I'm sorry about the conflicting information you've received about this J.

I've had a quick look on our website and can see that 'eye problems such as blurred vision, cataracts or irritation'  is listed under rare side effects so this may be what the optician is referring to but it may be worth giving our cancer nurses a call about this on 0808 800 4040 (phone lines open Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m) to find out more.

Hopefully some of our members who are taking Letrozole will pop by soon to let you know if they've had this problem as well.

All the best, 

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi all,

Going by the lack of replies, eye issues have not been documented in the Uk in relation to aromatise inhibitors such as Letrozole.

I have been taking Letrozole since August 2019 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and apart from severe arthraglia have managed to keep fairly well. 
Unfortunately I precently developed Macular Eodema and am receiving a monthly injection in my eye. This is usually associated with diabetes but I am not diabetic so did some research and found that in the USA and Germany macular eodema is considered a very rare condition for non-diabetics but is associated with aromatise inhibitors. 
I have passed this information on to my local breast cancer clinic and oncologist and ophthalmologist and none had heard of it. Makes me wonder if professionals actually read relevant research papers.

Hope that you have fully recovered from your eye issues, mine are ongoing.

best regards

Phebie

Hi 

I have recently been diagnosed with a retinal membrane.  Basically a membrane behind the eye that feels as if you are looking through cling film.  I was told this was often age related.  I also had very dry eyes and knew this could be caused by Letrozole which I have been on for 3 years.  I asked if Letrozole could cause any other eye problems and was told no.  However I have just recently found a medical research paper which states that Letrozole can cause the pulling of the vitreous in the eye on the retina causing the retina to thicken and changing vision.

So I agree Doctors don't always seem to know the different side effects or don't want to tell us.   

Best Regards

Hi,. Just Googling Letrozole and eye problems....

This last week I've been experiencing some blurred vision or distance changes in my eyesight. Can't quite figure out exactly what's going on.. just a bit scary because brain tumor comes up on search results !   I feel like my family might think I'm constantly looking for bad news!     just going to book an eye test....

I've been on Letrozole since end of last August.

X

Hi I’ve been taking letrozole for 5 yrs now and have been diagnosed with the pulling of vitreous in my eyes . I have an appointment at the eye hospital on Monday and will make sure I mention that letrozole has been found to  cause this . The opticians said it was age related and didn’t connect it to the medication . Should I stop taking letrozole ? 

Hi, 

Hope you go on okay at the eye hospital....please give us all an update...I'm very interested in this.   I was at the opticians for 1.5 hours and he did every test he could including the retina photograph and could find nothing wrong. My eyesight is definitely not right though. I'm 49 next week and never had eye problems before.

I've to go back on 31st March to see senior optometrist..

You've been taking Letrozole much longer than me ..I've been told I'll be on it for 7 years...I don't know if things return to 'normal' when we stop taking it...

I've actually forgotten what 'normal' was like!

Good Luck x

Hi,   Sorry to just jump in on the conversation....I'm really interested in this...are you able to provide a link to the medical paper you found about this...I struggled to explain the symptoms when I went for eye test...I just know I'm not right...I'm back there again on 31st March and would love to have something to suggest to them...Just hoping to find a reasonable answer to what's suddenly a strange vision change for me.

Many thanks.

Hi

Sorry to hear you are having eye problems.  The paper i found was www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.  Was basically saying AI can cause pulling of vitreous in the eye.  Have you had an OCT scan as this can see retinal thickness and macula.  My optician did not find my problem with the normal photographs.  I went to an eye specialist who found the problem.  I was having dry eye problems which I have had on and off for years but it was getting worse and knew Letrozole could also cause this. But noticed my eyes just didn't seem right as if they were seeing different distances in each eye.  My consultant told me vitreous detachment was age related and hadn't heard of Letrozole.  I have an appointment on the 30th with my cancer specialist and will discuss this with him but doubt he will agree that Letrozole caused it.  

Hope you get on OK.

Hi , had my hospital visit today. 4 in depth tests which resulted in the same info as the opticians gave me . I mentioned the research paper on vitreous gel and letrozole but the consultant said she hadn’t come across or heard of this connection. Mainly said it’s age related . I’m still not sure too much of a coincidence tbh.

Has anyone else heard anything different? 

Hi, 

Thanks for your reply and the link....

No I haven't had any type of scan, just the routine tests for a normal, but thorough, eye test...I want to mention this to the chap I see when I go back at the end of the month..Actually seeing different distances is a good way to describe this, but I do feel that only one eye is faultering.

I've also had couple of a tiny blood spots in the last few days, but that was in my left eye which I think/thought was okay !!! Granted they came and went ....still worried me though  (but then everything seems to be worrying me) 

Good Luck with your up and coming appointments.