The common side effects of Elmiron as listed by the manufacturer are, hair loss, diarrhea, upset stomach, headache, and abdominal pain. Janssen Pharmaceuticals mentions nothing about eye damage and retina toxicity in their drug warnings for Elmiron. Recent research into long term Elmiron use is pretty clear on the dangers to user’s eyes. More and more people are coming forward and detailing their eye injuries as a result of Elmiron. Injuries include:
- Retinopathy
- Degenerative Maculopathy
- Macular Retinopathy
- Macular Dystrophy
- Pigmentary Maculopathy
- Unilateral & Bilateral Blindness
- Halo Vision
- Vision Loss
- Vision Impairment
- Vision Blurring
This list is by no means exhaustive, and as more information is made public, more injuries are bound to be reported. What we do know is that long term Elmiron use leads to retina toxicity in about 25 percent of the people who use it. If you are currently taking Elmiron, talk to your doctor and schedule regular exams for your eyes to make sure that you are not doing damage to your vision. Many of the vision problems associated with Elmiron mask themselves as normal degenerative diseases associated with aging.