Hydroxychloroquine and eye test

[Mollieharry]

Rhuemotologist has decide to swap my oral methotrexate for the injection one and add hydroxychloroquine along with my sulfasalazine.doctor has requested an eye test before giving me prescription to start new drug.i called my optician and they confirmed the last eye test I had was in October 5 months ago.they said they didn’t think I would need another test so soon unless I felt any difference in my eyes, which I don’t.anyone had similar experience.

[helixhelix]

Did your last eye test do a thorough check of your retinas? Worth asking them as the reason to have one at the start is for a baseline. If they did then unlikely to be any changes. And hydroxy is very slow acting as well.

[Mollieharry in reply to helixhelix]

Hi helixhelix,yeh I phoned optician and they said this was part of the test.they take a picture and look at the back of the eye.

[Doughnut61]

My Gp didn’t send me for an eye test 😞

[Ssmart in reply to Doughnut61]

My GP didn’t send me either, the rhumy nurse just told me to go opticians at the start of treatment (I went just before starting them) and yearly afterwards, and to obviously tell them I was on hydroxy xx

You can always take yourself for an eye test x

[Ssmart]

I have been on hydroxy for a year now, and am due to book an eye test, as the rhumy nurse told me to have one annually, as did my booklet when I started the meds. The optician did say to me that although the medicine has the rare but irreversible eye warning he had never come across or heard of anyone having the problem during his years as an optician, which put my mind at rest a little.

Guess I should really book that today... thanks for the nudge! 😁 x

[FionaHerts]

Please havean annual eye test with digital retinal photo. That's how my chloroquine retinopathy was picked up. Your optician will have retinal scans from previous years to compare. we only get one set of eyes, important to look after them!

[charlie9]

The advice to me was have an eye test once a year while on hydroxy, or obviously if I noticed any changes to get seen. I did not need an eye test before being given it. I haven't had an eye test in nearly 3 years. Been on hydroxy less than a year I will get seen soon!

[Olmettig]

My eye doctor did a test, to see if my eyes were dry, which when I started the Hydroxychloroquine I was experiencing itchy eyes. Turn out I had severe dry eye. He prescribed Xiydra which has really helped. My vision has changed, after I started the medication. Its best to go to an ophthalmologist.

[Hattie23]

thanks for alerting me to this problems with hydroxychloraquine. I have been on it for a few years and knew nothing about this. I alerted my optician and today had a field test and retina photo at opticians. she has been reading up on a new report which is 60 pages long and very technical. she is putting me forward urgently for the hospital test and I have alerted my consultant. I had also been on chloraquine years ago for a long time and apparently that is now found to be much worse... great. but I'm thankful you alerted me. ill keep you posted of anything else I find out.

x