Alternate therapies

[Jyotimas]

Hello everyone. This is my first post. 4 months ago I was diagnosed with wet macular in right eye. The same afternoon I was referred to a retinal specialist by my opthomologist and was given an injection of Avastin. Within 10 min afterwards the pain was excruciating. No sleep that night from pain. I was supposed return for next injection in one month but after intense research I surmized there seemed to be little advantage to this line of therapy so I decided to try a natural approach with supplements for eyes such as bilberry, lutein, zeaxanthin, omega 3, and antioxidants. I read on this site about people getting anti Vegf injections month after month, year after year to inhibit the growth of retinal blood vessels, yet new OCT scans yesterday show that blood vessels at bay and no more hemorrhage. I wad told that scar tissue had formed. Wouldn't scar tissue have formed with injections as well??? Instead of an opaque black hole I previously "saw," now there is a pale grayish film that I can somewhat see through good enough to make out what's in front of me but not clear enough to see detail.

Can anyone comment with a similar experience with alternate therapies.

Could someone please comment regarding scar tissue.

Thanks

Jyoti

[RosMacularSociety Partner]

Dear Jyotimas,

I am sorry to read of your negative injection experience. The injections should not be painful. I am attaching a link to our information on pain in the eye following injections. We would normally suggest using this as a discussion point with the ophthalmologist:

macularsociety.org/sites/de...

The function of the injections for wet AMD is to suppress the abnormal blood vessels, stabilise the eye, maintain vision and prevent further damage. Therefore, if the eye becomes stable for a period of time, due to the abnormal blood vessels being successfully suppressed, then there will be no function for the injections. However, it is possible that the wet AMD may become active again, in which case further injections would be needed.

If active wet AMD is present and injections are needed, it is essential that the individual has them, as they are the best form of defence against the condition. We would never recommend alternative therapies as an alternative to the injections as there is no evidence that they can help.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss this further. The Macular Society helpline is open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday on 0300 3030 111.

Alternately, you can contact us via:

[e-mail]

Kind regards,

[Jyotimas in reply to RosMacularSociety]

Thank you for replying. My question was regarding the scar tissue which formed as the blood vessels and hemorrhage receded. Does scar tissue always form when blood vessels are suppressed, either by injections or on their own?

Thanks

JyotiMas

[RosMacularSociety Partner in reply to Jyotimas]

Dear Jyotimas,

It would be worth discussing this with your ophthalmologist. You can pose the question via their secretary.

Essentially, scar tissue usually forms when the abnormal blood vessels have not been successfully suppressed. Suppressing them usually helps prevent scarring from occurring.

Injections do not cause scarring. They are designed to do the opposite.

Please ring us if you would like to discuss this further.

Kind regards,

Macular Society helpline

0300 3030 111

[e-mail]

[alalex101]

After my first bleed I had a Avastin but no pain afterwards. After a month I had a tiny scar and vision had greatly improved. No more bleeds since then. Please follow medical advice about your eyes. You may follow some alternative therapies as well. Often once vision is lost it cannot be restored so don’t postpone appointments. I am sorry your injection was so painful but if another one is required the experience may be different. Remind them of your previous injection pain. Best wishes.

[Jyotimas in reply to alalex101]

Alalex191 - Thanks for your reply, did your retinal specialist tell you that scar tissue formation is normal as bleeding subsides?

Thanks

[alalex101 in reply to Jyotimas]

He did not specifically say but seemed pleased that only a very small scar was present at my 1 month follow up.