OVCA and Uveitis

[jane65]

I've noticed that a couple of the ladies on the board have mentioned Uveitis, an auto immune eye disease, and since I'm one of them, I was wondering how many more also have this additional disease? I was diagnosed 3 years ago, floaters, eye pain, photosensitivity. I saw multi opthalmologists,did the usual steroid and eye drops treatment. Left eye optic nerve destroyed, unfortunately.
Research of websites showed it was an auto immune disease, I saw a rheumatologist who prescribed Methotrexate, which put it into remission for the last 2 years. I've been diagnosed with staage 4b OVCA for 2 years, we know it had been in my body years longer.
I saw on a MedHelp uveitis website, there may be a connection to the 2 diseases. I'd appreciate any one who also has Uveitis to respond, now I'm curious.
And CA Dreamer, my note still won't go through.
Thanks ladies.... Jane

[jane65]

I've written you a few long "notes", but they don't seem to have gotten to you. I just sent you another, if you get it, please reply in a note so we can discuss uveitis..... Jane

[CA Dreamer]

My son was hospitalized in apr '07 while they tried to determine what was causing his vision loss.  No one had seen anything quite like it and he was going between UCSD and Scripps in San Diego while they took photos and more photos and he saw different specialists.  It was a very scary time because they were not able to stop it.  Thankfully, it finally quieted down and he's now on methyltrexate, cyclosporin (sp?) and steroids.  It has been inactive for about 6 mos, so all is well.  

They think it's something similar to serpiginous or AMPPE.  We settled on a wonderful doc at UCSF in San Fran and he traveled for almost a year to see this doc every 2-3 weeks.  He has since moved closer, so the travel expenses have stopped, thank goodness.  

You mentioned you were mis-diagnosed at first, which seems to be pretty common with this disease.  

Hope you've found the specialist that works for you and is keeping away the flare-ups.

CA Dreamer

[JC145]

Question:  is my loss of vision permanent?

I've recently been diagnosed with Uveitis after experiencing eye pain and loss of vision in my left eye.
The resident opthamologist I saw 2 days ago told me it's probably a result of a "systemic" underlying condition and prescribed a regimen of medicinal drops in order to treat this aggressively. He wouldn't say if the damage was permanent. Does any one know what the chances are for me to regain my vision?

Reply by:  Flavius G Pernoud III, MD (on Eye care community)

Uveitis is common and must be treated adequately. Sometimes the underlying cause is difficult to find. Lupus, sinus infections, even bad teeth have been implicated--the list is nearly endless. Chances are good that you will recover if you knock out the inflammation quickly. Also, recurrences are common. I treated a classmate of mine with bilateral uveitis once with a lymphoid tumor the size of a lemon in his chest--it melted away with cortisone treatment along with the uveitis. By the way a chest xray wouldn't be a bad idea.

[JC145]

Just listing this as an FYI ... should I be taking folic acid in my Centrum Silver (125%).  I just started taking Centrum after round 1 of this chemo .. so a month ago.  Lately, my eyeballs have been bothering me a little and having trouble reading the small print (even with bifocals).  I used to take Super B-Complex (it had 100% folic acid).  Since I am chemo, the RN's said to stop  the Vitamin E.

Methotrexate (rINN) (pronounced /mɛθəˈtrɛkseɪt/), abbreviated MTX and formerly known as amethopterin, is an antimetabolite and antifolate drug used in treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. It acts by inhibiting the metabolism of folic acid. Methotrexate replaced the more powerful and toxic antifolate aminopterin, and the two should not be confused with each other.

Judy

[JC145]

Ah, Jane .. I will check the uveitis website on here.

I was diagnosed with OVCA in 6/06 and uveitis in 4/08.  I noticed the week before my dtr's wedding (3/28/08) that I was having trouble seeing in one eye and a multitude of floaters came out of the blue.  With the wedding, I ignored it until early April and saw my opthamologist who called immediately to squeeze me in with a retina specialist.

I've been on eye steriod drops since then.  At first, I used them every 2 hrs.  Lately, it's been only at bedtime.  He said my eyes are "quiet".  This past week (after round 2 of carbo/taxotere), my eyeballs are hurting some, especially at night.  I am on the computer a lot and read a lot, so I thought it may be eyestrain, but now I am not sure.
I see the eye MD in March after round 3.    I just may start using the drops morning and night to see if my eyes feel better.  The eye MD tested me for everything he could think of.  We are leaning to Behcet's disease .. but I tested negative for this .. but have a history of oral ulcers .. even a bout down my esophagus (1998).

IMMUNE SYSTEM:  I also got shingles after round 5 (11/06) of my first chemo which was cisplatin/taxol IV/IP.  Shingles is another auto-immune disease.

Be interested to hear from others ..

Judy