ive only been on Tamoxifen for six weeks but have noticed my vision getting increasingly blurred. Do you think the tamoxifen would have anything to do with that? I do have high blood pressure which I take medication for and I’m a type 2 diabetic which is well controlled with diet and medication. The blurriness has only become worse in the past couple of weeks and I feel like I’m looking at things through a fog. I have made N appointment with my optometrist who knows me well for next Friday and am seeing GP on Monday so will mention it to him. I have radio oncology appt on Wednesday also so will also ask them if they think it may be a side effect but has anyone else encountered this at all? Lesley

I saw my Thyroid Cancer specialist today ( yes I was the lucky one who got a double whammy of cancer ). Anyway I brought her up to date and she got on the phone to a radiology Dr she knows and he has booked me in for an ultrasound tomorrow afternoon. If I need a biopsy that will be done next week. Hopefully though I will get the all clear tomorrow which will leave me feeling a whole lot better going into the weekend. Thank goodness for having good relationships with my specialists

Hey Lesley @nonkyboy, been on tamoxifen for 19 months now and noticed my eyes were getting worse. Had also had two instances where the blood vessels in my left eye (better of the two) ruptured and I looked like I was joining the walking dead. Saw the oncologist one week after the second time and then booked into see my optometrist. Optometrist is so far ahead technology wise and fully knows his stuff (trust him implicitly) said my eyes were okay but that it had been 5 years since I'd had my eyes tested - WHAT??????? I would have sworn it was only two years ago - so apparently mine was normal deterioration with aging and the second time my vessels burst it was because I was doing too many somersaults down a hill with slightly elevated blood pressure. Who'da thunk!!!! No explanation for the first but hasn't happened again so not worrying until it does. All the best lovely, hope yours has a normal explanation, so very wise to get it checked out. Xx Cath

Thanks ladies. I have been seeing the same optometrist yearly for more than 25 years so he knows me and my eyes well. I trust him and I’m sure if he thinks there is a problem he will address it asap. I’ll let you know what he thinks after I see him on Friday.

nonkyboy, blurred vision is called diplopia. I've been on tamoxifen for three years but it was a recent stroke that caused the diplopia. I'd be interested to hear what your optometrist says. Ask her about prism glasses. They are amazing and make my eyesight perfect.

It's tempting to think it's side effects (it so often is) but good to check with the appropriate specialist first. My sight has started getting ever so slightly fogged (like slightly dirty glasses) but it's cataracts, nothing to with side effects. So February is fix it month!

Tamoxifen and blurred vision | BCNA Online Network

32 Replies

Zoffiel
Member
8 years ago
Good news about the lump Leslie. Not so good about the Tamoxifen.
Afraser
Member
8 years ago
Hooray about the cyst, and good luck for a change in medication!
SoldierCrab
Member
8 years ago
that is great news :)
primek
Member
8 years ago
Yeah on the lump being an annoying scare. Bugger on the tamoxifen side effect and yes there are alternative options that hopefully won't compromise your vision. X
melclarity
Member
8 years ago
Lesley, that's wonderful news!!! so glad for what it turned out to be and makes alot of sense! stay well! xo
nonkyboy
Member
8 years ago
I had the ultrasound today and the good news is that the lump they found is scar tissue that has formed into an oil filled cyst. I’m so relieved as you can imagine. No biopsy required. The Dr actually did the ultrasound and he used to be the head of Breasts Scan so I was confident in his knowledge. I also saw my optometrist today who said that the blurred vision is from the tamoxifen. It is a side effect that can happen in the first few weeks to months of taking tamoxifen and is called Tamoxifen Maculopathy. He is hoping they can put me onto a different drug as I only have sight in one of my eyes as it is and of course we don’t want to compromise that. However if they do want to use tamoxifen he would check my eyes and do scans every three months to keep a close watch on them. I’m sure they will change the medication however as it’s not the only side effect I have been having. I’m now heading into the weekend with a lighter heart knowing I’m on the right track again. Thankyou all for your continued support xx Lesley
SoldierCrab
Member
8 years ago
That is great Nonkyboy, I have done same today realised my appt at westmead is next wednesday but my GP appt is thursday I need a u/sound prior to westmead.... got great relationship with mine rang told receptionist and boom they got it sorted I just need to turn up at PRP and have the u/sound :)
nonkyboy
Member
8 years ago
I saw my Thyroid Cancer specialist today ( yes I was the lucky one who got a double whammy of cancer ). Anyway I brought her up to date and she got on the phone to a radiology Dr she knows and he has booked me in for an ultrasound tomorrow afternoon. If I need a biopsy that will be done next week. Hopefully though I will get the all clear tomorrow which will leave me feeling a whole lot better going into the weekend. Thank goodness for having good relationships with my specialists
nonkyboy
Member
8 years ago
Thanks @melclarity, this lump is hard and easily felt 5cm above my lumpectomy scar. It is right where there is a dip in my breast from where they removed tissue I’m assuming. 2cm above that is what is left of my Sedona. It has shrunk significantly in the past few weeks. Anyway, as you say, one minute at a time and I’ll worry about it if I have to when I have the results x Lesley
Zoffiel
Member
8 years ago
Mine seemed to get better after time--at least to the point I could just blame my age. It was a problem to start with though that could have been a hangover from the chemo. Who knows. it sucks.