Elmiron
Elmiron has been used since at least 1996 to treat patients with interstitial cystitis and/or painful bladder symptoms. In 2018, the drug was associated with significant vision loss in patients who had taken it for as little as one year. The vision loss associated with Elmiron is due to pigmentation maculopathy.
In 2019, Canada changed the warning label on Elmiron to warn about potential loss of vision. There was no such move in the United States.
Elmiron is the only FDA approved drug for regional bladder and pelvic pain, mostly in women, meaning that millions may have been affected.
The retinal damage caused by Elmiron can change the eye macula, the central part of the retina responsible for delivering clear, crisp central vision. This may be misdiagnosed as age-related degeneration maculopathy.
Vision loss may occur in as little as one year of using Elmiron. This vision loss may be diagnosed as any of the following:
- Pigmentation Maculopathy
- Pigmentation Macular Degeneration
- Pigmentation Maculitis
- Retinal Maculopathy
- Dry Macular Degeneration
Use of Elmiron for three years or more may also be associated with the following:
- Central Vision Loss
- Poor light to dark adaptation
- Age-related macular degeneration diagnosis
- Wet macular degeneration diagnosis.