Melissa Berest, WElcome to the group!

[Mike Bartolatz]

Username:melissad Groups:Registered users Full Name:melissa berestWhat is the sum?:7Eye Symptoms:I have had cronic iritis sence 1992. I was twelve. i do not like it but i have done a jurnale about my semptoms and the welther anyting that might mater. I have been tested for all kinds of things that myight have coused this desise. Blood chest xrays all that and all nagative. yesterday the eye doctor found a new problem in my left eye. macular pucker. by the way i have stigma in both eyes. Add friend

Melissa,
18 years of chronic iritis is a very long time. I am amazed that they have only found an epiretinal membrane (macular pucker) after all of these years as long term consequences to the disease and I assume a corticosteroid only approach to treatment. I have macular pucker in both eyes so I know what distortion you have from it. I assume you mean astigmatism and I have that too going on in both eyes. I developed cataracts and got them removed and intra Ocular lenses implanted to replace the lenses but I developed glaucoma from the steroids used to quell the inflammaton over the years which brought me to a point of low vision now.
there are specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of Chronic uveitis called Ocular Immunologists, It might be possible to use disease Modifying anti rheumatic drugs like methotrexate or cellcept or other classes of drugs to stop this before you end up me. Mary who is also a moderator here at iritis.org is now blind from uveitis and I know she will greet you soon.
there is a list of specialists at the Ocular Immunology and Uveitis foundation located in the PATIENT INFORMATION section of the site: http://www.uveitis.org where you can get contact information for one of these very rare specialists OR tell me where you live and I will suggest the BEST specialist near your for consultation.

wishing you the very best,
Mike Bartolatz