REMICADE AND IRITIS

ggoins · Post by **ggoins** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 8:05 pm

This is followup to my treatment for severe iritis. the inflammation continued in the right eye and spread to the left eye. In spite of drops up to every 1 hour. I have ankylosing spondylitis HLA +. The rheumotologist and the opthamologist increased the dose of Remicade (IV treatment) from every 8 weeks to every 6 weeks and from 3 mg/kig to 5 mg/kg. Positive response occurred in 4 days. after a total of 3 treatments over 18 weeks the iritis has gone from both eyes. The pressure in the right eye increased however and I was placed on drops cosopt 2 times per day which has brought the pressure down from 31 to 20. I am on maintenence drops of pred phosphate 2 times per day. I anticipate that these will be further decreased in the next 2 weeks. If YOU have an iritis that is intractable, I urge you to ask your doctor(s) about remicade (infliximab). You will need to get pre approval as it is expensive from your insurance company but in stubborn cases it has been my experience that it works...happy to report it!

Mike Bartolatz · Post by **Mike Bartolatz** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 11:22 am

usually other drugs like Methotrexate must be used along with the remicade to get one to durable remission from Uveitis. Remicade doesn't work for everyone but It can work miracles for some with uveitis. Jess another of our Moderators here has gotten to remissiom using MTX and Remicade for her VERY STUBBORN uveitis related to Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (now known as Juvenile Ideopathic Arthritis)

wish you the very best,
Mike

jessrms · Post by **jessrms** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:59 pm

Just so you are aware, Remicade is not typically curative. you will need to be on it longterm. While i am happy I ahve been in remission for more than a year now,I know that if I go off my meds that it will most likely come back. I am planning on becoming pregnant in the summer or fall, and after that will seek out other treatments apporprioate for JRA associated uveitis.

I am so pleased that the remciade has worked to put me in remission after 30 years of iritis and many years of chronic inflammation, but i don't want to be tied down on a monthly basis to going for infusions.

Remicade is typically used with methotrexate. I have been off of mtx now for several months though due to my upcoming plans for a baby. I am still reacting positively, with no signs of inflammation at this point.

I am happy that the Remicade is working for you as well, and hope that it continues to do the job. I consider it my miracle drug, but I am trying to be realistic now. I really like thgat i don't have side effects (knock on wood) with the remicade, but I hate getting the infusions, and knowing that I am in remission is not good enough for me. i want to be cured if I can, so after baby, or babies, lol, I will be trying CellCept or another med that may be helpful and not as long term.....

Jess