Belg., Germ.)
Chymotrypsin (?)
Alpha Chymar, Alphacutanee (Fr.), Alphlozyme (Fr.), Catarase, Chymar
(G.B.), Chymar-Zon (G.B.), Enzeon, Kimopsin (Austral., Jap.),
Quimotrase (Canad.), Zolyse, Zonulyn (Canad.), Zonulysin (G.B.)
Diclorphenamide
Daranide, Oralcon (Swed.), Oratrol
Dipivefrin (?)
Propine
DPE (?)
Propine
Epinephrine
Adremad (Fr.), Adrenalin, Adrenaline (G.B.), Adrenatrate, Asmatane,
Asmolin, Asthma Meter, Bronkaid, Dysne-Inhal (Canad.), Dyspne
(Austral.), Glin-Epin (Austral.), Glycirenan (Germ.), Intranefrin
(Canad.), Liadren (Ital.), Medihaler-Epi, Micronefrin, Primatene,
Suprarenin, Sus-Phrine, Vaponefrin, Adrenaline (G.B.), El/2, E2,
Epifrin, Epinal, Epitrate, Eppy, Glaucon, Glauconin (Swed.), Glaufrin
(Swed.), Lyophrin (G.B.), Mistura E, Mytrate, Simplene (G.B.)
Ethoxzolamide
Ethamide
Griseofulvin
Fulcin (G.B.), Fulvicin-P/G, Fulvicin-U/F, Grifulvin V, Grisactin,
Grisefuline (Fr.), Grisovin (G.B.), Grisowen, Gris-PEG, Lamoryl
(Swed.), Likuden M (Germ.)
Hexamethonium
Hexamethonium
Indomethacin (Indometacin) (?)
Amuno (Germ.), Confortid (Swed.), Imbrilon (G.B.), Inacid (Span.),
Indacin (Jap.), Indocid (G.B.), Indocin, Indomee (Swed.), Infrocin
(Canad.), Metindol (Pol.), Mezolin (Jap.)
Iodide and Iodine Solutions and Compounds
Aqueous Iodine Solution (G.B.), Compound Iodine Solution, Iodex
(G.B.), Jodex (Germ.), Lugol's Solution, Pima, Solute Iodo-Iodure
Fort (Fr.), Strong Iodine Solution, Teinture d'Iode (Fr.), Trivajodan
(Germ.), Weak Iodine Solution (G.B.), Iodine Solution
Iodochlorhydroxyquin
Budoform (Austral.), Chinoform (G.B.), Clioquinol (G.B.), Enteroquin
(Austral.), Enteritan (Ital.), Entero-Valodon (G.B.), Entero-Vioform
(G.B.), Iodochlorhydroxyquinoline (Ind.), Vioform
Iodoquinol (Diiodohydroxyquinoline)
Diiodohydroxyquin, Diodoquin, Direxiode (Austral., Fr.), Embequin
(G.B.), Floraquin, Florequin (Swed.), Ioquin (Fr.), Moebiquin,
Panaquin, Vaam-DHQ (Austral.), Yodoxin
Iothalamate Meglumine and/or Sodium
Angio-Conray, Cardio-Conray (Austral., G.B.), Conray, Contrix (Belg.,
Fr.), Cysto-Conray, Gastro-Conray (Austral., G.B.), Retro-Conray
(Austral., G.B.), Sombril (Span.), Vascoray
Iothalamic Acid
Conray
Levobunolol (?)
Betagan
Methazolamide
Neptazane
Naproxen (?)
Anaprox, Naprosyn, Naxen (Mex.), Proxen (Aust., Germ., Switz.)
Niacin (Nicontic Acid)
Acidemel (S. Afr.), Diacin, Efacin, Niac, Nicangin (Swed.),
Nico-400, Nicobid, Nicocap, Nicolar, Niconacid (Germ.), Ni Cord,
Nico-Span, Nicotinex, Nicyl (Fr.), NiSpan, SK-Niacin, Span Niacin,
Vasotherm, Wampocap
Niacinamide
Nicamid (Switz.), Nicobion (Fr., Germ.), Nicotamide (Fr.)
Nicotinyl Alcohol
Roniacol
Phenylephrine (?)
Neo-Synephrine, Ak-Dilate, Ak-Nefrin, Alcon-Efrin, Degest (Austral.,
Canad.), Dilatair, Efricel, I-Care (Austral.), Isopto Frin, Isopto
Phenylephrine (Austral.), Mistura D, Mydfrin, Neo-Synephrine,
Ocu-Phrin, Ocugestrin, Prefrin, Tear-Efrin
Quinine
Bi-quinate (Austral.), Coco-Quinine, Dentojel (Canad.), Quinamm,
Quinate (Austral.), Quinbisan (Austral.), Quine, Quinsan (Austral.)
Radioactive iodides
Iodotope I-125, Iodotope I-131, Iodotope Therapeutic, Sodium Iodide
(I-125), Sodium Iodide (I-131)
Tamoxifen
Nolvadex
Timolol (?)
Betim (G.B., Neth., Scand.), Blocadren, Blocanol (Fin.), Proflax
(Arg.), Temserin (Germ., Gr.), Timacor (Denm., Fr.), Timoptic,
Timoptol (Austral., Fr., G.B., Neth., N.Z., S. Afr.)
Macular or Paramacular
Degeneration
Allopurinol (?)
Bloxanth (Canad.), Epidropal (Germ.), Foligan (Germ.), Lopurin,
Urosin (Germ.), Zyloprim, Zyloric (G.B.)
Amodiaquinne
Basoquin (G.B.), Camoquin, Flavoquine (Fr.)
Broxyquinoline
Colipar (Fr.), Fenilor (Belg., Germ.)
Chloroquine
Aralen, Arechin (Pol.), Avoclor (G.B.), Chlorocon, Chlorquin
(Austral.), Malaquin (Austral.), Malarex (Denm.), Malarivon (G.B.),
Nivaquine (G.B.), Resochin (G.B.), Roquine, Siragan (Aust.),
Tresochin (Swed.)
Clonidine (?)
Catapres, Catapresan (Germ., Swed.), Catapressan (Fr.), Dixarit
(G.B.) Isoglaucon (Germ.)
Griseofulvin (?)
Fulcin (G.B.), Fulvicin-P/G, Fulvicin-U/F, Grifulvin V, Grisactin,
Grisefuline (Fr.), Grisovin (G.B.), Grisowen, Gris-PEG, Lamoryl
(Swed.), Likuden M (Germ.)
Hydroxychloroquine
Ercoquin (Norw., Swed.), Plaquenil, Plaquinol (Port.), Quensyl
(Germ.)
Ibuprofen (?)
Advil, Algofen (Ital.), Amersol (Canad.), Andran (Jap.), Anflagen
(Jap.), Apsifen (G.B.), Bluton (Jap.), Brufanic (Jap.), Brufen
(Austral., Belg., Fr., G.B., Germ., Ital., Jap., Neth., S. Afr.,
Scand., Span., Swed., Switz.), Donjust B (Jap.), Ebufac (G.B.),
Emodin (Arg.), Epobron (Jap.), Focus (Ital.), IB-100 (Jap.), Ibu-Slo
(G.B.), Ibuprocin (Jap.), Inflam (Austral.), Inza (S. Afr.), Lamidon
(Jap.), Liptan (Jap.), Medipren, Motrin, Mynosedin (Jap.), Nagifen-D
(Jap.), Napacetin (Jap.), Nobfelon (Jap.), Nobgen (Jap.), Nuprin,
Pantrop (Jap.), Rebugen (Ital.), Roidenin (Jap.), Rufen, Trendar
Indomethacin (Indometacin) (?)
Amuno (Germ.), Confortid (Swed.), Imbrilon (G.B.), Inacid (Span.),
Indacin (Jap.), Indocid (G.B.), Indocin, Indomee (Swed.), Infrocin
(Canad.), Metindol (Pol.), Mezolin (Jap.)
Iodochlorhydroxyquin
Budoform (Austral.), Chinoform (G.B.), Clioquinol (G.B.), Enteroquin
(Austral.), Enteritan (Ital.), Entero-Valodon (G.B.), Entero-Vioform
(G.B.), Iodochlorhydroxyquinoline (Ind.), Vioform
Iodoquinol
Diiodohydroxyquin, Diodoquin, Direxiode (Austral., Fr.), Embequin
(G.B.), Floraquin, Florequin (Swed.), Ioquin (Fr.), Moebiquin,
Panaquin, Vaam-DHQ (Austral.), Yodoxin
Quinine
Bi-quinate (Austral.), Coco-Quinine, Dentojel (Canad.), Quinamm,
Quinate (Austral.), Quinbisan (Austral.), Quine, Quinsan (Austral.)
This List has been compiled by the
National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects
Oregon Health Sciences University
3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road
Portland, Oregon 97201
