If you have age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and your eye doctor recommends injections, it’s natural to have questions. What will the injection feel like? What might your eye look like afterward? How will you know whether treatment is helping?

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections are a treatment option for wet AMD. For geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to AMD, complement inhibitor injections work by blocking part of the immune system that contributes to damage in the retina. These injections can slow the growth of areas of retinal damage.

These treatments work in different ways and have different dosing schedules and risks, so your retina specialist can explain which options may fit your diagnosis.

Members of myAMDteam have shared a wide range of experiences with eye injections. Some described anxiety before their first treatment. Others talked about pain, changes in their vision, or what to expect over time.

Here are six lessons from their experiences, along with questions you can bring to your retina specialist.

For some members, the period before the first injection was especially stressful. Not knowing what would happen added to their anxiety.

One myAMDteam member shared, “This whole wet AMD is causing me anxiety. I’m starting eye injections after my diagnosis a year ago and am afraid. Waited too long to do them. Can only hope and pray that it helps”

Hearing from someone who had already gone through the procedure helped provide another perspective. One member said, “I, too, was very nervous before I first received an injection in my eye. I can say with all honesty that I did not feel pain.”

“I, too, was very nervous before I first received an injection in my eye. I can say with all honesty that I did not feel pain.”

 

— A myAMDteam member

Eye injections are also called intravitreal injections. Before the injection, an anesthetic numbs the surface of the eye. The eye doctor also cleans the eye to help prevent infection and checks it afterward.

What To Ask Your Doctor

Your retina team can explain what will happen before, during, and after the injection. Consider asking, “Can you walk me through the procedure and tell me what I might feel or see?” Knowing the steps may make the experience feel less unfamiliar.

Members’ experiences with comfort varied. One described having plenty of time for numbing before the procedure: “Before the eye injections, my eye [was] numbed extensively, and [I] waited about 20 to 30 minutes before the injection.”

Another myAMDteam member had a very different experience: “Had shot in left eye today and right eye last Monday. Both times, I was not numbed enough. Injection was quite painful. Now in pain since numbing wore off.”

These experiences show why it can be useful to tell your care team how an injection feels. You don’t have to assume that discomfort is something you must tolerate without mentioning it.

What To Ask Your Doctor

Ask, “What can we do to make the injection more comfortable, and what should I do if I feel pain?”

Some members reported little or no discomfort afterward. One simply said, “I never had pain after an injection.”

Others described a more difficult recovery. A myAMDteam member shared, “Unfortunately, I usually have pretty bad pain after the injections and blurred vision for two to three days. The first time was the worst. Since then, not nearly as much pain. Each time is a little different.”

Short-term irritation or floaters may clear within a day or two. Most people can return to normal activities right after treatment, but your retina specialist can tell you what to expect based on your medication and your eyes.

Other people’s experiences can help you know what questions to ask, but they can’t tell you whether your own symptoms are expected.

What To Ask Your Doctor

Before leaving your appointment, ask which symptoms you might experience afterward and which ones warrant medical attention. A useful question is, “What symptoms should prompt me to call you right away?”

If you have pain or vision problems that are getting worse after an injection, contact your eye care team right away.

The appearance of the eye after an injection can sometimes be startling. On rare occasions, a small blood vessel can break on the white part of the eye during an injection, leaving a red patch. The spot of blood usually clears within a week.

One member who had injections for another eye condition said, “My other shots never bother me though. I’ve had blood vessels be hit, and that’s not a pretty sight, but that’s about it for me.”

Another myAMDteam member described a similar experience involving their sister: “Most of the time it went well, but there were a couple of times when they hit a blood vessel, and it looked horrible, but she said she wouldn’t have known.”

“Most of the time it went well, but there were a couple of times when they hit a blood vessel, and it looked horrible, but she said she wouldn’t have known.”

 

— A myAMDteam member

What To Ask Your Doctor

Ask, “What changes in the appearance of my eye can happen after an injection, and which ones should I call you about?”

If you’re unsure whether a symptom is part of normal recovery, call your eye care team rather than trying to judge it from a photo or someone else’s experience.

Members also described what they noticed as treatment continued. One said, “The injections helped me for a few years. … Keep the faith!”

Another myAMDteam member described more specific changes: “I have had three injections and have noticed some improvement, especially with the curvy lines.”

“I have had three injections and have noticed some improvement, especially with the curvy lines.”

 

— A myAMDteam member

For wet AMD, anti-VEGF injections block vascular endothelial growth factor, a protein that can contribute to abnormal blood vessel growth and leaking. The goal is often to slow further vision loss, and anti-VEGF medicines can improve vision for some people.

Your retina specialist can use follow-up exams and vision testing to assess how your eyes are responding. Vision changes can have an emotional impact as well.

What To Ask Your Doctor

Consider asking, “What does treatment success look like for me, and how will we know whether my injections are working?” You can also ask how to track changes between visits and when to call the office about a new vision change.

Injection schedules can look very different from one person to another. The schedule may depend on the type of AMD, the medication, and how your eye responds.

One myAMDteam member with wet AMD wrote, “I am now on [an anti-VEGF], and injections are spaced four months apart.”

Another member receiving a treatment approved for geographic atrophy secondary to AMD shared, “I have been having injections … for the last 11 months, every six to eight weeks. My eye has finally started showing improvement, and my injections are now every eight to nine weeks.”

“I have been having injections … for the last 11 months, every six to eight weeks. My eye has finally started showing improvement, and my injections are now every eight to nine weeks.”

 

— A myAMDteam member

These members are receiving injections for different forms of AMD. Treatment schedules vary depending on the condition, medication, and how the eye responds.

What To Ask Your Doctor

Rather than using another person’s schedule as a benchmark, ask, “How do you decide how often I need injections, and could that schedule change over time?” Talk with your retina specialist before making any changes to treatment.