Has anyone’s eyesight got worse on FEC? i am due to have the 5th of 6 FEC soon, my eyesight seems worse than usual.Normally good no glasses needed, but now it seems a bit blurry at times, especialy when driving, and in the evenings. Will arrange an eye test.
Regards
all
sarah
Hi Sarah
I sometimes notice it in the evenings but to me it’s the sort of blurriness I get if I’m tired (which I now often am)
Not sure whether there is any scientific explanation relating to chemo, or whether there is anything that can be done about it, or whether it returns to “normal” after treatment stops but I am sure you’ll get your answers here xx
Yes, I think it is well documented that chemotherapy can affect eyesight. My eyes deteriorated considerably last year while on chemo, and they haven’t recovered at all since.
I believed my eyes had deterioated thru chemo but I had them checked within weeks of finishing FEC and the optician said there was no change at all in my prescription. However, Im convinced a lot of things about me and my body have changed!!
I was advised by my optician not to have eye tests done when I was on chemo as it has all sorts of effects on your eyes. When I had my first post chemo test last October I was told I had microscopic holes around the cornea as a result of chemo. In my case the holes went on to repair themselves in some patients they don’t. I had to change my contact lens prescription as my sight had deteriorated.
Hi
I can no longer where my contact lenses, have had to resort to my glasses for about 8 weeks now. Got hospital appointment tomorrow to see eye specialist, but think it is similar to what cherub has described, where I have holes around cornea and my left worse than my right, but my eyesight itself, as far as we know has stayed the same!
Thought it was just me! Everything blurry- er and cannot read as well. Anybody know how long to wait before eye test? Dont want to waste a fortune on specs because I wear varifocals (bank loan job!)
Zoe xx
I had the blurry vision especially when tired. It all went back to normal a month or so after chemo but I did have my eyes tested again and there is only the slight change that i would expect after two years.
If you have an eye test check the optician sites. D&A, VE, SS. Boots etc there is often an offer for half price or free tests if you print off a voucher online and also 10% off specs. I saved about £50.
Yes my eyesight got worse with EC and has not yet recovered. It was terrible to start with I should add, but I will have them checked again in a couple of months. I want to start wearing contacts again.
Pauline
Perfect timing, I asked at chemo clinic yesterday about this, about to have fec 6 this week, my sight has definately got worse I only just started wearing glasses about 2 months before chemo for reading when im tired. Now i need them at almost every read.Blurred vision, headaches, eyes definately straining.
Was told that this should all normalise when chemo stops… from your comments girls, I wont hold my breath.
lol julie xx
my eyesight has become worse since chemo , but i was told its down to the meds im taking not the chemo. just checking i have writtin this on comp and not microcwave ha ha
Hi, my eyesight was blurred after first FEC for a week or so, but no problems since, and I’m having 4th on Monday.
Yes my eyes are very blurry and water a lot. I thought it was early hayfever as also have runny nose but I have trouble with computer screen too. Glad to know it will go back to normal though I need eyetest anyway.
I was half blind before chemo started!! Only had one FEC (next tomorrow - woohoo, the excitement!), but eyes too dry for the contacts already. So I’m balding, bespectacled, short & fat - good job I won’t be able to see what I look like soon! If I wear my camoflage bandana, nobody else will see me either!
Yes - a bit.
I use glasses with a magnification of 1.5 and used to get by with a lot of squinting if I couldn’t find them.
No I can screw my eyes up until the cows come home but I just can’t see the screen properly at all - I used to be able to get by without glasses - 80% of letter were correct. Not any more.
Just completed 4 x FEC so the situation migt improve - unless the 4 x TAX does any more damage!
Love FizBix xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi - my eyesight has deteriorated since FEC and Tax and the optician said that it wouldn’t get better. Great !!
Liz xx
My wife normally has 20/20 vision but with FEC it is just a bit blurry, I am assuming it will return to normal after the last FEC
I have blurred vision but didnt notice it until started Tamoxifen. I mentioned this to my Onc who said that it was common after chemo but when I looked into Tam side effects blurred vision is one of them. I especially notice it when I,m tired. Just one more thing to contend with ! ! !
Love Andrea x
I completed FEC Chemo July 07 and Herceptin September 08 but my eyes have deterioated since last September 07. by four diopters if that means anything to you. I started Arimadex September 08 and have been on that for twelve months. My eyesight is getting more and more shortsighted and my vision is very blurred within a couple of months I have to have another prescription change. I have had five lense changes in eleven months as each time tested I am not legal to drive. I am due to try contacts in case I can change the prescription quicker. I used to (pre Septemeber 07) only really need glases to read and see the computer screen but I can now read without glasses but cannot see the computer screen very well unless I get up close to it and I now cannot drive without glasses where previously I could drive and see clearly without glasses. What is happening? I have asked my Oncologist and she seems baffled and says that it is not caused by the drugs.
Hi,
I have had blurred vision in each cycle while on CMF but not when on the epi alone. I tried to drive once with it and had a horrible eye disturbance when the windscreen appeared to move in and out towards me(while going 70 mph unfortunately)
followed by flashing lights and had to sit with my eyes shut until it passed. After that I never drove on days 4 - 6. I was told by the unit doc that it returns to normal after chemo. However, when I forgot my steroids one dose, I had no visual disturbances and he then said oh yes the steroids do that actually they can trigger glaucoma. When I said it was in my family he told me to get an eye check. The vision express optician thought he knew better than this and insisted my eyes could be checked as usual and tried to sell me glasses, which I declined. He said I now need glasses to read but I had been told many times that my eyes were such that I would never need reading glasses, as they were getting better on that distance with old age!! I got the tests done although with the watery eyes this was quite tricky and he ended up holding my eye lid up for the air test. It is not back to normal yet but strangely I can see longer distances better.
Lily