Hi,
My name is Rosa and I have just been diagnosed with Iritis. I have has this same problem off and on for about 5 years and always with the diagnosis of Ocular migraines.
I finally went to an optometrist who's wife had been diagnosed with Iritis and he had done a lot of research and I was lucky enough to find him.
He told me that this would probably be reoccurring because of my Arthritis. I just started my steroids this evening and my eye is still hurting quite a bit but I have such a hard time staying still and I stared researching this condition.
I feel as if I have a band going around my eye up and down like a cat's eye and it feels as if it is tightening. In the past after a couple of days I can't read but for very short periods of time which is a big issue for me. I teach Sunday School and I need to be ready every week so reading is a big thing for me. I have learned to go and get my old optometrist to give me something for the Ocular migraine because that was the diagnosis she was sticking with, lucky for me she treated me with steroids.
We moved to south Texas and I found a good dr today that actually recognized my problem.
I actually have another thing that is kind of strange but I do not seem to get any real response from any of the Dr.'s that I ask about it. My left eye ( not the one that I have Iritis in) does not open when I first wake up. It is not mucked up, the muscles don't want to work. If I pull it open it hurts for a while but if I leave it alone and let it open on its own it will open in a few minutes. Anyone else experience this, or am I totally out there with my very own special little problem?
I am so glad to find this forum. I was beginning to think I was losing my mind with these symptoms that was misdiagnosed.
Thanks for just being here,
Rosa
Newly diagnosed long time issues
Moderators: Mike Bartolatz, kwork
-
Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
Re: Newly diagnosed long time issues
Rosa.
there is a list of highly specialized ophthalmologists called Ocular immunologists at http://www.uveitis.org located in the patient information section of the site. there are not many of them but you will have to travel to see one of them as what you describe can be linked to many disease processes and you will require extensive medical tests to determine what is the cause of this. your eye that won't open in the morning might indicate systemic disease going on requiring much more than just steroid eyedrops to treat, you may require tests and input from an endocrinologist and neurologist to help figure this out. because of this I strongly urge you to seek a consultation with DR Lewis at Baylor who can then send you to other specialists at the medical hospital where tests and knowledge are the greatest for you. rarely to doctors away from this type of setting have the knowledge to diagnose and treat someone like you.
the misshapen iris is probably from the cells of inflammation causing the iris to stick to the lens. a dilating drop is used to break this adhesion or to help prevent it from occuring while iritis is present. the type of cells on the iris can help suggest underlying systemic cause of the iritis and then appropriate drugs can be used to stop the inflammation systemically. durable remission is often possible.
do you have thryoid disease? does anyone in your family have a neurological disease? what form of arthritis to do you have? does vasculitis present along with your arthriitis? do you have any rashes on your skin? do you have stomach or intestinal issues?
you live in Texas, have you ever had Valley Fever? are you around animals that could transmit germs that sometimes cause uveitis?
have you traveled to Mexico where TB is a cause of this?
wish you the very best,
Mike Bartolatz
there is a list of highly specialized ophthalmologists called Ocular immunologists at http://www.uveitis.org located in the patient information section of the site. there are not many of them but you will have to travel to see one of them as what you describe can be linked to many disease processes and you will require extensive medical tests to determine what is the cause of this. your eye that won't open in the morning might indicate systemic disease going on requiring much more than just steroid eyedrops to treat, you may require tests and input from an endocrinologist and neurologist to help figure this out. because of this I strongly urge you to seek a consultation with DR Lewis at Baylor who can then send you to other specialists at the medical hospital where tests and knowledge are the greatest for you. rarely to doctors away from this type of setting have the knowledge to diagnose and treat someone like you.
the misshapen iris is probably from the cells of inflammation causing the iris to stick to the lens. a dilating drop is used to break this adhesion or to help prevent it from occuring while iritis is present. the type of cells on the iris can help suggest underlying systemic cause of the iritis and then appropriate drugs can be used to stop the inflammation systemically. durable remission is often possible.
do you have thryoid disease? does anyone in your family have a neurological disease? what form of arthritis to do you have? does vasculitis present along with your arthriitis? do you have any rashes on your skin? do you have stomach or intestinal issues?
you live in Texas, have you ever had Valley Fever? are you around animals that could transmit germs that sometimes cause uveitis?
have you traveled to Mexico where TB is a cause of this?
wish you the very best,
Mike Bartolatz
Mike Bartolatz
Moderator
Moderator
-
Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
Re: Newly diagnosed long time issues
often headache, usually brow pain but pain in the temple area might suggest that there is arteritis also present. migrane with aura would require a diagnosis by a neurologist. sometimes pain in the eye is linked to neck arthritis. vascular disease can also cause neurological pain as is the case with pain surrounding the eye or face. if there is a fever present with the headache, get to the ER for evaluation,
wish you the very best,
mike
wish you the very best,
mike
Mike Bartolatz
Moderator
Moderator