Cisplatin and Vision Changes

kris43

Hi everyone. I made it through treatment 4 last Thursday of Taxotere & Cisplatin without as much pain this time around in my abdomen, but with nausea that doesn't seem to want to go away, unsteady on my feet and I know that my vision is being effected. Has anyone else had IP Cisplatin and deal with vision changes? I normally wear glasses just to drive, but find that even looking at the TV is blurry which is disturbing. I am going to put a call in to the office, but wanted to see if anybody else has experienced this and if it's reversible?

Thanks for your input! Kris

mopar

Kris:
It's not unusual for side afects to increase as your treatments progress - chemo is cumulative. Although I haven't had IP therapy, I had Carboplatin/Taxol IV (I believe Carbo is a form of Cisplatin). And I did have visual problems (my glasses didn't seem to work for me during treatments). My hearing changed, I lost some taste buds. Nausea was controlled with pre-meds and post-meds as well as Zofran. Some of the side affects will go away but it takes time. Hope this helps!
Luv and hugs,
Monika

curlee8661

Hi Kris,
What you describe sounds very familiar to me. Like Monika, I also don't have experience with IP chemo, but I did experience vision changes starting around session #5 of Carbo/Taxol IV treatment. Like you, I noticed faces and other details being blurry on the TV. I asked my oncologyst about this, and he said it might be due to the chemo, but it's more likely that my eyes are just getting worse naturally. It's been ten weeks since my last chemo, and I just noticed the other day that there's no more blurry vision when watching TV. So, apparently it was due to the chemo after all, and it got better once the chemo was gone from my body. Around the same time, I had difficulty walking for a week or so, but I never mentioned it to my doc for fear of them stopping my treatments. I figured bum legs are better than cancer, but thankfully this side effect disappeared quickly without intervention. Also, I want to mention to you that I was having some trouble with nausea as well while doing chemo. In my case, the nausea meds (Compazine and a motion sickness patch) had to be used continuously from one chemo to the next. Every time I tried to get off it the nausea and vomiting would start, so you might want to extend the use of your nausea med usage like I did. In my case, I had trouble getting off of the stuff even weeks after the last chemo. I was about 7 or 8 weeks out of the last chemo before finally being able to stop the meds without the ill effects.

I hope you feel better soon!
Marianna

kris43

curlee8661 said:

Hi Kris,
What you describe sounds very familiar to me. Like Monika, I also don't have experience with IP chemo, but I did experience vision changes starting around session #5 of Carbo/Taxol IV treatment. Like you, I noticed faces and other details being blurry on the TV. I asked my oncologyst about this, and he said it might be due to the chemo, but it's more likely that my eyes are just getting worse naturally. It's been ten weeks since my last chemo, and I just noticed the other day that there's no more blurry vision when watching TV. So, apparently it was due to the chemo after all, and it got better once the chemo was gone from my body. Around the same time, I had difficulty walking for a week or so, but I never mentioned it to my doc for fear of them stopping my treatments. I figured bum legs are better than cancer, but thankfully this side effect disappeared quickly without intervention. Also, I want to mention to you that I was having some trouble with nausea as well while doing chemo. In my case, the nausea meds (Compazine and a motion sickness patch) had to be used continuously from one chemo to the next. Every time I tried to get off it the nausea and vomiting would start, so you might want to extend the use of your nausea med usage like I did. In my case, I had trouble getting off of the stuff even weeks after the last chemo. I was about 7 or 8 weeks out of the last chemo before finally being able to stop the meds without the ill effects.

I hope you feel better soon!
Marianna

My doctor did say today that maybe I am just getting older in re: to my eyesight. I think I know better then that - but at least it sounds like it'll go back to my "normal" which would be great by me. I am taking Zofran and Compazine every 6 hours alternating and also Ativan for the unsteady feeling. No vomiting. Just severe nausea. The doctors know about the being unsteady as I had it even worse last time - but that was because I felt as if I was shaking to the core all the time.

It's just nice to know I'm not the only one who experiences these things and I can just take time and keep waiting for it to pass. Thanks so much!

Hugs.
Kris

lindachris

Huh. My wife has been to the eye doctor three times at least trying to get her contacts to work. In her case the doctor noticed that the original contacts she had had "warped her cornea" and that was the cause of poor vision. So she's wearing new "mixed lenses" that are part hard and soft to let her eyes go "back to normal." So it is inexplicable. Is the chemo worsening things (Cisplatin/Gemzar) Hard to tell. She's been pretty frustrated. And we're seeing an optometrist, not an ophtamologist. The latter might be better.

duckcreek

I know exactly what you are going through. I had 4 treatments of the IP and every treatment my eyesight would become blurry. But by the time the next treatment would come around, it had straightened out and then would start all over again. I also have MS and blurred vision is a symptom so I was never quite sure rather I was having a flair up with the MS or if it was the chemo. I finished my 7 treatments ( 3 IV ) Feb 27 and have not had any vision problems since.