GoodRx HealthThese 17 Medications May Cause Double Vision or Harm Your Eyes

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Medications across multiple therapeutic categories can significantly impact vision and ocular health, ranging from mild symptoms to severe complications requiring immediate intervention. This comprehensive review identifies 17 specific medications known to cause vision changes or ocular complications, providing critical information for medication management and patient monitoring protocols.

Key Points:

• Common ophthalmic complications from medications include blurred vision, double vision, color perception changes, retinal damage, and acute glaucoma, with severity varying based on dosage and duration of treatment
• Bisphosphonates (alendronate), antipsychotics (chlorpromazine), and anticonvulsants (topiramate) can cause severe ocular complications including inflammation, acute glaucoma, and permanent vision changes requiring immediate intervention
• Cardiovascular medications, particularly amiodarone, carry significant ocular risks – more than 70% of patients develop vortex keratopathy, while long-term use can lead to permanent optic nerve damage
• Tamsulosin (Flomax) presents a specific risk during cataract surgery, with more than 50% of patients developing intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS), compared to 2% in non-users
• Blood pressure medications and psychiatric medications can cause indirect vision changes through systemic effects, particularly during dose initiation or adjustment

A recent study saw a total of 1,246 cases of ocular adverse events attributed to antibody-drug conjugates. Ocular toxicity signals were observed in patients treated with belantamab mafodotin, brentuximab vedotin, enfortumab vedotin, mirvetuximab soravtansine, sacituzumab govitecan, trastuzumab deruxtecan, and trastuzumab emtansine.

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