High Risk Medications include steroids, plaquenil and amiodarone to name a few.

Steroid medications whether oral, topical, inhaled or injected. These cause a particular type of cataracts when used long term and in the susceptible individual, will cause ocular hypertension (increased pressure in the eye) which can lead to glaucoma. Patients taking any of these medications should be seen at least quarterly by their ophthalmologist to have their intraocular pressure measured.

Plaquenil or hydroxychloroquine is a medication used for malaria prophylaxis but more commonly used to manage rheumatoid arthritis. Plaquenil can be toxic to the retina, more specifically the macula, and patients beginning this treatment should be evaluated by their ophthalmologist at the onset of treatment and every six months while on the medication to ensure that there are no toxic effects developing in the macula.

Amiodarone (Cordarone): This medication is used to control arrhythmias or irregular heart beats. This medication can not only cause asymptomatic deposits on the cornea that do not affect vision but also an optic neuropathy that can result in reversible visual changes. Patients on this medication should be seen at least once a year by their ophthalmologist.

Viagra: The most common vision side effect related to Viagra involves seeing a bluish tinge that may be accompanied by light sensitivity. Side effects can last minutes or hours.

During clinical trials in the late 1990’s, about 3% of patients reported these types of side effects at dosages of 25 mg, 50 mg or 100 mg. But some ophthalmologists have noted that ocular side effects appear most common in people who exceed recommended dosages.

Patients with anomalous discs are at risk of developing optic neuropathy which can lead to loss of vision. Patients must have good control of their diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol before taking this drug. The "blue vision" experienced by some patients is the result of ischemia to the choroid and patients experiencing this phenomena must stop taking the drug immediately and contact their physician, ophthalmologist and/or internist.

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