When can I drive after an eye injection?

There is no published waiting period for driving after an intravitreal injection. The NEI says most people can go back to their normal activities right after the treatment, and the ASRS says there are usually no restrictions apart from avoiding contamination of the eye that day. Neither one singles out driving.

The practical problem is not the injection, it is the visit. Your eye is often dilated for the exam, it is coated with antiseptic and lubricating gel, and the AAO says you may have some eye irritation for a few hours. That combination can leave vision smeary, glary and hard to judge distances with for the rest of the afternoon.

The sensible plan is to have someone drive you for your first injection or two until you know how your own eye reacts. Many long-term injection patients drive themselves afterward. If your treated eye is your better-seeing eye, or if you had both eyes injected the same day, arrange a ride. If your vision is not back to your normal by the time you would be driving, do not drive, and call the office instead.