RA in my eyes

[Dobcross1]

Hi just a quick question - has anyone else experienced RA in their eyes? When I first got the symptoms which led to me being diagnosed a dry cough which kept me awake all night and eye pain and redness in my right eye lasting about 2/3 days plus a really dry mouth were all part of it. Funnily enough as other symptoms got worse ie fingers, feet knees swelling etc the dry cough and eye pain went. Only for both to return last week! I'm on MXT (had 9 injections now) but it's not working yet - but just wondering is it normal to go backwards😂🙄

[Mmrr]

My eyes get very dry as a result of RA. Generally when my joints are better, my eyes are better, and vice versa.

It might be worth seeing an optician, you will get a free eye test on the NHS if you have RA. My optician advised eye drops, which I use several times a day and help a lot. I get the eye drops on prescription from my GP. Do get eye drops without preservative, long term use of preservative can bring it's own problems.

[Dobcross1 in reply to Mmrr]

Thanks Mmrr. I've put a call into the helpline as I have Glaucoma in both eyes and put drops in for that. Hopefully it'll get sorted. By the way hope the biologics are helping you.

[wishbone in reply to Dobcross1]

Mention the cough - it could be MTX related.

[Ssmart in reply to Mmrr]

Free eye test? Does that include regular opticians? Have to have annual eye exams due to being on hydroxy but I pay....

[Mmrr in reply to Ssmart]

I had three eye tests within a year from specsavers, all free due to having RA. The first was pre starting HDQ, the other 2 because I had ongoing eye problems. I had to sign a form saying I had RA.

I live in Scotland.

[Ssmart in reply to Mmrr]

Ah ok, I’m in England perhaps it is different, I am due another test though so I will pop in and have a chat with them... thanks! X

[Mandalou in reply to Ssmart]

Hi Ssmart

Yes, me too. I’m in England and have to have annual eye tests so I can continue to be prescribed Hydroxychloroquine.

I pay for these as well. My Mum has Glaucoma so that bit is free.

I’m due next month , it comes round so quickly!

All the best

Mx

[Ssmart in reply to Mandalou]

Thank you! X

[rab1874]

Hi Dobcross I suffer from dry eyes and mouth due to Ra and have also cataracts which I’m waiting to go and see about at hospital,right eye worse than left, I also take eye drops during day and gel at nights which helps xxx

[Dobcross1 in reply to rab1874]

Thank you I'll ask about drops.

[helixhelix]

Have a look at this

nras.org.uk/eye-health-and-ra

[Dobcross1 in reply to helixhelix]

Thanks for all this really great info. I only wish I'd known this... I rang rheumatology and to cut a long story short ended up in the eye hospital A&E (thank God we've got one in Manchester). It was dry eye affecting my cornea so came away with antibiotic drops and a lubricating gel. I had never even thought of all this... to me swollen fingers, knees feet etc and fatigue were enough to be going on with!!! Anyway thanks again - folks on here seem to be more clued up than rheumatology!!

[helixhelix in reply to Dobcross1]

Yes, RA can weasel its way around your body sadly. A lot of us rely on preservative free eye drops....

[lolamylo]

Yes me too-I have eye drops to use if I get dry eyes and I also have a fake saliva spray for dry throat-both conditions are RA related and I was so surprised that on top of all the other issues this was another symptom. Hope you find something to help.

[Grumpling]

Hi all, after a really bad winter with my eyes I saw my GP and rheumatologist who both said you have dry eye so carry on with eye drops, there’s nothing we can do. When I saw my optician he checked my dry eyes and wrote to my GP asking him to refer me to the eye hospital. The specialist at the eye hospital advised sealing the tear drops to stop my tears running away. I had the day surgery a few weeks later and have not had sore eyes since..... bliss!

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Grumpling]

Bliss indeed - what a result.

I’d always consult my optician rather than my GP about eye problems, same as I consult my dentist rather than my GP with mouth / teeth problems. Both of them have far more specialised knowledge of their areas of expertise than GPs are likely to have - as you have just discovered.

[Dobcross1 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

So true. Thank you

[Dobcross1 in reply to Grumpling]

That's brilliant so great to hear you are now sorted. A good news story, thank you.

[ROBERT_CARMICHAEL]

All you who have dry eyes and mouth with your RA, should consider, If you haven't already, Sjogrens syndrome( a combination of RA with dry eyes and damaged saliva glands). In addition to RA treatment regular eye drops (hypromellose) and great mouth care are essential. I have found no help from all these artificial salivas.

[TMeyer]

I have terrible dry eyes, I am in the states so health care is a little different here. My ophthalmologist tried steroids first, they were awful and didnt work, finally he put me on Restasis, it is really expensive but worked wonderfully. My Rheum is calling what I have, undifferentiated connective tissue disease since my blood work isn't showing the correct markers to diagnose RA or Lupus. However, multiple CT scans have shown degenerative bone disease in my neck, spine, hips, and knees. This has all come about in the last year.

[Dobcross1 in reply to TMeyer]

Bloods are a nightmare parent they when your markers don't reflect what's going on inside. My markers have always been low (latest CRP 1.6!!) plus joints which they expect to be affected aren't and no redness. Fortunately (though it doesn't feel fortunate) other swollen joints helped the RA diagnosis. At the time I asked about Sjorgrens syndrome purely because of a very dry mouth but was told oh you haven't got that, by my GP. Dont know if my ramblings are of any use to you but hope you are getting or get appropriate treatment soon x

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Dobcross1]

That’s what I have noticed. My CRP was 1.1 at the time when my hands hurt and my thumb joints were so painful I could barely hold my electric toothbrush in my left hand never mind use them for normal runs the house tasks plus my feet hurt so muchI could barely walk. I just can’t understand how that could be. I eat totally gluten free which I know has calmed down my thyroid antibodies but even then I was in severe pain - had a little bit of swelling on my left thumb joint but nothing that reflected my pain. A rheumatologist suggested in a report to my doctor that he thought I could be developing Sjorgens but I have no problems with a dry mouth so I’m not sure - think my eyes more than make up for my non dry mouth though.

Don’t worry about rambling - it’s amaz8ng how much info you’re u can get from other people’s ramblings 😉

[MissMinto]

RA tends to collect other autoimmune conditions under its umbrella...see if any of this rings a bell:

nhs.uk/conditions/uveitis/

[Dobcross1 in reply to MissMinto]

Yes I think so many of us with RA have lots of other issues connected to it (Sjorgrens being one) but Rheumatology tend to concentrate (where I'm concerned anyway) purely on joint swelling. But I suppose the logic is that if they get the RA under control the other symptoms will also be better.. but I seem to be getting more of the other symptoms as time goes on even on MXT! Thanks for the link.

[pd118]

I got eye drops - relief !

[whitedog]

Before being diagnosed with RA in 2007, I was diagnosed with an inflammatory eye disease called Fuchs Heterochromic Irido Cyclitis in 2000. I wouldn't be surprised if the two are linked, though the specialists of each one rarely talk to me about the other. And my mum, who also had RA, was diagnosed with Sjorgrens disease and had a lot of trouble with dry eyes. The eye disease I have has also presented me with cataract and glaucoma. I've had ops for both and lost a lot of vision but while the glaucoma is under control, I have a lot of irritation and redness in the eye which I have to put in steroid drops for.

[Dobcross1]

Josh I am so sorry that's an awful lit to contend with on top of RA. I too have Glaucoma in both eyes and have been wondering if it's all connected....