Mistakenly prescribed Pred Mild 0.12% for iritis

[rgonz]

Six weeks ago I had my third iritis flare up in the past 6 years. Because the symptoms (mild eye ache, redness) began late on a Friday, I began administering Pred Forte 1%, 4x per day (I had some in the house for an emergency) until I could see my ophthalmologist on Monday afternoon. The pain and redness subsided and my vision was clear.

My appointment on Monday confirmed the iritis diagnosis and the doctor told his assistant to write a prescription for me. When I went to pick up the prescription I was surprised that he had prescribed Pred Mild 0.12%, to be used every two hours for 3 days and then 4x a day after that. I was headed out of town early the next morning and so I took the medicine home and began the prescribed protocol. By the following afternoon, the redness had returned, the pain was increasing and my vision began to blur. Two nights later I awoke with the most severe eye/head pain I had ever experienced. I added drops and remained awake the rest of the night.

By Thursday (3 days after the appointment), I could not tolerate the pain any longer and so I contacted the doctor's office to let them know of my discomfort and to inquire if I was indeed supposed to be using the Pred Mild drops, which I had not done in prior bouts with iritis. The assistant eventually called me back and told me that it was in fact a mistake in communication and that they would be prescribing Pred Forte 1%. I began using the Pred Forte, every two hours but I was getting absolutely no relief from the pain and blurred vision. For the next two weeks I was woken up once or twice per night, at which time only 2 Excedrin for Migraines and one miserable hour, could alleviate the pain. I then switched to another doctor who had me continue the Pred Forte and he also prescribed Cyclopentolate for synechia.

It's now six weeks after this bout began and the pain is gone but my vision remains quite cloudy. I just saw a uveitis specialist at Johns Hopkins who said that I have a cataract, posterior synechia and that my vision may or may not return to the previous state after cataract surgery.

There are obviously more details to the situation but I was hoping for a recommendation as to how I should approach the first ophthalmologist who made the mistake with my prescription? The doctor at JH did not definitively state that the prescription mistake led to my serious condition but did say that "it certainly didn't help".

Suggestions on how I should proceed? Thank you.

[Mike Bartolatz]

don't return to the first doctor. stick with the doctor at JH in Baltimore.

once the inflammation is completely gone and the dilating drop is out of your system, your vision should improve a bit. wear sunglasses and the cataract shouldn't bother you too much until it is ripe at which point you are at about 20/80 from the CATARACT, NOT THE UVEITIS.

WISH YOU THE BEST,
mIKE