Silicone bubble returns

[Jihm]

The silicone bubble in my eye, which I received a few years ago from an Avastin injection, had been gone for many months - floated out of view. The other day I was working on something, from a standing position looking down at it, when the bubble floated back into my field of vision. I persuaded my doctor to switch me to Eylea because of that bubble. This because Eylea, at least here in the US, is administered with a better sort of syringe than Avastin (which is not shipped to the doctors here in appropriate syringes for use in the eye, making silicone more likely to get on the needle and into the eyeball with the "stick-on" needles Avastin comes in here). Most of you know all that, I'm sure. Anyway, I wish I had known it a few years ago, and switched from Avastin sooner. I do understand that in the UK the syringe problem might not exist, and, as a treatment for AMD the Avastin had been working okay for me otherwise. The Eylea is working equally well now. Eventually that bubble will float out of view again.

[MikeG1944]

I'm in the UK and had a silicon bubble around 2 1/2 years ago on my first injection. I believe that there was a memo sent round a year or so ago telling consultants not to use those syringes for that reason. Hopefully they all took notice of it. However I'm not sure on this as possibly some others have still had the problem from time to time.

They seem to use Eylea over here which comes in a glass phile and needs a separate needle so there's no real excuse for silicon bubbles. They can be removed by another operation which sucks the bubbles out but unless it's really bugging you it's a unnecessary operation. Mine comes back sometimes and I call mine Dion after his hit 'The Wanderer' LOL.

[Jihm in reply to MikeG1944]

They seem to have ignored the fact that those Avastin syringes should not be used over here. But, as you say, Mike, the syringes used with Eylea are safe.

I like the name, 'The Wanderer'! That gave me a chuckle.

[MikeG1944 in reply to Jihm]

Well; not exactly; I think it's occasionally happened here as the Eylea and the syringes are supplied separately so if they pick up the silicon lubricated syringes by mistake it could still happen; but shouldn't.

[Jihm in reply to MikeG1944]

Years ago now I was able to research the silicone lubricant/syringe question - with the help the chief pharmacist of a very large specialty pharmacy who was also curious about the same issue.

She was able to get some answers from the main US manufacture of all the various types of syringes. Long story short: all types are internally lubricated with silicone - not the needles themselves!

The problem is that "stick-on" needles, held in only by friction, as found, for instance, on the common Avastin syringes, are more likely to leak or ooze silicone lubricant onto the needle. The syringes with screw-on needles are much less likely to leak lubricant onto the needle. But, occasionally, even they can.

[Catseyes235]

I prefer Eyelea - works very efficiently but still have a small black dot from Eyelea that follows me around. Just used to it!

[Jihm in reply to Catseyes235]

Oh yes, I am familiar with small black dots. They usually seem to go away eventually, a few weeks later in my case. The silicon bubble though is always somewhere in the eye - lurking, even if not in the field of vision.

[Catseyes235 in reply to Jihm]

I had one of those spinning gold planets for a while - quite missed it when it went!

[Jihm in reply to Catseyes235]

That's a good description of it! Mine was gone for months before it came back. I did not miss it though.