tearing eyes

epark
epark Member Posts: 339
in Breast Cancer #1
Hi Ladies.....

So I’m going on my 4 round of chemo next week and after my 2nd round my eyes starting tearing up badly...people actually thinks im crying… I’m constantly wiping my eyes that by the time I’m done with chemo am going to have some serious wrinkles under my eyes.... has anyone experienced this? If so, any suggestion on how to deal with it...

Much love
Eva

Comments

  • weazer
    weazer Member Posts: 440
    #2
    Eva
    Hello Eva, Yes I too had that problem, and unfortunatly I think you might just have to get some puffs with lotion.
    I myself did'nt find any relief until I was finished with Chemo.
    Good luck sister, maybe someone else has some good advise.
    Karie
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #3
    Moisturizing eye drops
    My eye's poured while on A/C (but not on Taxol). It's not unusual to happen. I was told to use OTC moisturizing eye drops - they worked great. There was one that worked better for me than the others (don't 'member which one) but all were better than nothing. This was one of the things discussed in the pre Chemo education lesson and is in the notebook given out.
  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #4
    Watery like a faucet
    Hi Eva,

    I had 4 rounds of A/C and 12 rounds of Taxotere. My last infusion was in August 2010 - so over a year ago. My eyes continue to water like a drippy faucet. About 4 months after chemo was over I felt like the watery eyes should have stopped and even went to an opthamologist. He said it was a well known side effect of Taxotere and it would stop "eventually." He did not hazard a guess as to when that might be. He said my tear ducts were not damaged as can sometimes happen with this drug. I was given prescription eyedrops called Lotemax to try. They did no good whatsoever for me but apparently work for some people. My oncologist says he has never had a patient whose eyes didn't stop tearing. It seems like I could possibly be his first one! I tried using over-the-counter eyedrops/lubricant as others on this board have suggested but I saw no difference in the amount of tears produced. I can certainly sympathize with you about the constant rubbing and wiping of the eyes. Seems like the rims of my eyes are always pink from it and I cannot wear mascara. Could be that this is the "new normal" for me. I wish you better luck.

    IRENE
  • gami43
    gami43 Member Posts: 281
    #5
    jessiesmom1 said:

    Watery like a faucet
    Hi Eva,

    I had 4 rounds of A/C and 12 rounds of Taxotere. My last infusion was in August 2010 - so over a year ago. My eyes continue to water like a drippy faucet. About 4 months after chemo was over I felt like the watery eyes should have stopped and even went to an opthamologist. He said it was a well known side effect of Taxotere and it would stop "eventually." He did not hazard a guess as to when that might be. He said my tear ducts were not damaged as can sometimes happen with this drug. I was given prescription eyedrops called Lotemax to try. They did no good whatsoever for me but apparently work for some people. My oncologist says he has never had a patient whose eyes didn't stop tearing. It seems like I could possibly be his first one! I tried using over-the-counter eyedrops/lubricant as others on this board have suggested but I saw no difference in the amount of tears produced. I can certainly sympathize with you about the constant rubbing and wiping of the eyes. Seems like the rims of my eyes are always pink from it and I cannot wear mascara. Could be that this is the "new normal" for me. I wish you better luck.

    IRENE

    Eva - I had terrible tearing
    Eva - I had terrible tearing while on Taxotere. It did completely
    stop within a month of finishing. Nothing really helped; just like
    you "tear & wipe", wipe & tear". Good luck.

    Luv, Teresa
  • mwallace1325
    mwallace1325 Member Posts: 806
    #6
    gami43 said:

    Eva - I had terrible tearing
    Eva - I had terrible tearing while on Taxotere. It did completely
    stop within a month of finishing. Nothing really helped; just like
    you "tear & wipe", wipe & tear". Good luck.

    Luv, Teresa

    Try drops
    Mine were so bad during taxol I looked like I was always crying. Eye doc said my eyes were dry (coulda fooled me) and using drops did help.

    It will stop, just like the other side effects. Hang in there.


    marge
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #7
    mwallace1325 said:

    Try drops
    Mine were so bad during taxol I looked like I was always crying. Eye doc said my eyes were dry (coulda fooled me) and using drops did help.

    It will stop, just like the other side effects. Hang in there.


    marge

    Me, too
    My last cycle was awful. My eyes ran like crazy. I was having some other issues that last cycle but was determined I was fine and went to the market. I shudder to think what people must have thought about me. I was so weak, I was using the cart like a walker, I had tears running down my cheeks like I was bawling, and I couldn't see to find anything. What I must have looked like to the unsuspecting public.

    Anyway, yes, I had tears with Taxotere. There were good days and bad days and finally they just stopped maybe 6 weeks after my last chemo. It wasn't constant, but it was impressive when I had them. I didn't do anything. I thought it was just part of the process.

    Suzanne
  • bluwillo
    bluwillo Member Posts: 113 Member
    #8
    Double Whammy said:

    Me, too
    My last cycle was awful. My eyes ran like crazy. I was having some other issues that last cycle but was determined I was fine and went to the market. I shudder to think what people must have thought about me. I was so weak, I was using the cart like a walker, I had tears running down my cheeks like I was bawling, and I couldn't see to find anything. What I must have looked like to the unsuspecting public.

    Anyway, yes, I had tears with Taxotere. There were good days and bad days and finally they just stopped maybe 6 weeks after my last chemo. It wasn't constant, but it was impressive when I had them. I didn't do anything. I thought it was just part of the process.

    Suzanne

    Me too
    My eyes ran a lot! Since I was a stay at home help the hubby with the business mom/granny, my only real social contact was my classmates at college. So, I told my classmates that I never cry (well, ok, I do , but at home, in my bed!) and even tho their presentations were moving, I was not crying!

    As for hubby, we just laughed about it. We once had a cat who had "rheumy eyes"...so I'd just have attacks of rheumy eyes and we'd laugh. Heck, we laughed so hard I cried! It never occurred to me to ask the onc doc about eyedrops. Wow, chemo brain must have set in earlier than I'd thought!!
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #9
    Eva
    I too had the tearing eyes. I remember lying on radiation table and they were streaming down my cheek. They eventually stopped ahile after radiation was done. My left eye was worse than the right one. Just keep the kleenex handy.
    {{hugs}} Char
  • Mitzi333
    Mitzi333 Member Posts: 511 Member
    #10
    gami43 said:

    Eva - I had terrible tearing
    Eva - I had terrible tearing while on Taxotere. It did completely
    stop within a month of finishing. Nothing really helped; just like
    you "tear & wipe", wipe & tear". Good luck.

    Luv, Teresa

    I had tearing too...
    with Taxotere... I'm going on 2 months post chemo and no more tears. However, during chemo, I didn't find anything to help with the tears, except wipe my eyes. Fortunatly, no more tears... Hang in there, yours will go away also.

    Wishing YOU well!!!

    Hugs~
    Mitzi
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #11
    allergy eye drops!!
    Mine did the same thing. Eyes and nose were both running terribly and the farther I got into my treatments, the worse it got. I figured it was because I had lost BOTH my eyelashes and all my nose hairs, and it made them both more sensitive. For my eyes, I found that using an over the counter allergy eye drop helped alot. Fortunately it went away shortly after treatment stopped.
    *hugs*
    Heather

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