Kenalog injection after cataract surgery

I have retinitis pigmentosa and a history of mild CME in my left eye which is contorlled with Acetazolmide. I had cataract surgery in my left eye two days ago. After surgery my eye appeared clear and normal. At my next day check-up I was injected in that eye with kenalog, to help prevent the reoccurance of CME. Now, my eye is very red, weepy and appears to have a liquid film in front of the pupil. My vision does not seem to be effected. Is this a normal side effect? I'm scheduled to have the cataract in the right eye removed in 3 weeks. I have never had CME in this eye. I'm considering refusing the kenalog injection in it. It is my best vison eye and I'm afraid it might be too much of a risk. Am I being an alarmist?

[Flavius G Pernoud III, MD]

Linda, Kenalog is a long lasting "cortisone". It's possible that your surgeon injected Kenalog in the eye but I doubt it. He or she probably injected it just under the thin conjunctival membrane which swells very easily with injection and it would be common that a blood vessel would break causing the eye to look as if it were painted red. This would be no danger. However, I would contact your surgeon. If there was an intraocular injection, there could be some risk of infection which would be very dangerous.

[russell903]

I had Kenalog injected in my left eye, to try to reduce macular edema.  That was 5 weeks ago.  Since then I have had more and more blurring in that eye, and my vitreous seems to be more and more liquid.  Are these typical reactions to Kenalog?  If not what are reactions I would notice to be damaging from Kenalog?  Russell903

[craftylym]

I had cataract surgery on both eyes...one eye june 7 and the left eye june 21, 2010.  My vision is clear, BUT I have numerous jet black floaters that are quite large in both eyes.  The doctor told me that they are due to the kenalog still floating in the viterous (bad spelling) fluid of the eye, and that it would go away in time.   Is this true, and has anyone else ever experienced this.  I am diabetic, and this is the reason that my retinal doctor recommended the kenalog injection.  ***@****

[caren123]

Immediately after Kenalog injection in one eye to treat CME after cataract surgery, I had 2 types of floaters.  Bear in mind that everyone is different.  I described mine, which did go away, as huge black tangled ropes hanging from the top and swaying (looked like I was going through a car wash) and thousands of black dots/specs flying around (looked like the universe).  Dr. responded that it was from the shot and would go away; I was very relieved..  I would suggest posting as a new question if a doctor does not reply to this post which has been added to another person's.

[Scat51]

I had a Kenalog injection directly in the left eye in Sept. 2006, after experiencing retinal swelling following catalact surgery. This was the second injection in about 6 months. Days later I returned to my doctor to discuss the dark spots I was seeing. He said they were floaters of meds and would disappear in about six months. Not long after the injection, at my insistance that there was a more serious problem than floaters, I was dagnosed with a ring scatoma (a partial blindness) in the same eye. I spent 2007 going to retinal specialists and neuro-opthamologists to try to find a cause and a cure for the blindness. Shortly after the injection, the FDA warned against intravitreal Kenalog injections because Kenalog at that time contained the preservative benzyl alcohol that had been linked to blindness. It's been almost 4 yrs. now and the blindness persists. It has since been diagnosed as permanent. I believe Bristol-Myers applied for FDA approval for a Kenalog 40 suspension with no benzly alcohol as the preservative. Don't know if it was approved. I hope your vision improves as my scatoma (blindness) is permanent.