Sometimes my brain has trouble with this. When I look at my phone, I see two of every app. My brain eventually figures it out. i thought it might just be when I'm tired but sometimes it happens when I'm not. Sometimes my closet door is doubled, my brain always seems to figure it out eventually. I've been on tamoxifen for just over 3 1/2yrs. I just always assumed this was part of my vertigo/dizziness/head spinning & clumbsiness that was brought on by starting this drug. My opthamologist says I have "maturing cataracts" . Don't really know if they were there before BC, didn't have my eyes checked prior to starting the drug. My eyes have really taken a hit. I no longer like to read. I really need to stay on this drug for 5years, I narrowly avoided chemo, so it's all I got. Cataract surgery will be in my future.

My vision is marred by having downbeat nystagmus after having both chemo and Femara. My vision isn't double but it bounces annoyingly. Normal opths didn't find it, only a neuro Opth knew what it was. As far as I know, there is no cure .

Dear Carol1028,

Welcome to the community and thanks for sharing your story. We hope that you will stay connected here on the boards. This particular thread has not been active for almost 2 years. You may want to start a new topic Let us know if you need help navigating your way around. The MOds

I read these posts with great interest as I recently started having double vision. It came on very suddenly. Went to ER and had a bunch of tests to rule out things. I have been taken off Tamoxifen - my oncologist seems to think that is the culprit. I wake up every morning hoping for some improvement and so far none. It has only been two days but I can't drive, work or anything. It is very scary. I really hope that this will resolve itself. My brain MRI was clear. Thank goodness. That was a scary thought. They also tested me for lyme. Haven't gotten those results back. I was on tamoxifen for 1 1/2 years and out of nowhere, this happens.

• Format: Abstract

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Breast cancer medications and vision: effects of treatments for early-stage disease.

Eisner A1, Luoh SW.

Author information

Abstract

This review concerns the effects on vision and the eye of medications prescribed at three phases of treatment for women with early-stage breast cancer (BC): (1) adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy, (2) adjuvant endocrine therapy, and (3) symptomatic relief. The most common side effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy are epiphora and ocular surface irritation, which can be caused by any of several different regimens. Most notably, the taxane docetaxel can lead to epiphora by inducing canalicular stenosis. The selective-estrogen-receptor-modulator (SERM) tamoxifen, long the gold-standard adjuvant-endocrine-therapy for women with hormone-receptor-positive BC, increases the risk of posterior subcapsular cataract. Tamoxifen also affects the optic nerve head more often than previously thought, apparently by causing subclinical swelling within the first 2 years of use for women older than ~50 years. Tamoxifen retinopathy is rare, but it can cause foveal cystoid spaces that are revealed with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and that may increase the risk for macular holes. Tamoxifen often alters the perceived color of flashed lights detected via short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) cone response isolated psychophysically; these altered perceptions may reflect a neural-response sluggishness that becomes evident at ~2 years of use. The aromatase inhibitor (AI) anastrozole affects perception similarly, but in an age-dependent manner suggesting that the change of estrogen activity towards lower levels is more important than the low estrogen activity itself. Based on analysis of OCT retinal thickness data, it is likely that anastrozole increases the tractional force between the vitreous and retina. Consequently, AI users, myopic AI users particularly, might be at increased risk for traction-related vision loss. Because bisphosphonates are sometimes prescribed to redress AI-induced bone loss, clinicians should be aware of their potential to cause scleritis and uveitis occasionally. We conclude by suggesting some avenues for future research into the visual and ocular effects of AIs, particularly as relates to assessment of cognitive function.

PMID:

21819259

PMCID:

PMC3205820

DOI:

10.3109/02713683.2011.594202

[Indexed for MEDLINE]

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About three weeks ago, I noticed I had double vision. At that time I had had headaches on and off for a couple of weeks - I never had headaches before. Apparently there are hardly any benign reasons for double vision if it occurs with both eyes open. I was told that even without a history of cancer all cases of double vision are immediately seen as an emergency condition.

So within two weeks I saw an optician, an opthalmist, a neurologist and my oncology nurse, and I had a brain MRI and a blood test. All results are fine: no brain tumor, no MS, no diabetes, no aneurysm. I am quite relieved. So most likely it's either an infection of the eye nerve (?), or a side effect of the Tamoxifen. I share this with you guys because obviously I was concerned that it was a metastasis.

It does surprise me though, because I have been taking Tamoxifen for almost 4 years now, and the last two years I only took half a dose. So I'm not new to the medicine and I don't take much. I have now quit Tamoxifen to see if things improve.

Suzanne50, if you're still on this thread, did your double vision improve, and after how many months? Hope to hear!

Thanks for updating us Suzanne!