I finally have an answer...

Post here with questions about other autoimmune diseases or conditions.

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crissy82
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 3:28 pm

I finally have an answer...

Post by crissy82 »

After 7 years of recurrent iritis I finally have an answer to what is causing it. I went last week and saw Dr. Kim at Vanderbilt Eye Institute. He is 1 of 2 doctors in TN that was on the list recommended by this website. I had been seeing a regular opthamolagist who had been treating it as it flared up. My former dr just kept telling me that sometimes they never know what causes it. Well Dr. Kim knew within 10 minutes what the cause was. He said it was Herpes. Of course I automatically freaked out and thought the STD kind (my husband was going to have some explaining to do) but he said it is not that kind. It is the same kind that causes chicken pox and/or cold sores. Dr. Kim said every single person alive who has ever had chicken pox has the Herpes virus in their bodies. It just lays dorment in some and in others it doesn't. He wanted to go ahead and do a few tests just to make sure there wasn't any autoimmune things going on as well. So he did a needle biopsy of my eye (not fun), chest x-ray, and blood work. My blood work came back negative for anything autoimmune, including the gene HLA-B27. But the fluid he took out of my eye did test positive for Herpes. So he is putting me on Valtrex for 3-6 months. He said he hopes that with this aggresive treatment it will not come back. 1 gram (yes gram) 3 times a day. It is nice to finally have some answers.
Mike Bartolatz
Posts: 6595
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm

Re: I finally have an answer...

Post by Mike Bartolatz »

I am glad you finally got to someone intelligent enough to figure this out for you! your situation is much like others at this site with chronic iritis. the thing to remember is that you may have to stay on the antiviral medication for a very long time. herpes uveitis can cause havoc in the eye if it gets to the retina and it is potentially blinding if it does this by causing acute retinal necrosis. the virus can also cause havoc with the cornea. sometimes one must also take a drop of corticstoroid to keep it quiet. the antiviral drug keeps the virus in hibernation and stopping the drug can cause it to come out and once again cause problems for you.

check in from time to time and let us know how you are doing.

wishing you quiet eyes for the Holiday season,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
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Adorkable Witch
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2014 4:57 pm

Re: I finally have an answer...

Post by Adorkable Witch »

That's an amazing answer, and one that is treatable.
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