Post Shot Routine

By PeggyC

1 min read

Last updated: September 2022

My doctor bandages the eye after the shot which I appreciate as that keeps me from scratching it in my sleep at night.

I prefer getting the shot as late in the afternoon as possible. My hearing aids are paired to my TV so I can listen to programs to help pass the time a bit, even though my hearing is also very defective - and becoming more so. 90+ years of age limits my options.

I remove the bandage in the morning and use dry eye drops liberally all day.

What is your post-injection routine?

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Sharon Moore Moderator
<inline-mention username="PeggyC" user-id="3113982"/> thanks for sharing your experience with injections. You are the first that mentioned wearing an eye patch all night. It does sound like a good way to avoid injury while you sleep. It’s really neat your hearing aides pair with your tv. Warm wishes, Sharon Moore Patient Leader
CommunityMemberd76ef4 Member
Last time I had an injection, my eyes burned terribly and it was the first time that I had that.
1. Brown Eyed Girl Moderator
 <inline-mention username="CommunityMemberd76ef4" user-id="6700533"/> that must have been awful! Did they do anything different like use more Betadine or leave it in longer? Wendy, Patient Leader.
Mac n Cheese Member
I too had a post injection hellish burning a month ago. I'm seeing a new doc this morning and he plans to send me home patched. I did a dry run the other day driving with one eye. It can be done but I wouldn't try it in a blizzard or rainy downpour. I've had four shots and my vision is just getting worse. The distortion in my bad eye is beginning to overtake my good eye and I'm almost seeing double. IF I ever get the "right" med "for me" am I stuck with the level of distortion I am at now? Is there no reversal? I am reading accounts of "years of injections" - I can't even imagine that. Only four shots into this and I am considering just going blind and being done with it. I think we are all just part of an experiment that works to some degree for some patients. Needles in the eye (in general) can't be a good thing - just sayin'. This is a living nightmare, I am sure we all feel the same in this regard. I book all my appointments in the morning but I can see the wisdom in this particular case in a late afternoon booking. On the other hand, since I still think I can drive myself home, I like to avoid "rush hour". I've touched on quite a few topics here and probably should stay on one per post and I apologize but the thoughts/questions come flooding in. MD is something I never could or would have anticipated. I guess I am in the "denial" stage although there is quite a bit of anger at times (pointless of course). Are we allowed some "self-pity (also pointless)? How many of us are telling our friends about it - how many are mum? Forgive my rambling here. I am up too early and hoping this is all just a bad dream.
1. Sharon Moore Moderator
 <inline-mention username="Mac n Cheese" user-id="6692776"/> you are in the right place to pour out all those thoughts and emotions. With a major event such as your diagnosis most go through the stages of grieving. Denial and anger are 2 of those stages. New Medications are improving the results and the intervals between injections. Insurance companies often require the doctor to start with an older medication (and cheaper) first. If one feels unable to come to terms with their diagnosis, therapy may help. You might want to consider sharing your story with the community at <a href='http://maculardegeneration.net/stories' target='_blank'>maculardegeneration.net/stories</a>. Let us know how you do today with the new doctor. Warm wishes, Sharon Moore patient leader
Mac n Cheese Member
Thanks Sharon, things went a little smoother this time (no dilation / scans) which made the drive home easier. The doctor claims to have injected Vabysmo today. He wouldn't tell a little "white lie" would he? 
1. Sharon Moore Moderator
 <inline-mention username="Mac n Cheese" user-id="6692776"/> it would unethical for your doctor to lie about which medication he used. I think it’s safe to assume you received Vabysmo. The dilation makes it impossible for me to safely drive. Have you experienced much irritation since the injection? Regards, Sharon Moore patient leader
ny2sf Member
@Mac n Cheese It's easy to discern when medication has been changed--I've had to sign a release each time that has happened, and the insurance company has to approve the switch.
Mac n Cheese Member
That's interesting..... when I checked in yesterday I was asked to "re-sign" something "regarding billing" but no mention of specifics, no mention of medication. From what you said, I would like to assume it was about changing meds. Fact: I have the "worst possible" insurance from a "provider-reimbursement" point of view, which (lets face it) makes me skeptical that I am getting a $2500 shot. Just sayin'. I little cynical, granted.
ny2sf Member
<inline-mention username="Mac n Cheese" user-id="6692776"/> n Cheese Whenever my medication has been changed, I have had to sign a release confirming that I was informed of the risks, etc. (though I had not been informed.) Also, the insurer may consider annual cost of treatment rather than cost per injection--and, for many people--myself included--less frequent injections are possible with Vabysmo. I receive Vabysmo in one eye and Avastin in the other.
Mac n Cheese Member
One "clue" that I may in fact be getting Vabysmo (where do they get these names?) may be the fact that my next shot is in five weeks rather than four. I am trying to get some answers regarding a timeframe within which (scans aside) I will empirically see a difference. My messages keep getting intercepted by someone other than the doctor and I am getting clinical academic answers. It's been downhill all the way so far and all I can hope for is a leveling off - but I want to "see" it - scans be darned - and I'd like to know when I might hope to notice some progress. I also think I might benefit from a new eyeglass Rx for my good eye (MD be darned). Point being, why take a needle in the eye if it ain't helping? 
1. Brown Eyed Girl Moderator
 <inline-mention username="Mac n Cheese" user-id="6692776"/> I know what you mean about the difficulty in getting to talk to a doctor on the phone. Most of mine only get their staff to take a message, and then the staff return my call later. Often the message has been "jumbled" by the time the "answer" gets back to me, and they didn't ask/answer the right question at all! Sometimes I send an email with my question, and I have had varying degrees of success that way. I hope you'll "hang in there" because you might see some improvement or at least a levelling off after your next shot. Perhaps a new prescription for your glasses might help you. It might be worth trying. Best of wishes moving forward, Wendy, Patient Leader.
Mac n Cheese Member
OK - so that said, it might help for me to realize that it's "wait and see" / "trial and error" plain and simple and that I'd better get used to it. 
1. Brown Eyed Girl Moderator
 <inline-mention username="Mac n Cheese" user-id="6692776"/> I think there is definitely a "wait and see" and "trial and error" aspect involved with wet macular degeneration treatment. The doctors know what they're doing, but there is always the unknown component of how a particular individual's eyes will respond to a certain treatment. I really hope your next shot goes well and that you can eventually report back to us a degree of success. Best wishes, Wendy, Patient Leader.

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