What is the most important information I should know about ranibizumab?
Do not receive this medication if you are allergic to ranibizumab, or if you have an
infection in or around your eye. Before you receive this medication, tell your doctor if you have
glaucoma.
Ranibizumab is given as an injection into your eye. Your doctor will use a medicine to
numb your eye before giving you the injection. You will receive this injection in your doctor's
office or other clinic setting.
Ranibizumab is usually given once a month. After you have received the first 4
injections, your doctor may change your injection schedule to once every 3 months. Follow your
doctor's instructions.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects: vision changes,
eye pain or redness, discharge or bleeding from your eye, increased eye sensitivity to light,
swelling around the eye, or seeing flashes of light.
Call your doctor for instructions if you miss an appointment to receive your ranibizumab
injection.
What is ranibizumab?
Ranibizumab is made from a human antibody fragment. It works by keeping new blood
vessels from forming under the retina (a sensory membrane that lines the inside of the eye). In
people with a certain type of eye disease, new blood vessels grow under the retina where they
leak blood and fluid. This is known as the "wet form" of macular degeneration.
Ranibizumab is used to treat the wet form of age-related macular degeneration.
Ranibizumab may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication
guide.
What should I discuss with my health care provider before receiving ranibizumab?
Do not receive this medication if you are allergic to ranibizumab, or if you have an
infection in or around your eye.
Before you receive this medication, tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, or a history of
blood clots or stroke.
FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell
your doctor if you are
pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether ranibizumab passes into breast milk or if it could harm a
nursing baby. Do not receive this medication without telling your doctor if you are
breast-feeding a baby.
How is ranibizumab used?
Ranibizumab is given as an injection into your eye. Your doctor will use a medicine to
numb your eye before giving you the injection. You will receive this injection in your doctor's
office or other clinic setting.
Ranibizumab is usually given once a month. After you have received the first 4
injections, your doctor may change your injection schedule to once every 3 months. Follow your
doctor's instructions.
For at least 30 minutes after your injection, your eyes will be checked periodically to
make sure the injection has not caused any side effects.
To be sure this medication is helping your condition and not causing harmful effects, your
eyes will also need to be checked on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your
doctor.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Call your doctor for instructions if you miss an appointment to receive your ranibizumab
injection.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have received too much of this
medicine. Symptoms of a ranizumab overdose may include eye pain or vision changes.
What should I avoid while receiving ranibizumab?
There are no restrictions on food, beverages, or activity while receiving ranibizumab
unless your doctor has told you otherwise.
Print
Email
Save
Drug Info Tools
Medicare's drug plans are subsidized by the US federal government and offered through insurers.
