Arimidex - Another side effect
 

I've posted about the cognitive side effects I've been experiencing. I was talking about them to my BC survivor friend who is taking Arimidex. She told me about her eye troubles -- she feels her eyeballs are swelling - or that there is a lot of pressure on her eyeballs. I was surprised, because I have the same eye trouble. It didn't occur to me it might be Arimidex. I had a checkup at the opthamologist less than a year ago and all was fine. I was ready to make an appointment again with him. Has anyone else on Arimidex had feelings of pressure - swelling in the eyes?

I have (and do) but I also did on Tamoxifen. Perhaps it is a side effect of diminshing estrogen levels (or sub levels as theoretically, estrogen should be lower than norm for a postmenopausal woman).

There was an Abstract at the last SABCS
 

about increased frequency of retinal hemorrage among anastrozole users:

http://www.abstracts2view.com/sabcs/...u=SABCS07L_109

Before anyone gets over-alarmed by this title, the authors were starting from the assumption that many ocular problems are menopause related, as there are estrogen receptors in the eye. The premise was that estrogen deprivation, whether natural or chemically induced, would have a similar effect.

The results showed the prevalence rate for hemorrage was significantly greater for anastrozole users than tamoxifen users, with a 95% likelihood the anastrozole prevalence rate was equal to or greater than 4%.

Hopeful

at the 2005 SABCS I seem to remember someone from the
 

Opthalmology Dept of the University of Oregon (I think) who had a poster regarding increased intraocular pressure resulting from the use of AIs, if I recall correctly

Hope this points you in the right direction

I would recommend she go in for a complete eye examination.

Tamoxifen has a rare chance of causing Tamoxifen retinopathy. A toxic reaction to the retina due to the med.

Thank you. The women at this site have once again given me information I need. I have a checkup with my oncologist next week. I will talk to him about my eyes. He is going to discuss with me going on a clinical trial with Femara that may or may not keep me on AIs for 10 years. I don't know if my eyes and brain can take seven more years of AIs.