Reviews of doctors and patients about Lucentis, instructions for use

Composition and release form

The drug "Lucentis" is a transparent or slightly opalescent solution for internal administration (patient reviews confirm this).

The main active ingredient of the drug is ranibizumab. Its content in 1 bottle of the drug is 2.3 mg. In addition, Lucentis contains the following auxiliary components:

α-trehalose dihydrate;
polysorbate;
L-histidine hydrochloride monohydrate;
water.

One cardboard package with the drug includes:

a transparent glass bottle, 0.23 ml, with medicine;
needle with filter;
sterile syringe with needle.

The drug is sold in pharmacies only with a prescription.

Release form and composition

Lucentis is presented in the form of a solution for internal administration. The color of the liquid is clear or cloudy white. One bottle contains the main active component - ranibizumab, 2.3 mg. Manufacturer: Switzerland.

In addition, the medicine contains auxiliary components : polysorbate; water; α-trehalose dihydrate; L-histidine hydrochloride monohydrate.

One cardboard box with the drug contains:

needle with filter;
bottle of medicine with a volume of 0.23 ml;
sterile syringe with needle;
instructions for use of Lucentis.

The medicine is dispensed by pharmacists strictly according to a doctor's prescription .

Indications for use

Doctors prescribe the drug for a number of ophthalmological diseases. Reviews from patients about Lucentis are quite ambiguous, since the drug does not help in 100% of cases. Despite this, doctors prescribe the drug for the following diagnoses:

neovascular form of macular degeneration;
a significant decrease in visual acuity and diabetic macular edema (laser coagulation is prescribed);
decreased vision due to neovascularization;
decreased vision due to macular edema caused by retinal vein occlusion.

Indications

Lucentis is prescribed for a number of ophthalmological diseases. Reviews from patients are quite ambiguous regarding its effectiveness - the drug helps some, while others barely notice its effect. However, Lucentis is prescribed for the following diseases:

wet (neovascular) form of age-related macular degeneration;
decreased visual acuity due to the development of diabetic macular edema - used once or in combination with laser coagulation;
decreased vision due to macular edema caused by retinal vein occlusion;
decreased vision due to choroidal neovascularization caused by pathological myopia.

Indications for use

The medicine is produced in the form of injections, injected into the eyeball. The package with the drug contains a disposable syringe, a needle with a filter for drawing the substance from the bottle.

The drug is used in the following situations:

neovascular wet type of AMD in adults;
deterioration of visual acuity, diabetic macular edema;
retinal vascular thrombosis;
deterioration in the quality of vision;
myopia.

Choroidal neovascularization may be the cause of the problems.

Contraindications

There are a number of contraindications for prescribing the drug "Lucentis". Reviews from patients also confirm that the drug is not prescribed to everyone. Thus, the drug is prohibited from being prescribed to patients:

those suffering from infectious eye diseases or susceptible to infectious processes of periocular localization;
who were diagnosed with intraocular inflammation;
those under 18 years of age;
who have hypersensitivity to any ingredient of the drug.

Also, the drug should not be administered to pregnant and lactating women.

The drug is prescribed with caution to the following categories of patients:

Persons with hypersensitivity; if there is a risk of stroke, the drug is administered only after doctors have assessed the risk-benefit ratio of Lucentis.
In patients suffering from DME due to retinal vein occlusion or CNV, which is caused by pathological myopia, in the presence of cerebral ischemia or stroke, the drug can cause thromboembolism.
Persons who are already taking medications that affect endothelial vascular growth.

In what cases is treatment interrupted?

There are also cases when therapy must be urgently interrupted and not attempted to be resumed:

changes in intraocular pressure up to 30 mm Hg or more. Art.;
decrease in visual acuity by 30 or more letters compared to the last measurement;
retinal tear;
subretial hemorrhage affecting the fovea or affecting more than 50% of the area;
performing intraocular surgery.

Dosage

Lucentis is used only as injections into the vitreous body. Reviews from patients indicate that the procedure itself is painless.

The contents of one bottle of the product are intended for only one injection. Only an ophthalmologist with experience in performing such procedures can administer the drug.

Since the course of treatment includes several injections, it must be remembered that an interval of at least 1 month must be maintained between them. The recommended dose of Lucentis for one injection is 0.5 mg. During therapy, constant monitoring of visual acuity should be carried out.

When prescribing the drug to patients over 65 years of age, no special dose adjustment is required.

Intravitreal injections

Lucentis injections are performed exclusively into the vitreous body. Its administration requires appropriate disinfection of the area around the eyes and the eyelids themselves. The procedure is performed under aseptic operating room conditions, with mandatory disinfection of the hands of medical personnel, the use of sterile materials and instruments, including: gloves, napkins, eyelid dilators, everything necessary to perform paracentesis.

Before the injection, antimicrobial agents and drops are instilled into the eye to anesthetize the conjunctiva. In preparation for an intravitreal Lucentis injection, antimicrobial eye drops are started daily three days before the procedure and continued for three days after.

The volume of the injected solution is 0.05 ml, the injection is carried out in one eye only.

"Lucentis": instructions for use

Reviews about the drug itself and about the work of doctors indicate that the patient himself needs to monitor the preparation for the administration process in order to avoid negligence.

So, before introducing the product, you need to make sure that the solution corresponds to the norm - color, consistency, absence of sediment. If the shade changes or insoluble particles are present, Lucentis should not be used.

Administration of the drug must occur under sterile conditions: the hands of the healthcare worker must be properly treated; Only sterile gloves are used; napkins, eyelid speculum and all other instruments that will be used must also be sterile.

Immediately before the injection, the skin around the eye and eyelid is disinfected. Then anesthesia is given and antimicrobial drugs are administered drip-wise. It must be remembered that antimicrobial agents must be instilled 3 times a day before and after the procedure for three days.

Only if these rules are followed can treatment with Lucentis be successful. Reviews from those who have completed it indicate that there are cases when a doctor injects the drug into two patients with the same needle. This is unacceptable and can lead to infection with various infections and diseases such as AIDS.

The drug itself is injected into the vitreous body, directing the tip of the needle towards the center of the eyeball. The subsequent injection should be carried out in that half of the sclera that was not affected by the first injection.

Since intraocular pressure may increase within an hour after the procedure, it must be monitored, as well as monitoring the perfusion of the optic nerve head. If necessary, treatment will be necessary to reduce blood pressure.

During one procedure, it is allowed to administer the drug only to one eye.

Instructions for use

The medicine is made only for intravitreal injection. The frequency of use and dosage depends on the type of disease:

Neovascular disorder is treated with 0.5 mg. The injection is performed at intervals of 1 month. the minimum pause between administrations is 28 days. The fundus of the eye is examined during treatment, and the quality of vision is monitored. The drug is injected less frequently after the first 3 injections. The patient's condition must improve to reduce the dose. You can give injections once every 3 months. after using it four times.
The standard dosage of 0.5 mg is used for macular edema or diabetic retinal disease. Intraviteral injections are given once a month. The fundus is regularly examined during therapy.
Provoked by myopia, choroidal neovascularization requires intravitreal injection of 0.5 mg of the drug every 30 days for 3 months.

Doctors study test results and repeat therapy if necessary. The dynamics of the development of the disease is determined by the method of tracking visual acuity. Fluorescein angiography and coherence tomography are performed. The effectiveness of treatment is determined by the improvement in the quality of vision after macular deformation or myopia.

If there is no effect from several doses, the specialist cancels the treatment without completing the course of therapy. When using Lucentis, laser coagulation of the retina is performed.

Medication administration procedure:

the bottle is wiped with an antiseptic before using the solution;
the needle is placed on a 1 ml syringe;
the needle with the filter is inserted into the middle of the stopper, it should reach the bottom of the container;
liquid is withdrawn;
the piston is pulled back until the liquid from the needle enters the syringe;
the needle is removed and thrown away, it cannot be used for injections;
a special needle is placed on the syringe;
the protective cap is removed;
Do not allow the needle to come into contact with the skin or any objects;
the solution is injected into the vitreous body.

The remaining solution in the container is disposed of; the open container is not stored.

For children

The medicine is not prescribed to minor children. Doctors do not have information about the effect of Lucentis on a young body.

Interaction with other drugs

It is not known how Lucentis interacts with other drugs. Reviews from patients (most of them) allow us to conclude that doctors do not prescribe any other drugs with Lucentis, except anesthetics and anti-infectives.

This is due to the fact that no studies have been conducted on the interaction of Lucentis with other drugs. Therefore, the product is not recommended for use together with other solutions or medications.

During pregnancy and lactation

The Lucentis injection is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women (reviews also confirm this). This is due to the fact that the drug is classified as a teratogenic and embryotoxic drug, that is, it causes disturbances in the development of the fetus.

As for women of reproductive age, the interval between the end of treatment and conception should be at least 3 months - during this time ranibizumab will be completely eliminated from the body. Until this point, you should use reliable contraceptives.

Side effects

An injection into the eye (Lucentis) may also cause undesirable consequences. Feedback from patients in this regard is mostly positive - side effects are very rare. However, a two-year clinical study revealed the following serious undesirable health effects after administration of the drug:

endophthalmitis;
retinal disinsertion;
cataract;
increased intraocular pressure;
intraocular inflammation.

In addition, less dangerous consequences of using Lucentis related to the organs of vision were noted:

inflammation of the vitreous and intraocular;
vitreous detachment;
visual impairment;
retinal hemorrhage;
pain in the eyes;
conjunctive hemorrhage;
blepharitis;
eye irritation;
lacrimation;
dry eye syndrome;
iritis;
uveitis;
decreased visual acuity;
iris commissure;
degenerative processes in the retina;
redness of the eye.

The following side effects also occurred:

nasopharyngitis;
flu;
anxiety;
anemia;
headache;
strokes;
cough;
nausea;
itching and rashes;
arthralgia.

However, all of these side effects occur in less than 2% of cases of using Lucentis. Reviews, in particular, indicate the relatively frequent occurrence of redness and pain. However, these symptoms go away quite quickly.

Video of drug administration

The main cause of visual impairment in AMD is damage to the macula, the central area of the retina that is responsible for normal visual acuity. The macula, or macula, is made up of several layers of cells. To put it simply, it is represented by a layer of photoreceptors, followed by a layer of pigment cells and a thin membrane that separates the macular tissue from the blood capillaries located deeper. The vessels deliver nutrients to the retina and provide its cells with oxygen. With age, so-called drusen form in the retinal tissue - yellowish thickenings, which are accumulations of cell metabolism products. If drusen are detected in the fundus of the eye, the patient is diagnosed with the dry form of AMD. As they accumulate, drusen can provoke inflammation, which is accompanied by the formation of a special pathological protein, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This protein, in turn, causes the growth of new defective blood vessels (neoangiogenesis). Abnormal vessels are a source of hemorrhages in the retina of the eye, causing irreversible changes in the retinal tissue, including in the macula area. The accumulating fluid detaches the photoreceptor layer from the adjacent membrane and causes retinal detachment. As it progresses, zones of detachment and rough scar tissue appear on the fundus, and the nerve fibers responsible for normal visual acuity are affected.

A feature of the wet form of AMD is rapid progression and irreversible loss of central vision. Therefore, it is so important to begin treatment of the disease as early as possible. Today, in addition to traditional laser coagulation of defective fundus vessels, drugs from the group of angiogenesis inhibitors (anti-VEGF), of which Lucentis is a representative, are used in the treatment of wet AMD.

Lucentis is a drug for pathogenetic therapy of the exudative form of AMD, the mechanism of action of which is associated with blocking pathological vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). To obtain a therapeutic effect, Lucentis is injected into the vitreous body as an intravitreal injection (injection into the eyeball). The main active ingredient is ranibizumab.

A prerequisite for the procedure is that it is carried out under sterile conditions; injections must be given by a qualified ophthalmologist who has undergone appropriate training. At the Retina Treatment Center, Lucentis injections are performed under strict aseptic conditions, the procedure is performed by certified specialists who have extensive experience in performing intravitreal injections.

Suppressing the growth of abnormal blood vessels using Lucentis injections reduces swelling of the retinal tissue. As the drug acts, the defective vessels become empty and disintegrate, and the fluid in the fundus resolves. This is accompanied by some improvement in visual acuity and prevents further damage to the macula.

special instructions

When using Lucentis, various visual disturbances may occur that negatively affect the patient's ability to operate various mechanisms and drive a vehicle. Therefore, if such symptoms appear, you should not drive a car or manipulate machinery until all visual disturbances disappear.

It is also not recommended to drive a vehicle immediately after the injection, even if you do not notice any sensations at first. Side effects may appear later, for example, after the pain medication wears off.

Eilea

This drug is one of the cheapest analogues of Lucentis. The active ingredient is aflibercept. The drug is used in ophthalmology to prevent the development of vascular neoplasms.

The medicine is injected into the vitreous body to obtain a local effect. After the injection, monitoring of intraocular pressure and monitoring the patient’s well-being are required.

Drug therapy lasts a year. If there is no increase in visual acuity, the doctor determines the possibility of other therapy.

Adverse reactions occur rarely. Most often, patients experience subconjunval hemorrhage. In the event of adverse reactions, the patient should notify his or her physician. Price - 42,000-45,000 rubles.

"Lucentis": reviews from doctors

Lucentis is quite often recommended and prescribed by doctors, as it is considered a fairly effective drug. On the other hand, the patient cannot always afford to pay for the required number of injections: Lucentis is a rather expensive drug. In these cases, doctors suggest replacing it with a cheaper analogue - Avastin. However, the latter has not yet been adequately studied, so the initial recommendation of doctors remains the time-tested Lucentis. Ophthalmologists have long been familiar with this remedy, know what consequences can be expected, and recognize its effectiveness.

Patient reviews

Now let's talk about what patients themselves think about the drug Lucentis. Reviews indicate that the drug does not always have the expected effect. However, the majority of patients who completed the course claim that their vision has improved significantly or has stopped deteriorating. In this case, shelf effects such as pain and infection are noted, but antibiotics can easily cope with this. In addition, most patients are confident that such undesirable consequences are worth the result.

However, there are also cases where the drug turned out to be ineffective. Doctors themselves say that Lucentis does not help in 100% of cases. Although the most significant drawback, according to patients, is the cost of the product. Not everyone can afford a full course of several injections.

Among the significant advantages, in addition to effectiveness, is the painless use of Lucentis (reviews agree on this issue). The only inconvenience is the discomfort before and after the administration of the drug. However, they are quite tolerable, and the injection itself is not felt at all. After the anesthesia wears off, slight pain is noted.

Nevertheless, Lucentis is considered a fairly effective remedy, after using which patients experience improved vision.

Side effects and contraindications

An injection of the drug can cause an increase in IOP that lasts at least an hour. Therefore, doctors monitor it and control the perfusion of the optic nerve head, providing the necessary treatment according to indications. In addition, headaches, increased anxiety, and the occurrence of flu-like conditions cannot be ruled out.

Possible complications of the procedure include inflammation, trauma, hemorrhage, retinal detachment, and persistent increase in IOP.

Intravitreal injections of Lucentis are not prescribed for:

Infectious inflammations of the eyes
Intolerance to ranibizumab
Risk of stroke

In addition, the drug is not used in children, as well as in women during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

As practice shows, some patients refuse intravitreal injections of Lucentis. This is due to two reasons: fear of intraocular infusion and the high cost of the drug.

However, according to reviews from those who have undergone the procedure, the insertion is absolutely painless, and the pain that occurs over the next few days is quite tolerable. Another thing is the price of the drug, it is really quite high. But when it comes to complete loss of vision in the absence of necessary treatment, the cost is quite comparable to the potential risk. Moreover, the effect of using Lucentis has been proven, and vision improvement is guaranteed.