Iluvien

Iluvien is a prescription medication used to treat diabetic macular edema. Iluvien belongs to a group of drugs called corticosteroids. This medication works by decreasing inflammation associated with diabetic macular edema.

This medication comes as a tiny implant that is injected into the eye by your doctor. The implant releases a low dose of the steroid medicine in they eye for 36 months.

Common side effects of Iluvien include eye pain, development of cataracts, and increase in pressure in the eye.

Iluvien can also cause blurred vision. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Iluvien affects you.

Iluvien is a prescription medication used to treat diabetic macular edema (a condition where fluid builds up in a part of the eye called the macula) in patients who have previously tried a course of corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory medications) and did not have a significant increase in eye pressure. 

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Iluvien. See the “Iluvien Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Iluvien include the following:

• development of cataracts 
• eye "floaters" 
• eye pain
• increased pressure in the eye
• eye irritation

This is not a complete list of Iluvien side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

No drug interactions have been listed by the manufacturer. However, you should tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Not all drug interactions are known or reported and new drug interactions are continually being reported.

Serious side effects have been reported with Iluvien including the following:

Intravitreal Injection-Related Effects. Injections that are given into the eye such as Iluvien can cause a serious eye infection, eye inflammation, increased pressure in the eye, and an emergency situation where the retina detaches and pulls away from supportive tissue in the eye. Your doctor should monitor you regularly after Iluvien is injected.

Steroid-Related Effects. Iluvien can cause cataracts, increased pressure in the eye, and glaucoma. Use of corticosteroids such as Iluvien may enhance the establishment of secondary eye infections due to bacteria, fungi, or viruses. Tell your doctor if you develop symptoms such as vision loss, severe eye pain, or blurred vision.

You should not receive Iluvien if you:

• are allergic to Iluvien or to any of its ingredients
• have an infection in or around the eye
• have glaucoma

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Iluvien, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before using Iluvien, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Iluvien or to any of its ingredients
• have or think you might have an infection in or around the eye
• have a history of herpes viral infections of the eye
• have glaucoma
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Iluvien falls into category C. No studies have been done in animals, and no well-controlled studies have been done in pregnant women. Iluvien should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if intravitreal treatment with Iluvien will result in a detectable amount in human milk. However, medications in the same drug class have been detected in human breast milk. Caution should be taken when Iluvien is administered to a nursing women.

Iluvien comes as a tiny implant that is delivered into the eye via a tiny needle by a retina specialist. As the implant is being injected, you may feel some pressure on your eye.

The implant releases a low dose of the steroid medicine into for 36 months.

Your eye will be numbed prior to the procedure. The procedure is typically done in-office and no surgery or hospital stay is required. And there are no stitches.

The Iluvien implant is available as one dose, 0.19 mg. It is injected into the eye once and the implant slowly releases the drug over 36 months.

If Iluvien is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

Keep all follow-up appointments with your healthcare provider after you have Iluvien implant placed in your eye.