Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group My eyes

Hey everyone,

I know some of you have Iritis and I was wondering if any of these symptoms soundz farmiliar. My eyes constantly burn and I have to use eye drops but this still doesnt work. Many times I just sqeeze them real tight and they stop burning for a bit. Then my vision is getting pretty blurry. Monday night I was driving home from work and when I got up to each stop light I could tell what color they were but it wasn't a solid circle more like a sun shape. At school when I take notes I often have to move up to the front cause my vision is blurry and I can't see that well it takes me a bit to make out what the word is. This stuff is starting to scare me! I have no redness in my eyes that I can see, and neither can my mom. She's taking me to the eye doctor before school starts, but I just wanted to know if any of this sounds farmiliar to you all and to see if you have any suggestions as to what it could be and what I should do.

xoxo,
KorYe

Hi Korye,
From my experience it doens't sound like iritis because I was told the eye will become very red but could take a few days or even a few weeks and become light sensitive. The irits specialist also said that we don't want to over treat when no cells are present becuase there is no damage occurring even though they feel uncomfortable. Having said this you also do NOT won't to let a potential iritis flare drag on untreated. Have you had Iritis in the past.What are the eye drops your using ? I do know however that the NSAIDS are the first line in preventive treatment of Iritis , are you taking an NSAID.I do however get lots of aching and buring which reminds me that the NSAIDS are keeping it just barely under control.If I decrease my Nsaids in a matter of two weeks I have iritis in both eyes(won't do that again) You are wise to have your eyes checked and to make sure there are no cells present and the optic nerve is healthy and the eye pressure is within the normal range. best of luck,don't fool around with your eyes they are the only one's you get!


Cheers,
Janet

Hi, KorYe:

You did not mention photophobia (light sensitivity), where looking at any bright light elicits intense pain. Redness, is also a prime hallmark of iritis. Still, iritis is nothing to guess at, and going to an ophthalmologist right away is very important.

Most likely, you have Sjögren's Syndrome affecting your tear production; it is universal in AS and very common in all the arthritides. Sometimes the drainage ducts can be blocked. Some eye drop products have helped certain individuals, but I think increasing your EFA dosage is probably most important.

Getting out of inflammation is most important, and the older NSAIDs actually accelerated my condition; I would not trust the newer ones, either, btw. Azulfidine--EN has demonstrated anti-iritis properties, possibly some of the newer biological DMARDs, also, but the NSD works for me (and it's CHEAP).

Good luck,
John


"Unfortunately, the soul’s need for learning often brings about the full-blown disease. And it must be cared for creatively, or allowed to take its course."
William A. McGarey, M.D., Director of Medical Research, A.R.E Clinic.

Hi KorYE,
I also wanted to mention to you that I have had A/S for twenty-one years and have taken Phenylbutazone for most of this time with very good results. I had never had an Iritis attack until this January when I decided to decrease the NSAID dramically and try the NSD.I had my first attack of iritis, first left and eye then in another week both eyes. I was advised by a Iritis specialist Dr. S Foster in Boston to get back on the NSAID and stay at this dosage. I am a steroid responder which is not a good thing, as my eye pressure sky rocketed to very high levels when I was put on steroid eye drops, which is necessary when you get to this stage of inflammation. Once all had settled after three very long months, I thought I will try this again just to proove to myself that I need this Nsaid and sure enough in ten days the irits was back and I was right back where I started from. I felt you can't blame me for wanting to get off or decrease the Nsaids but it certainly isn't going to work for me and potentially could destroy my vision in the process.So what I am saying is prevention is key becuase the damage is permanent once Glaucoma starts and the optic nerve is destroyed. When do you see the eye doctor and I hope it is a Opthalmologist not an optomistrist.

Janet

Simply put, if you feel like something is wrong with your eye's go to an Eye Specialist immediately.

I just went through a bout of Iritis (UVeitis), it was my girlfriend that said that I should go and get it checked (otherwise I would not have known that I had it). I did not have all of the common symptoms other than redness. My eyes were not sensitive to light and were not itchy, just red.
So I think it may effect everyone slightly different.

The problem with Iritis (UVeitis) is that, if it is not treated rapidly, permanent eye damage can occur.

Take Care
Wayne

Hi Korye!

Just wanted you to know a couple of additonal things that have not been mentioned. The first is that iritis does not always present with redness, so having your eyes checked immediately is the right thing to do. Blurry vision is a symptom. Secondly, in case your Mom is not aware, a regular optometrist usually won't have the necessary expertise, and so you'll need to see an opthalmologist, which is the correct specialist in this situation. Lastly, I believe that younger people are less likely to start or present with the most common or 'classic' signs. Best to be safe!

Let us know how it goes, and I do hope this turns out to be a false alarm!
Take care,
mig

mig

Hi, Janet:

The NSD does take some time to work, and, since it did not work for you in December-January timeframe I was wondering how long you were able to continue with it. Basically, Ebringer likes to emphasize that diets are adjunctive therapy, along with conventional medicines, even including NSAIDs, until these are no longer necessary or can be greatly reduced.

We should have some basic criteria before totally dismissing the diet, and (in the case of the NSD, especially) iodine testing is essential, along with a greater amount of time. It took many months for us to get sick without medications; getting well based solely upon diet will certainly take time and patience.

You are welcome in the NSD forum for a post mortem on the specifics of your experiences so that others might be helped; we like to try and keep track of the failures as well as the successes.

Very much appreciate your help,
John

"Unfortunately, the soul’s need for learning often brings about the full-blown disease. And it must be cared for creatively, or allowed to take its course."
William A. McGarey, M.D., Director of Medical Research, A.R.E Clinic.

The optometrists I have been too have been very up on iritis and even HLA B27. I was urged to get an HLA B27 workup by these guys. The opthamologist didn't put it together, even when I had a hard time tilting my head back to put in the eyedrops for the iritis.

Well, as everyone else has suggested, get it checked out ASAP!

I have Sjogrens syndrome but Arava is keeping the symptoms under control now. I never had iritis but used to get scleritis all the time. Don't use regular eye drops, get some artificial tears, just in case it's a lack of tear production. The eye doctor can do a simple test to see if you're producing tears. The thing about dry eye is it often comes with dry mouth, even if you don't notice that as much - - this is classic Sjogrens - - so the other thing is to make sure you get your teeth cleaned every six months as dry mouth can lead to tooth decay rapidly, something else to keep on top of. Always something, huh, the AS gremlins enjoy working overtime.

Cheryl


My guy

If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague. Author Unknown

I've been having Uveitis for about half an year. How do you get rid of it?