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.
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