[blair77]

Burst blood vessel in eye - Revlimid side effect?

by blair77 on Fri Oct 10, 2014 1:39 pm

My husband is on maintenance Revlimid 10mg. We noticed a burst blood vessel in his eye yesterday. We are wondering if there is any connection? He doesn't recall any trauma to the eye.

[NStewart]

Re: Burst blood vessel in eye - Revlimid side effect?

by NStewart on Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:51 pm

I had a burst blood vessel in one of my eyes 3 years ago. I made an emergency visit to the eye hospital because most of the vision in one eye was blocked by a big dark spot.

The doctor who saw me said that it is not unusual in old people. (He kept referring to old people. I wanted to slap him for his insensitivity in his language. Using phrases like, "As people age or aging eyes, etc" would have been more appropriate. I did report his insensitivity to his supervising physician since he was a fellow.). He told me that it should resolve quickly and that I should follow-up with my regular ophthalmologist within the week.

He also told me that I should be aware of any bright flashes that might develop because this is a sign of a detached retina.

The black spot began to diminish during the day and was gone by the next day. I was 64 at the time that it happened. So, much older than your husband. Be sure to see an ophthalmologist to make sure that it isn't a sign of something more serious.

I wonder if those of us who are on blood thinners for previous clots, or to prevent clots while on Revlimid, are more susceptible to this kind of bleed in the eye. We are more likely to develop bruising in other parts of our bodies which are really bleeds.

I hope that it is nothing serious,
Nancy in Phila

[blair77]

Re: Burst blood vessel in eye - Revlimid side effect?

by blair77 on Fri Oct 10, 2014 3:41 pm

Thanks, I was thinking the same thing about bruising. His platelets were in 90k's the last time they were checked on Sep 29, 2014.

[rumnting]

Re: Burst blood vessel in eye - Revlimid side effect?

by rumnting on Sat Oct 11, 2014 9:47 am

I am a nurse in an ophthal­mology office. The broken blood vessel is called a subconjunctival hemorrhage and is nothing to worry about. They are more common if you are taking any type of blood thinner (daily aspirin) and can occur with straining on the toilet, coughing, vomiting, or totally out of the blue. It will resolve over a week or two. They can look pretty scary, but are harmless.

[blair77]

Re: Burst blood vessel in eye - Revlimid side effect?

by blair77 on Mon Oct 13, 2014 2:10 pm

Thanks, very helpful!

[jaysmith]

Re: Burst blood vessel in eye - Revlimid side effect?

by jaysmith on Thu Jun 22, 2017 8:41 am

Subconjunctival hemorrhages look bad but are harmless. But if the vision is affected, please see an doctor as soon as possible. That may mean bleeding "inside" the eye. Revlimid should not cause it, albeit it is common with diabetes, age , smokers, etc.