The chemotherapy medication capecitabine, which is also sold as Xeloda, is used to treat patients with colorectal cancer and breast cancer, according to MayoClinic.com. As a chemotherapy agent, this medication interferes with the function of cancer cells and causes the death of those cells. Xeloda also affects some normal cells and organs, including the eye. Xeloda may cause some ocular side effects for the patients who are taking it.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis can be a side effect for patients using the medication Xeloda, according to the DailyMed website. This side effect occurred in 5 percent of breast cancer patients in the clinical trials for Xeloda. The patient may experience inflammation and redness of the conjunctiva of the eye as well as tearing or discharge from the eye, according to MayoClinic.com.
Eye Irritation
Patients taking Xeloda may also develop eye irritation during treatment, according to the DailyMed website. The patient may feel a foreign body sensation in the eye and may experience some pain. Eye irritation occurred in 13 percent of patients with colorectal cancer and 5 percent of patients with breast cancer during the clinical trials.
Abnormal Vision
Another ocular problem that may be caused by Xeloda is blurred vision. This ocular side effect was reported by 5 percent of patients with colorectal cancer during the clinical trials, according to the Xeloda Product Information insert. According to MayoClinic.com, the patient should contact the prescribing physician immediately if the vision becomes blurry.
Tearing
Xeloda may also cause increased lacrimation or tearing in some patients, according to the DailyMed website. Increased tearing was seen in 12 percent of patients with breast cancer during the clinical trial studies.
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