For US Residents Only

  • Healthcare Professionals
  • Print This Page
  • Prescribing Information

  • About AMD

  • AMD Warning Signs

  • Treating AMD

  • Visudyne

  • Support for Low Vision

  • Caregiving

  • Common Questions

  • Helpful Resources

  • Need a Specialist?
    • Click to find one
  • Experiencing Vision Loss?
    • Test for AMD now!
  • Financial Assistance
    • Click for access
    • English
    • Spanish
    • English
    • Spanish
Play

Caregiving requires that you learn new skills to cope with the patient’s needs. Try to involve as many family members as possible. Sharing caregiving tasks with your family can make a challenging situation easier for everyone.

The kind of support someone with AMD requires is different for each individual. Some simply need help getting to and from treatments. Others may require more assistance.

Here are some tips that may help you in supporting someone with AMD:

  • Encourage the patient to check their vision every day using the Amsler grid
  • If change in vision is noticed, report it right away to the patient's ophthalmologist or retinal specialist
  • If needed, schedule a face-to-face appointment with the patient’s ophthalmologist or retinal specialist right away
  • Schedule regular eye appointments well in advance
  • Don't forget the practical, everyday issues someone with AMD faces
    • Observe the patient's living space and help them make it easier to navigate
    • Position furniture to make it as simple as possible to get around
    • Use a marker to make signs with the names of things stored in drawers and cabinets
  • Remember, print and buttons need to be BIG
    • Check online for large-print/large-button items such as telephones, TV remotes, clocks, and more
    • Check with your local library for large-print books
  • Look into senior services in your area—many communities offer transportation for older or disabled residents at no cost or for a nominal fee
  • Investigate low vision tools on the Web and at your local drugstore
  • Ask the patient's ophthalmologist or retinal specialist for information about a low vision rehabilitation specialist
  • Review the Helpful Resources section of this site for nonprofit organizations that may provide you with invaluable resources

Many organizations offer information about caregiving, low vision counseling, training, and other special services. Click here to find out about some of them.

Is Visudyne for me?

Visudyne is a treatment to help slow the loss of vision in persons with predominantly classic wet AMD.

Important Safety Information

Visudyne therapy is not for everyone. People who have an abnormal sensitivity to light (a condition called porphyria) and those with allergies to any of the ingredients should not receive Visudyne. (Your doctor has a list of ingredients in Visudyne.) Check with your doctor or healthcare professional to see if you might be allergic to any component of Visudyne therapy. Only your doctor can determine if Visudyne is right for you.

Between 1% and 5% of patients experienced a substantial decrease in vision in the first 7 days after treatment, though some patients achieved partial recovery. Patients who experience substantial vision loss should consult their ophthalmologist or retinal specialist immediately. The most commonly reported adverse events (10-30%) were injection site reactions, temporary back pain during injection, changes in vision, including blurring, decreased sharpness in vision, and gaps in vision.

Patients should avoid direct sunlight or bright indoor light for 5 days following therapy with Visudyne.

Patients who have to go outdoors in daylight after treatment must protect all parts of their skin and eyes by wearing protective clothing and dark glasses. Ultraviolet (UV) sunscreens are not effective in protecting against photosensitivity reactions.

QLT Ophthalmics

© 2012 QLT Ophthalmics, Inc. All rights reserved. Visudyne® is a registered trademark of Novartis AG.       QOI-VIS-WWW-2010-10