New and checking in

[kemin]

Hi from Malaysia and thank you for such a great forum, there is a great wealth of knowledge here and it will take me a long time to digest all the articles and replies from you very knowlegeable experts here.

A little history about my problem: I first had uveitis 18 years ago at age 20, it started with a red eye that never go away, until one morning I had excruciating pain upon seeing light, was rushed to the ER and an attending ophthamologist diagnosed me with uveitis. Was put on pred forte and dilating drops, issue resolved in 2 months or so but recurred 6 months later. Since then, it was like a flare-up every year and a half until 10 years ago. I thought my uveitis was cured when I had not had an attack for 4 years, then suddenly one day I woke up with a red ring around the pupil and I knew it was trouble all over again. From that point onwards, I took extra caution in my daily life, as I find most of my "trigger" were from brightly-lit white florescent lamp when I have to work under those condition for a long period of time I usually get a flare up, I wore dark glasses wherever I go, even in the office to avoid the glaring shine that i find so uncomfortable. I am currently getting a flare up again after "6 long years"!! My current bout is taking longer than usual to resolve as this is the 4th month I'm on Lotemax, my doctor also gave me Combigan to reduce eye pressure, which is alarmingly high at 38! My next appointment is in 2 weeks. I also have a stucked lens to the pupil shaped liked a crescent from the various flareups over the years.

My questions are: Does this stuff ever go away? Can Uveitis ever be cured? Why is it that I have 6 years of remission and still have flare up? My doctor says it can never be, the disease just lie dormant and with the right combination of "ingredients" - stress and other triggers, it will flare up again! I am really fed up with this problem, I asked on askcsf and Dr Foster said to try Celebrex, I have spoken to my ophthomologist about NSAID and he just shook his head and said it is not helpful, could anyone point me to a good uveitis specialist near me? What does it mean when you said 70% of the successful Celebrex responder were cured? Do they ever have another bout in their life again? I am very interested in this medicine and want to try it if it can end my eye misery forever. Thanks again for this great forum!

[Mike Bartolatz]

your questions are difficult to answer as each of us is different in how we respond to various drugs. Dr Foster does have a very good success rate using NSAID therapy. I don't know how many people end up with a bout of uveitis years down the road however. for many people they find that they flare up at a given time of year for example after NSAID therapy so when that time of year comes around, they start oral NSAIDS again and then in a few months they can stop them until the next year.
I'm not a doctor, I can only tell you what others have experienced over the years that I've been doing my online support work.

I do know a man in Malaysia who has a history of uveitis. I'll contact him for someone for you to see. He is Professor in Singapore but also has family elsewhere in Malaysia.
It might take a few days to get a response as he travels quite a lot with his work.

do you have the HLA B27 gene related to uveitis? those pressures are very high. sometimes our members have to go onto multiple drugs to lower the pressure from steroids once they become steroid responders. if they remain high once the drugs are withdrawn after inflammation is controlled pressure can be successfully controlled using a valve implanted through the sclera: the AHMED valve works best in uveitis patients with less chance of a membrane growing over it and blocking it off.

wish you the very best,
mike

[Mike Bartolatz]

http://www.parsplanitisforum.yuku.com/topic/22

information on Glaucoma, Secondary glaucoma etc

[Mike Bartolatz]

I've sent you a Private message containing information on a contact in Singapore with his email address.
scroll back to the top of this page and click on PRIVATE MESSAGES.

wish you the very best,
Mike