1. Do anti-VEGF injections hurt?
3. What happens if I miss an injection?
4. Are there any short-term side effects of anti-VEGF medications?
5. Are anti-VEGF medications expensive?
2. How often will I need to get anti-VEGF injections?
9. Will I have to take these medications forever?
8. Will I be able to afford this medication?
7. JAK inhibitors are still pretty new – are you sure they’re safe?
6. I read that JAK inhibitors increase the risk of blood clots. Should I be worried?
5. Can taking a JAK inhibitor cause cancer?
4. Why do I need to get certain vaccinations first?
3. Will taking a JAK inhibitor shut down my immune system?
2. If one JAK inhibitor doesn’t help me, does that mean none of them will?
1. Which JAK inhibitor is most likely to help me?
FAQs About Taking an Anti-VEGF Medication for Wet AMD
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Getting a shot in the eye is hardly appealing, but it’s usually painless, and, thankfully, quick. Typically the only sensation you’ll experience is a bit of pressure, because a tiny amount of medication is being injected into the eye, says Maturi. After the injection, your eye may feel irritated for a few hours. Patel tells patients that, after their first treatment, they’ll be thinking, “Wow, that's really not bad. I can easily do this.”
Typically, people receive up to eight injections during their first year of treatment. After that, they may need only two to three injections per year, says Maturi. Your personal timeline will depend on how effective the medication is for you. Ultimately with anti-VEGF treatment for wet AMD, the goal is to extend the time between injections — say, three to four months or more — so less frequent trips to the ophthalmologist are necessary, says Patel.
It’s possible your wet AMD will get worse, which can cause vision loss (sometimes permanent). “During the pandemic, a lot of patients didn't come back for quite some time, and they came back with increased vision loss, increased disease activity,” says Patel. Once they resumed treatment, “we could control [the wet AMD], but we couldn't regain all of their vision back.”
Side effects from anti-VEGF medications are rare, but can include a little red bruise in the eye at the injection site, says Patel. (Don’t worry, it’ll go away.) More important changes to look for are symptoms of infection, such as pain or discomfort that lasts for a week or so after the injection, as well as redness, light sensitivity, or changes in vision. “For the majority of patients, the risk of infection is very small,” says Patel. Another possible complication is a scratch on the eye that can occur by rubbing it while it’s still numb, says Maturi. This can be very painful, but is easily treated by wearing a bandage lens on the eye for a day or two to allow the surface of the eye to heal by itself.
Anti-VEGF medications can cost $2,000 or more, says Maturi. One exception is bevacizumab, because it’s used off-label for wet AMD. Bevacizumab can cost less than $100 a dose, says Maturi. Not everyone who receives anti-VEGF medication will pay that price, though. If you have health insurance, your plan may cover all or most of the costs; if you don’t, there are patient assistance programs that can help pay for the medication. Depending on your income, the cost can drop to as little as $0 to $10, he says.
