I've had reoccurring iritis since 1989. It seems to come in batchs; that is, 3 to 4 episodes in one to two years followed by 2-3 years of remission. My doctors seem to think this is nonsense so I'm wondering if anyone has experienced the following. I've gotten caught offguard a few times where an episode hit me while on travel or vacation and I didn't have access to prednisolone. I've noticed that dehydration (or alcohol) is a killer ... and makes the episode flare up very fast. I've also noticed that excessive water hydration (say needing to urinate every 30 minutes) slows the flare up. For me, a full blown episode takes a few days without treatment. Alcohol can bring that down to 1 day. Heavy hydration slows it down to a week to ten days which is nice if away from home without medication. Of course, the frequent trips to the restroom are annoying.
Is that unique to me or has anyone else experienced this?
Regardless, stay away from alcohol if you feel an episode coming on. I rarely drink any more so that isn't an issue for me, but back in college, I learned the hard way.
Jim
PS: I've also had AS between the spine and pelvis and arthritis in the legs and feet. That has been gone since the 90s ... PTL. Iritis is the only nagging issue.
Experiences: Hydration
Moderators: Mike Bartolatz, kwork
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Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
Re: Experiences: Hydration
jim, Welcome to the group!
no I have no experience with your problems with alcohol or hydration. do you always go every 30 minutes or so? could you have diabetes insipidous?
we have many members with HLA B27 related uveitis and iritis as well as one of the seronegative spondyloarthropathies or enteropathic arthropathies. with your long history of iritis, have you got any changes to your retina from neovascularization, Cystoid macular edema, epiretinal membrane formation, bleeding or detached retinas? these things develop over time from the disease. cataracts and glaucoma are also complications frequently as a long term result of steroid use or the uveitis.
because of this we suggest a steroid sparing approach to treatment as does the American Academy of OPthalmology, the American Uveitis Society, the international Uveitis Society and the Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Foundation.
wishing you hte very best,
Mike
no I have no experience with your problems with alcohol or hydration. do you always go every 30 minutes or so? could you have diabetes insipidous?
we have many members with HLA B27 related uveitis and iritis as well as one of the seronegative spondyloarthropathies or enteropathic arthropathies. with your long history of iritis, have you got any changes to your retina from neovascularization, Cystoid macular edema, epiretinal membrane formation, bleeding or detached retinas? these things develop over time from the disease. cataracts and glaucoma are also complications frequently as a long term result of steroid use or the uveitis.
because of this we suggest a steroid sparing approach to treatment as does the American Academy of OPthalmology, the American Uveitis Society, the international Uveitis Society and the Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Foundation.
wishing you hte very best,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
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