Eylea
Accounts of Personal Experiences
For information about this and other antiangiogenic drugs currently under study, see Antiangiogenic Drugs Are Stopping Neovascularization in Wet Macular Degeneration.
Bill Schreiner (posted to MDList 2/3/12):
Good News! I had my first injection of Eylea four weeks ago. Yesterday I had a Hi-Def OCT done. Ta-da! No leaks!
This is the first time that there was no leak in years. My RS told me to come back in five weeks and get another shot. She’s going to add a week every visit, with another shot, until she gets me up to the advertised eight week intervals between shots.
Hope this works and stops the damage. I pray.
“Birdinthehan” (posted to MDForum 5/20/12):
First injection of Eylea last week. No untoward side effects. Expected pinch upon injection. Eye pressure remained within normal limits when checked by RS about 5 minutes post injection. No other issues. Used antibiotic drops 4x/daily, pre and post injection, for a total of 8 days. Noticed some burning when instilling drops the first day post injection, which waned on the 2nd day. No bloodshot eye, no pain and no issues. Injection #2 is scheduled for June, so we shall see.
Will update here as treatment progresses, for those interested.
Jack (posted to MDForum 5/21/12):
I’ve had 2 Eylea injections exactly 60 days apart. I was on Lucentis and/or Avastin for the past 4 years,but they were not getting the swelling down to any significant level.
I received my first Eylea injection in February and then went back 2 weeks later to check the swelling.(there was no swelling of any significance) My Doc was kinda surprised.He decided to inject every 60 days to start with and see how that worked.
I’ll be seeing my northern RS in a couple of weeks to get his opinion.My bad eye has been testing at 20/50 for the past 4 years and after the Eylea injection it actually tested at 20/30.I hope this test was legit.I’ll find out in a couple of weeks.
“Birdinthehan” (posted to MDForum 6/16/12):
About 2 and a half weeks after the first Eylea injection, I got up one morning and it seemed I could see VERY well. Lo and behold, I covered my “good” eye for confirmation and discovered that I was, indeed, seeing astonishingly well. My vision seemed to get even better for several more days after that and has remained at that level since then! What a miraculous thing! No more distortion! I am scheduled for the 2nd Eylea injection later this month, but plan to ring the RS and ask if that appoint should be kept, since I have improved so dramatically? Seems that some docs delay the injections, when there is improvement/stabilization. We’ll see what she has to say. I am so grateful, there are no words. I realize there are also no guarantees that my vision will remain this good, but I am certainly holding out hope anyway.
No words come to express how grateful I am for that one little injection and the result it has brought thus far. A rare gift! The result may well have been just as good with Avastin or Lucentis. Just happened that when I developed the leaking vessel, Eylea was available, with a touted/anticipated advantage or two, over those other treatments. At least, according to the trials, etc.. We shall know more in time…
Lesley (posted to MDList 1/26/13):
Just a short recap. My better left eye went wet in 2009. From then up to now, I have had 29 Lucentis injections: every 4 weeks and then every 6. There has been a stubborn bit of fluid that just would not go. Anyway, 2 January 2013 had 1st Eylea, and yesterday went in for the 2nd one. Had the usual OCT and acuity tests etc, and the RS said that stubborn little critter had dried up.
Soooo happy. Mind you, the RS said he had another lady almost identical to me who has had the 3rd Eylea with no results of drying up the fluid. So I’m very very fortunate.
2/5/13:
Yesterday, I had the 3rd injection of Eylea to the right eye, and this also has dried the fluid after the 1st Eylea. Soon, the injections will be spaced 5 and 6 weeks apart and then every 8 weeks. My RS is very happy and has had good reports with other patients. Funnily enough, since having Eylea, my eyes don’t feel as stressed as in comparison to Avastin and Lucentis, which I’ve had for many years.
4/16/13:
I went for the 4th injection of Eylea to the left eye (better eye). After the first injection, the fluid in that eye cleared for the first time in 3 plus years. However, had the OCT and now a tiny bit of that fluid is back in there. So will continue 6 weekly injection for now. Was so looking forward to 8-week ones, but never mind. My vision hasn’t changed, so that is a good thing.
6/2/13:
Yesterday I went for the 5th Eylea injection to my left (better) eye). It was just over 6 weeks since last shot. Cut to the chase, fluid back in that eye, so go back in 3 weeks and start back on Lucentis. I was a little disappointed. RS said Eylea works for some and not others, so looks like I’m the other. I knew there was something amiss, as I felt like my specs were fogging up a little, so I would just go clean them. I just had to give Eylea a try though. And thank God for Lucentis.
2/23/14:
Went back to Lucentis on 23 July 2013 with monthly shots until 29th October 2013. The stubborn fluid in this left eye just won’t give in, so back to Eylea on 25th November 2013 monthly through 18th February 2014, and this was the 4th Eylea yet once again. Fluid dry, but RS is reluctant to go more than monthly at this stage. So, of course, I’ll go with the flow, as I don’t want to lose any more vision in this better eye.