[Fwd: Uveitis and Reactive Arthritis]

[Guest guest]

Hi and everyone -

I've also been having severe problems with uveitis over the past year. I live in

Boston, and my ophthalmologist is , the doctor who created the

uveitis.org site. He is very good. I've also had two injections in my eye. He

first

put me on Celebrex, and told me that 70% of the patients he puts on Celebrex do

not

have another flareup. Unfortunately I did, about 5 months later. My flareups are

definitely related to high stress. He then wanted to put me on Methotrexate. I

let

him know that I have great reservations about taking it, and he said I could

first

try switching to Vioxx. I have, and so far so good (though it's only been a

couple

of months). I am planning to start the AP - my primary care doctor is trying to

find a rheumatologist who will prescribe it in the area who is on my insurance

plan

right now. Adlard gave me the following information a while ago:

" Many of our group have had uveitis along with their primary rheumatic disease.

The antibiotic approach can be used for uveitis as well. I have an article at

home by a Dr. Emil Virostko who isolated mycoplasma in the eye tissue of

patients

with uveitis. I can try to find it if you're interested or it might be on the

web if you search. "

I haven't read the article, but it sounds like it's worth reading. My biggest

suggestion is find a rheumatologist who takes uveitis seriously. Dr.

treats

it VERY different than any other ophthalmologist that I saw before him. Good

luck!

Kim

Probert wrote:

> on 12/12/00 2:08 PM, Liz G. at pioneer@... wrote:

>

> >

> >

> >> I am having alot of trouble with my eyes. The doc said it is uveitis

> >> or inflammation of the retina that goes along with reactive

> >> arthritis. Any suggestions? I have been given injections in them

> >> twice. Thanks.....

> >

> > Hi , I don't have any suggestions personally, but have heard

> > www.kickas.org has good info on this, also www.uveitis.org . I've been

> > having trouble with my eyes being bloodshot and sore whenever my RA flares,

> > and the Optometrist said there is not a whole lot he could do for it (it's

> > very mild at this point, and did not show up in the tests he did, of course

> > with my luck I was not flaring by the time my appointment with him came

> > around), but to try and get better control of the arthritis was the main

> > thing to do. How is your arthritis otherwise? Time for a treatment

> > adjustment? Liz G.

>

> Liz,

>

> Thanks for re-posting the uveitis.org link--I had lost track of it.

>

> I think a good point for is from that site--find a specialist in

> uveitis.

>

> > Approximately sixty different things can cause uveitis, and the " detective

> > work " involved in trying to discover what a particular patient1s cause for

> > their uveitis is may be extremely tedious and costly. This " detective work "

is

> > much more like diagnostic work involved in internal medicine than like the

> > typical work involved in the practice of ophthalmology. Primarily for this

> > reason, few ophthalmologists choose to specialize in uveitis. Additionally,

> > the care of some forms of uveitis requires the use of systemic medications

> > (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, and/or immunomodulators,

> > " chemotherapy. " ) This too, dissuades many ophthalmologists from the

practical

> > care of patients with uveitis. There are, however, several centers around

the

> > United States specializing in the care with patients with this potential

> > blinding problem. Additionally, increasing numbers of younger

ophthalmologists

> > are spending time, after completing their training in ophthalmology, getting

> > specialty training so that they may care for patients with uveitis

>

> I have a cousin who had years of ongoing uveitis a few years ago, and found

> she got much better treatment by finding an ophthalmologist in St. Louis,

> instead of sticking with her initial ophthalmologist in her small town an

> hour to the south.

>

> The uvietis.org site is loaded with information, and seems to be a good

> starting point.

>

> Jean

>

>

> To unsubscribe, email: rheumatic-unsubscribeegroups

[Guest guest]

Thanks to all who responded to my SOS.. I am looking into the other

antibiotics used for Uveitis. I have been on the AP for 11 years ,

arthritis for about 20+ years but only recently had eye involvement

Apparently this is common with HLA-B27 types. The doc I am seeing for the

uveitis seems open to the antibiotic approach. thanks again