autogolus serum -how much more blood is drawn for higher concentrations?

[jenny2008]

i use mine for 7 days...

[Guest]

Not to hijack this post, but my compounding pharmacist advises me to keep the drops for 10 days (thawed) while I'm using them and then throw them out. Anyone else advised to store theirs that long? Seems like 5 days is about the norm on this board.

The pharmacy here typically tells patients they are ok for 1 month thawed - based on what I'd read, I was leary of doing that, so requested mine in 3ml bottles, which get used up within 4 days or so.

[No tears in ATL]

The pharmacy here typically tells patients they are ok for 1 month thawed - based on what I'd read, I was leary of doing that, so requested mine in 3ml bottles, which get used up within 4 days or so.

Wow, SAAG, you are so smart! I never would have thought to ask about that. 3 ml. That's a teeny tiny bottle! Mine are 5 ml I believe.

[spmcc]

I think the important thing to remember about autologous serum is that it's used as a growth/culture medium for microorganisms. Therefore, the smallest vial should be use and only kept thawed in your fridge for the minimum number of days. I was only ever given 3ml vials and I was told 3-4 days MAX in the fridge. The other vials should be kept frozen (and not thawed and re-frozen). You don't want to instill an infection into your eyes by using serum that's growing microorganisms.

[Guest]

The other vials should be kept frozen (and not thawed and re-frozen).

Just wondering what you've heard about the thawed and re-frozen part...

Since I hadn't heard otherwise, I'd always assumed it was just that any "thawed time" would allow active serum components to degrade, so the less "thawed time" the better (the warmer the serum, the faster the active components degrade). Plus, there's the obvious risk of bacteria having more time to grow the longer the serum is thawed (IF it somehow got contaminated, that is)... but I can't imagine any specific risk due to the actual re-freezing of the serum drops, you know?

[spmcc]

I assumed it's like meat. You buy it fresh, freeze it, and then thaw it. But (without cooking the meat) you shouldn't then freeze it again to thaw again. It's all for the same reason - to avoid microorganisms.

I guess if there are no hard-and-fast rules, every doctor might tell their patients a different procedure.

[Guest]

Well here is some food for thought then

Since serum drops are prepared in a sterile environment, there should be zero micro-organisms in the unopened bottles - they could sit out forever and no bacteria would grow in them since there was none there to begin with (assuming the bottles remained un-opened from the time they were originally prepared in the sterile environment). However, the serum itself (and it's active components) would degrade over time.

Also, thawing and refreezing - the colder it is, the slower any micro-organisms will grow. I don't know of any micro-organisms that are capable of multiplying under freezing actually... so in theory, if a bottle of serum that WAS contaminated with micro-organisms was thawed and refrozen, when thawed those organisms would grow, but then they would go dormant once frozen, then pick up where they left off when thawed again... All the freezing would do is "pause" them from multiplying when in a frozen state.

[spmcc]

You're right - the abattoir analogy was extreme!! heehee

But it's still better to be extra safe with serum drops (I think more so than even preservative-free eye drops which aren't necessarily a happy home for microorganisms even without the preservative).

[PotatoCakes]

I keep thawed bottles for no more than a week.
Ditto on the meat analogy -- I've always gone by that assumption too, although once I did re-freeze some drops and had no issues.

[jenny2008]

do the higher percentages of blood serum help that much more??? also does the cost go up with the higher percentages????

[PotatoCakes]

In my case, the cost is the same regardless of how many bottles I get so, in a way, the cost did go up, simply because I have fewer bottles for the same price that I used to get more. Still, it's been worth it to me. I don't know if 75% helps much more than 50% but I *feel* like it does, if that makes sense.

[jenny2008]

potato---are you able to go longer between drops? less burningn with the 75% compared to 50%??? i amnot sure if i should go up or give the 20% another 3 mos..my apt got moved to this fri so i need to decide.my doc said its mychoice.thanks for replying.

[PotatoCakes]

It really depends on what's going on, whether it's stress, diet, water consumption, the weather, all of those things impact how long I can go without drops. When we're on vacation in a humid place like Hawaii, I can go longer than I can if we're in a winter ski area with really dry air and heaters going. In general though, I can go longer without drops simply because the surface of my eyes aren't damaged the way they used to be; at least that's my theory. Some days, though, I feel like I'm putting drops in constantly. I also still rely on commercial tears, for when I'm on the go. If I'm traveling overnight, I take my drops because I can definitely feel the difference and it's one thing to go all day using commercial drops but another to go more than one day. Sometimes I've gotten lazy about administration of my serum drops and I can definitely feel the difference the next day - ouch.

I don't know if there's a huge difference for me in the 50 and 75. You might try the 50 to start and see how that works for you and how many vials you get. If you're getting a lot of vials, try the 75 and see how it goes. That's what I did. Because I make sure I'm super hydrated before a blood draw, I get quite a few bottles.

[jenny2008]

did you ever just start at 20%??? i have heard of reports saying the higher doses dont help that much more and that they can burn?? i have no clue!

[jenny2008]

did you ever just start at 20%??? i have heard of reports saying the higher doses dont help that much more and that they can burn?? i have no clue!