Eye Rejuvenation – UpNeeq®

UpNeeq® stimulates the muscle in your upper eyelid to cause it to lift. The medication stimulates the alpha receptors in Mueller’s muscle to cause it to contract and lift the eyelid. Think as if Mueller’s muscle is the garage door of your eyelid. The average lift of the upper eyelid has been shown to be 1-3 mm. UpNeeq® does not affect upper eyelid skin excess or laxity.

Low-lying lids (Acquired Ptosis) is a common medical condition that:

• Affects adults of all ages and occurs more often with increased age.
• Usually occurs when the muscles in the eyelid stretch and weaken, causing the lid to droop.
• May be caused by other issues, such as cataract surgery, contact lens wear, or an underlying medical condition. It could be a sign of a more serious medical condition and you should consult your physician for more information.
• Millions of people who have Acquired Ptosis may not even be aware of it. Only 15% have been diagnosed, and even fewer have received any treatment,

• Low-lying lids may be related to conditions such as stroke and/or brain aneurysm, Horner syndrome, myasthenia gravis, loss of the ability to move eye muscles, eye infection and eye tumors. Tell your Dr. Hernberg if you have any of these conditions.

If you have low-lying eyelids making your eyes look tired or sad, then you are a candidate. UpNeeq® is not used to treat any underlying medical condition that contributes to drooping eyelids. Low lying eyelids are a result of many factors including, genetics, ageing or other issues. Pregnant and breast-feeding women are NOT candidates for this medication.

If you have acquired upper lid ptosis or droopy eyelids this test will show you if UpNeeq® can work for you. The test is easily performed by placing one drop in your more droopy eye and waiting 15 minutes to 2 hrs., to see if you respond with a lid lift.

Yes, you can use UpNeeq®, however you MUST place the UpNeeq® drops in your eyes 15 minutes before you insert your contact lens.

• Low-lying lids may be related to conditions such as stroke and/or brain aneurysm, Horner syndrome, myasthenia gravis, loss of the ability to move eye muscles, eye infection and eye tumors. Tell Dr. Hernberg if you have any of these conditions.
• UpNeeq® is a type of medication that may affect your blood pressure. If you have heart disease, uncontrolled high or low blood pressure, or feel faint at rest or when quickly standing up, you should call your doctor if your symptoms get worse.
• Patients with reduced blood flow to the brain or heart, or patients who experience eye or mouth dryness due to an immune system disorder (Sjogren’s syndrome), should use care when using UpNeeq®. Call your doctor immediately if you feel your symptoms may be getting worse.
• UpNeeq® may increase the risk of eye pressure due to fluid buildup (angle-closure glaucoma) in patients with untreated narrow-angle glaucoma. Call your doctor at once if you feel increased pressure in your eye after using UpNeeq®.
• UpNeeq® belongs to a class of medication (alpha-adrenergic agonists) that may affect your blood pressure. Use UpNeeq® carefully if you currently take an alpha-adrenergic agonist medication to treat heart disease or have an enlarged prostate. Patients taking beta-blockers, or other medications to treat hypertension or an abnormal heartbeat, should also be careful when using UpNeeq®.

Patients who use a certain class of antidepressant medication (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) should also be careful when using UpNeeq®, as it may affect the way your body absorbs the medication.

It is always good to check with your eye care physician first before using UpNeeq®.

• It is simple to use UpNeeq®. You place one drop of the medication in your eye just like ordinary eye drops. Do not let the tip of the UpNeeq® vial touch your eye or any other surface. This can help prevent eye injury or contamination. Each UpNeeq® vial is designed for a one-time use and should be discarded after being used.

UpNeeq® is preservative-free and formulated with Hypromellose. Hypromellose is a vehicle commonly used in artificial tear solutions. Once the vial is opened it should be discarded because of the potential for bacterial contamination and the active ingredient will breakdown.

• Most patients in clinical trials had a lift in their eyelids in as little as 2 hours.
  • In one study, some patients saw a lift in their eyelids as fast as 5-15 minutes. Most will see a benefit in 15 minutes and peak in 2 hours.
  • 84% of patients had some form of improvement.
  • 74% of patients had more than a 50% improvement.

   

Studies have shown UpNeeq® usually lasts 8 hours, and the range is 6-16 hours.

• The most common adverse reactions with UpNeeq®. (occurring in 1-5% of patients) were eye inflammation, eye redness, dry eye, blurred vision, headache, and eye pain. Only 2.2% of patients in clinical trials discontinued treatment due to an adverse event^.

In clinical trials, UpNeeq®. helped patients with acquired ptosis to see more—on the first day of treatment. Many reported they had increase field of view from the eyelid lift.

• 8% of patients had some form of improvement.
• 8% of patients had at least a 50% improvement on Day 14.

• No, this medication will not help if you have excess skin of your eyelid or a droop of your forehead causing a hooded eye appearance. The gold standard for treating excess eyelid skin is a Blepharoplasty and/or a Brow lift. Consult with an experienced plastic surgeon or ophthalmic plastic surgeon to discuss your concerns and treatment options.

Absolutely, there are many treatment modalities that can help enhance your eye appearance and give them that EXTRA POP!

• Skillfully administered Botox® can also help raise your brows for several months.
• Non-surgical and noninvasive procedures using Ultrasound – Ultherapy, and/or Micro needling with radiofrequency energy – Virtue RF have been shown to stimulate collagen formation leading to a reduction in droopy eyelids.
• Medications to enhance your eyebrow lashes and eyebrow hair help make your eyes look more youthful including Nu-Cil by OBAGI and RevitaBrow, available only at TWC.