eye infections with UC, anyone??

I am new to the forum as of today and am so very excited!  I have to say, I don't know anyone who has UC and those who I do talk to about my UC issues really don't understand the full spectrum.  I happened to stumble upon this website and am so glad that I did.  All of you have such great info to share and it is so nice to get other's opinions and advice!

 

I was wondering if anyone has had eye infections/problems related to their UC?  I have read some info that conjunctivitis can stem from autoimmune disorders.  I had a bad case of an eye infection in both eyes for over two months.  I am much better now, but take a daily eye drop that is for conjunctivitis related to allergies, however, my eye doctor believed that my current flare had something to do with the prolonged eye infection.

 

So...anyone had "pink eye" out there that became worse with your diagnosis?  Gross, I know...

Every year I get something new that pops up and one year I had continuing eye infections - "Pink eye". I was constantly on eye drops and my eye infections lasted for quite a while. Then poof! gone just as quickly as they came on. Weird. But be sure to always always always wash your pillow case or sleep with a towel wrapped around your pillow case and remove it after you sleep. Many people forget to do this when they have eye infections. Also, discard all your eye make up if you use any.

Oh and btw, welcome to Healingwell! :)

I wore contacts for years...No problem. Then about 2 years ago I started getting sores or ulcers in my eyes. My eye doctor assumed it was the contacts so I no longer get contacts..I still get irritation in my eyes but come to think of it, I haven't had any since I have been unflared so to speak...

I had alot of trouble with eye infections and dryness and my vision was horrible for a long time and my dr thought it was allergies and such. But after i had surgery it all went away. And my vision got better.
I def think vision problems and eye infections are related to UC i would have never put it together until i recently saw a post like this on here.

Thanks everyone for your replies.  It sounds like quite a few of us have linked our eye problems with our UC flares.  I have noticed that my vision is not what it used to be since I have been going through a flare.  My pink eye lasted two months, switching from eye to eye.  The pink eye just came on all of a sudden.  I wasn't in any environment where people had viral/bacterial pink eye.  I am on a once daily eye drop called Pataday.  It is expensive, $65 I think.  Pataday is an eye drop for conjunctivitis related to allergies/systemic issues.  There is a generic version that is two drops daily, however, I chose Pataday because I was so sick of all the eye drops that I was on.  I had to use five different eye drops and I can't even remember how many times a day.  It was crazy.  I started Pataday only after finishing all the other eye drops.  I have found that if I miss a dose of Pataday for several days, my eyes ache a little, so I think that one would have to wean slowly off the eye drops.

Again, thanks everyone for your replies.  It is so great to be able to discuss my UC issues with people who truly understand!!

 

I have had four eye infections in the past year since being dx wiyh U/C the first was quite nasty  and i was on drops for weeks touch wood have not had any for a while but get them checked dont take chances with your eyes.

Iritis and Uveitis are common eye problems for people with UC and Chrons. They are not eye infections but cause swelling, pain and redness of the eyes caused by the same autoimmune response that causes UC. Your body is literlly attacking the healthy issue/organs. I began having iritis YEARS before any UC symptoms. My doctors (both my GI and my ophthamologist) said there is a connection between UC and eye disorders. I would recommend that you be seen by an ophthamologist as they have the equipment to test for iritis and uveitis. You may not have an eye infection. Untreated Uveitis and Irisitis can cause permanent vision loss. They are treated completely different than pink eye but have many similar symptoms (swelling, pain, redness, light senstitivty). Again, I know all this from first hand experience. I am actually having an iritis flare up right now! So FUN!

thatfield said...
Iritis and Uveitis are common eye problems for people with UC and Chrons. They are not eye infections but cause swelling, pain and redness of the eyes caused by the same autoimmune response that causes UC. Your body is literlly attacking the healthy issue/organs. I began having iritis YEARS before any UC symptoms. My doctors (both my GI and my ophthamologist) said there is a connection between UC and eye disorders. I would recommend that you be seen by an ophthamologist as they have the equipment to test for iritis and uveitis. You may not have an eye infection. Untreated Uveitis and Irisitis can cause permanent vision loss. They are treated completely different than pink eye but have many similar symptoms (swelling, pain, redness, light senstitivty). Again, I know all this from first hand experience. I am actually having an iritis flare up right now! So FUN!

I have iritis, too, but it was happened when I was young (like age 11). I was told I had pink eye at the time, though it did not go away with treatment. It was not discovered until years later that my iris was fused. The dr. said it is common with people with UC but thought it was weird that it happened to me when I was a kid and not now that I have the UC.

Mindstyle - That sounds so much like iritis or uveitis to me - the symptoms and the fact that she also has Uc really make me think she should ask about iritis. I also have to use the pred eye drops when my eye flares but I have to stay on the drops for a week or two, even if the symptoms improve immediately, otherwise the flare never heals. I also have to tapper off the drops. Usually I use one or two drops every few hours for a few days, then taper to four times a day for a few days, then three times a day for a dew days, then two, then one...maybe your mom can try that even if the doctors are not on the same page. Two or three weeks on the drops is better for your eyesight than contstant swelling of the eye. Usually iritis is in one eye and not both but it can affect both...

I fortunately haven't had the uveitis or other eye problems associated with UC. I have developed a blocked tear duct in my left eye, though, and it has gotten infected three times in the past year. The first two times I thought it was a sinus infection because the whole upper left quadrant of my face swelled up. The third time, I caught it early and realized what was going on. I can actually feel a bony ridge at the inner corner of my orbit which was not there before.

Maybe it's the bone that dissolved from my right shoulder due to too many steroids. IDK, my musculoskeletal system has been doing strange things for more than 20 years now.