Hi Missalicia, I don't think we've spoken before.

I lived with recurrent bouts of iritis for decades. My first was when I was 18, but I wasn't diagnosed yet and my parents thought it was the photogrey in my glasses lenses making my eyes too sensitive to light. Fast forward ten years and I had it for two years. It leap-frogged from one eye to the other and I got conjunctivitis, as well. I still hadn't been diagnosed with AS and they didn't think to test me for it, because back then 'women didn't get AS'. In fact, because I'm seronegative, I was told I would never get arthritis. I was diagnosed in 2001 and battled it a few times in the next few years. My last bout was six weeks in winter/spring of 2005. I started on Remicade that August and have not had uveitis since.

It's hard to say what can trigger this. I don't know of any food triggers, but that's me.

As to whether Covid brought on the flare of iritis, it's possible from the very quick search I just did, but not likely. They really aren't sure. The studies I found were extremely limited. And as to MSG ... I found nothing with a link between the two.

I have read some articles talking about the link between food triggers and iritis. There might be some foods your son is sensitive to. You might take a look for articles surrounding that and see if anything resonates.

Problem is that like all our symptoms, iritis flares. It can flare for any number of reasons and we may never know why. All you can do is follow the treatment plan and hope to wean off the steroid drops slowly enough that there isn't a rebound.

I'm really sorry your son is dealing with this. 14 is far too young.

Love and light.

Kat

A life lived in fear is a life half lived.
"Strictly Ballroom"