(BPT) – Raquel, an avid traveler and baker who works in investing, didn’t assume her eyes seemed totally different till she began noticing them in footage. She loved posting footage on social media, however finally, she couldn’t cease seeing her eyes, and solely her eyes, in photographs. They all the time seemed bloodshot and totally different. At first, she assumed the redness and dryness she was experiencing have been indicators of dry eyes or allergic reactions, however finally, her eyes began protruding.
Raquel saved dismissing her signs, typically utilizing eye drops to alleviate the dryness and redness and sporting sun shades to cowl her eyes. “I seemed nice with sun shades, however head-on, my eyes seemed bizarre.”
After seeing a number of docs, Raquel was lastly recognized with Thyroid Eye Illness (TED) — a uncommon, autoimmune situation that will have an effect on as much as 50% of individuals with Graves’ illness, a separate autoimmune situation that impacts the thyroid. Signs of TED can fluctuate vastly and will embody dryness and grittiness, redness and watering, eye ache and strain behind the eyes, bulging or misaligned eyes, sensitivity to gentle, and double or blurry imaginative and prescient. If left untreated, TED can doubtlessly result in imaginative and prescient loss.
As her TED progressed, Raquel stopped posting footage of herself and began looking for solutions on social media. “I began wanting up hashtags like ‘bulgy eyes.’ I noticed so many photographs of individuals whose eyes seemed like mine and knew I wanted to search out assist.”
Right now, Raquel has reduction from her TED signs, but it surely wasn’t with out persistence and the therapy possibility TEPEZZA® (teprotumumab-trbw) — the primary and solely FDA-approved medication to deal with TED signs on the supply. To assist others discover the care they want sooner, Raquel is sharing what she realized alongside the way in which.
See Vital Security Data for TEPEZZA under.
Be Your Personal Greatest Advocate
Whereas on the lookout for a health care provider to assist her, Raquel mentioned she felt “helpless and that there was nothing that I might do to really feel that I used to be in management.”
To forestall this from occurring to others, Raquel recommends the next:
- Discover a TED Eye Specialist, like a neuro-ophthalmologist or oculoplastic surgeon, who’s specifically skilled to handle and deal with TED. These specialists carry out eye exams, consider and be aware how TED could change over time, and may get you began on TED therapy.
- Communicate up about all new or worsening signs, even the extra invisible signs equivalent to blurry imaginative and prescient, double imaginative and prescient, or ache.
- Don’t downplay the influence these signs have in your day-to-day life. If you’re not wanting like your self or feeling like your self, inform your physician. When your docs know the way TED is affecting you, they can assist you get the therapy you want for some signs.
- You probably have photographs of your self, carry them to your appointment and present your physician how your look could also be altering over time.
Ask about Therapy Choices
Raquel was relieved when she realized therapy for TED was accessible and she or he was prescribed TEPEZZA by her neuro-ophthalmologist.
TEPEZZA is an intravenous medication, often known as an IV medication, that means it’s delivered in an individual’s arm beneath the supervision of a medical skilled. TEPEZZA is given to sufferers as soon as each three weeks for a complete of eight infusions, with a full course of therapy with TEPEZZA taking about 5 months.
With every infusion, Raquel began feeling higher and seen the ache, strain, and bulging in her eyes subsiding. She additionally began to note that her eyes have been wanting higher, and she or he felt extra like herself.
“Throughout and after TEPEZZA therapy, my TED signs began to reduce, and I started to appear and feel extra like myself once more. Now, I really feel comfy taking photographs with out sun shades once more,” mentioned Raquel.
Raquel doesn’t need others going by means of what she went by means of and encourages these residing with TED or signs of TED to talk up and ask a TED Eye Specialist about accessible therapy choices, together with TEPEZZA.
“TED has made me notice how necessary it’s to be persistent and to search out the appropriate docs. I encourage everybody to be proactive with their well being and to advocate for themselves,” mentioned Raquel.
Go to TEPEZZA.com to be taught extra and discover a TED Eye Specialist close to you.
USE
TEPEZZA is a prescription medication used to deal with Thyroid Eye Illness.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What’s an important data I ought to learn about TEPEZZA?
Infusion reactions can occur throughout or inside 24 hours after your infusion of TEPEZZA. You probably have a response whereas receiving TEPEZZA, your physician or nurse will sluggish or cease your infusion and deal with your response. You probably have a extreme infusion response, your physician could cease your therapy utterly.
Inform your physician or nurse immediately you probably have any of those signs throughout or after your therapy with TEPEZZA:
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You probably have inflammatory bowel illness (IBD), equivalent to Crohn’s illness or ulcerative colitis, TEPEZZA could make your IBD signs worse. Signs of worsening IBD could embody: an elevated variety of unfastened stools with abdomen ache or cramps, and blood in your stools. After every TEPEZZA infusion, inform your physician immediately you probably have worsening IBD signs.
TEPEZZA could trigger a rise in your blood sugar. Earlier than beginning therapy with TEPEZZA, inform your physician in case you are presently being handled for diabetes, know your blood sugar is excessive, or have been recognized with diabetes. It is necessary so that you can take your therapies and comply with an acceptable weight loss plan for glucose management as prescribed by your physician.
Earlier than receiving TEPEZZA, inform your physician in the event you:
- Have inflammatory bowel illness (Crohn’s illness or ulcerative colitis).
- Are presently being handled for diabetes, have been recognized with diabetes, or know your blood sugar is excessive.
- Are pregnant or plan to grow to be pregnant. TEPEZZA could hurt your unborn child. Inform your physician in the event you grow to be pregnant or suspect you might be pregnant throughout therapy with TEPEZZA.
- Ladies who’re in a position to grow to be pregnant ought to use an efficient type of contraception (contraception) previous to beginning therapy, throughout therapy and for no less than 6 months after the ultimate dose of TEPEZZA.
- Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It’s not recognized if TEPEZZA passes into your breast milk. Discuss to your physician about the most effective methods to feed your child throughout therapy with TEPEZZA.
- Inform your physician about all of the medicines you’re taking, together with prescription and over-the-counter medicines, nutritional vitamins, dietary and natural dietary supplements. Know the medicines you’re taking. Maintain an inventory of them to point out your physician and pharmacist once you get a brand new medication.
What are the doable uncomfortable side effects of TEPEZZA?
The commonest uncomfortable side effects of TEPEZZA embody muscle cramps or spasms, nausea, hair loss, diarrhea, feeling drained, excessive blood sugar, listening to issues, style adjustments, headache, dry pores and skin, weight reduction, nail issues, and adjustments in menstruation.
This isn’t an entire listing of all doable uncomfortable side effects. Inform your physician or therapy workforce about any aspect impact you’ll have.
You might be inspired to report adverse uncomfortable side effects of pharmaceuticals to the FDA. Go to www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch, or name 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please go to TEPEZZA.com for extra data.
© 2022 Horizon Therapeutics plc P-TEP-US-00789 12/22
