Blurry Vision

Post here with questions about other autoimmune diseases or conditions.

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Maribe1P
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Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:23 pm

Blurry Vision

Post by Maribe1P »

On October 27.2012 i noticed that a had like a shadow over my left eye(which is a lazy eye). I went to the opthamologist on October 31, 2012 and he dilated my eyes and he notice u had an inflammation he referred me to a retinal specialist which I saw(i got pics of my eye with the dye done) on November 6th he also saw inflammation and swelling and prescribed Pred Forte which I used 4 times a day for 2 weeks then after that 2 drops a day my next appt with him will be December 4th. He also gave me a list of blood tests he wanted me to get. I went my regular doctor to get a physical and i got a comprehensive blood work done. On Monday November 19th i went to get the results for the blood work and everything came back good. I also informed my doctor that I didnt feel the blurriness in my eye going away after using the drops for two weeks. She sent me to another opthamologist to get a second opinion, He also dilated me eye and took pictures of my eye and he said he didnt see any inflammation. He informed me to continue using the drops that once i start tapering off i should start seeing a change and to follow up with the retinal specialist.

I was just wondering how long for the blurriness to clear in my eye.
Mike Bartolatz
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Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm

Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

it depends on what the cause of the bluriness is. it can be caused by drugs, it can be caused by a dehydrated cornea from severe dry eyes, it can be from uveitis in the fron't called iritis, middle called pars planitis or intermediate uveitis or the back of the eye from posterior uveitis or vitritis, inflammatory cells accumulating in the fluid the fills the middle of the eye.
blur of vision can also be from fluid build up under the retina called Cystoid macular Edema. it can be from inflammation of the optic nerve as well.

steroid eyedrops will only treat inflammation in the front of the eye called iritis. it cannot penetrate to the middle or back of the eye. steroid injecitons to tissues surrounding the eye are used to treat this or oral steroids. if the problem becomes recurrent in nature or chronic, not responding to steroids at all, a steroid sparing approach to treatment is used to pervent long term damage to the eye from inflammation or from damage to the eye from steroids use, glaucoma or cataracts.

if the doctor doesn't 'see' inflammation, he should do a test to look for Cystoid macular edema or to check the optic nerve to see if it is damaged.

hope this helps,
mike
Mike Bartolatz
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Maribe1P
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Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:23 pm

Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Maribe1P »

Thanx mike for the response.

Do you think once i am off the pred forte maybe the blurriness will go away.
Mike Bartolatz
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Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm

Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

it can take a couple of weeks to get the steroid out of your system and then the blur might go away. if not, get back in to see the ophthalmologist so that he can do tests to look for things that cause blur of vision other than drugs such as dilating drops and steroids.

take care,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
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Maribe1P
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Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:23 pm

Re: Blurry Vision- Update

Post by Maribe1P »

today i went to the retina specialist for a follow up and the inflammation went away and i have no active cells. He informed me i have a small scar close to the center of the eye. He finally told me i have multifocal choroiditis. He said hopefully the blurriness goes away and to keep using predforte for another week one time a day and then discontinued. He also said that he wanted to see me back in 6 weeks.
Mike Bartolatz
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Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

Mike Bartolatz
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Maribe1P
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Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:23 pm

Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Maribe1P »

looks scary :(
Mike Bartolatz
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Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

it is treatable and if you get a good ocular immunologist to determine exactly what is involved, it can have a good outcome.
I strongly recommend that you get an ocular immunologist involved in your care if at all possible. a list of them can be found at http://www.uveitis.org in the PATIENT information section of the site. use of DMARD drugs may benefit you as well as other meds now available that were not available at the time that this article was written.

If you will tell me where you live, I'll suggest the closest and BEST specialist near you for a consultation. Experience is everything when one has this type of inflammatory eye condition. you may have to travel but you will give your eyes the best shot.

wish you the very best,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
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Maribe1P
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:23 pm

Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Maribe1P »

hi mike thank you so much.

I live in Queens, NY
Maribe1P
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:23 pm

Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Maribe1P »

I am goin to try to get an appointment with Dr. Raphael Rosenbaum. I noticed his name on the uveitis website.
Mike Bartolatz
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Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm

Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

he is the newest ocular immunologist from Dr Foster's fellows in NYC, DR Samson is good and DR Chu is excellent in NJ as well all did fellowship under DR Foster.

please join the following support group: http://www.uosg.org one of the support groups of doctor Foster. I moderate forums there too and others on Immunomodulatory therapy are also there for you to chat with.

take care and God Bless,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
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Maribe1P
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:23 pm

Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Maribe1P »

Hi Mike:

I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to ask your opinion:
I went back to the opthamologist so that he can give me other referral for the specialist. I informed him that i am very scared and concerned after doing some research online. He told me not to worry for now because the inflammation went away with simple therapy (prednisolone) after two weeks. He said that my chance of losing vision is slim. That people with harder to control inflammation are at risk. He told me to continue the advice of the retina specialist and to follow up with him in 6 weeks. That if anything changes then to go back,

Should i just wait?

Thank you
Mike Bartolatz
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Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm

Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

multifocal choroiditis is a serious diagnosis which (multifocal choroditis and PANUVEITIS, MCP) will come back again and again. please make the appointment with one of the doctors that I have mentioned. the back of the eye does NOT respond to topical steroids. it is the BACK of the eye that will cause you to lose vision.

wish you the very best,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
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Maribe1P
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:23 pm

Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Maribe1P »

i am trying to make an appt with Dr. Samson.

i am wondering if i got a wrong diagnosis because the ophtamologist i went to two weeks ago took pics and said i had no inflammation. And on tuesday the retina specialist said i had no inflammation or active cells. They said i responded well to the drops
Mike Bartolatz
Posts: 6595
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm

Re: Blurry Vision

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

you have evidence of an area of your retina having a spot that has a scar on it. MCP has more than one area of the retina involved (multifocal) choroiditis is another term for posterior uveitis impacting the back of the eye. the P stands for Pan uveitis, inflammation in all parts of the eye, the back, middle and front. the steroid eyedrops treat the front of the eye where iritis occurs. the back of the eye is treated with steroid injections to tissue surrounding the eye or with oral steroids. then DMARD drugs are used to stop the inflammation from coming back by retraining your immune system to stop attacking your eyes.
you need to get in to see one of the doctors I recommended. they can figure out what diagnsosis is and then implement a plan to keep this from coming back and permanently damaging your eyes. there are many conditions that cause damage to the back of the eye. from viruses and bacteria and fungi/molds to autoimmune diseases processes. these doctors have encountered more of these conditions through their training with DR foster than most retina specialists and regular ophthalmologists would seen in MULTIPLE LIFETIMES. they treat this stuff for a living unlike retina specialists and regular ophthalmologists who mostly do surgery and prescribe glasses etc.
when posterior uveitis is involved, the likelihood that one of the above mentioned this is the cause increases exponentially. being ideopathic (no known cause) is very low. MCP is a diagnosis of a specific disease process as mentioned in the link I provided for you. but, it doesn't have 'one small spot' invovled in it
things like Sarcoidosis, Vogt Koyanagi Harada's disease, presumed ocular histoplasmosis, cat scratch disease, leptospirosis, wegener's granulomatosus, syphillis, tuberculosis etc have to be ruled out and it can take specific labs to do testing to get adequate results for these things.
so yes, you may have the wrong diagnosis at present but if you do have MCP it is very serious as is any type of posterior uveitis. it can quickly cause detached retina, optic nerve problems and bleeding. this is why I suggest that you get input from one of the doctors that I have recommended.

wish you the best,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
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