Pain Following Eye Injections for Macular Degeneration

Pain following eye injections for macular degeneration occurs in some patients.  Here are some of their comments, experiences and tips:

Painful Eye Injections - Betadine the Cause?

By Susan

I have had 18 injections to treat wet macular degeneration. The nurse told me it's betadine solution that causes the pain in my eye. 

I hardly notice the injection, but the betadine antiseptic is painful for hours afterwards. 

My doctor uses betadine over the eyelid and around the eye. My eye is rinsed afterwards, but the damage is done. 

The solution seeps into my eye causing it to burn and weep for 16 hours or more. It drains into my sinuses and causes them to burn. A near migrain headache also results. I spend most the day in bed, trying to sleep through the pain. 

Is there another means to keeping the eye "clean" without this painful antiseptic? Do you know if this is standard practice?

Betadine Problems

By Anonymous

Obviously the betadine is a huge problem to a lot of people. They need to find a better solution to it. I went 4 years before I suddenly started having problems with it. My doctor does not swab around the eye with it. He only puts it on the shot spot. I can't imagine having it all over around the eye to add to the problem. I would think they could use a better option for cleansing around the eye & only use the betadine in the eye for the shot. Mine just dabs the shot spot. I now put a patch on the eye after which helps stop the eye rubbing on the lid & have had no problems since doing this. My eye has improved from my shots but the horrible pain from the betadine does make one think about quitting. 

Severe betadine pain also 
by: Caryl 

I had no pain after the first couple years after my eylea shots. Then suddenly after my shot it was terrible for at least 12 hours. My doctor says he hasn't changed the procedure. He uses a swab to put the betadine only where he is going to give the shot. This last time he said the eye movement is irritating it so he put a patch on my eye so I had to keep it closed till the next day. I had no pain. Will do the same next time to test it again. I wish they would find a betadine replacement. So many people suffer from it.econd block of text...

Serious Pain after eye injections 
by: AnonymousLD 

It was a relief to read the many reports of pain after AMD injections. I have had about 40 of these and the after effects seem to be getting worse! This last time it was horrendous!

I find it OK having the jab but after a couple of hours when the anaesthetic wears off, the pain is intense. This time I couldn't open my eyes which were streaming, along with my nose! I had to go to bed and took cocodomol as often as allowed. I was not able to open my eyes until the next morning and two days later my eye is still red and swollen.

Betadine prep reaction 
by: Nancy Caul 

I too suffered with extreme eye irritation and weeping after my injections. First told it had to do with allergies. Went to a specialist who confirmed even with labs, that I have no allergies. I was referred to a different eye specialist. 

He flipped my lids and said I had blisters under my eyelids. I stayed on prednisone several months. It only helped while on the med. Did more tests, then the doctor determined it was the betadine prep solution. 

Thankfully my Retina specialist allowed me to use antibiotic drops before and after my injections. My injections are every 5 weeks, in my right eye. 
I have a video of my eyes, (yes, both eyes reacted) after the last injection using the betadine prep. I wish I could post. 

It was so serious and took over a year to determine it was the betadine prep. Keep in mind I am not allergic to iodine either. 
I hope my experiences may help anyone else dealing with this situation. 

Dilation & Allergy drops 
by: Susan St Louis 

Thanks to the reviewer (Fire in the eye!) who posted that Alaway allergy drops helped the pain after receiving betadine in her eye for an injection. 

I also want to reiterate what she said about using a weaker drop for dilation. I have light green eyes and my eyes dilate very easily. I started asking for the lighter dilation 3 or 4 years ago. 

My doctor has no problem seeing the back of my retina. So now instead of being dilated and sensitive to light for almost 72 hours, the dilation lasts less than 24 hours and I can almost bear sunlight after 8 hours. My eye is especially sensitive to light after an injection so this has helped make the injection a little more bearable!

Eylea Injections 
by: Shirley 

Just had my 3rd injection for wet macular degeneration and every time I come home with eye hurting and burning. The next day my eyelid is swollen and the corner of my eye is crusty and burns like salt has been put in it. 

I had no idea what it was until I ran onto this site. Betadine...Its on my meds list. I am allergic to betadine and my surgeon told me never to use it again after I blistered up and major sores after my hip replacement. 

So it looks as though I will have a talk with my doctor next visit about betadine. Thanks for sharing. Most helpful.

I have wet macular degeneration and have been on the eye injection shots for 3 yrs now. Never had a problem until YESTERDAY with my right eye injection. 

After the shot my Dr.said see you in 10 weeks and she was out the door as usual but witin a minute or two I had such a burning in my eye like never before. The tech flushed out my eye for a good 5 minutes which made it feel better but my eye was watering for several hours afterwards and started burning again for a few minutes in the evening,but the settled down finally. 

Went to bed and when I woke up my eye was very red and my eyelid was swollen. All of this was such a different reaction then I have ever had with an injection.

A little scary for me. Called the nurse and she advised me on what was going on but she did mention Betadine possibly being left on there too long before the Dr. was able to come in and give me my shot. 

I"m worried now about my next injection?? It's kind of like being hurt by the dentist, it makes you afraid, as if a needle in the eye isn"t enough of a scary thing. I"m really dreading my next visit.

I just began my third year of injections of Lucentis for my Retinal Vein Occlusion. The first two years weren't bad. I think the thought of having a needle in the eye was worse than the actual experience!

But then my doctor's practice began a new protocol requiring the use of betadine! Talk about PAIN! I had burns all around my eye and my eye watered non-stop and my vision was blurry for 5 days. It hurt like hell. I did snap a photo, which I showed my doctor so he'd know I wasn't exaggerating. Now he uses very little betadine and after the shot it is immediately wiped off of my face and my eye is thoroughly flushed. I still hurt for a day, but it's better than it was! I also had the words "betadine sensitivity" added to all my health and pharmacy records!

I asked my eye doctor to use minimal betadine before my injection 2 days ago. And then asked him to flush the eye out really well. NO PAIN following this injection. I couldn't believe it. My previous injection I was in so much pain for two days I was in tears. SO.......MINIMAL BETADINE BEFORE INJECTION AND FLUSHING THE EYE BALL AFTER IS THE REMEDY!!!! I am so glad I found this site.

First 3 injections resulted in painful, swollen and red eye and eye area .. Pure agony and I woke to crying, loud prayers for her eye to stop hurting at 3-4 am after the injection the previous afternoon. 
Eye surgeon looked at the photos I took of her eye and he only put one drop in from next visit on. 

Fast forward to new doctor closer to home, same clinic- different location. First injection was fine- no pain afterward. Today- Second visit to new doctor, extreme pain because he put a 1/2 dose of betadine in, saying it’s better than risking losing her sight to an eye infection. I’m so mad at myself for allowing him to 1/2 dose my poor 96 year old mom instead of giving one drop! 

Betadine and Eye Pain

By Nancy

I am grateful to have found this site. I was out of commission for 12 hours after my last injection. I am on my second doctor and the experiences are vastly different. I used to be able to go right back to work and now I have to have my husband drive me to and from the appointment and I go home into a dark room. 

I have been trying to figure out why the difference between doctors and now I realize it is the amount of betadine my current doctor uses plus the fact he won't rinse. I can't take it and am going to point this out. It is bad enough to have a needle stuck in your eye but to have your eye be a gritty, burning mess is unacceptable. 

Half Strength Betadine Helps 
by: Fire in the eye! 

Since my post of June 2017, and a bit of online research, a couple of chats with my doctor, and a healthy dose of prayer, my doctor has agreed to use half strength Betadine, 2 drops right before injection, then copious amount of rinsing after. The tech also preps the eye very carefully avoiding the inner corner so Betadine does not leak under the lids and start the burn. This has worked well for my last injection with some post prep discomfort, but is a tremendous improvement over other prep experiences. I know this problem has weighed heavily on my doctor’s heart and mind...I am so thankful to have had a more tolerable experience! 

I also wear no makeup on my lids or lashes before the injection, and try to be sure my skin is well cleansed. I use Avenova Lid Cleanser that was previously prescribed for a different issue.

Painful aftermath of Eylea injection 
by: Anonymous 

I had an eylea injection 3 days ago and the pain is finally beginning to subside, not to mention the sinus irritation caused by this injection. I have been getting injections for 2 years now and it seems the pain is getting so bad and I am thinking of stopping the injections. 

A day or two before the injection I actually start getting panic attacks because I know what is coming. The injections are painful and the aftermath is horrible, intense pain that last anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. I asked about rinsing the eye and my Doctor told me this does no good. Who am I to believe. 

I do not notice any difference, in fact, my vision was okay until I got the first injection and it has been downhill all the say since. No one at the doctor's office seems to have any sympathy.

YES, it is the Betadine that causes the damage. 
by: Bettie 

I am now in treatment for wet macular degeneration in both eyes for FIVE years. My pain has been completely dependent on how small a dose of betadine I am given. My current doctor shows no sign of believing me when I tell him that I am allergic to betadyne. A different doctor got concerned after I ended up with stage two burns under by eyelids. This was accompanied by blisters and unbearable pain. He cut the dose to one small drop with immediate flushing with water afterwards until my eye did not burn. 

Now I am back with a previous doctor. Yesterday, I had a very young and inexperienced technician who kept pouring the betadine to my eye no matter what I said. Then there was a delay in the doctor coming in and by then my eye felt fried. I ended up in the emergency room with scorching red face around the eye and cheek area, bright red eyeball and eyelids, water pouring out of my eye and also out my nostril next to the affected eye. Pain was beyond description.

I was amazed to see on my discharge papers that I must have had an abrasion on my eyeball for this to happen. What is so scary about making it official? BETADINE CAUSES PAINFUL BURNS to the face and eye lid and eye ball.

Is there anyone out there in the medical field that will come to our rescue?

Beatadine Reaction 
by: Anonymous 

I have had 3 injections so far and the first one, my eye was in unbearable discomfort. The key is to have the nurse flush your eye aggressively after the procedure. I found this to alleviate the pain rapidly.

The previous two injections have been a cake walk since I had asked to receive more flushes of eye before I left the office

Horrible reaction to Betadine 
by: Anonymous 

The injection was painless, however as soon as the numbness wore off it was the most horrible pain I have ever felt in my life! I returned to office next day and after the Dr examined my eye, said it was a reaction to the Betadine. It is now day 5 after the procedure and can say I finally feel better. I need to do the other eye, but am very hesitant to go through this again

One Drop of Betadine = Only One Hour of Burning 
by: Anonymous 

I am in my 8th year of eye injections for macular degeneration. I am sensitive to Betadine. I would have to use eye packs from Tues through Sat. because my eye, eyelids etc. were blistered. I have talked my doctor into one drop in the eye before the shot and that is all. Lots of rinsing and numbing drops follow. I am now doing fine. My doctor swore my eye would get infected but it has not. My life is now much better. 

Betadine Hurts:

After 18 months worth of Lucentis injections, this month my eye doctor and his practice decided (without informing me!) to change their injection protocol to Betadine drops in the eye both before and after the shot. Talk about pain! By the time I got home, I was in agony. I had red burn marks under my brow and eye, my lids swelled up and my eye watered nonstop for 12 hours and for 3 days my vision was blurry and my eye sensitive to light. I took a picture to show the doctor next month and I will insist that "betadine sensitivity" be listed in my records! I WILL NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO BE PUT THROUGH THIS EVER AGAIN!

It is the Betadine! 
by: Tennessee 

Twice now after injections for wet macular degeneration, I have ended up in emergency room due to severe pain. Doctor's nurse said artificial tears would correct the problem - nope, not a bit. I went to the hospital with an ice pack on my eye in an attempt to numb the pain. My eye doctor thinks I am a baby. Time for a new doctor.

So what is the alternative? 
by: Fire in the eye! 

I, too, am having 12+ hours of extreme pain in and around my eye after betadine prep for Avastin injection. For those of us with this bonified sensitivity to betadine, what's the alternative for the prep? 

Of course, I understand the need for a good prep to prevent infection (that can lead to blindness)...no one wants that! Meanwhile, however, there should be something in this wonderful world of medicine to prep the eye properly and not burn and damage tissues at the same time...and repeatedly for ongoing treatment! Help! (Antibiotic drops prior to? Other options?) I am interested to hear what else could be used!

Saline Rinse helps the Betadine pain 
by: Anonymous 

I've had my second Lucentis injection, and it was a breeze compared to the pain I felt after the first one! It is my understanding that the Betadine is the culprit.

My physician took the time to really rinse and flush the eye before I left. I couldn't believe the difference it made in the scratching, burning and tearing I felt after the first injection. 

The injection didn't hurt....it was the antiseptic side-effects that was the problem. Flush, flush, flush post injection and Betadine.