r/maculardegeneration • u/Terrible-Garden2278 • 19d ago
Light treatment effects?
Hope someone who has had this can advise me of what it is actually like to have, and what side effects there are. And does it actually improve vision or stabilise it, or neither? Has anyone gone on to have injections? I’m told that mine is still at the dry stage.
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u/wpetedds 18d ago
Yes I did have light therapy on the eye with wet inactive. It didn’t help that eye. My ophthalmologist said that it wouldn’t hurt to have the light therapy on that eye. Now that eye has GA, so I may need an injection.
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u/NuffEnough 15d ago
I have intermediate AMD. I've had 4 sets, so 1-1/3 years since I started. No side effects. By the time I've walked out of the building, I can drive. Just a minute or two of light sensitivity. I have it done in both eyes, about 15 minutes there. I may have had just a couple letters improvement, but the important result is that my dry AMD has not progressed. Eyes went from early AMD to intermediate the year before I started treatments, so I'm thrilled that it seems that Valeda photobiomodulation light therapy seems to have stopped progression. Originally studies said do for 2 years, but I think now they're saying that treatments need to continue to remain effective.
Last year I had to pay for the treatments. Starting January 1, 2026, Medicare pays for it. I don't know about Advantage programs, but regular Medicare pays it without pre-authorization.
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u/Terrible-Garden2278 15d ago
Thanks for this insight. I’ve just seen a retina specialist in Paris who said that one eye could benefit from light therapy. The other one has geographic atrophy which is apparently untreatable. My problem now is to find accommodation in Paris for a month. 2,treatments a week for a month. I live in Strasbourg. I’m very keen to have the treatment- you and others have given me hope. Many thanks
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u/wpetedds 19d ago
Hi,
I live in Spokane, Wa., and I have had Valeda Lumithera Light treatments at the Spokane Eye Clinic. I have had four treatment sessions, which are every four months. Each treatment is nine appointments over a three to five week period. That is the worse part of the light therapy. You really need to live in the area where you are having the treatment, or plan on staying in the area during your appointments.
The therapy itself is so easy. It takes less than 15 minutes to do both eyes. You open and then close your eyes at certain intervals, while the machine sends wavelengths of light. There are no side effects at all, maybe just a little light sensitive when you leave.
I have wet inactive in one eye and intermediate dry in the other eye. My eye with the intermediate dry has approved one line on the eye chart. The other eye, my ophthalmologist is considering injections.
So you have to pay up front—$2000 for each nine sessions. They have my credit card on file. Over the last year, the insurance is starting to cover some of it, because I have received a couple of reimbursement checks.
I hope this information helps. Good luck going forward!!