Visual acuity symptoms and conditions

I have been on Xalatan for 7 months. At first the only side effects were red eyes and a burning sensation. After 4 months my visual acuity dropped dramatically. After 6 months cataract suddenly developed in both eyes. I stopped taking the drug and will soon have cataract surgery.
Xalatan should be forbidden! I don't understand how these drops ever got permission to be given to patients!
Please, don't take this drug. It destroys your eyesight!!!

red eyes, itchiness, occasional pain behind the eye, blurred vision, loss of visual acuity (I have to have new glasses every 2 months) and rapid development of cataract.

Severe frontal lobe headaches that occur upon waking in the AM.
Today also had visual acuity affected in left eye. The pain was like
nothing I have ever experienced! I must take 800mg IB immediately
and not move at all, nausea the sets in and it takes a couple of
hours to slowly resolve. I am left feeling weak, shaky, disoriented
for the rest of the day. This EXACT scenario has happened twice
after starting 20 mg. of Prilosec twice daily (started 2 weeks ago).
Needless to say I am not taking this medication anymore.

Dear Sophie,

YES, I know that "eye problem", too and it's still coming up sometimes (though very seldom!!!), and remember, I've been OFF Yasmin for about 1,5 years now!! Well, it's not as bad and severe as it was around 4 months off it but it comes up some days, especially, when I'm under stress or so.

And another thing: It gets worse around ovulation or shortly before my period (should) start or starts! My mum was telling me, that around the time of your period you naturally feel a bit nervous, even without taking the pill, and so I think it's normal, that this thing with your eyes is "happening". I always called and call it "nervous eyes". That's how it feels. I then can't focus on anything and it feels as if my eyes go their own way, while I'm trying to read something or watch something...

In my research during the last year I found out, that the hypothalamus, the "central" of your hormonal control, is at that point of your brain, where the optic nerves are crossing. That's how I explain the visual problems, that I always had since taking Yasmin!! During taking it I needed new glasses for reading and such nearly every few weeks, because my visual acuity was permanently changing!! One week the glasses were ok, the other week they gave me dizziness and headaches, because they didn't work anymore for me!!

One very important thing: I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS with my vision BEFORE YASMIN!!!!! That's absolutely sure!!!!

The headache thing:

Well, if you're afraid, that something might be wrong with your brain, you should really go and see a neurologist, perhaps have a MRI done, just to reassure yourself, that there really is nothing (which I really believe!!). I think that could help you to calm down and not worry about a really severe problem any longer. I had that MRI and thousands of other checks done, too, until I and my family doctor could be really sure, that there was nothing else causing my problems!!

I think you now after reading my posts, what I'm thinking about those antidepressant stuff... I took such stuff for only one week, because I really didn't know what else to do, but I got off it as fast as I got on because it was giving me even more problems than before... Everyone is reacting different and I think, if you really can't bare those headaches any longer, you should give it a try. But think twice about it and have some research (google) done, before you perhaps might get even more or other problems caused by that stuff...

You've asked about my period... Well, it really was another hard 2 weeks to get through for me. I really felt very weak and unsure and was afraid, that everyghing might be coming back....... But gladly I was WRONG!! :) I think my body just has its problems getting back used to that hormonal changes and especially the blood loss (and I had very heavy bleedings for about 3 - 4 days). Around one week after my period everything got better and now I'm fit again!! (and I don't have to tell you, how happy I am!!!).

Sophie, stay strong, look at me and keep going on!! You'll be there someday again, too, I swear!! Keep on posting and if there is anything you worry about: ask here in the forum!!!

It's the most valuable thing we have in all that agony, that we keep going each other by sharing our experiences during that Yasmin nightmare!!

God bless you all!!

Silke

I was on Aromasin for fifteen days and developed dry eye syndrome. I could cope with this if it was confined to having a gritty feeling in the eyes, but I also have bad visual distortions and have gone from having 20/20 vision to not being able to drive. I saw an opthalmologist immediately who recommended eye drops, flax seed oil pills, warm compresses, etc.. I had been using all but the flax seed oil prior to his diagnosis, and so far have only had a little improvement in visual acuity (after not taking Aromasin for two weeks). I was on Tamoxifen for almost ten months, and then Femara for one month. I had severe musculoskeletal pain with the Femara and took a med. break of almost two weeks before trying the Aromasin. Thanks for listening--Dorothy

change in the visual acuity