Newly diagnosed

[Sarahfulofjoy]

I have been diagnosed with iritis. I was first diagnosed with pink eye. I am a nurse. I remembered a question on my State board nursing test about light sensitivity and eye pain. When I went to the second doctor who was an opthomogist with my concerns he assured me it was just pink eye after doing the slit lamp test and examining my eyes. After 24 hour ( now a week since the first doctor diagnosed me) I called the opthomogist back due to feeling like I was looking through a cloud. He saw me then and diagnosed me with iritis. Two weeks later I am on durezol drops every hour. Dilating drops twice a day. He told me to stop the dilating drops when I told him it was hard for me to work the twelve hour days caring for premature infants. It is difficult to see a vein to start an IV in a two pound baby. It is difficult to read anything on the small tubing we use and strains my eyes to the point that I get a migraine. Also it is difficultto do patient care and keep up with these drops every hour. I have a hard time finding time to pee in a day much less hourly drops. When I talked to the doctor about just doing eight hour days right now and FML for the missing hours he said he felt it was unnecessary. What do others do?
I have been positive for gene testing for psoriatic arthritis 7 years ago. I haven't seen a rheumatologist in that long. I decided to suffer through the feet pain I was having and joint pain. So I could have my children and not be on meds. Now I am done having kids and this. I am 33. Hoping for the best. Standing on my faith in Jesus. I am also using all the resources I can to stay educated on this knowing I am my best advocate. The doctor did not explain this disease to me
very well. He gave me a four to five minute explanation. Turns out the doctor I work for has a daughter that is an
opthomologist and he called her and handed me the phone so I could get some questions answered.

I am wondering if hourly durezol drops (even through the night) are safe. I have been on this for a week and previously hourly pred forte. Should I really stop the dilating drops. I still have inflammation in my eye. He said it didn't matter cause my eye would get adhesions anyway. I don't know the specifics of the stage cause he never explained it to me. I just know he still see's cells in the fluid.
Appreciate the information you have here.
God bless

[Mike Bartolatz]

keep on the dilating drop at least at bedtime to help prevent the adhesions between the iris and the lens. durezol is a new medication that can raise intra ocular pressure and is usually only used for a couple of weeks at a time because of this. your uveitis is directly linked to psoriatic arthritis and it has to be controlled in order to keep your eyes quiet. I strongly urge you to seek out care through a very specialized opthalmologist called an Ocular Immunologist who can employ a corticosteroid sparing approach to treatment as your 'brand' of uveitis can be with you for a very long time if not treated agressively early on .
drugs besides steroid eyedrops and dilating drops are needed in the DMARD class and perhaps other classes of medications. Methotrexate may do the job or Cellcept alone or in combination with other classes. if Methotrexate dosesn't work, ask to be tested for the IL23R gene and if you are positive for this and have moderate to severe plaque Psoriasis, a new drug that blocks the IL23R gene from producing the inflammatory cytokine IL17A called Stellara might treat both the uveitis and the psoriatic arthritis.

ask any questions you may have and I'll do my best to help you through this.

BTW I've been on vacation so I'm sorry it has taken this long to respond.

wishing you quiet eyes,
mike