New to site...

[markmine]

I’m very happy to have found this site! I had iritis so many times, I lost count. Here’s my long story…. First started in my late 30’s and continues… I’m now 49 and dealing with another flare up. The first time I had it, I had no idea what was causing the pain in my eye. I thought I got something in it. I waited about a week before going to the emergency room and ER doctor quickly sent me to an Ophthalmologist. It was bad, 4+. One drop of Pred-forte every 5 mins for the first hour, then every 15 mins for the remaining day. Then every hour the next day, etc… Didn’t work. Continued pred-forte and Doc prescribed drops to dilate pupil and tobadex at night. After a couple weeks, I had small improvements, but not better. During one of my appointments, one of the Ophthalmologist wrote HLA-B-27 on a post it note, handed it to me and told me to have my primary care physician test me for that gene. I clearly remember the day I handed that post it note to my PC. He looked at me and said “out of the 1400 patients I had over my career, you are the first person presented with iritis”. He also said he had no idea the connection between HLA-B-27 and iritis. Without hesitation, he ordered the blood work, wrote referrals and told me to continue seeing the Ophthalmologist. A few days later, I got the call HLA-B27 positive and my PC referred me to a rheumatologist. Now I’m freaking out! I remember thinking what is HLA-B27, is it a disease!? Am I going to die!? And during all this, I’m still dealing with a major flare that will not get better. During my next appointment, the Ophthalmologist told me that I still have a bad flare and that I need to see Dr. Foster in Boston (I live in southern NH about 1 hr from Boston). This was late Friday afternoon and Dr. Foster’s office was closed at that time and I had to wait until Monday before making the appointment. When I got home, I was still freaking out about everything. I began searching the internet looking for any information about iritis, HLA-B27, Dr. Foster, etc.. That Sunday I found Dr. Foster’s information online and decided to email him and explain my situation with the hopes of getting an appointment. Within one hour (on a Sunday), he emailed me back and told me to come into his office Monday mid morning and he will see me between surgeries. At that time he put me on Vioxx and gave me a steroid injection – that worked. Within a week or two, my eye was better and my eye sight continued to improve and the flare was finally gone.
Over the years, I continued to have iritis, seen Dr. Foster, had another injection in the same eye as before and an injection in my other eye. Most of my flares have been successfully treated with Pred Forte. After that first episode I’m now able to recognize the feeling of iritis and know to get to the Ophthalmologist right away. Attacking the inflammation quickly is key. If anyone reading this is new to iritis, please learn from my mistake! Go to an Ophthalmologist right away if you think you have iritis or have any discomfort in your eyes – don’t hesitate! I know it’s inconvenient to go to doc appointments especially if you are busy at work, have kids, etc... But you need to go and stay on top of it - don’t think it will get better on its own.

[Mike Bartolatz]

Welcome to the group!

luckily you were able to calm things down quickly with the corticosteroid injection to tissue surrounding you eyes and that it was a long time between bouts of inflammation. should your uveitis return and remain chronic or return at short intervals, Dr Foster will most likely suggest DMARD drugs to stop the inflammation linked to HLA B27. He is a good friend of mine BTW and you are very fortunate to have the very best ocular immunologist in the World on your team of doctors. You are in the Very best Hands possible for your treatment.


wishing you the very best,
Mike Bartolatz