Eye can't open after injection for AMD

[hotelchocolate]

My mum had her first injection for AMD yesterday and today her eye is gummed closed. She has been told not to wash her face but is it OK to hold a damp,clean cloth against her closed eye to help remove the sticky material that is keeping her eye from opening?

[springcross]

Hi hotelchocolate. Was your mum given a telephone number to ring by her eye doctor in case of problems for the first 48 hours (I think) after the injection. If so, ring and explain what has happened and ask their advice. If not, telephone the Macular Society helpline - they may be able to give you some advice. Good luck. x

[Tetrazzini in reply to springcross]

Agree 100% - excellent advice.

[Retired130]

Sounds like they may have used a few doses of a numbing jell in preparing the eye for the shot. However, they should have rinsed the eye very thoroughly & a few times before she left the office plus she should have been told to use an artificial tears type drops very liberally & often when she got home.

If her eye was not flushed after the shot or she was not using drops when she got home, make sure these two things happen after the next shot.

As for using a damp clean cloth using water, I cannot answer that as I am not a doctor, but she should be able to use artificial tears type of drops liberally (drown the eye) to remove the sticky stuff & dab gently with a clean cloth. Just make sure she uses a new bottle or bottles of artificial tears each time as a previously opened bottle can get contaminated even if shut tight. Never use any leftover drops for the next injection, but instead buy new bottles for the next injection. My doctor told me not to get water in my eye for 3 days after the shot.

[Hidden]

Agree with everyone. Contact clinic.

Key thing is to wash hands first and use sterile drops. I use a paper tissue ( not the top one of the box ) rather than cloth to dab dry as that's what they give in clinic and even if cloth looks clean it's potentially not at a microbiological level.

Grungy eye does happen sometimes even if they wash out well. I had it myself yesterday.

Good luck to your mum going forward x

[Fishing1949]

Sorry to learn of this situation. Regardless of which injection was used it appears that the eye has not been properly cleaned post injection. I have had ten injections and have never this problem . I suggest you contact the Consultant for advice and draw this to his attention when having a further injection

[3furryfiends]

agree with the above-i would contact the clinic/consultant before any further problems/long term damage is done.

[hotelchocolate]

Thank you to everyone who replied. I’ll print your comments to show Mum and we will speak to the doctor when she goes for her second injection. It’s great to have been able to hear from so many kind people with experience of these injections.

Janette

[Hidden]

I have never encountered either the problem or been told not to wash the eye following almost 100 injections.

Using damp sterile lint is normally recommended to clear any stickiness but I would not expect the problem to last more than a day.

If it persists definitely contact the Specialist Nurse.

[Catseyes235]

Sorry bit late to reply but everything must be sterile. Really important to get a fresh bottle of moisturising eye drops for each treatment. Superdrug cheapest if buy two at a time. Write the date on the box of the drops and store in fridge though if needed through the night I keep beside my bed. Use liberally whenever needed. When I get home I also boil some water and put some in a very clean dry Pyrex bowl using clean cotton wool to clean around the eye area. But you can use the moisturise drops on a clean tissue (I use small packs of tissues to make sure sterile too) to wipe closer to the eye and remove gritty bits which are usually the iodine wash which has formed crystals.

The site of the injection can take up to five days to heal completely so important to avoid things like gardening, dusting, smokey atmospheres etc and to wear sunglasses after treatment when eyes are light sensitive.

Best wishes from an old hand!

PS Some times I have to use drops for a few days and sometimes very little if any!

[Lizleiper in reply to Catseyes235]

Very good advice