Anyone dealing with Uveitis?

[rmorris7]

Hi there! I'm wondering if anyone here has dealt with or is dealing with Uveitis? Our oldest daughter, who is now 14 was diagnosed at 8. I have not yet been able to find a natural way to deal with this. In 6 years of researching and trying so many different things and thousands of dollars for programs, nothing has worked, except main stream medicine, which means steroids and immune suppressants. I truly believe there is another answer, but need some help! I just found this forum and Sarah's books so will be starting the autoimmune protocol soon with our daughter, and also for myself, my husband and 4 other kids. Any advice and help would be awesome!

[EJ]

Here's an interesting thread that discusses stress and massage as a preventive action (and cure): paleohacks.com/inflammation/eye-juice-advice-on-steroids-3849

I would definitely try your daughter on AIP and see if it helps. Just so you know, she may still need to take the steroids to deal with symptoms at first...until her gut heals a bit. Every time you change diets, there's an adjustment period. But I definitely hope it works for you! Remember to start simple. The adventure continues the longer you've been on AIP

[gracegrace]

Hey rmorris7!

I have bilateral uveitis (pars planitis with some CME at times) since Nov 2011. Mine has never been too bad, though it is a type of uveitis with a 'guarded' prognosis, I have only had one steroid injection in 2012 and steroid drops for two months in 2013. I've had minimal permanent vision loss but have quite a bit of vision disruption (floaters, flashes, blurring, photophobia, etc). I am a 26 yr old female, also in Canada. I do have a family member with colitis, which uveitis can be linked to as you know - but I have done most diagnostic testing for systemic autoimmune no markers have yet to be found.

I do notice a significant difference in my eyes during periods of stress. Before I graduated from university, the CME cyst would 'reappear' during 2nd semester deadlines two academic years in a row. Stress has to have a major component with uveitis.

I started the AIP two weeks ago after generally eating quite well beforehand (gluten free since before uveitis began). I have been feeling pretty good! I have seen a minimal change in my eyes (waaay less photophobia though) but eyes take time, floaters are really inflammatory debris and I'm guessing take time to be turned over in the uvea even when no longer active?

As to other ways to naturally heal - sleep is important. Probiotics, vitamin B & D are other supplements I have been strict with taking lately. As well, bilberry/grape seed extract & lutein are known to help with eyes - give them a google search. I do think a combination of allergen-free nutrition to heal the gut, stress management and proper sleep, rest (and play!) will work together to help eye inflammation.

I'm realizing that I have never met/contacted another person with uveitis before! Give your daughter my regards. I am a visual textile artist so it has been distressing to consider my life moving forward with severe vision loss (if it happens) but you know what, life will go on. Since there are so many probable underlying systemic causes to uveitis be sure to have a good ophthalmologist who listens to symptoms and is supportive to running background diagnostic tests (my first eye specialist was a bit cold, so I looked into others and simply re-referred). A good naturopath will always be there for advice on her immune system, I have just started to see one. You've got to self-advocate sometimes for medical inquiry when you have a mysterious disease like uveitis, but I have also noticed that the medical system does take eye disease very seriously.

All the best!

[ifiwasawombat]

My sister who is 21 years old suffers from chronic uveitis, she was diagnosed when she was around 11 I think. She hasn't tried any dietary changes, she's not yet that open minded to this kind of an approach. But I would be very interested to hear your experiences with uveitis and AIP/paleo so that I could share them with her and maybe she at some point would start considering doing at least some dietary changes. She's had some success with surgery and steroid injections (I think) but her body cannot tolerate immune suppressants or biological medicines like metrotrexate (her body had a total meltdown when she was on an immune suppressants and she was hospitalised) so a natural way of healing would be very welcomed and needed.

[teddy]

Dec 19, 2014 4:34:28 GMT -5 ifiwasawombat said:

My sister who is 21 years old suffers from chronic uveitis, she was diagnosed when she was around 11 I think. She hasn't tried any dietary changes, she's not yet that open minded to this kind of an approach. But I would be very interested to hear your experiences with uveitis and AIP/paleo so that I could share them with her and maybe she at some point would start considering doing at least some dietary changes. She's had some success with surgery and steroid injections (I think) but her body cannot tolerate immune suppressants or biological medicines like metrotrexate (her body had a total meltdown when she was on an immune suppressants and she was hospitalised) so a natural way of healing would be very welcomed and needed.

Hello there! I suffer from uveitis since 2007 and am on steroids and soon to be on imunosupressants as well. Could you please let me know if you know someone who has tried AIP and it has helped! Any information on that matter will be  highly appreciated!