*sigh* I really hope that 2006 gets better from here on out. I had my first -- and very bad -- occurrence of iritis last year. It was only in the left eye, but the vision in that eye has never been the same since. It always perceives fuzzy halos around light sources, but it's not so bad that I really notice it most of the time. It took a couple of months to quell the iritis, then I managed to get carpal tunnel so bad in both hands that I had to undergo two consecutive ct release surgeries around the holidays. And then my iritis came back and doesn't seem to be responding as well as it did before to the pred forte.
I did test positive for HLA-B27, so my doc is pretty sure that the iritis is autoimmune-related. I'm curious about two things, however:
1. Could the bad carpal tunnel also be autoimmune-related?
2. Are recurrences of iritis typically more resistant to treatment?
The bummer is that I *have* to take a California driver's exam to renew my license (it expired, mostly because they "lost" me in their DMV system), which means that I have to pass the vision portion of the exam. I think that it'll be OK. I notice that the pain in the eye and the halos reduce a bit right after I use the pred forte, so I'll make sure to put some in right before the exam.
Anyway, I'm whining ... but I am curious about those points above. I will also bring up the possibility of autoimmune suppressant drugs when I see my doc next week. I actually use Voltaren for my bad knees, so that's an interesting choice in treatment.
Chapps
Iritis recurrence and carpal tunnel ... all at once
Moderators: Mike Bartolatz, kwork
-
Guest
Er ... perhaps I should take a step back and admit the influence of *stress* on autoimmune uveitis.
The first time I had an attack of iritis -- last year -- I was in the thick of one of the most high-pressure and stressful jobs that I have ever held. 12 to 14 hour workdays, crazy schedules, at least 18 people reporting directly to me, understaffed, crazy management, et al.
This time, the pressure was more personal. I quit the job in July and began to do freelance work -- in order to reduce the stress in my life. Unfortunately, the tingling in my hands developed into severe carpal tunnel (which had clearly been developing for years) which got so bad I could barely hold a pen in my hand. So, two consecutive hand surgeries, during which time -- and for many weeks thereafter -- I couldn't work (not much work can happen when you work with computers for a living). Getting the picture? Stressed out about my surgeries, about whether or not my hands would ever be the same again (still working on that), stressed out about not working and having a negative cash flow (*never* look for a job during the holidays) ... and then my Dad had a near-fatal heart attack and emergency bypass surgery. I had to fly back and forth between Los Angeles and San Francisco, with him not getting better and staying *much* longer than expected in ICU. I wasn't sleeping, wasn't eating well, my guts were twisted up (I have always had bad GI issues, including surgery) and started getting facial twitches.
Yikes. So I figure iritis is like the canary in the coal mine. It's a sure indication that the stress level is too high for too long a time.
I'm treating this new round of iritis -- it's not going as well as I hoped, but I'm just using the pred forte drops -- and just got hired by a great company for a great new job. My Dad is back home and doing better than expected.
WHEW!
Sometimes you can't do anything about events in your life. I don't know what else I could have done to lower the stress, since most of it was unanticipated and out of my control. So what's the lesson? Not sure there is one, beyond the proof that stress is incredibly toxic. I just need to win the lottery and chill out for a couple of decades, sitting on a beach chair, reading a good book and listening to the waves crash on the shore ...
I can dream, can't I?
The first time I had an attack of iritis -- last year -- I was in the thick of one of the most high-pressure and stressful jobs that I have ever held. 12 to 14 hour workdays, crazy schedules, at least 18 people reporting directly to me, understaffed, crazy management, et al.
This time, the pressure was more personal. I quit the job in July and began to do freelance work -- in order to reduce the stress in my life. Unfortunately, the tingling in my hands developed into severe carpal tunnel (which had clearly been developing for years) which got so bad I could barely hold a pen in my hand. So, two consecutive hand surgeries, during which time -- and for many weeks thereafter -- I couldn't work (not much work can happen when you work with computers for a living). Getting the picture? Stressed out about my surgeries, about whether or not my hands would ever be the same again (still working on that), stressed out about not working and having a negative cash flow (*never* look for a job during the holidays) ... and then my Dad had a near-fatal heart attack and emergency bypass surgery. I had to fly back and forth between Los Angeles and San Francisco, with him not getting better and staying *much* longer than expected in ICU. I wasn't sleeping, wasn't eating well, my guts were twisted up (I have always had bad GI issues, including surgery) and started getting facial twitches.
Yikes. So I figure iritis is like the canary in the coal mine. It's a sure indication that the stress level is too high for too long a time.
I'm treating this new round of iritis -- it's not going as well as I hoped, but I'm just using the pred forte drops -- and just got hired by a great company for a great new job. My Dad is back home and doing better than expected.
WHEW!
Sometimes you can't do anything about events in your life. I don't know what else I could have done to lower the stress, since most of it was unanticipated and out of my control. So what's the lesson? Not sure there is one, beyond the proof that stress is incredibly toxic. I just need to win the lottery and chill out for a couple of decades, sitting on a beach chair, reading a good book and listening to the waves crash on the shore ...
I can dream, can't I?
-
Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
yes you can dream. I too buy a lotto ticket from time to time 
as to your halo's you should get in for a pressure check. this is not at all normal. do you have the beginnings of cataracts developing? very dense cataracts are a consequence of the eye disease as well as the corticosteroid eye drops.
GI problems can be related to the HLA B27 gene: Irritable bowel syndrome as well as Crohn's disease along with various forms of arthritis.
some people get tendonitis easily with auto immune disease processes. this can appear in just about any of those autoimmune arthritic disease processes. they say it is from repetitive movement but other connective tissue diseases seem to allow carpal tunnel appear more often than in the general pop. (anecdotal not by medical review of charts).
if the nerves of your face are under compression from inflammation you can get facial numbness,twitching and even and even temporary loss of function of muscles.
Sjogren's syndrome and Lupus patients get this. it can effect the mouth and tongue with numbness and burning sensation. TMJ like pain too with muscle spasms.
Stress: the five letter word that acts more like one of four letters to those of us with autoimmune disease. avoid it at all cost. if anxiety is a problem get it treated too and then the stress won't matter so much (I speak from personal experience here).
HLA B27 related uveitis can be a bugger to control. NSAIDS like Indomethacin SR as well as naproxyn, Voltaren and Celebrex (if you want to chance the side effects) can be wonderful in controlling uveitis and related arthritis. for some however they have to move on to immunomodulators like Methotrexate, cellcept or comination of drugs.
if in LA See DR Narsing a Rao as Doheney Eye Institute part of UCLA Med School.
DR Wong is at proctor foundation in San Francisco. Look through the specialist list at http://www.uveitis.org for contact information.
wish you the best,
mike
as to your halo's you should get in for a pressure check. this is not at all normal. do you have the beginnings of cataracts developing? very dense cataracts are a consequence of the eye disease as well as the corticosteroid eye drops.
GI problems can be related to the HLA B27 gene: Irritable bowel syndrome as well as Crohn's disease along with various forms of arthritis.
some people get tendonitis easily with auto immune disease processes. this can appear in just about any of those autoimmune arthritic disease processes. they say it is from repetitive movement but other connective tissue diseases seem to allow carpal tunnel appear more often than in the general pop. (anecdotal not by medical review of charts).
if the nerves of your face are under compression from inflammation you can get facial numbness,twitching and even and even temporary loss of function of muscles.
Sjogren's syndrome and Lupus patients get this. it can effect the mouth and tongue with numbness and burning sensation. TMJ like pain too with muscle spasms.
Stress: the five letter word that acts more like one of four letters to those of us with autoimmune disease. avoid it at all cost. if anxiety is a problem get it treated too and then the stress won't matter so much (I speak from personal experience here).
HLA B27 related uveitis can be a bugger to control. NSAIDS like Indomethacin SR as well as naproxyn, Voltaren and Celebrex (if you want to chance the side effects) can be wonderful in controlling uveitis and related arthritis. for some however they have to move on to immunomodulators like Methotrexate, cellcept or comination of drugs.
if in LA See DR Narsing a Rao as Doheney Eye Institute part of UCLA Med School.
DR Wong is at proctor foundation in San Francisco. Look through the specialist list at http://www.uveitis.org for contact information.
wish you the best,
mike
Mike Bartolatz
Moderator
Moderator
-
Guest
Thanks, Mike. Yeah, I've had a whole host of issues for years that I never linked together until I had the iritis and tested positive for HLA-B27. I was born with malrotated intestines, which caused me to wind up in the hospital for three months when I was 7 years old -- it was corrected by (at the time) an experimental procedure. But I've had very bad GI problems my whole life. And tendonitis has been a bane of mine for as long as I can remember. And a very bad lower back, which they've never been able to figure out -- it seems to be related to swelling of the tissues or something similar. The list goes on. I don't want to paint a picture that I'm some sort of invalid -- I was in extraordinarily good shape (triathalons, cycling, etc.) until a couple of years ago, when the lower back, knee problems and tendonitis and bad hands really curttailed my activities.
I still walk 4 to 5 miles every morning. My dog's in incredible shape.
Interesting about the facial tics. Just before my iritis came back, I started having major muscle twitches in my face, and some in my back and left leg. I thought it was just the stress ... which it might still be. Drives me crazy, though.
Honestly, I'd rather work on controlling the stress and the overall autoimmune disorder itself than put out a series of small fires.
I'm going back to using voltaren for my bad knees (swollen tissues -- very painful on stairs), and it sounds like that could also benefit my iritis. I was on voltaren for the knees the last time I had iritis, and I healed more rapidly ... wonder if that's why?
Endlessly frustrating and fascinating. Onwards.
Chapps
I still walk 4 to 5 miles every morning. My dog's in incredible shape.
Interesting about the facial tics. Just before my iritis came back, I started having major muscle twitches in my face, and some in my back and left leg. I thought it was just the stress ... which it might still be. Drives me crazy, though.
Honestly, I'd rather work on controlling the stress and the overall autoimmune disorder itself than put out a series of small fires.
I'm going back to using voltaren for my bad knees (swollen tissues -- very painful on stairs), and it sounds like that could also benefit my iritis. I was on voltaren for the knees the last time I had iritis, and I healed more rapidly ... wonder if that's why?
Endlessly frustrating and fascinating. Onwards.
Chapps
-
Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
The Voltaren is most likely helping to control your uveitis. it is available in Generic form so cost for daily meds would not be as bad as some of the other NSAIDS out there to try.
Many of us have fibromyalgia along with our other autoimmune disease processes. tight muscles and pain at tender points along with Tendonitis seem to occur.
I get the twitching too. really annoying but constantly tight muscles that spasm are much worse. I get electric shock like sensation from above my left eye to the tip of my nose from time to time. my back will spasm causing my torso and upper back to rotate. I also have periodic limb movement disorder which can be quite embarassing when my hand flies to the side while attempting to get a beverage causing it to fly accross the table
connective tissue disorders can come about with certain other markers like those for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Sjogren's sydrome. Multiple autoimmune disease processes are common in those of us with uveitis as. I have articles on these topics in various information forums for people to read and even to copy and provide to their doctors as many just don't understand the gravity of uveitis and allot of the autoimmune disease processes associated with uveitis.
you should be checked out for various GI problems (enteropathic arthropathies) related to HLA B27.
Wish you the best,
Mike
Many of us have fibromyalgia along with our other autoimmune disease processes. tight muscles and pain at tender points along with Tendonitis seem to occur.
I get the twitching too. really annoying but constantly tight muscles that spasm are much worse. I get electric shock like sensation from above my left eye to the tip of my nose from time to time. my back will spasm causing my torso and upper back to rotate. I also have periodic limb movement disorder which can be quite embarassing when my hand flies to the side while attempting to get a beverage causing it to fly accross the table
connective tissue disorders can come about with certain other markers like those for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Sjogren's sydrome. Multiple autoimmune disease processes are common in those of us with uveitis as. I have articles on these topics in various information forums for people to read and even to copy and provide to their doctors as many just don't understand the gravity of uveitis and allot of the autoimmune disease processes associated with uveitis.
you should be checked out for various GI problems (enteropathic arthropathies) related to HLA B27.
Wish you the best,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
Moderator
Moderator
-
Guest
Yep, I'm going to take it one step at a time. First, a rheumatologist, then a visit to a GI specialist.
I was surprised that my opthamologist thought voltaren wouldn't help with iritis. He then corrected himself and said it couldn't hurt and there was a slight possibility that it *might* help a tiny bit, but it wasn't worth it. Maybe I'm misreading the current medical literature, which I thought pointed to NSAIDs as helpful with autoimmune related uveitis. I'm not a doctor, so I generally defer to the person who is treating me.
FYI, my eye pressure has never been an issue during iritis flareups. It always stays normal, no matter how much pred forte I use. That's a blessing. But, man, this darned eye has never been the same since I first got iritis, and this latest flareup is making it even worse. Just the strangest semi-focusing problems and "ripples" in my vision, which my doctor can't really account for. Ah, well ...
I was surprised that my opthamologist thought voltaren wouldn't help with iritis. He then corrected himself and said it couldn't hurt and there was a slight possibility that it *might* help a tiny bit, but it wasn't worth it. Maybe I'm misreading the current medical literature, which I thought pointed to NSAIDs as helpful with autoimmune related uveitis. I'm not a doctor, so I generally defer to the person who is treating me.
FYI, my eye pressure has never been an issue during iritis flareups. It always stays normal, no matter how much pred forte I use. That's a blessing. But, man, this darned eye has never been the same since I first got iritis, and this latest flareup is making it even worse. Just the strangest semi-focusing problems and "ripples" in my vision, which my doctor can't really account for. Ah, well ...
-
Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
you need a fluroscein angio gram to determine if you have developed cystoid macular edema which can cause the ripple effect in your vision. flurescein green is often the choice dye to use as it shows changes deep within the macula. I assume epiretinal membranes have been ruled out. sometimes changes in blood vessels within the macula can cause the ripple effect as well and this will also show up with the above test.
wish you the best,
mike
wish you the best,
mike
Mike Bartolatz
Moderator
Moderator