HELP!!! Can oxycodone cause vision disturbances (i.e., blindness)? If so, could this become permanent???

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

I saw my pain management doctor for the second time on 12-9-11. He switched me

from 5/325mg Norco (hydrocodone) 6 times per day to 10mg oxycodone every 4

hours. He made the switch because I was worried about exceeding the maximum

recommended amount of acetaminophen per day.

The oxycodone works a little better, but I have had one major problem since

starting it: I have become legally blind in my right eye, even with glasses.

I was already legally blind in both eyes, but correctable (with glasses) to

20/20 in my left eye and *supposedly* (that is, according to the optometrist,

who I think is dead wrong) 20/25 in my right eye. And I could, according to her

(the optometrist) see 20/20 out of both eyes WITH glasses. But, I honestly could

not see that well out of my right eye or with both eyes--but I could still see

(with glasses).

But now, ever since I started the oxycodone last Friday, I have been unable to

see out of my right eye well enough to read ANYTHING, no matter how near or far,

NOR can I recognize faces unless they are less than 2 feet away--this is WITH

glasses. So basically, my vision in my right eye is no better with glasses than

without--i.e., I am legally blind in that eye no matter what. This problem

started the day after I started the oxycodone (which was at night, right before

bed).

So, because I am so concerned about this, I saw my opthalmalogist yesterday

(Friday, a week after starting the oxycodone) to hear what he had to say. He did

a checkup on my eyes, including both refraction and a thorough exam where they

shine a light into your eyes and you have to keep them open while they look

inside with a magnifying device (at least, I assume it is a magnifying device).

I asked them to NOT dilate my eyes because it would make my vision too poor to

drive, because it is already really hard to see--so they did not dilate them.

After the exam, my opthalmologist said that he saw some pretty bad

irritation, inflammation, and dryness on the surface of my right eye. He did not

actually say that I am legally blind in my right eye even with glasses, but

based on the fact that when they did the refraction, he was unable to correct my

vision in that eye well enough to read ANY of the letters or numbers, I am

merely assuming that I am legally blind in my right eye. I think that the reason

why he didn't say it is because he didn't want to scare me.

Anyway, so he prescribed some steroid eye drops that he wants me to use 4 times

per day for 2 weeks and see if that " heals " my eye (or eyes--I can't remember if

he wants me to use it in both eyes, or just my right eye). I am planning on

picking them up from the pharmacy within the next few hours, and will start

using them today. I am just absolutely praying that they will work.

Anyway, so my question for you all is, have any of you ever heard of

something like this happening from oxycodone or other pain meds? Have any of you

known someone to whom it has happened, or have you had it happen to you

yourself? Do any of you know if it will go away if I stop taking it now? Do you

know if it could become permanent if I keep taking the oxycodone? The eye doctor

I saw yesterday didn't answer any of these questions (of course, I forgot to

ask--which was stupid, because that's why I went to see him in the first place).

And I meant to call my pain doctor this week, but didn't get around to it

because of stress from finals week at school and because of other medical

appointments. I plan to call him (my pain doctor) on Monday and see what he has

to say.

In the mean time, can any of you answer any of these questions? Or do you know

where I can look Online to find out the answers? Or at least SOME kind of info

about it? Really almost anything will help at this point. I am scared that this

vision problem will become permanent, and if it's because of the oxycodone, then

I want to switch meds IMMEDIATELY because it is not safe for me to be legally

blind, even in just one eye.

Anyway, that's all.

Thank you so much for your help and support,

e.h.