I am currently having injections of Avastin in my right eye for the treatment of a retinal bleed
Years ago I was told I had the beginnings of Dry AMD (at least 5 years ago) I used micro-current therapy and the very slight vision problem cleared. I toook the usual supplements for eye care. I forgot about it.
About 4 weeks ago, during a very hot spell here, I felt ill, headache, strange vision thing, like migraine. After a week it had not cleared so I went to the eye hospital.
The result is that the doc says my dry MD became "wet" suddenly - it happens in 10% of AMD - and the new blood vessels that form under the retina leak, because they are abnormal. Avastin stops the further growth of abnormal blood vessels. He is confident that my vision will return to normal.
In UK, Avastin is licensed for use in colon cancer. It's unlicensed use in ophthalmology means that it is not available on the NHS, nor will the private health insurance companies pay for it. There is no economic incentive for the maker Genentech to seek licensed use, because Lucentis costs so much more, and so the share holders would not care for a cheaper drug!!
I will include links to more information on Avastin a little later.
Hi xania,
I haven't been on here for a while and was unaware of your eye problem till now. I will say a prayer and I wish you a speedy and complete recovery! Take care!
A major drug company is blocking access to a medicine that is cheaply and effectively saving thousands of people from going blind because it wants to launch a more expensive product on the market.
Ophthalmologists around the world, on their own initiative, are injecting tiny quantities of a colon cancer drug called Avastin into the eyes of patients with wet macular degeneration, a common condition of older age that can lead to severely impaired eyesight and blindness. They report remarkable success at very low cost because one phial can be split and used for dozens of patients.
I can read with my right eye. Ater two injections I can say there is definite improvement, which is exciting. This treatment works!
I think the rate of injections slows down now to one every three months.
BUT, I begin to see an old familiar change in the vision of the left eye, so more injections to come. But I am so optimistic about the eventual outcome that, apart from the expense, there is no reluctance on my part to have more injections.
I recommend Avastin injections for the treatment of retinal bleeds., caused by "wet" AMD
I continue to recommend micro-durrent treatment for dry AMD, together with appropriate supplementation of nutrients and foods which promote eye health. These recommendations are based solely on my own personal experience, and that of two friends with similar conditions.
I saw that, Sally B! Thanks for the warning, but I felt reassured when I realised they were referring to the intravenous use of higher doses, in the treatment of colon cancer. The tiny drop that goes in my eye doesn't have the same impact, thank goodness!
Hi Xania, thanks for the update. I have been wondering how you had got on with the 2nd treatment, thinking you must have had it by now. Glad that it's so far so good, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!
One year on, and here is another update.
I continued to enjoy improvement in my vision, with occasional Avastin injection in my right eye. Occasional, meaning every 3 months.
I had increasing pain with each procedure, from the sterilising solution. At first, they used betadine until I protested. Then it was changed to hibitane, but that was as painful.
Three weeks ago I needed another Avastin injection in my left eye, so the doc said he was going to "marinade" my eye in local anaestheitc - I thanked him for making the procedure so much more comfortable
Thirty minutes later I was going crazy with pain and as soon as I reached home I found the tiny container of local anaesthetic they always provide, in case of pain later in the day. It helped for an hour, Then the pain returned. By this time I was blind in that eye. I could only see dark grey fog.
The local anaesthetic is called proxymetacaine - remember that!
After a dreadful night, having to use the local every hour, I called the hospital, who told me to go back to see the doc. He was a bit puzzled but said the epithelial membrane over the cornea was breaking down and lifting from the cornea. By this time, my eye was surrounded by dark red, bruised swollen tissue, and almost closed. I'm not going to describe the pain. I asked for another container of local anaesthetic - he gave me two, and said "Try not to use it" I wasn't in a fit state to wonder why.
After another day and night, he had found out that this happens to one person in 200, and it was my turn to be the victim! I knew I had to stop using the stuff, but wondered how I should manage.
I managed, but badly. Next day I began to make out light and colours, but no outlines. Three weeks on, and vision in that eye is just about back to normal. I am terrified of the next injection. I shall continue to need them, sometimes. The leaking blood vessels will continue to leak. I asked the doc what to do about future injections. His answer - "You've just got to do it" But he will prescribe some oral analgesia and be sparing with local anaesthetic.
pbd, my vision is certainly not getting worse! I started that post with
"I continued to enjoy improvement in my vision, with occasional Avastin injection in my right eye. Occasional, meaning every 3 months"
(Other people have those injections every 4 - 6 weeks for 2 years)
I am lucky that my wet AMD started when it did, rather than couple of years earler when there was no treatment of the anti-VEGF type..
To answer your question, I eat local organic foods only, use raw milk, take supplements of Vitamins A,B Co., C, D, E.
Add lutein, astaxanthin, all of which has caused my doc to wonder at the rapid progress I made. Better than his other patients, he says. As he is confident that this vast improvement is due to his treatment, he doesn't feel the need to ask about diet or supplements and I feel there is no point in starting a conversation which would be dismissed by him.
My recent upset was due to a chemical sensitivity which happens to one person in two hundred.
I'm sorry if that wasn't clear.
I like the idea of using Lutein, although less than 10mg per day is too low of a dose.
I also like the idea of using Astaxanthin. However, the best supplement for eyes is the isomer of lutein, Zeaxanthin.
This is the best product I've seen (and used) for eye care:
pbd, my vision is certainly not getting worse! I started that post with
"I continued to enjoy improvement in my vision, with occasional Avastin injection in my right eye. Occasional, meaning every 3 months"
(Other people have those injections every 4 - 6 weeks for 2 years)
I am lucky that my wet AMD started when it did, rather than couple of years earler when there was no treatment of the anti-VEGF type..
To answer your question, I eat local organic foods only, use raw milk, take supplements of Vitamins A,B Co., C, D, E.
Add lutein, astaxanthin, all of which has caused my doc to wonder at the rapid progress I made. Better than his other patients, he says. As he is confident that this vast improvement is due to his treatment, he doesn't feel the need to ask about diet or supplements and I feel there is no point in starting a conversation which would be dismissed by him.
My recent upset was due to a chemical sensitivity which happens to one person in two hundred.
I'm sorry if that wasn't clear.
This appears to be another potent product. 100mg lutein, 10mg zeanthine, 30mg bilberry for $24 per bottle of 30, if 10 bottles ordered. This product does not include all the collateral nutrients that Null has. https://www.macucure.com/
Avastin treatment for Wet AMD
Linear Mode
