Wow... I was reading a few of the threads on the circular light flashes that a lot of iritis sufferers are experiencing. I never made the connection until now and I started getting iritis about 13 years ago (when I was 30 years old).
I think the reason I never made the connection was because I first experienced these flashes when I was about 18. I was camping with some buddies and after a night of a bit too much vodka I woke the next morning a bit hung and with the pulsing light in my left eye. I just ignored it and it went away after a couple of hours, but I did experience it occasionally after that, but only in my left eye.
Jump ahead to 1993 and that's when I got my first bout of iritis in my left eye. Could those flashes have been some kind of early warning sign?
Presently, I'm coming down from the dilating drops (first time in the right eye) and for the first time I'm getting the flashes in my right eye.
I'll mention this to my opthamologist next week.
Scott Black
light flashes/pulses
Moderators: Mike Bartolatz, kwork
-
Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
Scott,
it is possible that you were experiencing this many years ago related to uveitis. often we are mis diagnosed with conjunctivitis as children or even as adults. without having allot of floaters present or photophobia you the primary physician wouldn't know about a possible link to uveitis with the red eye. OR, you may have had inflammation in the middle of the eye called pars planitis or posterior uveitis present and no redness or pain or photophobia would be present - perhaps only a bit of a blur to your vision.
please get an examination of your Pars plana region of your eye which is just behind your iris. the doctor will put a lens between the slit lamp and your eye and then press in on the area of the sclera adjacent to your iris. this will allow him/her to see this part of the eye. it is called a depressed scleral exam to look for material that exudes from the pars plana. it is sometimes called 'snowbanking'.
Have you any systemic symptoms of arthritis or autoimmune disease?
Wish you the very best,
Mike
it is possible that you were experiencing this many years ago related to uveitis. often we are mis diagnosed with conjunctivitis as children or even as adults. without having allot of floaters present or photophobia you the primary physician wouldn't know about a possible link to uveitis with the red eye. OR, you may have had inflammation in the middle of the eye called pars planitis or posterior uveitis present and no redness or pain or photophobia would be present - perhaps only a bit of a blur to your vision.
please get an examination of your Pars plana region of your eye which is just behind your iris. the doctor will put a lens between the slit lamp and your eye and then press in on the area of the sclera adjacent to your iris. this will allow him/her to see this part of the eye. it is called a depressed scleral exam to look for material that exudes from the pars plana. it is sometimes called 'snowbanking'.
Have you any systemic symptoms of arthritis or autoimmune disease?
Wish you the very best,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
Moderator
Moderator
Have a check up (still flaring) this afternoon and will mention this pars plantis examination business to the doctor.-
Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
if you should see a 'veil' come accross your vision it would indicate a tear inside your eye from the traction, with bleeding. occasional large blobs of black stuff would also indicate a possible leak inside the eye. this would be felt to be an emergent situation if any bleeding or tear has occured. the doctor can laser it to stop the bleeding but best results are within a few hours of the occurence.
Wish you the best sheila,
Mike
Wish you the best sheila,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
Moderator
Moderator
-
mollymoo42
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:04 pm
Flashing
add me to the flashing brigade - I thought I was going mad until now.
I havent mentioned it to my clinician as I was not sure it was related but now I shall.
Does anyone else 'see things' when the flashing is active ?
I jokingly told my husband that I was having a psychotic episode as I kept thinking something or someone was just out of my vision then gone !
From reading your post Mike I guess its part of the condition so I am not going mad - Phew !
I havent mentioned it to my clinician as I was not sure it was related but now I shall.
Does anyone else 'see things' when the flashing is active ?
I jokingly told my husband that I was having a psychotic episode as I kept thinking something or someone was just out of my vision then gone !
From reading your post Mike I guess its part of the condition so I am not going mad - Phew !
-
Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
you are not going mad but you have to tell your opthalmologist about this as it can be significant precursor to detached retina or retinal tear. often the vitreous will detach and no damage is done but an opthalmologist should keep a close watch to make sure that a major complication doesn't occur with this type of thing.
remember that should you see a 'veil' come over your vision, a black blob or total blackout of vision it indicates bleeding and possible detachment of the retina. this would require IMMEDIATE attention by a retina specialist to do Laser surgery to weld the retina or seal blood vessels leaking.
hope all you ever get are the 'flashers'.
Take care,
Mike
remember that should you see a 'veil' come over your vision, a black blob or total blackout of vision it indicates bleeding and possible detachment of the retina. this would require IMMEDIATE attention by a retina specialist to do Laser surgery to weld the retina or seal blood vessels leaking.
hope all you ever get are the 'flashers'.
Take care,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
Moderator
Moderator
-
mollymoo42
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:04 pm
Flashers
Thanks Mike - I will mention it when next at clinic ( down from fortnightly to a 4 week visit this time - whoopee!)
Regards
Carol
Regards
Carol
-
Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
flashes
Saw Dr. Read yesterday. Inflammation is clear at this time. Return in 3 months. The flashes of light have disappeard. He felt like they were part of the uveitis inflammation.
We discussed medications. He feels that the methotrexate is working for me at this time. Discussed Enbrel with Dr. Read and the rheumatologist. Dr. Read does not want to make too many changes at one time. Dr. Goli increased the methotrexate and it seems to be working. There are problems with my right hip as well and Enbrel is helping it until I feel ready for replacement. My last sed rate was 5 which is really hard to believe. They feel like the medication is working.
We discussed medications. He feels that the methotrexate is working for me at this time. Discussed Enbrel with Dr. Read and the rheumatologist. Dr. Read does not want to make too many changes at one time. Dr. Goli increased the methotrexate and it seems to be working. There are problems with my right hip as well and Enbrel is helping it until I feel ready for replacement. My last sed rate was 5 which is really hard to believe. They feel like the medication is working.
-
Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
Hi Kimberly,
that is good news that the MTX is working for your eyes. so sorry to learn that your arthritis of the hip will need to repaired. lets hope that you can continue to get relief from Enbrel for your hip so that surgery can be put off for a very long time.
Keep us posted on your journey to remission from uveitis.
Take Care,
Mike
that is good news that the MTX is working for your eyes. so sorry to learn that your arthritis of the hip will need to repaired. lets hope that you can continue to get relief from Enbrel for your hip so that surgery can be put off for a very long time.
Keep us posted on your journey to remission from uveitis.
Take Care,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
Moderator
Moderator
Oh, this is so familar. The first time I had iritis -- about three years ago -- it was a horrible case that took agest to get under control. One of the worst parts was getting the circular flashes of light which got so bad that I was afraid to drive. Very disorienting. That has to be watched very carefully, because it can indicate that the structure of the eye is at risk. And there's always the threat of retinal detachment (!).
But aggressive treatment with dilating and steroid drops did the trick for me ... although I did have some permanent damage to the eye (tiny bit cloudy in that eye - and I see halos around light sources).
I began to suspect autoimmune and had myself tested for HLA-B27, which was positive. Since then, my autoimmune issues have exploded, attacking mostly connective tissue, but also affecting several other systems and organs. Still treating everything very aggressively and learning to live with a new normal. I'm back in great shape and take the weird stuff as it comes -- and boy does it come! Every day is a new adventure.
Wish I could have stayed on the methotrexate, but it made me SO sick. I would rather have died than stay on that stuff. My reaction wasn't normal, though.
And the iritis is back -- I knew it a week before the doc could detect it. But not so bad (fifth time).
Hang in there, everyone!
Chapps
But aggressive treatment with dilating and steroid drops did the trick for me ... although I did have some permanent damage to the eye (tiny bit cloudy in that eye - and I see halos around light sources).
I began to suspect autoimmune and had myself tested for HLA-B27, which was positive. Since then, my autoimmune issues have exploded, attacking mostly connective tissue, but also affecting several other systems and organs. Still treating everything very aggressively and learning to live with a new normal. I'm back in great shape and take the weird stuff as it comes -- and boy does it come! Every day is a new adventure.
Wish I could have stayed on the methotrexate, but it made me SO sick. I would rather have died than stay on that stuff. My reaction wasn't normal, though.
And the iritis is back -- I knew it a week before the doc could detect it. But not so bad (fifth time).
Hang in there, everyone!
Chapps
-
Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
Chapps.
sorry to learn of your recurrent HLA B27 related uveitis. since you couldn't tolerate Methotrexate, was Cellcept mentioned or using biologicals such as Remicade or Humira to try to control your systemic disease and uveitis>
halos most often indcate cataract development. one of the long term consequences of corticosteroids.
there is a doctor in LA a doctor Levinson at UCLA that could help if you need one.
wish you the very best,
Mike
sorry to learn of your recurrent HLA B27 related uveitis. since you couldn't tolerate Methotrexate, was Cellcept mentioned or using biologicals such as Remicade or Humira to try to control your systemic disease and uveitis>
halos most often indcate cataract development. one of the long term consequences of corticosteroids.
there is a doctor in LA a doctor Levinson at UCLA that could help if you need one.
wish you the very best,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
Moderator
Moderator
Hey Mike -- awww, no worries. I've now had Iritis several times, and this one started pretty hard, but got resolved much quicker than the previous ones. I think it's a lifetime issue, given the severity of my other autoimmune disorders (Iritis was the canary in the coal mine).
My doc has been very careful to watch for any cataract development, but there's nothing visible via any test that he can perform. There was clearly some damage done to my eye after the first bout of the disease, so I always have those cottony halos around lights in the evening. It just gets more severe when I have a fresh flareup. So, we're being really careful to watch that and the possibility of a detached retina (came very close to that the first time around).
Yes, I know of Doctor Levinson at UCLA and will probably either visit the eye institute there or the one near downtown L.A. if and when I get a future outbreak ... or just to discuss the current eye situation. Hearing some of the 'first timer' stories reminds me of how freaked out I was when I was in their situation ... and now it's ironic how *not* freaked out I am when I get a flareup. For me, it's manageable, but I'm very good at detecting the condition earlier than the doctor can even see it.
Chapps
My doc has been very careful to watch for any cataract development, but there's nothing visible via any test that he can perform. There was clearly some damage done to my eye after the first bout of the disease, so I always have those cottony halos around lights in the evening. It just gets more severe when I have a fresh flareup. So, we're being really careful to watch that and the possibility of a detached retina (came very close to that the first time around).
Yes, I know of Doctor Levinson at UCLA and will probably either visit the eye institute there or the one near downtown L.A. if and when I get a future outbreak ... or just to discuss the current eye situation. Hearing some of the 'first timer' stories reminds me of how freaked out I was when I was in their situation ... and now it's ironic how *not* freaked out I am when I get a flareup. For me, it's manageable, but I'm very good at detecting the condition earlier than the doctor can even see it.
Chapps
-
Mike Bartolatz
- Posts: 6595
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:58 pm
Chapps,
I do my sup[port work here to PREVENT loss of vision and in recurrent cases of uveitis, that means getting people to realize that if they DON"T get to a steroid sparing approach to treatment they will end up like me, with significant loss of vsion that just didn't have to happen. Please see if you can get somone to put you on either Celebrex, dolobid or indomethacin SR to stop the recurrent nature of this beast before you end up with cataracts, glaucoma, epiretinal membranes, cystoid macular edema detached retina etc.
wish you the best,
Mike
I do my sup[port work here to PREVENT loss of vision and in recurrent cases of uveitis, that means getting people to realize that if they DON"T get to a steroid sparing approach to treatment they will end up like me, with significant loss of vsion that just didn't have to happen. Please see if you can get somone to put you on either Celebrex, dolobid or indomethacin SR to stop the recurrent nature of this beast before you end up with cataracts, glaucoma, epiretinal membranes, cystoid macular edema detached retina etc.
wish you the best,
Mike
Mike Bartolatz
Moderator
Moderator
Drops are not working
Hi Mike,
I am glad to have found your forum it has really helped me. I am HLA-B27 positive and had my first diagnosis of Uveitis 10 years and was able to address it with predforte drops. I did not have another occurrence until last April since that time I have 4 occurrences of Uveitus. I decided to go to see Walter M. Rotkis, MD in Seattle to get a second opinion on the treatment that I had been getting locally. He supported the care plan that my current physician was using but I am still dealing with the drops yet another time. My eye pressures are elevated, and I am worried about the conditions that are brought on from continual use of steriods.
Since it has been so chronic I have made an appointment with my primary care physician to see if there is another condition that is exacerbating the continual problem with Uveitis. Has anyone mentioned that a particular anti-inflamatory medication works better for patients with chronic Uveitis? Any thoughts are welcome.
Thanks again,
Julz
I am glad to have found your forum it has really helped me. I am HLA-B27 positive and had my first diagnosis of Uveitis 10 years and was able to address it with predforte drops. I did not have another occurrence until last April since that time I have 4 occurrences of Uveitus. I decided to go to see Walter M. Rotkis, MD in Seattle to get a second opinion on the treatment that I had been getting locally. He supported the care plan that my current physician was using but I am still dealing with the drops yet another time. My eye pressures are elevated, and I am worried about the conditions that are brought on from continual use of steriods.
Since it has been so chronic I have made an appointment with my primary care physician to see if there is another condition that is exacerbating the continual problem with Uveitis. Has anyone mentioned that a particular anti-inflamatory medication works better for patients with chronic Uveitis? Any thoughts are welcome.
Thanks again,
Julz
Julie