Lucentis Side Effects: Stroke Risks And Complications

Lucentis (ranibizumab) is a brand-name eye injection prescribed for certain eye conditions in adults. It is a biologic drug, made from parts of living cells, and is administered as a solution in a prefilled syringe, injected directly into the eye. While Lucentis is generally safe, it can cause mild or serious side effects, including an increased risk of blood clots, which may lead to heart attack or stroke.

Lucentis and the risk of stroke

Lucentis (ranibizumab) is a brand-name eye injection that is prescribed for certain eye conditions in adults. It is a biologic medication, which means it is made using living cells. It is administered as a liquid solution injected directly into the eye by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

Like other drugs, Lucentis can cause mild or serious side effects. The most common eye-related side effects include:

• Increased redness in the white part of the eye
• Eye pain
• Eye floaters
• Increased eye pressure

The most common non-eye-related side effects are:

• Nose infections
• Throat infections
• Anemia

Lucentis may also cause serious side effects, although these are rare. These include:

• Infections inside the eye
• Cataracts
• Detached retinas
• Blood clots, which can lead to heart attack or stroke
• Allergic reactions

Risk of Stroke

There is a potential risk of arterial thromboembolic events (ATEs) following intravitreal use of VEGF inhibitors like Lucentis. ATEs include nonfatal stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or vascular death. While Lucentis has been associated with a low rate of ATEs in clinical trials, there is still a risk of these events occurring.

In a pooled analysis of 2-year controlled studies, the stroke rate (including both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke) was found to be 2.7% in patients treated with Lucentis compared to 1.1% in patients in the control group. This indicates a slightly higher risk of stroke associated with the use of Lucentis.

It is important to note that the risk of stroke may be higher with the use of bevacizumab (Avastin), another VEGF inhibitor, compared to Lucentis. Patients should be assessed for stroke risk prior to treatment and monitored after each administration. If any symptoms associated with stroke develop, immediate medical attention should be sought.

Lucentis side effects

Lucentis (ranibizumab) is a brand-name eye injection that's prescribed for certain eye conditions in adults. As with other drugs, Lucentis can cause mild or serious side effects.

Common side effects

The most common eye-related side effects are:

• Increased redness in the white part of the eye
• Eye pain that can feel like throbbing, itching, or soreness
• Eye floaters, or small string-like objects or dots that appear to float around your line of vision
• Increased eye pressure that can make it difficult to open or close your eyes. It can also feel like a throbbing sensation behind your eye

The most common non–eye-related side effects are:

• Nose infections that may cause sneezing, a runny nose, or bleeding
• Throat infections that may cause coughing
• Anemia that may cause tiredness and fatigue

Mild side effects

Mild side effects can occur with Lucentis use. This list doesn’t include all possible mild side effects of the drug. Mild side effects that have been reported with Lucentis include:

• Bleeding in your eye
• A feeling of something in your eye
• Symptoms of the common cold
• Eye pain or irritation
• Mild allergic reaction

Serious side effects

Lucentis may cause serious side effects, but they aren’t common. If you develop serious side effects during Lucentis treatment, call your doctor right away. Serious side effects that have been reported and their symptoms include:

• Endophthalmitis (an infection that causes severe swelling in your eye)
• Retinal detachment (when your retina detaches from the back of your eye)
• Anemia (low red blood cell levels)
• Cataracts (clouding of the lens in your eye)
• Increased pressure inside your eye
• Severe allergic reaction

Uncommonly, Lucentis patients have had serious, sometimes fatal, problems related to blood clots, such as heart attacks or strokes. Although there were only a few fatal events, which included causes of death typical of patients with advanced diabetic complications, these events may be caused by Lucentis.

There may be a greater risk of stroke associated with bevacizumab (Avastin) than ranibizumab (Lucentis).

Lucentis and blood clots

Lucentis (ranibizumab) is a brand-name eye injection that is prescribed for certain eye conditions in adults. It is a biologic medication, meaning it is made using living cells. It is administered as a liquid solution injected into the eye by a doctor.

Like other drugs, Lucentis injections can cause mild or serious side effects. Some of the more common side effects of Lucentis include bleeding in the eye, eye floaters, and increased pressure in the eye.

Lucentis can also cause serious side effects, although these are less common. One of these serious side effects is blood clots, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes. Blood clots are a rare side effect of Lucentis, but they have caused serious medical emergencies in some cases.

Symptoms of a stroke typically appear suddenly and may include numbness or weakness, especially if it is only on one side of the body, trouble speaking or understanding speech, trouble walking or with balance, and trouble seeing in one or both eyes. If you experience any of these symptoms or other signs of a blood clot, it is important to seek immediate medical attention.

If you are experiencing bothersome side effects from Lucentis that are not going away, it is important to talk to your doctor. They can help determine whether you should continue treatment with Lucentis or switch to a different medication.

Lucentis and retinal detachment

Lucentis (ranibizumab) is a brand-name eye injection that is used to treat certain eye conditions in adults. It is a biologic medication, meaning it is made from parts of living cells. Lucentis is administered through injection directly into the eye.

Lucentis has been associated with an increased risk of retinal detachment, a serious condition in which part of the retina (the tissue in the back of the eye) pulls away from the blood vessels attached to it. In clinical trials, retinal detachment occurred in less than 0.1% of people who received Lucentis. However, it is important to note that this side effect may require immediate medical attention.

Symptoms of retinal detachment include:

• The sudden appearance of many eye floaters
• Flashes of light in one or both eyes
• Reduced peripheral vision
• A feeling of a curtain or shadow over the eye

If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important to contact your doctor right away as retinal detachment is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention.

Other Side Effects

In addition to retinal detachment, Lucentis may also cause other side effects, including:

• Increased eye pressure
• Endophthalmitis (swelling inside the eye caused by infection)
• Blood clots, which may lead to heart attack or stroke
• Cataracts
• Anemia
• Allergic reactions

It is important to note that these are not all the possible side effects of Lucentis. If you experience any side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist for further information and advice.

Lucentis and allergic reactions

Lucentis (ranibizumab) is a prescription drug used to treat eye conditions such as macular edema, diabetic retinopathy, and myopic choroidal neovascularization. It is administered through an injection into the eye and can cause both mild and serious side effects.

While it is not clear whether allergic reactions to Lucentis occurred in studies, it is still possible for an allergic reaction to occur. Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction include:

• Flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)
• Itchiness in the eyes
• Mild rash
• Swelling under your skin, typically on your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet

If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor right away. They may suggest an over-the-counter antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), to manage your symptoms.

A severe allergic reaction is rare but still possible. Symptoms can include:

• Severe swelling in the eyes
• Swelling of the tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause trouble breathing

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. These symptoms are life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.

Frequently asked questions