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FOR CAREGIVERS

Caring for someone with wet AMD

Maybe your wife, mother, grandfather, friend, or neighbor is living with wet AMD. No matter what your relationship may be, consider yourself a caregiver. So it's important to understand that wet AMD is a chronic condition that requires long-term treatment. You should also understand the results they can expect with LUCENTIS. Additionally, you should know that wet AMD can have an emotional impact on your loved one, so any sort of support, help, or kind gestures may go a long way.

Living with low vision: practical tips for around the house
Consider your loved one's home. Is it accessible enough for them? Is the furniture spaced out enough in each room so they can move around without harm? Should there be more contrast with objects in the kitchen so they can cook? Perhaps it's worth buying a roll of white tape so you can label kitchen and other household items clearly with a thick black marker.

Make sure it's large
Remember, aging eyes have a better chance of being able to see things that are large. And there are lots of large-buttoned items available, like large-buttoned telephones, remote controls, and alarm clocks—to name a few. Check with your local drugstore or pharmacy to see if they have any large items in stock. You may also be able to find large-print crossword puzzle books, or large-print greeting cards, so why not send a quick note in the mail to your friend or family member?

Caring for someone with wet AMD means you need to take care of yourself too. Here are some useful tips, according to the National Family Caregivers Association.

  • Educate yourself about your loved one's condition and how to communicate effectively with doctors
  • Trust your instincts. Most of the time they'll lead you in the right direction
  • Seek support from other caregivers. There is great strength in knowing you are not alone
  • When people offer to help, accept the offer and suggest specific things that they can do
  • Watch out for signs of depression, and don't delay in getting professional help when you or your loved one needs it

Who is LUCENTIS for?

LUCENTIS® (ranibizumab injection) is a prescription medicine for the treatment of patients with Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Macular Edema following Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO).

What important safety information should I know about LUCENTIS?

LUCENTIS is a prescription medication given by injection into the eye, and it has side effects. Some LUCENTIS patients have had detached retinas and serious infections inside the eye. LUCENTIS should not be used in patients who have an infection in or around the eye or are allergic to LUCENTIS or any of its ingredients.

Although not common, LUCENTIS patients have had eye- and non–eye-related blood clots (heart attacks, strokes, and death).

Some patients have increases in eye pressure within 1 hour of an injection.

Serious side effects include inflammation inside the eye, and rarely, problems related to the injection procedure, such as developing a cataract. These can make your vision worse.

The most common side effects to your eye are increased redness in the whites of your eye, eye pain, small specks in vision, the feeling that something is in your eye. The most common non–eye-related side effects are nose and throat infections, headache, and respiratory (lung) infections.

If your eye becomes red, sensitive to light, painful, or has a change in vision, you should call or visit your eye doctor right away.

For additional safety information, please talk to your doctor and also see the LUCENTIS full prescribing information.