Well, I finally got into the eye doc today, after worrying for 2
weeks that I had iritis. Good news: It's not iritis. Bad news: I
have some nasty eye infection and may have to be on
antibiotics for 2 years!! I have to scrub my eyelids every day
and put some cream on them at night. Also, the eye doc thinks
my RA flare has caused me to have chronic dry eye, so I might
never be able to wear contacts again!!! BOO!!!! You know how I
probably got the infection? From being on prednisone!!!
I guess in the grand scheme of things this is not that bad. Just
one more annoying little thing that RA seems to throw at us. Oh,
the neverending joy!! Has anyone else ever gotten these eye
infections?
Hope you get feeling better soon!
So sorry to hear that!
I hope you are feeling better soon! I rarely get infections but do have chronic uveitis and dry eye. Systane is the best over the counter moisture drop. The ointment at night isn't too bad but do it right before you go to sleep because it will blurr your vision! Baby shampoo works great for eye lid scrubbing! They make little wipes for your eyes but they are a bit pricey! If your eyes are really dry, ask about punctual implants. They are little silicone plugs they put in your tear ducts that help to keep the moisture in! Also ask about Ciba's Night and Day lens. Its a silicone based contact lens, originally marketed for continuous wear up to 30 days but it works great as a regular daily lens you take out every night for dry eye people! They are a little more expensive than other contacts but a lot of people have good luck with them! Sara - at least it wasn't a fungus!!!! COULD BE WORSE! LoL At least you know what it is now, and you can treat it! gramma - wtf is sl*g? O.o Sara - at least it wasn't a fungus!!!! COULD BE WORSE! LoL At least you know what it is now, and you can treat it! gramma - wtf is sl*g? O.o [/QUOTE] For some reason when I try to type the word s l a g it comes out with an asterisk. Maybe the forum thinks I am trying to type a bad word. S l a g is a teeny piece of hot metal from grinding that always seems to bounce behind the safety glasses, bounce around inside the safety glasses, and then land in the eye. They have to numb the eye, flouresce the eye, then drill and pick the piece of metal out. EYE am so sorry to hear about your EYEs.
Feel better or um..see better soon!!!!! Have the punctual plugs and it's a snap! They help greatly, you won't even be aware of them. Definitely try them because before I did I couldn't put enough eye drops or gel in. It affected my vision badly. I use the preservative free genteal ointment. The blurriness does not last very long and is easier than putting drops in at work. Sorry to hear about the long term infection though. That's a real pain. They wouldn't let me have prescription sunglasses anyway because I have trifocals. I have to use those UV rated clip ons which fit glasses so much better than they used to. If you get to the point of getting new glasses, you can have them medically tinted which helps considerably with the inflammation. There might be some way your eye doctor can write this up so that insurance covers it. Also, having tinted windows is a big help on your car. In AZ, you just can't hardly live without anyway. But again, expensive. The other thing that helps is warm washcloths morning and evening. And, if I am very inflamed, I put an ice bag on. Be sure if you have severe pain or more inflammation to see the eye doc right away. Also, have them send a report over to your Rheumy. Controlling the underlying disease really helps.
Michelle~ my doc gave me a bottle of Systane to use until I go
back in two weeks. They also gave me samples of the eyelid
wipes, but told me to get baby shampoo when those run out. I
had heard about punctal implants, but since I've only had these
problems for a few weeks, I don't know how dry my eyes will
get. They feel pretty bad to me, but they might be mild. Did you
get punctal implants?
been dealing with this eye issue. I have had keratitis and the dry eye.
They have been so eye that I am getting corneal errosions. Basically my
cornea tears in the morning and I have brusing under the lids. Good
thing I can't see it.
Dr. says it is definitely the RA and talks to my rheumatologist. He doesn't
want me off pred totally since he thinks it will cause the eyes to flare up.
Becky[QUOTE=arriscolwell]
know how the implants go for you. Is it a simple procedure?
the time that I wear my contacts so I can wear my sunglasses. I
need to get the clip on ones for driving. We just don't have the
money right now for me to go buying a new pair of prescription
sunglasses. I think that once the infection clears up, I will get
the plugs. I hate carrying eyedrops everywhere, and they last a
few minutes at best. It's funny because my eyes don't look bad
at all! The infammation and infection is all under my eye lids.
One more reason why I hate prednisone!!! But, I love it too. We
have a very complicated relationship.
I think I'm losing it!
Bullwinkle~ We just got a new Bass Pro Shops here in Macon,
GA last week. I'll have to go check out the sunglasses!
Deanna~ Do you think an NSAID would help my eyes, even if
they don't help my joints? I take Ultracet, but only before
bedtime. I am allowed to take it much more often, but my joints
have been doing better since my new rheumy upped my
Azulfidine. I try to stay inside with the blinds closed most of the
time. My hubby makes fun of me and says he feels like we live
in a cave, or he never knew he married a vampire!! First question: are you seeing an opthomalogist(spelling?). An
optometrist often doesn't have the qualifications to treat complications in
the eye.
If the inflammation is caused by RA the dr. will probably want you on
some sort of steriod. I am currently taking drops for my eyes since I am
trying to decrease the oral pred. Still, like I said, the RD thinks I will need
to stay on the pred. mainly due to the eye issues.
Is your infection Blephritis? I think that's spelled right. I have had that in
the past and had to take special care of the eyelids.
Isn't it always something?
BeckyBecky,
My regular doc sent me to an opthamologist who diagnosed
me with Blepharitis and chronic dry eye. He said that it is most
likely due to being on prednisone so long, and my eyes being
very dry from inflammation from RA. I have to do the lid scrub
2x a day, take an oral antibiotic, and put an ointment in my eyes
that is a mix of antibiotic and a corticosteroid. The only problem
with the steroid eye ointment is that it drastically increases the
risk for glaucoma, so you have to be watched carefully. I go
back to the eye doc in two weeks, so hopefully I'll have some
improvement by then. How long did it take for yours to settle
down? I know it rarely goes away completely. Went to the eye dr. today....
He is not happy still....ARGH
Anyway-he put a plug in the left eye and I come back in a week to see if
there is improvement. Didn't hurt at all. He didn't even numb me at all.
He said that the numbing actually bothers people more than the
procedure.
I took the medicine for the blephritis for a couple of months.
I'll let you know how the plug works.
Becky
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