Plaquinel, Methotrexate and eye exams

vtredsoxfan

I am going for my first eye exam since starting plaquenil and methotrexate tomorrow and I remember my rheumatologist telling me that I needed to have certain things checked the next time I have my eyes examined but I can't remember what. I haven't heard back from the doctor's office and am hoping someone out there can help me. Thanks for any help you can give.

Dottie

Missy · Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:39 am Post subject:

I just tell them I need my annual eye exam with Plaquenil check. My guy checks the moisture in my eyes as well, since I've had on-again, off-again problems with dry eyes.

They all seem to know what a Plaquenil eye exam is........
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Missy

MARYCAIN · King of the Jungle Joined: 03 Aug 2006 Posts: 1576

Hi, Dottie - plaquenil can cause a condition called retinopathy, which is disease affecting the retina (the thin film at the back in the back of the eye). So your eye doctor will pay special attention to your retina, looking for any spots or annormalities. This usually requires dilating your eyes with eye drops, and some people don't see well for an hour or two afterward. So if you're driving yourself, be extra careful. Your doctor also needs to check your visual field, there are several ways to do this. One of the most common tests for people on plaquenil is an Amsler grid - you probably had this test done before you started plaquenil. It is a square grid of black lines on a white or red background - if any part of the grid is missing or distorted when you look at it, this can mean you have a scotoma (or blind spot). The Amsler grid is a very easy test to do, and most eye doctors have a grid they can give you to take home, so you can check yourself every month or so while on plaquenil. And if you're taking prednisone, make sure your eye doctor checks for both cataracts and glaucoma.