I Have had RA For at least 3 years .This is the first time it has effected my eyes.Sore an itch that hurt swelling old looking glassy eyes.I looked like I had sun poison on my upper and lower lids.I am so happy I came across this group.I don't feel like I am Crazy.
As soon as my doc.saw me he knew at it was.I thought he was just blaming the R.A. for ALOT of docs. think.We got the symptoms under control but they are still blurry and cannot put any cosmetics on.
Hopefully I can help one of you as you have helped me. So happy to have found this group.To make matters worse I have type 1 R.S.D.that is the most pain thing I have felt.When you have others of whom understand you it sire is a help
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reneestag
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Morning Renee stag I think eyes are a big problem concerning Ra , I have a lot of problems with my eyes since I got Ra 3 years ago, red itchy and gritty at times , I see you have RSD type1 what does that mean if you don't mind me asking xxx
Hi reenestag I have had RA since 2014 and the last 18 months i have had irritable eyes and at the moment they are worse than ever been, They feel dry all the time but sometimes i can feel tears running down my face am constantly rubbing them which i know doesnt help i have tried different drops and some help a little but not that much Sometimes they feel like theyre burning through tiredness which may well be the case as i dont get that much sleep these days.
I thought maybe it could be sjorgrens syndrome but really not sure
Hi Phil. I have same symptoms as you, they come and go. I told my RA consultant and he diagnosed Sjorgrens syndrome, so would be worth your while asking your consultant.
To be honest, the only thing, I was given was drops as well. Although I am also on a high dose of Antihistamines because I have developed sun/light sensitivity on my skin, which I think have also helped to alleviate the eye issues. Maybe ask consultant about that. I find that my dr is very reluctant to prescribe meds for anything connected to my RA, until I have spoken to my consultant. Which in itself is problem, as I only see my consultant every 3/6mths.
Thanks Liz i have an appointment next week with the LED nurse so will be speaking to her and on my next review with consultant, to be honest i am reluctant to speak to GP as they dont really understand about the immune condition or even RA.
i do tend to rely more on the LED clinic over certain concerns.
As it happens following my last appointment for blood monitoring i got a call from the hospital because my markers on my liver had risen significantly and are within 3 or 4 marks leading to stopping MTX so i will be asking about Antihistamines so thanks for that maybe that will help with all the bruising on my arms and legs which i have had for over a year now
Thanks so much its been great to talk to you and really helpful
Hi Renee, I have had RA for nearly 20 years and when I was first diagnosed I also had a lot of problem with my eyes. I went to the doctors who diagnosed something called Bletheritis. You can’t buy a eyewash for this from Amazon or Boots called Blethasol. Also a home remedy which I use which is good, get a cotton bud and put a few drops of baby shampoo close your eye and rub the bud on the eyelash’s (you can get a video of how to do this on YouTube) then rinse of and do the other eye. This does bring some relief. Hope this helps and please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any further help.
Kind regards
Christine
Hi reneestag, Check out Sjorgrens syndrome. I have same symptoms and my consultant diagnosed me with this. Unfortunately when you have RA, you find you end up with some many other issues connected to it. Because it is an autoimmune disease, you can find yourself getting all sorts of other problems. Although it doesn't affect everyone. Plus unfortunately some meds you may take to help control your RA can themselves create a lot of other negative issues with your body. And you have to weigh the pros and cons of the meds against if they are helping your RA or not. I was diagnosed with RA 13yrs ago and unfortunately for me, I have a long list of issues with my health not just from the RA, but also from the meds, I have to take, to control the problems I have got from it. It can be a vicious cycle of problems erupting. That is what I find most frustrating, especially when friends and family members dismiss my RA with such negativity. I often get told, it's just Arthritis, everybody gets it at some point. But it isn't, it's a disease. And it is debilitating for so many. And comes with some many other issue. That's why, I signed up to this site. Co's only others with this disease, can truly get where you are coming from.
It is a shame that so many people just dismiss us and don't bother to educate themselves about it.
Hi I have RA for about 5 yrs and have suffered with my eyes for about 3 I use hypromelose eye drops prescribed by my GP and find these help. RA tends to cause dry eye and this is why they always feel gritty and sore.
A warm flannel on your eyes and gental massarge really helps and recomended by eye specialist. Also you can get lots of great products to help including makeup etc from specialist website butterflies-eyecare.co.uk
Hi reneestag I have same symptoms as bingochristine which is bletheritus and bathe my eye lids also got a mask from opticians which you warm I microwave and place over eyes. Very soothing. I have dry eyes and use a liquid tears in a tube. Hope the advice we've given helps x
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