Aggravation of Glaucoma with Fluvoxamine

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To report a case of aggravation of glaucoma associated with the use of fluvoxamine.

CASE SUMMARY:

A 66-year-old white woman diagnosed with narrow-angle glaucoma showed an increase in intraocular pressure and experienced orbital pain and blurred vision after the initiation of fluvoxamine for tension-type headache. These symptoms disappeared and intraocular pressure normalized after withdrawal of this drug.

DISCUSSION:

Aggravation of narrow-angle glaucoma is a well-known adverse effect of tricyclic antidepressants. Because this adverse effect had been rarely reported to date with selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (paroxetine and fluoxetine), we used fluvoxamine in our patient. The disappearance of ocular symptoms and the normalization of intraocular pressure two days after stopping fluvoxamine suggest a possible relationship between fluvoxamine and aggravation of glaucoma.

CONCLUSIONS:

Fluvoxamine should be considered as a drug that can induce or aggravate narrow-angle glaucoma.