<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Some of the folk asked what Iritis is, and its symptoms and treatment. I'll start this summary with an overlook of my personal experience. PERSONAL: The eye doctor diagnosed Iritis, based on his examination using a slit light. That's an inflammation inside the eye, behind the iris, the color part. He prescriped Pred Forte steroid eyedrops once every waking hour. Later, he prescribed dilation drops as well as the Pred Forte. It dilates the eye, and made it much less painful. I've been taking Advil for the aches... this is significant because I very rarely take this kind of med since my CD diagnosis. It started with a reddening on the white of the eye on its outer side, and then it became very painful. I also had some aches on the temples and sometimes a generalized headache. It is more painful with bright lights, such as sunny rooms, etc. Also painful is when trying to read the time on my wristwatch or other printed matter unless it's at least outside of an arm's length. Where I am now after 3 eye doc visits in three weeks. I'm feeling better now, with much less pain and aches. The vision is foggy, and it's very difficult to read out of that eye. I've had some frustrating and/or depressing moments. Today I went to my first workout since before the eye problem, and I'm feeling so much better! I've done much helpful Internet research on Google.Com and spoken with some doctors, one of whom is a Celiac specialist. Iritis is an auto-immune condition, with its source most likely elsewhere in the body. There is documentation in a medical journal of one woman's case being attributed to Fosamax, the once-a-week doseage of 70mg. This is not proven. I've ceased using this. A rheumatologist is awaiting results of a blood test that would hopefully reveal the source of this problem. If there's anything significant, I'll share this info with the List. The Celiac doc also indicated no prevalance of CD itself to this condition. Thank you to many of you who have respnded to my posting. Here's the summary: ---------------------------------- SUGGESTED WEBSITES: I hope this list is not compromised with those funny characters at the end of some lines! To prevent this, I have purposely moved some words at the end of the line to the next. There is no spacing in those long strings. Also hope this works! Search in <www.google.com> with 'Iritis' as a keyword. <http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/messages> This link mentions that uveitis can be associated with IBS and Crohn's <http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/diseasemanagement/gastro/ inflammatory_bowel/inflammatory_bowel.htm> Celiac disease among IBS patients: <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed& list_uids=12869084&dopt=Abstract> People with IBS be tested for CD: <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed& list_uids=12655262&dopt=Abstract> Here is the pubmed search - problem is that most have no abstract: <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=PubMed> Shingles as a possible etilogy: <http://www.steen-hall.com/zoster.html> ------------------------------------------- SUGGESTED ETIOLOGIES: -Persons with CD often have other autoimmune conditon, such as Iritis. -It is associated with the HLA-B27 haplotype. -Ankylosing spondolitis suffer bouts of iritis. -my eye doc. told me that it can be related to crohn's disease. -ulcerative colitis -The only thing that worked for my iritis were stopping wearing contacts, steroid creme and the end of the flare up -Shingles -Reiter's Syndrome - urethritis -Scleritis -Fosamax, 70mg once-a-week doseage ----------------------------------- RECOMMENDATIONS: -You should make sure that you are seeing a reputable rheumatologist.. -You can consult with papers written by Dr. Peter Green (in NY). - Ask for a copy of all tests run and if you see other doctors take them with you. -Work with alternative M.D. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ PERSONAL ANECTODES AND OTHER COMMENTS: I have yet to see an ophthalmologist test for celiac disease when a patient presents with uveitis or any other symptom. It seems that in most cases of uveitis we do not find a cause. Perhaps we should be looking at the gut too - if we don't look we will never find. The eye docs I work with are totally unaware of Celiac dz. I had iritis approx. 5-6 times, over a number of years, and also had off and on severe back pain/aching which was dismissed by MD's as stress, fibromyalgia or plain old don't know. The opthalmologist actually was the one who referred me to a rheumatologist. Turned out I have an autoimmune condition called ankylosing spondylitis. I was not happy to have that, but it helped to know, and to receive NSAID's that helped. A blood test for me showed the HLA B27 marker which is common for folks with AS. From an undiagnosed CD: I have had iritis and my brother has had iritis 2x. We also both carry the gene for anklosing spindylosis. He has been formerly diagnosed with AS but refuses to be tested for CD. I have had many bouts with iritis for the past 38+ years (1965). By 1973 I began having pain in my S.I. joint (lower part of the pelvis where the leg connects). I was in college and doctors said I was too young for arthritis. (I went) to a rheumatologist off campus. Given my symptoms, history of iritis, and bloodwork he diagnosed me with ankylosing spondylitis. It was a correct diagnosis and continued to get much worse. A few years later I began experiencing symptoms which later came to be diagnosed as urethritis (after a number of "bladder infection" episodes which turned out to be not that but actually urethritis (inflammation of the urethra). This diagnosis came from a urologist who sent me to a rheumatologist to confirm it (I had not seen a rheumatologist for 11 years, choosing to give up on drugs and go alternative with food supplements, diet, etc. to treat the spondylitis). I have worked with an alternative M.D. since 1982 for my multiple health problems, some not mentioned but related to the gluten sensitivity and the auto-immune disease which is what I have. It is called Reiter's Disease; 25% of the folks with Reiter's have all three of the problems which can occur with that problem. (.I do have a close friend who occassionally has iritis and also has a couple different arthritic problems) My understanding is that Reiter's can be genetically passed on. He has helped me tremendously by diagnosing and treating various underlying problems, including gluten sensitivity. This has also helped reduce the inflammation in the Reiter's Disease. I no longer have the iritis near as often (maybe once a year, whereas before I might have it as much as several times a year or severe cases when I did get it). ------------------------------------ I had scleritis for over a year. It went away and than I had Iritis for several months. Similar course of treatment as you for the iritis. I asked the listserv the same question when I had scleritis as well as two neurologists that I know quite well. I couldn't find any connection w/ either eye problems and CD or Restless Legs Syndrome which I also have. I did find that all four are autoimmune disorders. I still find that if I don't get enough sleep my eye hurts and can easily go from good to bad quickly. -------------------------------- I was wondering if iritis was a symptom of Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder affecting the tear ducts, salivary glands and other moisture-producing glands in the body. Because there is less moisture in the eye, there is more tendency to infection. According to my Merck manual, such infections usually are in the cornea. I had heard of SS and knew that it is linked with CD, like a number of other autoimmune disorders. (My doctor said) it is Sjogren's secondary to mixed connective tissue disorder. Like my CD, my SS symptoms have not followed the classic pattern. -------------------------------- *Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*