MEDICATIONS TO USE WITH CAUTION

No summary can take the place of careful discussions
with your health care professionals.

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.

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.

Printer Friendly Version

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

Printer Friendly Version - Requires Adobe Reader