Painful injections

[thom3patty]

I have been getting eye injections for several years and as I didn’t enjoy them they were not excruciating until lately the last injection I had the 1st of sept was just like any other a little discomfort but tolerable I went almost 4 months without one and when I went in to get one the dr office had changed the cleaning solution and went from a numbing gel to a liquid and started taping eye shut after injection also this new injection was eyelea so when I received it almost immediately before I even reached recepdesk to schedule next injection I was in the most intense pain ever on a scale of 1-10 it was like a 1000! I thought it was new kind of medicine they were using then people started telling me it was new numbing solution all I knew was it was extremely painful and I have a high tolerance for pain well after talking to dr and listening to comments in this group I have realized it’s really dry eyes that cause this severe pain I know get extra numbing and a complete wash after injection and do not have eye taped closed but most importantly I start about 2 hours before injection putting systane drops in my eye every 15 minutes and it is now normal pain but tolerable hope this helps someone

[rosyG]

Thank you- what are the drops you use for dry eye?

[thom3patty in reply to rosyG]

Systane ultra artificial tears

[Getwell89]

Thank you for sharing, Thom3patty. I, too, am having some pain after my injection, plus very blood shot eye afterwards on some occasions. Lately I have been getting a dreadful, fearful emotion as I prepare to go for my injection. I have been getting them now for three years on a monthly basis. I am at the point now of just quitting. My family is always after me to keep up with my appointments. I have always gone and not missed any. But I am so tempted to quit so as to avoid the nervousness and anxious feelings I get beforehand.

[arwmd in reply to Getwell89]

Without knowing more about your treatments I can only tell you how I handled the pain. That is after the last drops I sit holding my cell phone to time before the doc administers the injection. For me it takes five minutes before the numbing takes effect. I won’t let the doc inject if it is less than 5 minutes. Since I discovered that it takes the numbing med that long to set up my injections have not been painful. Hopefully this idea may also benefit you.

[Getwell89 in reply to arwmd]

Thank you for that advice. I will time the waiting time before getting an injection after getting the numbing drops. I hope this helps me. I will give it another try. My next appointment is in four weeks. ( I just went two days ago)

Thank you again for the helpful advice!

[Hidden in reply to Getwell89]

Hi get well89,

You need to work out if your pain is due to the inj( ie anaesthetic not ready or not enough - I always asked for extra) or post inj irritation due to the iodine cleansing agent ( ask clinic for good wash out) or dry eye (use moisturizing drops pre and post inj). Could be last two together.

Good news is it will improve if you take the actions. I also take 2 paracetamol an hour pre inj and continue afterwards.

The blood can't be helped unfortunately, sometimes they hit a vessel, but I know it made my eye sore after too.

Only you can know how difficult you find the whole process - I struggled at first but decided even a week of panic / pain / crapness was worth three weeks of being able to read. Once I got the eye wash/ moisturizing sorted at least the pain wasn't a factor but I always had the panic in the last few seconds. My grandsons say we are superheroes = feel the fear and do it anyway lol x

I recommend cbt counselling if you feel you are developing a real fear of the process , Mac Soc may be able to help you too. All I can say is don't let the fear of an unknown future spoil the beauty and potential of today x

Wishing you all the best going forward.

[Getwell89 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, eyesright, for your encouraging words and suggestions.

I am trying to stay with this program of injections every month. Guess I am feeling sorry for myself , instead of focusing on the help these injections offer for preserving eyesight.

My eye is so bloodshot and it has been a week already. No pain now, though, whatever.

It is a big help to express fear and discouragement here, and receive words of support and positive thoughts so as to stay with this process of injections.

My sincere thanks....

[arwmd in reply to Getwell89]

You are most welcome. It’s the kind of information we share in our low vision group.

[thom3patty in reply to arwmd]

My pain is more AFTER the injection than the procedure itself I mean I do feel pressure and it isn’t pleasant but it is very quick that doesn’t bother me nearly as much as the aftermath

[arwmd in reply to thom3patty]

My md tells me if any pain call him. Do you do that?

[thom3patty in reply to arwmd]

I did report the pain yes and they seemed surprised but then they did acknowledge they have changed cleansing solutions which add even further to dry eyes and they went from numbing gel to a clear liquid they also tape eye closed and never did before so with all that and then my eyes have gotten very dry they really r working with me to help come up with a solution to help and seems to b working with the artificial tears complete wash after and extra numbing along with not taping my eye shut

[arwmd in reply to thom3patty]

Humm. I forget did you say eylea is your injection? I had a reaction to the Dec and Jan eylea injection. I saw two different docs as follow up on the discomfort and dry eye flare up. On examination I was told the cornea was inflamed and the virtuous was cloudy. Same thing happened to another member of our low vision group.she was told it was an allergic reaction to the eylea itself. I checked on the Regeneron site and the have taken down the complaint page - interesting, no? This last injection was with lucentis but I am still doing steroid drops. But the doc said they sent it back.

[thom3patty in reply to arwmd]

Wow that is good to know as this is the 1st time I have ever received eyelea injections so far 2 in my left and 2 in my right eye kenalog works fantastic but because I have iluvien implants in each eye (that never worked) it is too much steroid and my pressure goes up so until iluvien is gone 9/2019 I have to stay clear of kenalog so I have had avistan with no big pain that’s y I thought it was eyelea but they r telling me no that’s not y I have the pain so I am lost

[thom3patty in reply to Getwell89]

I understand completely like I said I have been getting for several years but last month has left me feel quite anxious just at thought of one so I also started taking 1/4 Xanax to help relieve my fears it does help with that I first tried 1/2 one but too strong knocked me out for 5 hours! Hope putting in drops like I am doing will help you too

[Beldie]

Hello. I haven't posted for ages but, after about 20 injections, I still find each one extremely painful. At least two have been bad enough for me to fleetingly consider stopping them and only two have been what I'd describe as just bearable. My local GP prescribed strong codeine and said to also take a couple of paracetamol, all one hour before the procedure. Last week's injection was given by a locum nurse-practitioner and, first, she hurt my eye while putting in the clamp, then the injection itself was as painful as any other. What do I do now? Four paracetamol? I don't think so. I'm 86 now and have to be driven two hours each way to get to the clinic; then I can't read a blooming label in the shops afterwards. I did once ask whether the anaesthetic acted immediately or only after ten minutes; the answer was that it acted immediately. But....things change; should I ask each time? Or am I being self-obsessed? Wimpish?

Could you ask your doc for something you could take pre-injection? I, too, have dry eyes and take some relevant drops, but I might try doing what you do and putting more in beforehand.

All in all, I empathise with the readers in the group because without books my life would be reduced to just existing. (I'm currently in the middle of re-reading Evelyn Waugh's 'Scoop': non P-C fun.)

Best wishes.

[Hidden in reply to Beldie]

Hi Beldie, good to hear from you x You're definitely not being wimpish. Not sure the anaesthetic does work immediately, the Mac Soc might know? You might need more , my Dr said some of us have more sensitive eyes. Heavy handed injectors don't help either. I always make a point of telling them if the last one hurt me - seems to make them a bit more careful.

Best wishes x

[Beldie in reply to Hidden]

Hi eyesright. Good to know that you are going along well; I always read your posts! At each injection I ask for as much anaesthesia as they can manage. They told me early on that I was allergic to iodine so now they use something else, chlorhexidine I think. But, since the injections are going to be long-term I've got to do my best to sort this out. First, a phone call to the Mac Soc.

Thanks again; XX

[thom3patty in reply to Beldie]

I totally understand where u r coming from and if I wouldn’t have had such great results in doing what I did (artificial tears every 10-15 2 hours before injections) I would never believe that would help like it has try it and please let me know just do every 10-15 minutes right up until injection I even did in waiting room good luck to you ❤️

[Beldie in reply to thom3patty]

Thanks very much for that! I had a word with my GP this morning and she's going to try to find out more, for instance about the anaesthetics used. Next injection is in about a month and I'll give it a go with the drops. It's Hylo-forte 0.2% I'm prescribed; is that much the same as yours? In only the eye being treated or in both?

I'll let you know.

[thom3patty in reply to Beldie]

Only in eye getting injection and mine r systane drops ultra not sure if strength they r over the counter I can ck and let u know