My eyesight is very bad right now, have had three prescriptions for glasses in 12 months, and my vision continues to decline.
On Wednesday, I am having my first cataract removal surgery, and I am strongly hopeful that this will be the beginning of better vision for me.
It seems that people with Behcet's Disease have some magnification of vision problems, no matter how serious the disease is or how easily symptoms are controlled.
See a good opthamologist regularly, and don't hesitate to call him frequently for any change in visual acuity. Although I dread more surgery, getting rid of my glasses is going to be a wonderful thing for me. I have been annoyed for the past year with having to wear glasses all the time, and to me, the best thing in the world will be to change these frames into sun glasses and never have to be bothered with eyeglasses again. Here's hoping.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Stopping Colchicine
In 2012, I suffered constant digestive tract issues, which I largely wrote off as diet related. Unfortunately, my poor little old appendix couldn't take it, and in July, I had an appendectomy, which was not a great way to spend the summer.
Lo and behold, I continued to have digestive tract issues after the appendectomy. I contacted my rheumatologist, who advised me to go off colchicine for 2 weeks, then reintroduce it, one pill a day, every other day. The 2 weeks I didn't take colchicine, I was symptom free (digestive tract issues and Behcet's symptoms). As soon as I restarted the colchicine, my digestive tract rebelled. I called the rheumatologist again to tell him I was going off colchicine, and I have. It's been two months, I'll see the doctor in another month and then we can decide what's next.
Meanwhile, if you are suffering from digestive tract issues from taking colchicine, stop it. Putting your body through that kind of distress is worse than enduring mild symptoms of Behcet's Disease.
Your doctor can prescribe a steroid paste for any mouth ulcers that occur, and I certainly intend to see what other options I have for treatment. Lucky for me, I have a very mild case of Behcet's, and I thought I would see many negative effects from not taking colchicine, but they have not materialized. In fact, I feel better than ever most of the time.
Diet is important in Behcet's. I can look at a food now, after five years, and know immediately whether it will cause me distress or not. Keep experimenting with your diet; no processed foods, no food chemicals or additives and no dyes.
It's not as boring as one would think.
Lo and behold, I continued to have digestive tract issues after the appendectomy. I contacted my rheumatologist, who advised me to go off colchicine for 2 weeks, then reintroduce it, one pill a day, every other day. The 2 weeks I didn't take colchicine, I was symptom free (digestive tract issues and Behcet's symptoms). As soon as I restarted the colchicine, my digestive tract rebelled. I called the rheumatologist again to tell him I was going off colchicine, and I have. It's been two months, I'll see the doctor in another month and then we can decide what's next.
Meanwhile, if you are suffering from digestive tract issues from taking colchicine, stop it. Putting your body through that kind of distress is worse than enduring mild symptoms of Behcet's Disease.
Your doctor can prescribe a steroid paste for any mouth ulcers that occur, and I certainly intend to see what other options I have for treatment. Lucky for me, I have a very mild case of Behcet's, and I thought I would see many negative effects from not taking colchicine, but they have not materialized. In fact, I feel better than ever most of the time.
Diet is important in Behcet's. I can look at a food now, after five years, and know immediately whether it will cause me distress or not. Keep experimenting with your diet; no processed foods, no food chemicals or additives and no dyes.
It's not as boring as one would think.
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